History Trivia Questions — page 17
2,004 trivia questions with answers, all ages. Multiple-choice trivia with answers, sorted by topic and level. Reveal the answers below, pick one at random, or present them full-screen.
- 801.
What song hit # 1 on the Billboard Charts on July 9, 1955?
- ARock around the Clock
- BJohnny B Good
- CThe Twist
- DTeddy Bear
Answer: Rock around the Clock - 802.
Robert E. Lee commanded the Confederate army at Gettysburg. Who led the Union forces?
- AUlysses Grant
- BGeorge Meade
- CDaniel Sickles
- DWinfield Scott
Answer: George Meade - 803.
Where was Abraham Lincoln when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865?
- AIn bed
- BAt the theatre
- COn his horse
- DOn a boat
Answer: At the theatre - 804.
Name the author of Slaughterhouse-Five who died April 11th 2007 at the age of 84.
- AArt Buchwald
- BKurt Vonnegut
- CMickey Rourke
- DKurt Waldheim
Answer: Kurt Vonnegut - 805.
Abolitionist John Brown raided the arsenal in which Virginia Town?
- ARichmond
- BHarper's Ferry
- CHarrisonburg
- DMartinsburg
Answer: Harper's Ferry - 806.
In 1799, Napoleon began his campaign to conquer the Ottoman Empire, but was eventually defeated at this city.
- ABagdhad
- BIstanbul
- CAlexandria
- DAcco
Answer: Acco - 807.
These marks were a huge craze in the Middle Ages.
- AWarts
- BPimples
- CMoles
- DScars
Answer: Moles - 808.
Archaeological evidence for the collapse of civilizations suggests which of the following is the most important variable?
- Ahow societies respond to challenges
- Bwhether warfare can be ended
- Cchanging environmental conditions
- Dthe ability of bureaucracies to store food and feed its people
Answer: how societies respond to challenges - 809.
The Orient Express, a long-distance passenger train that has become a synonym with luxury travel, made its first run on October 4, 1883. This was the final destination of its first route.
- AViena
- BAnkara
- CRuse
- DIstanbul
Answer: Istanbul - 810.
The four events in this question took place on February 4. However, one of the pairs (event - the year in which it happened) is wrong.
- APatty Hearst was kidnapped - 1976
- BThe Yalta Conference commenced - 1945
- CBank of the U.S. Shut Down - 1841
- DFirst U.S. helicopter was shot down in Vietnam - 1962
Answer: Patty Hearst was kidnapped - 1976 - 811.
Most gold rushes began with the discovery of placer gold by a single man or a party of people. Which one of these statements about placer mining is wrong?
- APlacer mining is not used any more
- BHydrostatic pressure is used whenever possible
- CPlacer gold is mined without tunneling
- DPlacer gold deposits are usually found near big rivers and mountain streams
Answer: Placer mining is not used any more - 812.
These trinkets were often sold in a pack of 10-15. They were made of lightweight metal and came in gold, silver or color hues.
- APlastic earrings
- BNecklaces
- CNeon rings
- DBangle bracelets
Answer: Bangle bracelets - 813.
He was an otherwise great inventor but his car was a total flop. It featured a gas gauge that made a loud whistle when the gas supply was low. Who was this inventor of the vacuum tube, an invention that led to the development of radio?
- ALee Deforest
- BGuillermo Marconi
- CThomas A. Edison
- DRobert Sarnoff
Answer: Lee Deforest - 814.
If you can't do the time, don't commit the crime. Which of the following celebrities spent the LEAST amount of time in jail in 2007?
- AParis Hilton
- BLindsay Lohan
- CNicole Richie
- DMichelle Rodriguez
Answer: Nicole Richie - 815.
One of these four people was not born on April 1.
- AAbraham Maslow
- BKing George II of Greece
- CMethod Man
- DOtto von Bismarck
Answer: King George II of Greece - 816.
1987 brought this black day for the US stock market.
- AThursday
- BTuesday
- CFriday
- DMonday
Answer: Monday - 817.
How many sonatas did Ludwig van Beethoven write?
- A32
- B50
- C31
- D21
Answer: 32 - 818.
Which well-known author changed his name as a result of the Salem Witch Trials?
- ANathaniel Hawthorn
- BTheodore Geisel
- CJane Austen
- DArthur Miller
Answer: Nathaniel Hawthorn - 819.
Who was the first Russian tsar of the Romanov dynasty?
- AMichael
- BAlexander
- CSerge
- DNicholas
Answer: Michael - 820.
What is the name of the Boeing B-29 that dropped the 'Little Boy' atomic bomb on Hiroshima?
- AEnola Gay
- BNecessary Evil
- CThe Great Artiste
- DFull House
Answer: Enola Gay - 821.
This operation, led by General Dwight Eisenhower, was launched on 8 November 1942 and it was aimed at gaining control over Morocco and Algeria.
- AOperation Overlord
- BOperation Anthropoid
- COperation Countenance
- DOperation Torch
Answer: Operation Torch - 822.
She was Miss Moneypenny in 14 of the James Bond films.
- ASydney Andrews
- BLon Andrews
- CCatherine Snab
- DLois Maxwell
Answer: Lois Maxwell - 823.
This island, captured by US forces in 1944, was close enough for B29 bombers to fly round trip to Japan. A major air base was built there from which many B29 bombing attacks were launched and the planes carrying the atomic bombs took off.
- ATinian
- BMindanao
- CPalau
- DGuam
Answer: Tinian - 824.
Which of the following is NOT an innovation of the Mesolithic?
- AEuropean use of bow and arrow
- Bdomestication of animals
- Ccrop irrigation systems
- Dcanoes
Answer: crop irrigation systems - 825.
Which of the following leaders was not present at The Yalta Conference that took place in February 1945.
- AMao Zedong
- BFranklin Roosevelt
- CJoseph Stalin
- DWinston Churchill
Answer: Mao Zedong - 826.
What does the term Precambrian mean?
- ARecent life
- BMiddle life
- CBefore-Cambrian
- DAncient life
Answer: Before-Cambrian - 827.
What caused the Queen of the Sea train disaster which killed 1700 passengers?
- AAfter the 2004 Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami this train was washed away from a Srilankan coastal track.
- BThe brakes on an overfilled troop train returning from the front in 1917could not take the weight of the many wagons.
- CA cyclone hit the train in Bihar, India, while it was crossing a bridge. It derailed and plunged into the river below.
- DTwo trains collided on the Tokaido Main Line in Yokohama, Japan.
Answer: After the 2004 Earthquake and subsequent Tsunami this train was washed away from a Srilankan coastal track. - 828.
Which was the first Egyptian pyramid?
- AThe Great pyramid
- BThe Red pyramid
- CThe Bent Pyramid
- DThe Step Pyramid
Answer: The Step Pyramid - 829.
When did a pandemic, known as the Plague of Justinian, afflict the Byzantine Empire?
- A541-542 AD
- B535-536 AD
- C548-549 AD
- D527-528 AD
Answer: 541-542 AD - 830.
During the Dark Ages, this magical ingredient was put into creams because it helped people achieve the desired complexion.
- ASulfur
- BLead
- CCopper
- DCarbon
Answer: Lead - 831.
Frederick I Barbarossa, who was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1155, belonged to what royal dynasty?
- AHohenstaufen
- BAustrian Habsburgs
- CGerman Habsburgs
- DSpanish Habsburg
Answer: Hohenstaufen - 832.
What is the name of the famous Apache leader who died in 1909 at the age of 70?
- ARed Cloud
- BCrazy Horse
- CSitting Bull
- DGeronimo
Answer: Geronimo - 833.
This disaster, which took place in 1883, caused a tsunami with up to 50 m high waves. It struck the coasts of Java and Sumatra, flooding approximately 300 towns and killing 36.000 people. What was the direct cause?
- AExtreme tides
- BNucleair testing
- CThe Explosion of Krakatau
- DEarth/Sea Quake
Answer: The Explosion of Krakatau - 834.
Harvard College was founded in what year?
- A1636
- B1785
- C1790
- D1802
Answer: 1636 - 835.
What common feature do all of the entrances of the Pyramids in Giza share?
- AThey are all oriented towards the Sphinx.
- BThey all face the exact west.
- CThey all face the Nile River bank.
- DThey all face the exact north.
Answer: They all face the exact north. - 836.
Which of the following ancient civilizations has a written language that is the furthest from being fully deciphered?
- AEgyptian
- BMesopotamian
- CChinese
- Dthe Indus Valley
Answer: the Indus Valley - 837.
When did the first pharaohs emerge in Egypt?
- A6100 B.P.
- B4100 B.P.
- C5100 B.P.
- D3100 B.P.
Answer: 5100 B.P. - 838.
In addition to his career as an astrologer and "prophet", Nostradamus published a 1555 treatise that included a section on what?
- ACheating at card games
- BDigging graves
- CTeaching parrots to talk
- DMaking jams and jellies
Answer: Making jams and jellies - 839.
Mel Gibson starred in all of the following four movies. However, only one of them was produced during the 80s. Which one?
- AForever Young
- BLethal Weapon 3
- CLethal Weapon 2
- DMad Max
Answer: Lethal Weapon 2 - 840.
What year did the Boxing Day earthquake & tsunami occur in the Indian Ocean?
- A2002
- B2004
- C2006
- D2008
Answer: 2004 - 841.
What nationality was sultan Saladin?
- AKurdish
- BEgyptian
- CArab
- DSyrian
Answer: Kurdish - 842.
Genetic evidence indicates that the modern Inuit are the descendants of which people?
- AClovis
- BPaleo-Eskimos
- CThule
- DDorset
Answer: Thule - 843.
Taphonomy is:
- Aa study of the spatial relationships among artifacts, ecofacts, and features.
- Ba systematic classification based on similarities and differences.
- Cthe study of how materials ended up in a particular place.
- Da dating technique based on the decay of a radioactive isotope of bone.
Answer: the study of how materials ended up in a particular place. - 844.
What word refers to the hundreds of flat-roofed Egyptian tombs built round the Pyramids of Giza?
- ABen-bens
- BStelas
- CPyramidions
- DMastabas
Answer: Mastabas - 845.
According to legend, the ancient Greeks constructed a huge wooden model of which animal to gain entrance to Troy?
- AWolf
- BGoat
- CElephant
- DHorse
Answer: Horse - 846.
Although the first one was sent in 1971, it became widely popular in 1998. Its popularity caused explosive growth of the internet.
- AThe Chat programs
- BThe URL
- CThe Website
- DThe E-mail
Answer: The E-mail - 847.
On October 9, 2006, this Internet company announced its purchase of the popular YouTube site?
- AGoogle
- BAmazon
- CYahoo
- DEbay
Answer: Google - 848.
How many people were murdered as a result of the Salem Witch Trials?
- A2000
- B1000
- C40
- D20
Answer: 20 - 849.
The Yuan Dynasty was the first foreign dynasty to rule over all of China. It was officially established by this Mongolian ruler in 1271 and ruled over China until 1368.
- AOgedei Khan
- BGenghis Khan
- CBatu Khan
- DKublai Khan
Answer: Kublai Khan - 850.
The evolutionary histories of different kinds of organisms and their relationships to each other are illustrated in a:
- Adiastema.
- Bphylogeny.
- Cgenera,
- Dmosaic.
Answer: phylogeny.
How to use these trivia questions
- Warm-up. Open a lesson or meeting with 3–5 questions — enough to wake the room, short enough to keep the agenda.
- Review game. Pick 10 questions on the topic you just taught and play them in teams; discuss every wrong answer.
- Quiz night. Mix two or three topics, read each question twice, and give 20 seconds before revealing the answer.
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