Quiz

1. As one of his last actions as president of the US, Obama pardons Chelsea Manning, serving a 35-year long prison sentence because of her leaking confidential documents to WikiLeaks in 2010. During that time, she was living as a man, and was known by a male first name. What name?

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2. This song was released on January 6. Today, it holds over 1.5 billion streams on Spotify, which is more than any song on Spotify. Who is the artist?

3. On February 7, popular Swedish statistician and lecturer Hans Rosling passes away at age 68. He co-founded a foundation together with his son and daughter-in-law whose objective is “to promote increased use and understanding of statistics and other information about social, economic and environmental development at the local, national and global levels.”  What is the name of the foundation?

4. Which movie won Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards in Los Angeles?

5. 50/50 question: On July 1, 2010, Swedish conscription (värnplikt) was removed, but was re-introduced in March this year, since we’re increasingly afraid of Ivan. Does Swedish conscription include women or not?

6. The sequel to the cult movie Trainspotting from 1996 is released on March 17. What is the name of the lead actor of both movies? He’s also famous for playing the lead role in Moulin Rouge.

7. In the beginning of April, ETA, a militant group on the EU terrorist blacklist, hand over their weapons to the authorities with the goal of becoming a weapon-free organization. ETA fights for the independence of which territory?

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8. On April 28, this artist released their first album since 2010. What is the name of the artist?

9. In 2012, a cruise ship is wrecked off the coast of Isola del Giglio in Italy. In May 2017, the captain of the ship, nicknamed Captain Coward, is sentenced to 16 years in prison. What is the name of the cruise ship?

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10. The dance song “Despacito” topped the global Spotify streaming charts in May.  What is the origin of the singer Luis Fonsi?

11. On June 30, several Swedish denominations (myntenheter) became void, meaning that before June 30 you had to hand these in, as they were to be replaced by revamped versions. What year did we stop paying with ören?

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12. Melodrama, the second studio album by the singer Lorde is released on June 16 and met with rave reviews. What country does Lorde come from?

13. In July, the World Swimming Championships took place. Swedish swimmer Sarah Sjöström won three gold medals, one silver, and set two world records. In which European city did this take place?

14. On July 13, Christopher Nolan’s highly acclaimed war movie Dunkirk was released. In which country is the town of Dunkirk located?

15. Swedish journalist Kim Wall disappeared in the bay of Køge, Denmark, after boarding a midget submarine together with its constructor, Peter Madsen. The following morning, the submarine sank under suspicious circumstances. What is the name of the submarine?

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16. In the same week as Anders Borg shows his penis at a private party in the Stockholm archipelago, Alice Glass releases her first solo album. Alice Glass used to make up one half of a Canadian electronic music group, which she left in 2014. What was the name of that duo?

17.  In September 2017, an emigration crisis erupted in Burma. What is the name of the muslim ethnic group being oppressed by the buddhist majority?

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18. In September, this American band released their seventh album. What is the band called?

19. In October, Catalonia declares independence from Spain, but is not recognized as a state by any other sovereign nation. What is the name of the current president of Spain?

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20. In the same month, the Swedish artist Fever Ray releases her second studio album “Plunge”. What is the name of the singer-songwriter and producer behind the alias Fever Ray?

21. In November, the German paper Süddeutsche Zeitung releases 13.4 million leaked documents related to various offshore accounts of businessmen, politicians and celebrities. What is the nickname of the leak?

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22. A French singer and Lars von Trier-affiliated actress releases the album Rest. What is her name?

23. Whose name day is it today in the Swedish calendar?

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24. On December 1, this rock band released their 14th album, Songs of Experience. What is the name of the band?