1. Nelson Mandela was released on 11 February 1990 after 27 years in custody. From which prison did he walk free?

2. On the same day, in Tokyo, Mike Tyson was knocked out for the first time in his professional career, losing his world heavyweight titles. Who beat him?

3. On 11 February 1858, a 14-year-old girl reported her first vision of the Virgin Mary in a grotto at Lourdes. What was her surname?

4. The Lateran Treaty, signed on 11 February 1929 between the Holy See and Mussolini's Italy, created which state?

5. The Yalta Conference between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin ended on 11 February 1945. On which peninsula is Yalta?

6. The Iranian Revolution triumphed on 11 February 1979, weeks after the Shah had fled the country. What was the Shah's full name?

7. Hosni Mubarak resigned as president of Egypt on 11 February 2011. Which Cairo square was the centre of the protests against him?

8. Sylvia Plath died on 11 February 1963, a few weeks after her only novel was published under a pseudonym. Name the novel.

9. The French philosopher René Descartes died in Stockholm on 11 February 1650. Which monarch had invited him there to be her tutor?

10. Japan celebrates National Foundation Day on 11 February, the traditional date in 660 BC when its legendary first emperor took the throne. Who was he?

11. Margaret Thatcher was elected leader of the Conservative Party on 11 February 1975. Whom did she defeat in the second ballot?

12. On 11 February 1531, the clergy recognised Henry VIII as Supreme Head of the Church in England, but they added a qualifying phrase. What was it?

13. The first hospital in the American colonies opened its doors on 11 February 1752, co-founded by Benjamin Franklin. In which city?

14. An American inventor born on 11 February 1847 was nicknamed after the New Jersey village where he set up his research laboratory. What was the nickname?

15. An English pioneer of photography born on 11 February 1800 made the oldest surviving camera negative, a picture of a window in his home. Name him and the Wiltshire house.

16. A fashion designer born in London on 11 February 1930 popularised the miniskirt. What was the name of her boutique on the King's Road?

17. An American actor born on 11 February 1936 starred in "Smokey and the Bandit". What make and model of car did the Bandit drive?

18. A Canadian actor born on 11 February 1926 said in "Airplane!": "I am serious... and don't call me..." what?

19. An American actress born on 11 February 1969, who played Rachel Green in "Friends", has a godfather who starred as which bald TV detective?

20. Whitney Houston died on 11 February 2012. Which singer wrote and first recorded her biggest hit, "I Will Always Love You"?