1. Which famous literary character, who shares his/her birthday with his/her creator, was born on this date in 1980?
2. Who recently became the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France?
3. On this date in 1956, which bowler became the first to take all 10 wickets in a Test innings, a feat emulated by Anil Kumble?
4. Chronologically, what is Pranab Mukherjee’s number as President of India?
5. What type of rocks are gneiss, slate and marble?
6. Name the first American female astronaut, and the third woman in space, who passed away recently.
7. In music, which is the simplest major scale to write?
8. In which Hitchcock classic did one first encounter Norman Bates?
9. To which tall structure does one need to go through the Alai Darwaza in Delhi?
10. What breed of dog was Lady in the Disney classic “Lady and the Tramp”?
11. In computing, what is the common term used for a program that translates source code into object code?
12. What is the surname of the title character in the best-selling children’s novel Matilda written by Roald Dahl?
13. How many books make up the Pauline epistles or Letters of Paul in the New Testament?
14. Ernie Els was in the news recently for a coveted sporting triumph. Which event?
15. Name the actor-parents of actor Esha Deol?
Answers: 1. Harry Potter; 2. Bradley Wiggins; 3. Jim Laker; 4. 13th; 5. Metamorphic; 6. Sally Ride; 7. C major; 8. ‘Psycho’.; 9. Qutub Minar; 10. Cocker Spaniel; 11. Compiler. 12. Wormwood; 13. Thirteen; 14. The South African won the prestigious British Open golf championship; 15. Dharmendra and Hema Malini.
