Have you, your family and friends been paying attention this year? Here’s your chance to find out, with GP’s news quiz featuring 150 topical 2024 questions.
Doing the whole quiz in one go might be a bit much for Christmas booze-befuddled brains, so the questions have been divided into sections so the quiz can be tackled in manageable-sized chunks.
Current Affairs 2024 – numbers 1-72
Arts and Entertainment 2024 – numbers 73-90
Politics 2024 – numbers 91-110
Sport 2024 – numbers 111-130
Who Said It In 2024? – numbers 131-150
Disclaimer – there is no guarantee that all answers are correct. Complaints about incorrect or incomplete answers, and suggestions for acceptable alternative answers etc., should NOT be addressed to Swiss Bob, or to me for that matter. Please air your complaints, and discuss them with other knowledgeable Puffins in the comments!
Oh, and a very Happy New Year to all!
Questions
Current Affairs 2024
1. Which car company’s 2024 re-brand campaign became a talking point as it appeared to backfire badly?
2. On 19th July, a global IT outage brought chunks of the economy to a standstill, with flights grounded, trains delayed, supply chains paralysed, and news organisations going off-air. What was the cause?
3. A train to Gatwick left passengers stuck when the service was cancelled because animals had boarded, and one refused to leave. What animals were responsible?
4. Tractors and farmers descended on Westminster this autumn, in protest at what?
5. Which historic British monarch had their voice brought back to life by new technology this year?
6. Which word, taken from Charli XCX’s album released this year, was co-opted as a countermovement to the “clean girl” trend?
7. Which famous children’s cartoon character collaborated with Strictly Come Dancing this year for Children In Need?
8. The last reigning queen in the world abdicated after 52 years as monarch of which country?
9. Name the British zoologist convicted of raping, torturing and killing dogs in Australia, and possessing and transmitting the worst category of child sexual abuse material.
10. Which artist won her fourth Grammy album of the year for “Midnights”?
11. Experimental substances are being added to cattle feed in an attempt to do what?
12. Which dog breed was banned by the Government in England and Wales?
13. Which disease is predicted to be eradicated, thanks to a vaccine being rolled out to schoolgirls?
14. Who was filmed putting on a necklace with a goat pendant after winning her sixth Olympic gold medal in Paris?
15. Which Sunday-school teacher from Georgia in the USA celebrated his 100th birthday?
16. Which coal-fired power station closed in September, bringing an end to coal-fired electricity generation in the UK after 142 years?
17. Why did the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapse into the Patapsco River on March 26, killing six workers?
18. Who won the TV Dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing this year?
19. Why was there excitement around a collection of saplings grown in a top secret greenhouse in Devon?
20. Over 32,000 children between the age of nine and eleven auditioned for a role in which upcoming TV series based on a best-selling series of books?
21. Large parts of the UK were treated to a rare view of the famous Aurora Borealis in October, but by what other name are they known?
22. Paedophile newsreader Huw Edwards was found guilty of making indecent images of children. What was his punishment?
23. Which company developed the Horizon software behind the Post Office scandal?
24. Lioness, Mildmay, Windrush, Weaver, Suffragette and Liberty refer to what?
25. Famous parenting YouTube influencer Ruby Franke was jailed for what crime?
26. Who tried to get into Rishi Sunak’s car at a London heliport?
27. Typhoon Yagi wreaked havoc in which continent?
28. What is, or was, the Bayesian?
29. What links Symi, Tenerife and Crete?
30. Oasis announced their reunion and a 2025 tour in September, but where did they play their previous last show in 2009?
31. Who is Beau Lucie and why did she make the news this year?
32. Which fictional bear was given a real UK passport by the British government this year?
33. Which British musician went viral after posting a social media photo of his surprisingly tall son?
34. Which animated duo returned to BBC screens this Christmas for a brand new adventure, 34 years after their first TV special aired on Christmas Eve 1990?
35. Which characters did Ryan Gosling and Mikey Day dress up as in 2024?
36. What was strange about the shoes Noel Edmonds was spotted wearing on the Isle of Man this year?
37. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck split in 2024. What is the nickname often used to refer to the couple?
38. In March, which Royal family member announced she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy?
39. Which wildlife event baffled scientists in 2024?
40. A tortoise in Berkshire caused what kind of unusual delay?
41. Which country became the fifth to achieve a soft landing on the moon, with its SLIM mission?
42. What adult-only snack was released in 2024?
43. Which smuggling ring was busted in China?
44. Where did the unlicensed Willy Wonka Experience which went badly wrong take place?
45. What Chinese territory passed sweeping national security legislation on March 19, giving officials more power to curb dissent?
46. What is the Gen Z trend of teenage boys buying expensive cologne called?
47. Which company, powered by the boom in generative artificial intelligence, briefly surpassed Microsoft and Apple in June as the world’s most valuable public company?
48. In June, more than 1,300 people died while attending what major event in Saudi Arabia as temperatures surpassed 100 degrees Fahrenheit?
49. What did NASA announce in August about the astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore?
50. Which US State was hardest hit by the deadly Hurricane Helene?
51. To whom did the Norwegian Nobel Committee award the Peace Prize on October 11?
52. What word or phrase was named the Oxford University Press 2024 Word of the Year?
53. Which radio programme celebrated its 100th anniversary on 1st January 2024?
54. The release of which TV show prompted then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to say he would exonerate and compensate hundreds of postmasters?
55. Which celebrity launched the beauty brand Cécred in February?
56. Name the Russian territory, parts of which were occupied by Ukraine in an incursion earlier this year.
57. The shirt worn by Colin Firth in BBC’s Pride and Prejudice was sold at a charity auction. How much did it go for?
58. Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex launched a lifestyle brand in March. What was it called?
59. Which country became the 32nd to join NATO?
60. In March, which iconic British confectionery brand celebrated its 200th anniversary?
61. New York was struck by one of its worst earthquakes in over 100 years in April. What was the magnitude?
62. In April, Russ Cook, aka the ‘Hardest Geezer’, made the news, but what for?
63. Which fashion designer showed his final collection in June before retiring?
64. Which month saw the UK’s hottest day of the year, which was recorded at 34.8C?
65. Jason and Travis Kelce signed a new podcast deal with Amazon in August. How much was the deal worth?
66. Which country banned X (formerly known as Twitter) in August?
67. Which common vegetable went viral over the summer after a TikTok creator said “sometimes you just need to eat an entire X” and proceeded to show fans the best way to prepare it?
68. What is the name of the baby pygmy hippo, born in Thailand, images of whom went viral earlier this year?
69. Which British royal princess announced her second pregnancy in October?
70. What was the name of the super full moon that occurred in October?
71. What did Elon Musk say his company Tesla will start producing, and have in use, from 2025?
72. Three little girls were hacked to death in Southport this summer at a Taylor Swift-themed yoga and dance workshop, but how many other people were injured in the attack?
Arts and Entertainment 2024
73. What was the name of Boris Johnson’s memoir book, published this year?
74. What are the names of the book and author who won this year’s Booker prize?
75. Which long-standing Radio 2 presenter is stepping down from their role this winter?
76. The Disney+ series Rivals, is based on a book of the same name by which author?
77. Which Broadway hit had a film adaptation released this year?
78. Taylor Swift’s long-running, record-breaking tour came to an end in December, but what was it called?
79. That tour became the most commercially successful of all time, surpassing which artist?
80. Oppenheimer won Best Picture at the Oscars. It was the longest film to win the award since which movie?
81. What was unusual about Switzerland’s Eurovision Song Contest winner Nemo?
82. Which Ted Lasso and Game of Thrones actress hosted the Olivier Awards for theatre in April 2024?
83. Which 2000s music star achieved the feat of winning three different reality TV series in 2024?
84. Who became the first blind contestant on Strictly Come Dancing?
85. Which English singer finally became an EGOT after winning an Emmy in January? (EGOT = Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony).
86. Which music company pulled all of their artists’ songs from TikTok?
87. Singer-songwriter Raye made history at the BRIT awards by chalking up a record number of wins. How many awards did she win?
88. What was the name of the song that won Eurovision?
89. A film released in June took $1.6 billion worldwide at the box office, becoming the most successful animated film of all time. What is the film called?
90. Who won The Great British Bake Off on 26th November?
Politics 2024
91. One of Labour’s first big acts in government was to effectively give away a British Overseas Territory to another country. What will be handed over?
92. As Rishi Sunak announced there was to be a general election in the rain outside No 10, what song was played by demonstrators nearby as he spoke?
93. Russian leader Vladimir Putin won the Presidential election in March. What was his reported share of the vote?
94. Which leaders did Joe Biden confuse during a NATO summit in Washington, days before he decided to drop out of the race for the White House?
95. Which notable Russian figure died in a Russian prison, aged 47?
96. New Brexit health and safety checks for EU food and animal product imports were due to be introduced at the end of this year, but have been delayed again. How many times has the introduction of these checks now been postponed?
97. Where was the first assassination attempt on Donald Trump made?
98. Where did the second assassination attempt on Donald Trump take place?
99. Name the high profile US figure pardoned by President Joe Biden for gun felonies and tax crimes on 1st December.
100. Which two members of Labour’s then-Shadow Cabinet lost their seats in Parliament at the July General Election?
101. Which national government became the first in Europe to have a black leader?
102. George Galloway served as a Workers Party of Britain MP for a few months this year. What party did he lead between 2004 and 2016?
103. Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign adopted lime green branding, inspired by which British singer-songwriter?
104. Which body part of Donald Trump was injured when he was shot at his rally?
105. In which month did Chancellor Rachel Reeves present her 2024 Autumn budget to Parliament?
106. Who did Sir Keir Starmer’s government turn to for advice and ideas on boosting the economy at the end of the year?
107. What happened to Nigel Farage during the General Election campaign in a widely discussed incident?
108. In July Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, but when was the last time we had a Labour Prime Minister prior to this?
109. What was the job of Kamala Harris’ running mate Tim Walz before going into politics?
110. According to a Government slogan, their mission is to fix something. What do they intend to fix?
Sport 2024
111. French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati went viral at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but for what reason?
112. Which song, made famous by Edith Piaf, did Celine Dion sing on her comeback live performance at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony?
113. An Australian breakdancer went viral for her routine at the Paris Olympics this summer. What was her stage name?
114. Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen became famous during Paris 2024 for his addiction to, and hoarding of which food item from the Olympic Village?
115. Who scored the winning penalty for England in their Euro 2024 quarter-final shootout victory over Switzerland?
116. Who became the first team for 30 years to concede more than a hundred goals in a Premier League season?
117. What was the name of the horse that won the 2024 Grand National?
118. When Joe Root and Harry Brook scored 454 runs together against Pakistan at Multan in October, whose record England partnership did they beat?
119. What, according to former rugby prop Joe Marler, is “the scariest thing that’s ever hit you”?
120. Who became the 10th woman from Team GB to win an Olympic athletics gold?
121. Former England football manager Sven-Göran Eriksson fulfilled his lifelong dream to manage which Premier League side, by leading them in a special charity match?
122. Which team beat England in the final of the UEFA Men’s European Football Championships?
123. Approximately how many athletes participated in the 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games?
124. How many medals did Team GB win at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games?
125. Who reached the PDC darts final in 2024, making headlines?
126. Who performed at the Super Bowl half time show?
127. Who won the men’s singles at Wimbledon?
128. Which country won the Olympics?
129. Which Premier League football club did Enzo Maresca join in the summer?
130. Who won his fourth F1 world championship at the Las Vegas Grand Prix?
Who Said It In 2024?
131. Which performer said “At this rate, I’ll soon be in Skegness doing Mother Goose”?
132. During the Conservative leadership election, which hopeful candidate pleaded with members “Let’s be more normal”?
133. Which politician fumbled their words and called for “the return of the sausages”?
134. Which Tory MP, speaking after losing his seat in the General Election, said “I am today, thank God, a free man”.
135. Who loudly informed reporters that “tomorrow I’m doing 9/11”?
136. The phrase “very demure, very mindful” took over social media this year, but with whom did the phrase originate?
137. Who praised Elon Musk, saying: “He’s a special guy, he’s a super genius… ”
138. Which politician said that there are civil servants “who are very, very bad. You know, should-be-in-prison bad.”
139. Which actor said meeting King Charles “wasn’t on the list of priorities”?
140. Who said: “What I’m about to say is not a dogma of the Faith but something I hold personally: I like to think that hell is empty. I hope that’s the reality!”
141. Who said: “If I do get to heaven,…. I’d like to be a defence lawyer for borderline cases: people with a good heart who’ve made a few poor decisions. We used to call it forgiveness and it used to be quite popular, but the world isn’t so keen on it these days. Maybe it’s time to bring it back?”
142. Who said: “The British are reticent about talking about religion. They regard their churchgoing in a similar way as their visits to the bathroom — that it’s good manners not to tell anyone they’re going, not say where they’ve been, and never mention what happened there”.
143. Who said: “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a popular music concert – that absolutely confirms my terminal nerdishness”.
144. Who said: “I do go to church although I must say sorry to my vicar that I haven’t been recently. I’ve been quite busy. But I do believe in God, and I am a practising Christian”.
145. Who said: “By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here”.
146. Who said: “Vicarage dogs are as fundamental to the life of the Church of England as Fairtrade coffee and the Book of Common Prayer”.
147. Who said: “My mother was a church-going teacher. She wanted me to be the Archbishop of Canterbury. To be honest, I haven’t given up hope.”
148. Who said he gave Prince Harry a “manly pep talk” to try and persuade him to stay in the UK?
149. Which singer allegedly said “This is going to ruin the tour”, after being arrested for drink driving in June?
150. Who said they stay up late at night cleaning because of their OCD?
Answers to both quizzes tomorrow.
© Questions compiled, and some originated, by NeverUpToTheJob 2024
