Fifteen-to-One - 433 Challenge
This page shows all of the 43 questions answered correctly by Bill McKaig, when he achieved his Fifteen to One record 433 maximum.
The show was screened in spring 1999, it is necessary to remember this as some of the questions are now out of date.
On certain browsers, you can view the answer simply by clicking three times in quick succession on the A. Otherwise, simply click on the A. and drag the mouse pointer to the right to reveal the text (highlight it). The result should look like this:
|
Use the A. below to test your clicking and highlighting:
| A. If you can see this, you're doing it right. |
Any comments made by William G. Stewart appear after a dash '-'.
Part of the question numbered 30 contains the answer to the previous question, this part will need to be revealed in the same way as the answers.
Round 1 - Two questions (going round the arc).
Q1. Africa - Who is Thabo Mbeki, expected to replace as the political leader of his country later this year?
| A. Nelson Mandella in South Africa. |
Q2. Geography - Cuba, Jamaica and Hispaniola are all part of which island group in the West Indies?
| A. The Greater Antilles. |
Round 2 - The game was 10 down, 5 to go so round 2 was very short as only two contestants needed to be eliminated. Standing at number 3, he did not get nominated, the only question he faced was the second of the round.
Q. Music - The town of Titipu in Japan, the Tower of London and Venice in Italy. What's the musical connection?
| A. They're settings for Gilbert and Sullivan operas. |
The Final - Questions numbered 40 to 1. First three questions are on the buzzer (hence two of them are incomplete). He then elects to take questions.
40. History of medicine - In 1948, a modern version of which oath was drawn up by the world medical association in Geneva?
| A. The Hippocratic Oath. |
39. History of television from the 1960's and 1970's - The police constables Bert Lynch, Jock Weir and..
| A. Z Cars. |
38. Shakespeare - Which Shakespeare play is set in ancient Britain and opens in the palace of the elderly king who has decided to give up his kingdom and divide it among his..
| A. King Lear. |
37. Britain in the 20th century - What is the significance of the dates: August the 9th 1902, June the 23rd 1911, May 12 1937 and June 2nd 1953.
| A. They're Coronation dates. |
36. Sporting records and results - The record time for this 4 and a half-mile event stands at 8 minutes, 47.8 seconds, which was set in 1990 by Mr. Frisk. Which famous event?
| A. The Grand National. |
35. In English law, what is deemed to be the first priority for payment from the estate of a deceased person?
| A. The funeral expenses. |
34. The Bible, the New Testament - Who in Revelation chapter 6 symbolised conquest, slaughter, famine and pestilence?
| A. The four horsemen. - of the apocalypse, won't come luckier than that Bill. |
33. Literature - What sort of creature in P G Wodehouse's novel is the empress of Blandings?
| A. She's a sow, a pig. - yes, a prize pig. |
32. Science - Mount Wilson in California, Siding Spring in Australia and Mauna Kea in Hawaii. What's the scientific connection?
| A. They're observatories. - They are, astronomical observatories. |
31. Back to: Television in the 1960's - In which series from the 1960's was the character John Drake a trouble-shooter for NATO's secret service department?
| A. That's going back, Danger Man. - Yes indeed. |
30. And which actor played John Drake in (the previous answer):
| A. Danger Man |
| A. Patrick McGoohan. |
29. What is the chemical symbol for lead?
| A. Pb. |
28. Crime - The surnames please of the famous Edinburgh body snatching partners in the 19th century who murdered at least 16 people, most of them old men or women?
| A. Burke and Hare. |
27. Still crime please, and which major crime took place on the 8th of August 1963 just short of Bridego bridge near Cheddington in Buckinghamshire?
| A. The Great Train Robbery. |
26. Geology - Of what features is Speleology the study?
| A. Ur, Caves. |
25. Proverbs - A Journey of a thousand miles must begin with, what?
| A. The first step. - A single step, first step. |
24. The European Union - The CAP accounts for nearly one half of the community's budget. What is the CAP?
| A. The Common Agricultural Policy. |
23. The USA - Portsmouth, Norfolk and Richmond are three of the major cities in which US state?
| A. Virginia. |
22. In which country is the Kruger National Park the largest game reserve in the world?
| A. South Africa. |
21. Who, at the age of 59 was the oldest monarch to accede to the British throne this century?
| A. Edward the 7th. |
20. Science - A body floating in fluid displaces it's own weight in fluid. That is the principle named after which ancient Greek mathematician?
| A. Archimedes. |
19. Which group of islands in the Atlantic is named after the fierce dogs that lived there, the name coming from the Latin word for dogs?
| A. The Canaries. |
18. Look at this please: and tell me who is this man? A famous name in football.
| A. Terry Venables. |
17. Horse racing - In which county can you go to the races at Ascot, Windsor and Newbury?
| A. Berkshire. |
16. In which ocean are the islands of Reunion, Mauritius and Rodrigues?
| A. The Indian Ocean. |
15. Famous couples - Who is the wife of the jazz musician John Dankworth?
| A. Cleo Laine. |
14. Will Self the poet, Alec Stewart the England cricket captain, Trevor Bayliss the inventor of the clockwork radio, and Timothy Spall the actor have all appeared in the 1999 edition of which annual reference book?
| A. Who's who. |
13. Motor Cars - The Volkswagen, what's the literal English translation of Volkswagen.
| A. People's car or people's wagon. - People's car. |
12. Look at this please and tell me, this member of the cabinet is known as 'The Enforcer': What's his name?
| A. Dr. Jack Cunningham. |
11. Which organisation runs the annual Chelsea Flower Show in London?
| A. The Royal Horticultural Society. |
10. Where in the SW1 (southwest 1) postal district is the famous 'Annie's Bar' to be found?
| A. It's in the houses of parliament. - Yes, named after a famous barmaid. |
9. The English defeat of the French at Agincourt, Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake; Eton College was founded by Henry the 6th. All in which century?
| A. The fifteenth. |
8. Opera - Which opera by Puccini opens in a Japanese house set in a Japanese garden, overlooking Nagasaki?
| A. Madame Butterfly. |
7. Of which continent are the Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean a part?
| A. Africa. |
6. By what name is a long-cased clock more popularly known?
| A. A grandfather clock. - yes, it could be grandmother or granddaughter I suppose |
5. The boy who wouldn't grow up is the subtitle of which famous children's play?
| A. Peter Pan. |
4. Politics - Which Spanish word meaning council or board is often used for a military government?
| A. Junta. |
3. In which field of the arts is Vanessa Mae a famous name?
| A. She's a violinist. |
2. How many witches make a coven?
| A. Thirteen. |
1. The Baker Street Irregulars is a literary society devoted to the study and appreciation of who?
| A. Sherlock Holmes. |