It’s the 95th anniversary of the Treaty of Versailles, which was so one-sided that it practically guaranteed another World War! This week’s quiz is about treaties and agreements.

1 The Charter of Liberties, issued by Norman ruler Henry I, is considered the inspiration of which famous agreement?

2 On a complete tangent. After a big hit in the early ’70s, this director was offered a new agreement and a huge raise for his next film by 20th Century Fox. Instead of taking it, he negotiated a deal for all merchandising rights, which were considered next to useless by the studio. He made hundreds of millions of dollars and his movie changed the rules of film merchandising. Identify the director and film.

3 What is described as a morganatic or ‘left-handed marriage’?

4 Which two famous authors decided on the ‘Park Avenue Pact’ during a shared cab ride in New York in the ’70s? And what was the pact?

5 What did David Packard and William Hewlett decide on the basis of a simple coin toss back in 1947?

6 Which independent State came into being as a result of the Lateran treaty signed in 1929?

7 Miguel Cabrera recently signed the most lucrative agreement in the history of sport — a 10-year $292 million agreement. Can you name the sport, and the team that has showered him with this largesse?

8 This agreement was drafted and pushed through by US Secretary of State William Seward in 1867. In its time it was regarded by many newspapers and political commentators as a complete folly and waste of public money. Subsequent discoveries made it one of the best deals in US history. Name the deal.

9 Rock bands often have strange backstage requests during concerts. Which legendary band would insist in the performing agreement that M&M candies be available in their dressing room, but with all the brown ones removed?

10 In 2000, which couple famously signed a prenuptial agreement which had a $5 million penalty if the husband was unfaithful?

ANSWERS

1. The Magna Carta, signed by King John in 1215, the first document in British history limiting the powers of a king and safeguarding his subjects’ rights.

2. George Lucas, Star Wars

3. A morganatic marriage is a marriage agreement between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband’s titles and privileges to the wife and children. It is common among royalty.

4. Authors Isaac Asimov and Arthur C Clarke. The pact was that Asimov would insist Clarke was the best science fiction writer in the world, leaving second best for himself, while Clarke would refer to Asimov as the best sci-fi writer in the world, with himself in second place.

5. Whether the company they formed would be Packard Hewlett or Hewlett Packard. William Hewlett won the toss.

6. Vatican City, creating an independent entity within the state of Italy.

7. Baseball, Detroit Tigers.

8. US buying Alaska from Russia for just $7.2 million.

9. Van Halen. But rock journalists claim it was to check if the promoter actually read the contract — and many bands would have similar demands hidden in the fine print.

10. Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones. A bit rocky but apparently still together.

Joy Bhattacharjya is a quiz master, Director - Kolkata Knight Riders and author of Junior Premier League — The First XI

Follow Joy on Twitter >@joybhattacharj

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