The year of the Dab and the Queen - the 2016 quiz!

By: Scott Nordlund
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
The year of the Dab and the Queen - the 2016 quiz!
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

This quiz tests your knowledge of what happened during 2016 - the good, the bad, and certainly the ugly. 2016 was a rough year for celebrities, but for innovation it was one of the best.
Which artist started her tour on February 29?
Beyonce
Adele
Adele began her 25 World Tour on February 29, a leap day. She started her tour in Belfast, Northern Ireland and wrapped up the tour on November 15 in Mexico City. The tour sold out within minutes! With the top selling 25 album, Adele is certainly back on top.
Britney Spears
Celine Dion

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Which famous leader turned 90 in April?
Vladimir Putin
Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth II turned 90 on April 15; she is the oldest reigning monarch in the world. Her party was held a month later, with celebrations between May 12-15 at Windsor Castle. There was also a ceremony on June 10-12 to celebrate her patronage of over 600 organizations or countries world wide.
Barack Obama
Betty White

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What planet's transit happened in May?
Venus
Mars
Mercury
Mercury transited the Earth on May 9th, as it moved across the face of the sun. That is, it traveled between the Earth and the sun. Typically, transits happen in November and are expected in 2019 and 2032. The next May transit will happen in 2049. This transit was observable from eastern North America, as well as most of South America, western Africa, and Western Europe, and took about 7.5 hours
Neptune

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What Soccer Tournament returned to the USA, after decades of hiatus?
CONCACAF Cup
Copa America
The Copa America took place in 10 US cities in the summer, and Chile came out on top. Arguably the biggest news story out of this tournament was the fact that all three governing bodies' presidents faced charges from the US Department of Justice. The tournament saw the favorite, Argentina, lose on penalties to Chile - this was Chile's first ever Copa America win.
Fifa Women's World Cup
Fifa Men's World Cup

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Which NASA probe reached Jupiter in 2016?
Jupiter II
Discovery
Halley
Juno
Launched in 2011, the Juno spacecraft reached Jupiter in early July. Its mission is to peer beneath Jupiter's clouds and gather data and images to learn about the planets origin, atmosphere, and structure. The Juno spacecraft will be the fastest moving human-made object in space, as it slingshots itself around the sun traveling 265,000 km/hour.

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What country hosted the Olympic games in 2016?
Chile
Brazil
The Olympic games finally came to South America in 2016, when the country of Brazil played host to the world. Golf and rugby sevens were introduced, and 206 gold medals were available in total. The country also hosted the 15th Paralympic Games later on in the year.
United States
England

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Which NHL player was named to the All-Star Game by fan vote?
Sidney Crosby
John Scott
John Scott was chosen via fan vote to participate in the NHL All-Star Game. The NHL petitioned, stating that he was not an active NHL player (he was traded and sent to the American Hockey League days before the event). He played and won the MVP award, and his team won the 3 on 3 tournament. The players on his team donated their winnings to support his growing family.
Joe Clark
Daniel Sedin

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Which Asian country voted in their first female leader?
China
Japan
Korea
Taiwan
Taiwan chose their first female president, when they voted in Tsai Ing-wen. She won with a 56.1% of the popular vote over Eric Chu with 31% and James Soong with 12.8%. She is the first unmarried president elected and took office on May 20, 2016.

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Which country opened relations with Cuba once again?
Russia
Canada
Germany
United States
Barack Obama visited Cuba about opening up relations with the United States. He was the first president since Calving Coolidge in 1928 to visit the tropical paradise.

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What country had sanctions imposed on them in March of 2016 by the United Nations Security Council?
Russia
China
Iran
North Korea
The UN Security Council imposed sanctions on North Korea that called for inspection of all cargo entering and leaving the country, a ban on importations of luxury watches, snowmobiles, and jet skis, and an increase of people under sanctions. This was in regard to a satellite launch into orbit, and a nuclear test in January. Pyongyang continued to ignore sanctions and international law in the following months.

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What shocking papers were released in April of 2016 that shocked the financial world?
Panama Papers
Mossack Fonseca, a Panama-based law firm, had millions of confidential documents leaked in April of 2016. It showcased the shell game that the world's richest play to avoid taxes and funnel assets. Panama held an investigation, but nothing concrete came of it.
Norwegian Papers
London Papers
New York Papers

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What country was found to have a system-wide doping program for high-performance athletes in May 2016?
Brazil
USA
Germany
Russia
The US Department of Justice opened an investigation in early May 2016, and the findings were systematic doping by the Russian federation. A number of high-performance athletes were banned from their organization, and Rio 2016 medals were at risk. The Russian government initially denied the accusations, but a number of Russian doctors confirmed it.

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Which Russian tennis star was banned for two years for using an illegal substance?
Juko
Konstinov
Ovechkin
Sharapova
In June 2016, the International Tennis Federation announced the banning of Maria Sharapova. The tennis star tested positive for meldonium, which she had taken since 2006 for health issues after it was added to the banned substances list. She was banned for two years and is appealing as of 2017.

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Which mobile game was released in July 2016?
Pokémon Go
Pokémon Go was released in July 2016, to huge fanfare. In this game, users create avatars and walk around in the real world to catch virtual Pokémon that appear on the game screen. Using Google Maps technology, the avatar within the game moves as the real person moves, so exercise is a bonus—getting users off the couch and walking around.
Digimon
Google Earth
LG Go

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What country started airstrikes within Syria in August 2016?
USA
England
Turkey
Russia
On August 16, Russia began airstrikes from bases in Iran on Syrian targets. As of 2017, the US is still upset about Russian air strikes and possible UN Security Council violations, but the Russian government has continued to bomb. The Russian government stated that they are allowed to use Iranian airbases, but not allowed to sell them weapons.

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What controversial figure was canonized in September 2016?
Mother Teresa
On September 4, 2016, Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa, officially making her Saint Teresa. It took place in Saint Peter's Square, in Vatican City, before a large crowd. Some were not impressed with the Catholic Church, as she was remembered for both brutal standards and abuses on the orphans under her.
Ghandi
Tom Cruise
Winston Churchill

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Who won the Nobel Prize for literary works?
Bob Dylan
To the surprise of many, Bob Dylan was announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize for literary works. He is an iconic singer and songwriter, but he was extremely surprised to win. This brought about one of the first instances of fake news in the United States, with many media outlets stating that he was declining.
JK Rowling
Keith Richards
George Martin

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Which infamous Communist leader died at the age of 90 in November 2016?
Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro passed away in Havana at the age of 90 on November 25, 2016. He ruled Cuba for well over five decades, after leading the overthrow of the previous dictator, Fulgencio Batista, in 1959. His brother, Raul Castro, is set to retire in 2018, leaving the future of Cuba in question.
Stalin
Pamela Falk
Raul Castro

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What sport was shocked with a sex abuse scandal in early December?
Soccer
In early December, the English police announced hundreds of reports of sexual abuse throughout the ranks of English soccer. The Guardian first published an expose, and afterward, the reports continue to trickle in. High profile players, including David Eatock, came forward.
American Football
Hockey
Volleyball

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Which Star Wars actress died in 2016?
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher, beloved for her portrayal of Princess Leia, passed away in late 2016. She had finished filming for the next Star Wars movie, and, due to her planned inclusion in future movies, Disney collected a $50 million insurance policy upon her death. Tragically, her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds, passed away days later of a heart attack.
Han Solo
Betty White
Debbie Reynolds

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David Bowie passed away in what month of 2016?
June
April
December
January
David Bowie, the amazing musician and fashion icon died in January 2016. He had been battling cancer and succumbed to the disease early in his treatment. He was known for his style and his hits "Ziggy Stardust" and "Space Oddity."

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The voice of what company's characters died in February 2016?
Looney Tunes
Joe Alaskey, the voice of Looney Tunes characters, died in February 2016 of cancer. He was 63 and spent the majority of his professional life voicing Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat, and Tweety Bird. He also voiced Yosemite Sam in the infamous live-action and cartoon film, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"
Family Channel
Disney
Avatar

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How old was Prince when he died?
50
53
55
57
Prince lived a rough life, and unfortunately died at the age of 57. His hits, such as "Purple Rain," "When Doves Cry," "Kiss," and "1999" will keep his memory alive. Sales of his music spiked following his death.

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What Canadian-born music artist died in November 2016?
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen passed on in early November of 2016. He was a famous poet, songwriter, and singer. He was 82, best known for "Hallelujah," which was recorded by hundreds of artists and was his swan song during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
Bruce Lee
Celine Dion
Diana Krall

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Which team won a championship, following a curse that had lasted for more than a century?
Cubs
The Chicago Cubs broke a curse that had lasted over a century, finally winning baseball's World Series. They played well during the season, finishing first the National League. The Cubs then beat the Cleveland Indians in the seventh and deciding game of the championship.
Giants
Blue Jays
Red Sox

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Which men's team won both the Gold Medal in Rugby Sevens, and the HSBC World Seven Series?
Fiji
The Flying Fijians took the rugby world by storm in 2016. They won both the HSBC Sevens World Series and the first-ever rugby Gold in Men's Sevens at Rio 2016.
New Zealand
Australia
England

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Which country won the most gold and had the highest total medal count at Rio 2016?
China
Brazil
Germany
USA
The USA had the highest total medal count and the most gold medals in at the 2016 Olympic Games. They won a total of 46 gold medals, 19 more than second place which was Great Britain. They also won 121 total medals, 51 more than second place, which was China with 70.

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Who won Superbowl 50?
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos won Superbowl 50, 24-10, over the Carolina Panthers. The Superbowl MVP was Von Miller, who had two forced fumbles and multiple sacks. This was the third championship for Denver, and saw Peyton Manning retire with a championship win.
Carolina Panthers
Seattle Seahawks
New England Patriots

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Who won the NBA championship in 2016?
Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers came back to win the NBA championship in 2016. Led by LeBron James, the Cavs came back from a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors. LeBron James was later named the MVP of the playoffs, while the Warriors' Stephen Curry was named league MVP.
Warriors
Grizzlies
Nets

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Who won the US Presidential election in 2016?
Donald Trump
Donald Trump won the US Presidential election, tol become the 45th President of the United States in 2017. He won the vote via the electoral college, having won key swing states such as Ohio, Florida, and Michigan. Clinton won the popular vote, but mathematically that did not matter.
Hillary Clinton
Barack Obama
Joe Biden

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What outbreak of what virus was first announced in January 2016?
Zika
Zika was announced by the World Heath Organization as an outbreak in late January. Due to this, many western nations cut flights to infected areas and instituted screenings at ports of entry. The virus caused deformation in babies still in the womb, and research is still being done into the virus as of 2017.
SARS
H1N1
Bird Flu

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Which country voted to leave the European Union?
Great Britain
Great Britain voted in a referendum to exit the European Union. The vote was very close, but the yes side won in a very narrow margin. The process is still underway in 2017.
Germany
France
Sweden

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Which actor finally won an Oscar in 2016?
DicCaprio
Leonardi DiCaprio finally won an Oscar in 2016. He won the best actor award for his performance in the Revenant. He said this in his speech: "A world that we collectively felt in 2015 as the hottest year in recorded history… Climate change is real, it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating"
Jones
Smith
McAdams

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Which football team won the English Premier League in 2016?
Manchester United
Manchester City
Leicester City
Leicester City, also called the Foxes, became champions of the English Premier League last year. They were listed at 3,000:1 odds at the beginning of the season, and their run was truly amazing. There were better odds for: Elvis to be found alive, Obama to win a third term, and the Loch Ness Monster to be found alive.
Hull City

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What step forward happened in the fertility world?
IBF
Three Parent Baby
Fertility has moved forward with the controversial three-parent baby. This is a three-person IVF that can help avoid passing on mitochondrial disorders to have a healthy baby. It was successful, and the technique will be improved and perfected in the years to follow.
Contraception Improvements
Lower child mortality

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You Got:
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