Latest questions: 26 March 2019

This week's questions are from those written for Week 17 of the 2018–19 season in Macclesfield Quiz League, by the Royal Oak.

Which film and television production and distribution company was founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in 1979, and sold to Disney in 1993?		Miramax
In Greek mythology, which Phoenician princess was a consort of Zeus and the mother of King Minos?		Europa
Which US president–elect survived a shooting that resulted in the death of Anton Cermak, the mayor of Chicago?		Franklin D. Roosevelt
The assassination of which Nazi diplomat in Paris, in July 1938, by the German Jewish teenager Herschel Grynszpan, was used as a pretext for the 'Kristallnacht' pogrom against German Jews following his death?		Ernst vom Rath
Andrew Cunanan murdered five people over a three–month period in 1997, including which prominent fashion designer?		Gianni Versace
Which body of water is bordered by Australia, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and New Guinea, and includes the Great Barrier Reef?		The Coral Sea
Isabela, Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, San Salvador and Fernandina are the largest islands in which group?		The Galapagos Islands
Which South American capital city was founded in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro, and originally known as Ciudad de los Reyes (City of the Kings), because it was founded on 6 January (Epiphany)?		Lima
In which country was the magnetic compass invented as a device for aligning buildings etc.) in the third century BC, and first used for navigation in the 11th century AD??		China
Eagle warriors and jaguar warriors were members of elite military forces in which empire or civilisation?		Aztec
In darts, who was the first player to make a nine–dart finish in a televised match?		John Lowe
In Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, the Discworld rests on the backs of four huge elephants which are in turn standing on the back of Great A'Tuin, who is what type of creature?		Turtle
In the children's novel War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo, what's the name of the title character?		Joey
In James Herriot's 'vet' books (dramatised for television as All Creatures Great and Small), what was the name of Mrs. Pumphrey's pampered Pekingese?		Tricky Woo
What was the title of Richard Adams's third novel, published in 1974, whose title character is a giant bear?		Shardik
In the Harry Potter stories, what's the name of Ron Weasley's pet rat – who turns out to be Peter Pettigrew (the main antagonist of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) in disguise?		Scabbers
Who is said to have popularised the white wedding dress, after wearing a white lace dress at her wedding in 1840?		Queen Victoria
Who is the current President of South Africa, having taken office following the resignation of Jacob Zuma – under whom he had served as deputy?		Cyril Ramaphosa
Who replaced David Dimbleby as the host of BBC television's Question Time in January this year?		Fiona Bruce
Which cocktail (strictly, mixed drink) was invented (according to legend) to mark the death of Prince Albert in 1861, when the steward at Brook's Club in London ordered that even the Champagne should be in mourning, dressed all in black		Black velvet
Which flowering plant has the Latin name Lathyrus odoratus?		Sweet pea
Which musical, that opened on Broadway in 2011, was written by the creators of South Park (and the composer for the musical Avenue Q), and follows two missionaries in Uganda? Its characters include Nabulungi, Elder (Arnold) Cunningham, Mafala Hatimbi, and General Butt F***ing Naked		The Book of Mormon
Which popular British (female) comedian performed early gigs as 'the Sea Monster'?		Jo Brand
The French–born Argentinian singer and composer Carlos Gardel (Charles Gardès) has been described as the most prominent figure in the history of which dance form?		Tango
In which European capital city is there a historic building complex known as the Belvedere, consisting of two Baroque palaces (the Upper and Lower Belvedere), the Orangery, and the Palace Stables?		Vienna
Which Scottish soft drink parodied High School Musical in a 2009 advertising campaign: "It's fizzy, it's ginger, it's phenomenal!"		Irn Bru
Which English cyclist crashed out of the 1998 Tour de France whilst wearing the yellow jersey for the third time?		Chris Boardman
Which long–running television programme introduced Jim Henson's Muppet characters to a children's audience, on its debut in 1969?		Sesame Street
Who won the public vote for the Greatest Person of the 20th Century, in the BBC's Icons series (in February 2019)?		Alan Turing
The Pritzker Prize is an international award, presented annually since 1979 for a career of achievement in which field?		Architecture
Which former Deputy Leader of Liverpool City Council was re–admitted to the Labour Party in February 2019, after being banned from membership since 1986, but suspended 48 hours later?		Derek Hatton
Which celebrity's autobiography, published in 2018, is entitled A Better Me?		Gary Barlow
On top of the Wimbledon Men's singles trophy is a miniature representation of what?		A pineapple
Name one of Hyacinth Bucket's three sisters in the BBC television sitcom Keeping Up Appearances.		Daisy, Rose or Violet

© Haydn Thompson 2019