History50 randomly selected History questions for quizmasters. New random selection made weekly. Next update: Monday 29th April 2024 (Please note: Questions are taken from our database of previous quizzes. Some questions and answers may be outdated.) |
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| 1. | The "Laws of the Twelve Tables" was the legislation that stood at the foundation of law in what ancient civilisation? |
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Roman | |
| 2. | Who became the first Roman Emperor in 27 BC? |
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Augustus (also known as Octavian) | |
| 3. | What style of writing was developed by Isaac Pitman in 1837? |
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Shorthand | |
| 4. | The youngest person ever to succeed to the English throne, who was less than 9 months old when he became King of England in 1422? |
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Henry VI | |
| 5. | The RMS Titanic is probably the most famous passenger liner of all time. What does RMS stand for? |
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Royal Mail Ship | |
| 6. | In 1893, what self-governing British colony became the first country in the world to grant adult women the right to vote? |
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New Zealand | |
| 7. | In what country did Charles Lindbergh land after completing the first solo trans-Atlantic flight in 1927? |
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France (Le Bourget Airport near Paris) | |
| 8. | Between 1923 and 1939, what did Sir Malcolm Campbell name his record breaking automobiles and speed boats? |
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Blue Bird | |
| 9. | For how many years did Queen Victoria reign? A. 43 B. 53 C. 63 D. 73 |
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C. 63 (20th June 1837 to 22nd January 1901 - 63 years, 216 days) | |
| 10. | Who was the Republican candidate narrowly defeated by John F. Kennedy in the 1960 Presidential election? |
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Richard Nixon | |
| 11. | What was abolished by France in 1981, The Netherlands in 1982, Australia in 1985, and New Zealand in 1989? |
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Capital punishment / Death penalty / Execution | |
| 12. | In which year was China's Cultural Revolution set in motion by Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong? |
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1966 | |
| 13. | One of the deadliest toxins known to man, what 'R' was used to kill Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov via a pellet from an umbrella gun on Waterloo Bridge, London in September 1978? |
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Ricin | |
| 14. | In 1929, American entrepreneur Donald F. Duncan Sr. introduced a toy based on a 16th-century weapon used by Filipino hunters. What is it called? |
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Yo-yo | |
| 15. | Whose statue was pulled down in Firdos Square in April 2003? |
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Saddam Hussein | |
| 16. | With 25.1% of the vote, who came second to Donald Trump in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries? |
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Ted Cruz | |
| 17. | Who, in 1992, became the first woman to be elected as Speaker of the British House of Commons? |
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Betty Boothroyd | |
| 18. | Which iconic event in American history took place on 16th December 1773? |
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Boston Tea Party | |
| 19. | What Portuguese explorer became the first European to reach India by sea in 1498? |
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Vasco da Gama | |
| 20. | Borrowing a line Jack Dempsey said after losing the heavyweight championship to Gene Tunney in 1926, who reportedly said to his wife, "Honey, I forgot to duck," on 30th March 1981? |
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Ronald Reagan (in the hospital emergency room after his assassination attempt) | |
| 21. | Complete the following transmission by Neil Armstrong upon landing on the moon in July 1969: "Houston, _________ Base here. The Eagle has landed." |
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Tranquility | |
| 22. | Why did Louis Washkansky make headlines around the world after 3rd December 1967? |
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World's first human heart transplant patient (Cape Town, South Africa - survived 18 days) | |
| 23. | In 1094, which Spanish leader defeated the Moors at Valencia? |
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El Cid / El Campeador (Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar) | |
| 24. | On what notorious island did Nelson Mandela spend eighteen of his twenty-seven years in prison? |
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Robben Island | |
| 25. | Serial killer Richard Ramirez terrorised Los Angeles between 1984 and 1985, killing 14 people. By what nickname was he known? |
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Night Stalker | |
| 26. | What began with the storming of the Bastille in 1789? |
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French Revolution | |
| 27. | Who, in 1955, became the last woman to be executed in the UK after being convicted of the murder of her lover, David Blakely? |
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Ruth Ellis | |
| 28. | Who was dictator of Spain between 1936 and 1975? |
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General Franco (Generalísimo Francisco Franco) | |
| 29. | List the following three wars in order starting with the earliest: American War of Independence, Boer War, Crimean War |
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American War of Independence, Crimean War, Boer War (1775-1783, 1853-1856, 1899-1902) | |
| 30. | In what year was Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated? |
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1968 (April 4th) | |
| 31. | What name was given to the incendiary projectile used to great effect during the 1st millennium by the Byzantine Empire because it continued burning while floating on water? |
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Greek fire | |
| 32. | Between 1841 and 1853, what country was divided into the provinces of New Ulster and New Munster? |
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New Zealand | |
| 33. | What English language nursery rhyme became the first audio recorded by Thomas Edison on his newly invented phonograph in 1877? |
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Mary Had a Little Lamb | |
| 34. | What London building hosted the first ever Expo in 1851? |
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The Crystal Palace (destroyed by fire in 1936) | |
| 35. | Which Russian ballet dancer defected in June 1974 while on tour in Canada? |
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Mikhail Baryshnikov | |
| 36. | The Symbionese Liberation Army famously kidnapped who in 1974? |
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Patty Hearst | |
| 37. | What English-speaking country celebrated its bicentenary in 1988? |
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Australia | |
| 38. | In what year did Harrison Schmitt become the twelfth and last man to date to set foot on the moon? |
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1972 (December) | |
| 39. | What was the native language of Pope John Paul II? |
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Polish (born Karol Józef Wojtyła) | |
| 40. | Who made history 4 miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on 17th December 1903? |
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Wright Brothers (The first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft) | |
| 41. | The desk used by the US President in the Oval office was gifted by Queen Victoria, built from the oak timbers of what decommissioned ship, from which the desk gets its name? |
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HMS Resolute (Resolute Desk) | |
| 42. | In which year did India gain independence from the United Kingdom? |
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1947 (15th August) | |
| 43. | Upon being released from prison as part of an amnesty for political prisoners in 1955, to which country did Fidel and Raul Castro go into exile? |
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Mexico | |
| 44. | An 1818 invention known as the "Dandy Horse" was the forerunner to what mode of transport? |
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Bicycle | |
| 45. | What British monarch was the target of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605? |
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James I | |
| 46. | Transported to Britain in the early 19th century, from what country do the Elgin Marbles originate? |
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Greece (Parthenon, Athens) | |
| 47. | Who invented the bouncing bombs used in the RAF "Dambusters" raid during World War II? |
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Barnes Wallis | |
| 48. | Name the Republican candidate defeated by Barack Obama in the 2008 United States presidential election. |
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John McCain | |
| 49. | What name is given to the 1803 expansion of the United States via a $15 million acquisition of land from the French? |
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Louisiana Purchase (French: Vente de la Louisiane "Sale of Louisiana") | |
| 50. | Who was U.S. President when John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth? |
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John F. Kennedy (20th February 1962) | |
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