History50 randomly selected History questions for quizmasters. New random selection made weekly. Next update: Monday 7th September 2026 (Please note: Questions are taken from our database of previous quizzes. Some questions and answers may be outdated.) |
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| 1. | Who, briefly, became President of Germany upon the death of Adolf Hitler on 30th April 1945? |
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Admiral Dönitz (Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz) | |
| 2. | Who was Emperor of Japan during World War II? |
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Hirohito (Emperor Shōwa) | |
| 3. | Who was the second man in outer space? |
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Alan Shepard (5th May 1961) | |
| 4. | In what year was Abraham Lincoln assassinated? |
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1865 (14th April) | |
| 5. | The 105-day "Winter War" began on 30th November 1939 when the Soviet Union attacked what country? |
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Finland | |
| 6. | In August 1926, American Olympic champion Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to do what? |
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Swim the English Channel | |
| 7. | What country declared independence from Portugal in 1975, only to be annexed by Indonesia in 1976, before restoring its independence in 2002? |
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East Timor / Timor-Leste | |
| 8. | For what did Sirhan Bishara Sirhan make world headlines on 5th June 1968? |
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Assassination of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy | |
| 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. | What nationality was 19th century jeweller Gustav Fabergé? |
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Russian (Peter Carl Fabergé, his son, is famous for the Fabergé eggs) | |
| 11. | Who was Governor of California from 1967 to 1975? |
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Ronald Reagan | |
| 12. | In January 2011, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was forced to quit as President of what country? |
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Tunisia | |
| 13. | Which military organisation was created by King Louis Philippe on 10th March 1831? |
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French Foreign Legion (French: Légion étrangère, L.E.) | |
| 14. | In American history, the term "Antebellum South" is used to refer to a time and place before what conflict? |
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American Civil War | |
| 15. | With what historic event is Dealey Plaza most associated? |
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Assassination of John F. Kennedy (Dallas, Texas, 22nd November 1963) | |
| 16. | In March 1942, General Douglas MacArthur pledged "I will return", to what country? |
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The Philippines | |
| 17. | What was the surname of French brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne, whose hot-air balloon made the first ever manned flight in 1783? |
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Montgolfier | |
| 18. | Who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his famous murder in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170? |
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Thomas Becket | |
| 19. | Born in 1852, by what name was Martha Jane Canary better known? |
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Calamity Jane | |
| 20. | Julius Caesar was assassinated in which year? A. 44 BC B. 24 BC C. 4 BC |
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A. 44 BC | |
| 21. | In December 1970, a Soviet spacecraft became the first to soft land on another planet and transmit data back to Earth. What major planet did it land on? |
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Venus (Venera 7) | |
| 22. | In March 1912, whose last words were, "I am just going outside and may be some time"? |
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Captain Lawrence Oates (Captain Lawrence Edward Grace "Titus" Oates) | |
| 23. | On 24th April 1967, Vladimir Komarov became the first human to do what on a space mission? |
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Die | |
| 24. | On what French island did Mount Pelée erupt in 1902, completely destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing 28,000 people in the space of a few minutes? |
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Martinique | |
| 25. | What canal took 10 years to build and opened in November 1869? |
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The Suez Canal | |
| 26. | In which century did Constantinople fall to the Ottomans, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire? |
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15th (1453) | |
| 27. | What battle took place between 1st July and 18th November 1916, during which more than 1,000,000 men were wounded or killed? |
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Battle of the Somme | |
| 28. | Which of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, also the oldest, is the only one that still remains relatively intact? |
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Great Pyramid of Giza | |
| 29. | Who is credited as the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence? |
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Thomas Jefferson | |
| 30. | What was the profession of Wyatt Earp's sidekick Doc Holiday? |
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Dentist | |
| 31. | Which English Queen Consort was executed on 19th May 1536? |
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Anne Boleyn | |
| 32. | What secret society was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee on Christmas Eve 1865? |
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Ku Klux Klan | |
| 33. | In April 1865, shortly after the shooting of Abraham Lincoln, what future British Prime Minister declared that "assassination has never changed the history of the world"? |
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Benjamin Disraeli | |
| 34. | Joe Biden is only the second ever Catholic U.S. president. Who was the first? |
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John F. Kennedy | |
| 35. | How old was Mother Theresa when she died? |
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87 (26th August 1910 - 5th September 1997) | |
| 36. | Responsible for a series of murders in Los Angeles during the late spring and early summer of 1980, by what name were Carol Bundy and Doug Clark collectively known? |
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Sunset Strip Killers | |
| 37. | The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was a proposed missile defence system announced by Ronald Reagan on 23rd March 1983. By what name was it commonly known? |
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Star Wars | |
| 38. | Nicknamed the "May King", Umberto II reigned for 34 days, from 9th May 1946 to 12th June 1946, as the last king of what European country? |
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Italy | |
| 39. | What King of France was executed in January 1793 during the French Revolution? |
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Louis XVI | |
| 40. | What future U.S. president played a significant role as a military leader in the War of 1812? |
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Andrew Jackson | |
| 41. | Between 1808 and 1867, what Alaskan city served as the capital of Russian America? |
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Sitka | |
| 42. | From 1901 to 1903, who served as the first Prime Minister of Australia? |
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Edmund Barton | |
| 43. | The spire of what New York City landmark was originally designed as a mooring mast for dirigibles? |
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Empire State Building | |
| 44. | Which world famous 20th century figure was born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in modern day Rebublic of Macedonia on 26th August 1910? |
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Mother Teresa ( Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, M.C.) | |
| 45. | By what name is 6th June 1944 often called? |
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D-Day (beginning of the Normandy landings) | |
| 46. | After the Kalmar Union ended in 1523 with the departure of Sweden, what two kingdoms remained united until 1814? |
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Denmark–Norway | |
| 47. | What 'B' describes this ancient military siege engine in the form of a crossbow? |
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Ballista | |
| 48. | Who succeeded Leonid Brezhnev as Soviet premier in 1982? |
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Yuri Andropov | |
| 49. | One of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, what name was given to the war in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648? |
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Thirty Years' War | |
| 50. | Who was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815? |
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Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon I) | |
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