Maya Bewley We’re back with another edition of our festive end of year quiz! With four rounds of trivia, put your knowledge to the test and see how well you know your university and alumni. Why not gather some friends and find out who reigns supreme…
The University headlines that made 2025
- Which Double Olympic champion became an honorary graduate of the University at the start of the year?
- The University of York officially launched its plans for a campus in India this year. Which city will it be based in?
- Which colleges celebrated their joint anniversary of 60 years after being opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1965? Bonus point if you can name the department that also threw a birthday bash for its 60th year?
- Thousands of schoolchildren came together to celebrate a much-loved children’s author as part of the York Festival of Ideas. Can you name who it was?
How well do you know the University’s history?
- What sport led York to victory in the first ever Roses tournament?
- Believe it or not, the University used to sport its own scarf (to which Prince Philip allegedly commented: ‘bloody awful scarf, isn’t it?’). What colour horrified the Prince?
- What year did the University first go live on the internet?
- Which department used an empty fume cupboard to incubate baby ducklings back in the 1980s?
Name that photo
- Who is the first vice-chancellor shown at the first ever graduation ceremony below?
This 1960s dining room would be found in which college today?
- What subject would you be studying inside this 1980s York laboratory?
Which famous Yorkshire sculptor created this sculpture, which these York students are admiring?
How well do you know York itself?
- Which Roman Emperor was crowned in York?
- What famous medieval scholar, whom a York college was named after, was born in York?
- Which famous chocolate factory was the first and only in the UK to have grown cocoa pods?
- What’s the name of the shortest street in York (and England!)?
Answers (no peeking!)
- Alistair Brownlee
- Mumbai
- Derwent and Langwith, Chemistry Department
- Michael Morpurgo
- Tug-Of-War
- Orange and brown/grey
- 1994
- Chemistry
- Lord James
- Vanbrugh
- Computer Science
- Barbara Hepworth
- Constantine the Great
- Alcuin
- Rowntrees
- Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate
