Yes, it’s time to replace party hats with thinking caps for the Daily Mail Quiz of 2023. How much do you really know about the year gone by? A year plagued by war, as the Russia/Ukraine conflict raged and horrific violence broke out in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the cost of living dominated the news agenda, billionaires continued their adventures into space and many worried about the possible consequences of AI technology.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. The Lionesses reached the World Cup Final for the first time, and the film Barbie thrilled millions. Mastermind also entered its 51st year on television, proving once again that we Brits love a good quiz.
So buckle up, switch off the smartphones — thus silencing any help from Mr Google — and rack your brains with my little challenge.
As I tell the brave contestants on Mastermind waiting nervously to sit in the black chair — good luck to you all.
Mastermind host Clive Myrie (pictured) has challenged you to replace your party hats with thinking caps for the Daily Mail Quiz of 2023. How much do you really know about the year gone by?
1. King Charles and Queen Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey. Who was the first King to be crowned there?
2. The American actor Matthew Perry died in 2023. What was the name of the character he played in the hit sitcom Friends?
3. What is the name of the ‘new’ Beatles track released in November with a little help from AI?
4. After facing charges for a fourth time this year, who posted a picture of his own police mugshot on social media, with the words ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE. NEVER SURRENDER!’
5. Which city will the proposed HS2 train not be stopping at, after cuts were made to the budget in 2023?
6. According to Dominic Cummings at the Covid inquiry, which film did Boris Johnson reference about keeping the beaches open to prevent harming the community, in relation to lockdowns?
7. The second test flight of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket lasted longer than the first before exploding. After how many minutes did the so-called ‘rapid unscheduled disassembly’ take place?
King Charles and Queen Camilla appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Coronation Ceremony at Westminster Abbey, London
8. The artificial intelligence company, Open AI’s most-discussed product, ChatGPT-4, provoked excitement and fear. What does GPT stand for?
9. Which country successfully landed an unmanned spacecraft on the moon’s south pole?
10. The ‘Crispr’ gene-editing technique was successfully used to correct faulty haemoglobin genes in bone marrow stem cells, in patients suffering which disease?
11. Which nation became Nato’s 31st member in 2023?
12. After 50 years of nuclear energy, which European country shut down its nuclear power stations?
a) Germany
b) France
c) Spain
13. What was the name of the leader of the Wagner Group of Russian mercenaries, who died in a plane crash after threatening an armed rebellion against the Kremlin?
14. The Titan submersible imploded in the Atlantic, killing all five aboard. What was the purpose of the expedition?
15. In what category did the late American diplomat Henry Kissinger win the Nobel Prize in 1973?
This is the OceanGate Expeditions submersible vessel named Titan that was used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic
16. Raac (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) was detected in buildings across the UK, potentially causing structural problems. In what decade was autoclaved aerated concrete invented?
a) 1950s
b) 1920s
c) 1980s
17. Which country replaced its currency, the kuna, with the euro?
18. Which President was issued with an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court, for unlawfully deporting children to his own country from another sovereign state?
19. A new ‘framework agreement’ was struck between the UK and the EU to adjust the Northern Ireland Protocol. Which royal park was it named after?
20. Rail and NHS strikes dragged on in 2023. The longest strike in UK history was the Burston School Strike, which started in 1914. How long did it last?
a) 25 years
b) 15 years
c) 10 years
21. Which country won the Eurovision Song Contest, taking its overall tally in the competition to seven, equalling Ireland with the most wins over the event’s history?
Ryan Gosling (left) and Margot Robbie (right) are in a scene from Barbie
22. The film Barbie was the biggest box-office success of the year. Who was the director?
23. Dr Who has been regenerated into the actor, Ncuti Gatwa. Who filled the shoes of the previous Doctor?
24. 2023 marked the 500th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio. It’s the complete collection of which of his works?
a) Plays
b) Poems
c) Plays and poems
25. Which historical figure’s famous tricorn hat was sold at auction for 1.9 million euros?
26. Who replaced Jeremy Paxman to become the latest host of TV’s University Challenge?
Ncuti Gatwa made his first appearance as The Doctor in the third 60th Anniversary Special of Dr Who last month
27. The nation mourned the felling of a lone tree that stood next to Hadrian’s Wall near Crag Lough in Northumberland. What type of tree was chopped down?
28. The Oxford English Dictionary named ‘rizz’ as its word of 2023, but what is it short for?
29. What did Booker Prize-winner Paul Lynch plan to do with the £50,000 awarded for his novel Prophet Song?
30. The Fifa Women’s World Cup Final was overshadowed by a kissing scandal, but what was the final score by which Spain beat England?