Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

The novel that gave French realism its name

Honoré de Balzac wrote Father Goriot in 1834, and it became one of the cornerstones of La Comédie Humaine, his vast cycle of novels and stories depicting French society. The book follows the elderly Goriot, a former pasta merchant who has ruined himself for his two daughters, and the ambitious young student Eugène de Rastignac, who watches the old man's decline from a shabby boarding house. Balzac's unflinching attention to money, class and social climbing made the novel a landmark of literary realism.

Why the 1996 Games went to Atlanta

When the International Olympic Committee selected Atlanta for the 1996 Summer Olympics, it chose a city in the American South over Athens, which had hoped to host the centennial edition of the modern Games. Atlanta had built its bid around existing venues and private funding, and the Games went on to draw record crowds. The event is also remembered for the Centennial Olympic Park bombing, which killed two people and injured many others.

The smallest country on a vast continent

Suriname sits on the northeastern coast of South America, bordered by Brazil, Guyana and French Guiana, and it is the continent's smallest sovereign state by area. Its capital, Paramaribo, lies close to the Atlantic and is known for its historic wooden architecture. Suriname is also the only country outside Europe where Dutch is the official language, a legacy of its colonial past.

Why Uranus carries a Greek name

Uranus is the only planet in the Solar System named after a Greek deity rather than a Roman one. The name comes from the ancient Greek sky god, and the corresponding element uranium takes its name from the same source, since it was discovered shortly after the planet. The choice broke with the tradition set by Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, all of which carry Roman names.

The heaviest ball in competitive sport

Among the sports listed, the shot put uses the heaviest ball: men compete with a 7.26 kg (16 lb) implement and women with 4 kg. Cricket balls weigh between 155.9 and 163 g, while baseballs sit between 142 and 149 g. The shot put's weight traces back to traditional stone-throwing contests, and it has been part of the modern Olympic programme since 1896.