Weekly History Quiz No.312

Since antiquity Kurdish fighters were known for their military traditions and use of guerrilla tactics. The modern Peshmerga were established in 1946, and are now thought to number 150,000–200,000. This includes significant numbers of women, who are deployed on the front lines, actively engage in combat and are paid the same as men.

Powell invoked the analogy that ‘You break it, you own it’ when cautioning President George W. Bush prior to the invasion of Iraq.

Six armed men from the Democratic Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Arabistan stormed the embassy, holding those inside hostage for 6 days. They had been supported by Iraq, which had used their diplomatic bag to smuggle their weapons into the UK. The successful SAS raid brought the unit into the public view.

Hattin destroyed the main crusader army and led to Jerusalem’s fall. Arsuf was a crusader victory under Richard I, and Manzikert occurred over a century earlier against Byzantium. Kadesh took place over two millennia prior, although in a similar region.

This lists the contingents of the Achaean army that sailed to Troy, giving the names of the leaders of each contingent and the settlements in the kingdom represented by the contingent. While the places listed are all known to history, it's far from certain how historically accurate the whole catalogue is.

Guantánamo symbolised indefinite detention without trial. Abu Ghraib was infamous for prisoner abuse, Rikers is a US civilian jail. Robben Island, South Africa, is the maximum-security prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated.

The son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg, he held the title Prince of Greece and Denmark. He was exiled from Greece when he was only 18 month old.

Brooklyn Bridge - 1883

Tower Bridge - 1894

Sydney Harbour Bridge - 1932

Golden Gate Bridge - 1933

The coronation was only attended by a handful of his allies. Much of Scotland was concerned about the legitimacy of the new King’s claim. Bruce had recently murdered John Comyn, his co-Guardian of Scotland, in Greyfriars Church at Dumfries. This act saw him excommunicated.

Inspired by the redrawing of Massachusetts Senate election districts under Governor Elbridge Gerry, later Vice President. One of the contorted districts in the Boston area was said to resemble a mythological salamander.