Following on from yesterday’s set of lists here are some challenges involving things that begin with the letter G (including countries, capital cities and chemical elements) or come seventh numerically (such as the seventh Pope and the seventh President of the USA). In each case you can test yourself first to see how many you can name. The answers appear at the end of this piece.

Challenge: Items beginning with G

Countries: there are 11 countries whose usual English names begin with G. Can you name them? [Hint: 3 in Europe, 5 in Africa, 3 in the Americas (including Caribbean island nations).]

Capital cities: there are 3.  [2021 Update: there are now 4 capital cities beginning with G.]

Chemical Elements: there are 4 elements whose names begin with G, 3 of them have that begin with G.

UK #1 Chart Acts: over 20 different acts beginning with G have reached #1 in the UK charts. Well done if you can name 12 of them.

Songs beginning with G that have reached #1 in the UK Chart: there are over 60 of these; well done if you can name 25 of them.

Challenge: Seventh in a list

Can you name the following?

The Seventh Pope (115AD to 125AD).

The Seventh President of the USA (1829-37).

The winner of Superbowl VII (1973).

The host country and winner of the Seventh FIFA World Cup (1962).

Answers: Items beginning with G

Countries (11): Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana.

[Note: this challenge was used in a jackpot round on ITV quiz show “Tenable” on 23 November 2017. “The Five Degrees”, a team from Leeds University, was asked to name 10 countries beginning with G (not including “The Gambia”) and won £57.5k, the highest prize fund for the show at the time.]

Capital cities (3 when this this piece was first published, now 4): Gaborone, Guatemala City, Georgetown, Gitega.

[For the record, capital cities with country name in brackets: Gaborone (Botswana), Guatemala City (Guatemala), Georgetown (Guyana), Gitega (Burundi).] / [2021 update: Gitega has become the capital of Burundi since this piece was first published.]

Chemical elements (3): gadolinium (Gd), gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), gold (Au).

UK #1 Chart Acts: Gabrielle, Gabrielle Aplin, Gareth Gates, Gareth Malone’s All Star Choir, Gary Barlow, Gary Glitter, Gary Numan, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, George Ezra , George Harrison, George McCrae, George Michael, George Michael & Elton John, Georgie Fame, Geri Halliwell, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Gina G, Girls Aloud, Glenn Medeiros, Gloria Gaynor, Gnarls Barkley, Goombay Dance Band, Gorillaz, Gotye featuring Kimbra, Guy Mitchell.

Songs beginning with G that have reached #1 in the UK Chart: “Gamblin’ Man”, “Gangnam Style”, “Gangsta’s Paradise”, “Garden Of Eden”, “Gecko (Overdrive)”, “Genie In The Bottle”, “Geno”, “Get Away”, “Get Back”, “Get Down”, “Get It On”, “Get Lucky”, “Get Off My Cloud”, “Get Right”, “Get Up (Rattle)”, “Gettin’ Over You”, “Ghetto Gospel”, “Ghost”, “Ghost Town”, “Girlfriend”, “Give A Little Love”, “Give It To Me”, “Give It Up”, “Give Me Everything”, “Give Me Your Word”, “Glad All Over”, “Glad You Came”, “Go Let It Out”, “Go Now”, “God’s Plan”, “Gonna Make You A Star”, “Good Feeling”, “Good Luck Charm”, “Good The Bad And The Ugly, The “, “Good Times”, “Good Timin’“, “Good Vibrations”, “Goodbye”, “Goodies”, “Goodnight Girl”, “Goody Two Shoes”, “Gotta Get Thru This”, “Grace Kelly”, “Grandad”, “Great Balls Of Fire”, “Greatest Day”, “Green Door”, “Green Grass Of Home”, “Green Light”, “Grenade”, “Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)”, “Gym & Tonic”, “Going Underground”.

Answers: Seventh in a list

Seventh Pope: Sixtus I (115AD to 125AD).

Seventh President of the USA: Andrew Jackson (1829-1837).

The winner of Superbowl VII: Miami Dolphins (1973).

The Seventh FIFA World Cup (1962): hosted by Chile, won by Brazil.