Latest questions: 21 June 2022

These questions were inspired by those set for use in Week 12 of the 2021–2 season in Macclesfield Quiz League, by the Dolphin Dragons (Questions 1 to 11) and the Park Timers (12 to 21).

Which Austrian artist, born in 1862, enjoyed a 'golden phase' in the early 20th century, when he used gold leaf in many of his paintings?		Gustav Klimt
Which film, released in 2015, had a screenplay by Alan Bennett, based on a memoir by him, and starred Maggie Smith as the title character, whose name was Mary Shepherd?		The Lady in the Van
In January 2022, who became the third woman – after England's Charlotte Edwards and India's Mithali Raj – to captain her national cricket side in 150 matches? She became the youngest ever captain of the Australian women's team, in 2014.		Meg Lanning
Who played the chauffeur, Hoke Colburn, in the 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy – which won Jessica Tandy the Best Actress Oscar?		Morgan Freeman
Which flower, known in French as the bleuet, is a symbol of remembrance in France – particularly in relation to the First World War, equivalent to the poppy in the UK?		The cornflower
On the 6th of March 1957, what became the third African country (after Morocco and Tunisia) to gain independence – the first in sub–Saharan Africa, and the first to gain independence from Britain?		Ghana
Which Athenian politician and general, prominent in the later stages of the city's so–called Golden Age (around 461 to 429 BC) was described by the contemporary historian Thucydides as "the first citizen of Athens"?		Pericles
Which former BDO world champion darts player, nicknamed The Viking, died in 2021 aged 59 (after a long history of ill health)?		Andy Fordham
Which club finished as runners–up to Leicester City in 2016, having played in every Premier League season but last won the title in 2004?		Arsenal
At the 1966 FIFA World Cup, which team finished in third place?		Portugal
At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, who finished second behind Ben Johnson in the men's 100 metres, but was awarded the gold medal after Johnson's disqualification?		Carl Lewis
What's the totally non–ironic name of the social media platform founded in October 2021 by Donald Trump, and launched in February 2022?		Truth Social
How many national republics were there in the Soviet Union? It was divided up into the same number of independent republics in 1991.		15
The Rio Grande and the Mississippi River (among others) empty into which body of water?		The Gulf of Mexico
In the books by J. K. Rowling (and/or the films, by various directors), what is Harry Potter's middle name?		James
Which country has won more medals, and more golds, at the Winter Olympics than any other (not counting Germany – which, if you include West Germany and East Germany, has won slightly more)?		Norway
According to the latest United Nations estimates (published by world–population–review.com), what is the world's most populous city?		Tokyo
Whose 'readymade' art work My Bed – controversially nominated for the Turner Prize in 1999 – was sold at auction by Christie's in 2014 for just over two and a half million pounds?		Tracey Emin
Formerly Managing Director of the IMF, which French politician was appointed as the fourth President of the European Central Bank in 2019?		Christine Lagarde
Which BBC television drama series, first shown between 2013 and 2022, was inspired by a real–life street gang operating in Birmingham in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?		Peaky Blinders
In place names, particularly in Scotland and northern England, what does 'kirk' signify?		A church

© Haydn Thompson 2022