Nov. 17 News Quiz: How Old is King Charles III?

King Charles III, the monarch who witnessed the world change in countless ways, celebrated his 75th birthday on Nov. 14, 2023. This regal occasion was marked with a slice of cake and the launch of the Coronation Food Project, a noble initiative to tackle food waste and meet food needs. His birthday, a day of royal cheer, was celebrated one day early on Nov. 13, 2023, with a three-tiered cake.

David Cameron, once the British Prime Minister, made a grand return to the political stage on Nov. 14, 2024, as the UK’s Foreign Secretary. This move is part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle. Cameron resigned in 2016 after the Brexit referendum. His appointment has stirred the pot in the UK’s political scene, with reactions ranging from applause to raised eyebrows.

Known for its size and being at the heart of many headlines, Al-Shifa is Gaza’s largest hospital. On Nov. 15, 2023, it was in the news again due to an Israeli raid targeting a Hamas military site within the hospital complex.

Jacob Chansley, who gained notoriety as the “QAnon Shaman” during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, is charting a completely different course in his life. After serving approximately 27 months in prison and being transferred to a halfway house in Phoenix in March 2023, Chansley has filed paperwork to run for Congress as a Libertarian in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District in November. This political aspiration comes after he disassociated himself from the QAnon movement.

Screenshot: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver / HBO

The Pūteketeke bird, known for its unique vomit-producing behavior, won the “Bird of the Century” contest organized by Forest & Bird, a conservation group in New Zealand. Comedian John Oliver played a significant role in the contest. He promoted the Pūteketeke bird on his show, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” encouraging viewers to vote for it. The competition, while humorous, served the serious purpose of raising awareness about New Zealand’s native birds and their conservation.

David Attenborough. Photo: John Cairns, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna, a critically endangered species, was rediscovered in the Cyclops Mountains of Papua, Indonesia. This unique creature, an egg-laying mammal and a distant relative of the platypus, both part of the monotreme family, was discovered in 1961 and thought to be extinct. However, recent efforts by Oxford University researchers captured its existence on camera in June and July 2023. Weighing between 5 and 10 kilograms, this echidna is known for its hedgehog-like spines, an anteater-like snout, and mole-like feet. David Attenborough, the famous naturalist the species is named after, is reportedly delighted by this discovery.

Swiftly making her mark in Grammy history, Taylor Swift became the first songwriter to score seven nominations in the Song of the Year category at the 2024 Grammys, announced on Nov. 10, 2023, where she was nominated for her songwriting on “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (The Short Film).” With this achievement, Swift overtook the historic nominations of Sir Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie, each with six nominations in the category.

Fun fact: Beyoncé led the 2024 Grammy nominations with nine nods, making her the most nominated artist for the year. With these nominations, Beyoncé tied with her husband, Jay-Z, for the most Grammy nominations in history, each with 88 nominations. Other top nominees included Kendrick Lamar with eight nominations; Adele and Brandi Carlile with seven; and Harry Styles, Mary J. Blige, DJ Khaled, Future, The Dream, and Randy Merrill with six.

Gordon Ramsay, the fiery and famed chef, turned 57 on Nov. 8, 2023. Known for his culinary expertise and dynamic television presence, Ramsay celebrated his latest birthday with a special gift – the birth of his sixth child, Jesse James Ramsay, a “7lbs 10oz whopper,” as he fondly described. With marriage to cookery book author Tana Ramsay, 49, since 1996 and a brigade of six children, his statement, “3 boys, 3 girls…. Done,” suggests that this latest addition completes the Ramsay family recipe.

Known for his fashion statements, Harry Styles turned heads with a new hairdo – or lack thereof. On Nov. 8, 2023, at a U2 concert in the Las Vegas Sphere, Styles debuted his buzzcut, starkly contrasting to his famous hairstyle. Accompanied by actress Taylor Russell (Netflix’s Lost in Space), with whom he’s been romantically linked since July, this hair-raising (or hair-falling) event marks another chapter in Styles’ ever-evolving style saga.

“Baldur’s Gate 3″ and “Alan Wake 2” are the two games that led the Game Awards pack in 2023, with eight nominations each, and face off for the coveted Game of the Year title. Set to be celebrated on December 7th at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the Game Awards are like the Oscars for the gaming world, minus the long speeches, and with more virtual action. While “Baldur’s Gate 3” immerses players in a high fantasy role-playing adventure, “Alan Wake 2” offers a spine-tingling meta-horror experience.

Anxiety is the new character in Disney/Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” voiced by Maya Hawke. She joins Riley’s brain’s emotional lineup in the sequel to the 2015 hit film. The “Inside Out 2” trailer set the record for the biggest animated trailer launch in Disney history, with 157 million views, including 78 million on TikTok, within 24 hours. The film hits theaters on June 14, 2024.