History Trivia Questions — page 37
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.
- 1801.
Which famous military commander marched an army, which included war elephants, over the Alps during the Second Punic War?
- AHannibal
- BAlexander the Great
- CTiberius
- DGarmanicus
Answer: Hannibal - 1802.
Who was the faithful wife of Odysseus who waited 20 years for his return from the Trojan War?
- ATelemachus
- BMentor
- CAspasia
- DPenelope
Answer: Penelope - 1803.
During World War II, resistance was formed in every occupied country. What was the name of the resistance movement that the British were preparing, in case the country was occupied?
- AComplementary Units
- BSubsidiary Movement
- CAuxiliary Units
- DAuxiliary Detachments
Answer: Auxiliary Units - 1804.
In 1853 the Crimean War began. Which country was not part of the coalition against Russia?
- AKingdom of Piedmont
- BUnited Kingdom
- CAustria
- DFrance
Answer: Austria - 1805.
Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for most of World War II?
- AHarold Macmillan
- BEdward Heath
- CWinston Churchill
- DNeville Chamberlain
Answer: Winston Churchill - 1806.
This Christmas song, first sung by Bing Crosby, became number one on the hit parade and a favorite of troops abroad in the Christmas seasons of 1942 through 1944.
- ASleigh Ride
- BWhite Christmas
- CJingle Bells
- DI'll be home for Christmas
Answer: White Christmas - 1807.
What effective submachine gun was also known as the Schmeisser?
- AMG32
- BMG42
- CMP44
- DMP40
Answer: MP40 - 1808.
What nickname did Erwin Rommel get during World War II?
- AThe African Liberator
- BThe Mole
- CDesert Fox
- DStealth
Answer: Desert Fox - 1809.
What statement is true about the US Presidential election scheduled in the midst of the war for November 1944?
- AIt was carried out without any significant changes.
- BIt had five voting days instead of one to give people a better chance to vote.
- CIt was canceled and Roosevelt allowed to continue as President.
- DIt was delayed until the Japanese surrender.
Answer: It was carried out without any significant changes. - 1810.
Why did President Truman relieve General MacArthur of command of UN forces in the Korean War?
- Abecause MacArthur wanted to withdraw all UN forces below the 38th parallel in Korea
- Bbecause MacArthur publicly criticized his commander-in-chiefs (President Trumans) policy of limited war in Korea
- Cbecause MacArthur advocated counterattacking communist forces in Europe to relieve pressure on Korea
- Dbecause MacArthur refused to allow bombing attacks on communist bases in China
Answer: because MacArthur publicly criticized his commander-in-chiefs (President Trumans) policy of limited war in Korea - 1811.
Which of the following is the longest war in American history?
- AGulf War
- BCivil War
- CAmerican Revolution
- DVietnam War
Answer: Vietnam War - 1812.
The Burnside Bridge is related to which Civil War battlefield?
- AGlorietta Pass
- BAntietam
- CCheat Mountain
- DChantilly
Answer: Antietam - 1813.
What was the capital of South Vietnam before the Vietnam War?
- ASaigon
- BHanoi
- CHue
- DHo Chi Minh City
Answer: Saigon - 1814.
The Great Northern War was the war fought between a coalition of Russia, Denmark-Norway and Saxony-Poland one side and Sweden on the other side. The coalition attacked Sweden in what year?
- A1917
- B1942
- C1864
- D1700
Answer: 1700 - 1815.
What battle was the longest in World War I, lasting approximately 303 days?
- ABattle of Verdun
- BBattle of Passchendaele
- CBattle of Amiens
- DBattle of Stalingrad
Answer: Battle of Verdun - 1816.
General Erwin Rommel led German forces during World War II. Which of the following countries was his battlefield?
- ALibya
- BAll of these countries
- CPoland
- DFrance
Answer: All of these countries - 1817.
Which of the following was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity in 313 AD?
- ACommodus
- BConstantine
- CNerva
- DMarcus Aurelius
Answer: Constantine - 1818.
Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany and the head of which German party?
- ANational Christian-Democratic party
- BNational Socialist German Workers party
- CConservative Peoples party
- DNational German Communist party
Answer: National Socialist German Workers party - 1819.
Towards the end of the 14th century, vandalized by an angered Sufi Muslim, the Great Sphinx of Giza lost what essential piece.
- AIts tail
- BIts headdress
- CIts nose
- DIts wings
Answer: Its nose - 1820.
The Cold war, which began in 1947 was a consequence of World War II. Who were the leaders of the two superpowers (The USA and the Soviet Union) at the beginning of the Cold War?
- AEisenhower and Stalin
- BEisenhower and Kruschev
- CTruman and Stalin
- DMolotov and Roosevelt
Answer: Truman and Stalin - 1821.
How long did the Warsaw Uprising during World War II last?
- A55 Days
- B224 Days
- C63 Days
- D20 Days
Answer: 63 Days - 1822.
Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in 1492, dooming the fate of native inhabitants. The siege of Tenochtitlan marked the end of one of the mightiest American civilizations- the Aztec Empire. This was the name of the conquistador that defeated the Aztecs.
- AFrancisco Pizarro
- BPanfilo de Narvaez
- CHernan Cortes
- DPedro de Alvarado
Answer: Hernan Cortes - 1823.
During this decade the RMS Titanic sank on its debut voyage, World War I broke out, and Albert Einstein published his theory of general relativity.
- A1900s
- B1940s
- C1920s
- D1910s
Answer: 1910s - 1824.
The Korean War started in what year?
- A1960
- B1950
- C1945
- D1912
Answer: 1950 - 1825.
What was the scene of the last major battle of the Peloponnesian War?
- AAegospotami
- BEpirus
- CSalamis
- DActium
Answer: Aegospotami - 1826.
During this decade World War II ended, India gained independence from Great Britain, and Israel was established.
- A1920s
- B1940s
- C1960s
- D1950s
Answer: 1940s - 1827.
One of the less obvious reasons for the Inca to fight so many wars may have been:
- Ato identify and cultivate talented leaders.
- Bto appease the gods of war.
- Cto kill off a certain percentage of the young male population, thus preventing revolution.
- Dto develop a story line for powerful epic poetry.
Answer: to identify and cultivate talented leaders. - 1828.
What year was the Italian firearms manufacturer Beretta founded?
- A1526
- B1776
- C1923
- D1998
Answer: 1526 - 1829.
Who wrote the tragedy Antony and Cleopatra, which centers on Cleopatra and Mark Antonys relationship from the time of the Parthian War until Cleopatras suicide?
- AChristopher Marlowe
- BWilliam Shakespeare
- CBen Jonson
- DGeorge Bernard Shaw
Answer: William Shakespeare - 1830.
What term refers to the competition between Britain, France and Germany over African territory between the 1880s and the beginning of World War I in 1914?
- AFranco-Prussian War
- BThe African War
- CNew Imperialism
- DThe Scramble for Africa
Answer: The Scramble for Africa - 1831.
What was the most contested (captured, recaptured) town in the U.S. Civil War?
- AWinchester
- BRichmond
- CHampton Roads
- DBethesda
Answer: Winchester - 1832.
Who crowned Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day in 800?
- APope Stephen V
- BPope Urban IV
- CPope Valentine
- DPope Leo III
Answer: Pope Leo III - 1833.
What was the nickname of Tom Cruise's character in Top Gun?
- AGoose
- BViper
- CIceman
- DMaverick
Answer: Maverick - 1834.
The First Indochina War came to a dramatic and unexpected end when over 7,000 French soldiers were killed at which small Vietnamese village?
- AHanoi
- BKhe Sanh
- CHue
- DDien Bien Phu
Answer: Dien Bien Phu - 1835.
A collection of Sanskrit hymns and verses known as the Vedas are sacred texts in what religion?
- AJudaism
- BHinduism
- CIslam
- DBuddhism
Answer: Hinduism - 1836.
Which Greek god was the god of the Sun?
- AHelios
- BPoseidon
- CHades
- DZeus
Answer: Helios - 1837.
Which church official commissioned Michelangelo, to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the residence of the Pope in the Vatican city?
- APope Julius II
- BPope Alexander I
- CPope Linus
- DPope Silvester I
Answer: Pope Julius II - 1838.
The participants in this war never came to the point of a direct military clash, but fought indirectly through espionage, propaganda and competition in various fields.
- AKorean War
- BSecond Sino-Japanese War
- CCold War
- DChinese Civil War
Answer: Cold War - 1839.
Which of these is one of the reasons why the United States entered World War I?
- AMexico attacked the United States.
- BFrance lost the war.
- CGermany asked the United States.
- DGermany tried to persuade Mexico to enter the war.
Answer: Germany tried to persuade Mexico to enter the war. - 1840.
Which of these triggered World War I in 1914?
- AThe competition between two or more countries for military supremacy
- BDelays and misunderstandings in diplomatic communications
- CFervent and uncompromising nationalism
- DThe assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo
Answer: The assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo - 1841.
Gerald Bull took part in another supergun program - project Babylon. He supplied the plans for a series of gigantic guns, but fortunately only one of them (the smallest one) was completed. This person commissioned the project.
- AWilliam Clinton
- BSlobodan Milosevic
- CSaddam Hussein
- DYasser Arafat
Answer: Saddam Hussein - 1842.
What battle of 1781 resulted in a decisive victory of the American army against Great Britain and caused the British government to negotiate an end of the American Revolutionary War?
- ABattle of Valley Forge
- BBattle of Yorktown
- CBattle of Saratoga
- DBattle of Bunker Hill
Answer: Battle of Yorktown - 1843.
In 1996 President Clinton was re-elected as the first two-term Democrat since what former US President?
- AFranklin Roosevelt
- BDwight D. Eisenhower
- CRonald Reagan
- DJimmy Carter
Answer: Franklin Roosevelt - 1844.
Which U.S. state saw the bloodiest fighting of the Civil War?
- AGeorgia
- BMaryland
- CTennessee
- DVirginia
Answer: Virginia - 1845.
Napoleon Bonaparte was born in this month, which marks the official end of the Second World War.
- AFebruary
- BMay
- CAugust
- DJune
Answer: August - 1846.
In World War I, what was the name of the alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria?
- AAuthoritarian Alliance
- BThe Axis Powers
- CThe Central Powers
- DThe Federation of Empires
Answer: The Central Powers - 1847.
How many women joined the United States Armed Services during World War II?
- A350,000
- B500,000
- C225,000
- D100,000
Answer: 350,000 - 1848.
In this film, set during the Vietnam war, the following words are delivered by Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore: You smell that? Do you smell that? Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning.
- ACasualties of War
- BPlatoon
- CThe Deer Hunter
- DApocalypse Now
Answer: Apocalypse Now - 1849.
In what month of 1941 did Nazi Germanys invasion of the Soviet Union start?
- AJune
- BMarch
- CJuly
- DAugust
Answer: June - 1850.
This US President introduced his policy of 'vietnamization'- enabling the South Vietnamese to take more responsibility for fighting the war on their own.
- AJohn Kennedy
- BLyndon Johnson
- CHarry Truman
- DRichard Nixon
Answer: Richard Nixon
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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