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Churchill College Quiz, 2011

Questions from the fourth College quiz, held in March 2011. Find the answers here.

Round One: Scientists and Science at Churchill

1: Bob Edwards has been awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on IVF; what was the name of the first "test tube" baby, and (for a bonus point?) how old is she?


2: Which three scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work on the structure of DNA? For a bonus point - which year was it awarded?


3: In the grounds of which Cambridge college was a sculpture erected to celebrate the discovery of the structure of DNA?


4: Which Austrian-born scientist, who collaborated in the discovery of nuclear fission, had to flee Nazi Germany in 1938 because of her Jewish ancestry?


5: Alec Boksenberg, Fellow of Churchill, worked on the Hubble Space Telescope and the College held an exhibition of images from it in 2000. When was the telescope launched?


6: What is the recommended storage temperature and humidity for frequently consulted archival materials, according to BS 5454? This is designed to slow deterioration and prohibit mould and insect growth but to allow for safe handling of the material by readers.

a) 18-21 degrees C, 50-65 per cent RH
b) 16-19 degrees C, 45-60 per cent RH
c) 12-15 degrees C, 40-55 per cent RH


7) Which substance present in commercial newspaper pulp increases the vulnerability to acid catalysed hydrolysis (yellowing) the most when a newspaper is left on a windowsill for a couple of weeks?

a) hemicelluloses
b) bleach
c) lignin

Round Two: Churchill and his college

1: Timothy Spall played Churchill in the film "The King's Speech". Which of the following actors has not played Churchill?

a) Richard Burton
b) Robert Hardy
c) Timothy West
d) Albert Finney
e) Peter Ustinov


2: Hugh Franklin attacked Churchill with a dog-whip in support of what cause in 1910? For a bonus point - he is the uncle of which individual whose papers are held at the Archives Centre?


3: Where was Churchill holidaying when he first discussed the idea of founding a university or college (which became Churchill College)?

a) Italian Riviera
b) Sicily
c) Switzerland


4: What did Churchill enjoy for the first time whilst in Cuba in 1895?

a) Tequila
b) A cigar
c) Salsa dancing


5: How did Churchill celebrate his 39th birthday?

a) Quietly at home with his wife and family
b) Flying lessons
c) Building a wall at his house, Chartwell.


6: In 1922, Churchill's campaign for re-election as MP for Dundee was hampered by what illness? (Clue: it was the same illness which Edward VII had suffered from 20 years earlier, causing his coronation to be postponed).

a) Measles
b) Appendicitis
c) Syphilis


7: Which famous bacteriologist is rumoured to have saved Churchill from drowning?

Round Three: Archive Pot Luck

1: In 1993, the College ball was James Bond themed, under the title "ThunderBall". Which actor played 007 in the film of that name?
For a bonus point, which singer recorded the eponymous title song?


2: "Operation Moonlight Sonata" was the German codename for a devastating bombing raid on which city?

a) Bristol
b) London
c) Coventry


3: Which of these did King George V collect?

a) stamps
b) coins
c) postcards


4: The Hailsham diaries held at the Churchill Archives Centre have been conserved using the "Fisherizing" technique of housing single-sheet material of predominantly uniform format. Where was this conservation technique first developed?

a) Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
b) British Library, London
c) Bodleian Library, Oxford


5: What was the original name given to the Open University?

a) The People's University
b) The Free University
c) The University of the Air


6: In 2012, in an initiative which the Archives Centre is very proud of, the Churchill Papers held at Churchill Archives Centre are going to be published online by the publishers of the Harry Potter books. What is the name of the publishing firm?

a) Bloomsbury
b) Macmillan
c) Penguin


7: In January 2009, George Bush hosted a dinner at the White House for Barack Obama and the three surviving former US Presidents. If David Cameron were to host a similar dinner for his predecessors, which of them would be invited?