Specialized History Trivia

1. Which year was the Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC) established?

From Quiz History of the Dutch East India Company (VOC)

Answer: 1602

The VOC was founded on March 20, 1602, by the States-General of the Netherlands. It was granted a monopoly on trade in Asia and became the world's first multinational corporation. The VOC played a significant role in Dutch colonial expansion, and its activities spanned from Africa to Asia.

From Quiz A Time of Innocence

Answer: 3

On November 22, 1963, American president John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while traveling in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. The funeral for the fallen president was held three days later on November 25, which also happened to be John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s third birthday. The young Kennedy famously saluted his father as the casket departed the church in Washington, D.C. Five years later John, Jr. would have to live through another family tragedy when his uncle Robert was assassinated in 1968 while campaigning for President of the United States. John, Jr. himself would die at age 38 in a plane crash that occurred in 1999 near the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.

From Quiz Delayed Reactions of History

Answer: Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770. Boston citizens had been critical of British rule for years, leading to British troops being dispatched to Boston in 1768. They were disliked but there was no open resistance. But in 1770, some Bostonians threw snowballs and sticks at some British troops on State Street in Boston. More troops were called to calm the disturbance but the soldiers eventually fired into the mob, killing five. Though three of the British, including Captain Thomas Preston, the commander of those involved in the State Street shooting, were acquitted, the die had been cast. The troops were removed from Boston for a few years and the locals agitated more strongly for representation in the British Parliament, or independence. On April 19, 1775, years after the British had returned, the battles at Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts occurred, resulting in deaths on both sides and the start of the American Revolution.

From Quiz Cloak & Dagger

Answer: Fires

Aeschylus in "Agamemnon" tells us that a watchman, on the roof of the royal palace at Argos, spied a beacon flashing: this was the prearranged signal announcing the fall of Troy to the Greek armies. He immediately rushed to Queen Clytemnestra with the great news.

From Quiz Embargoing, Going, Gone!

Answer: Blockade

An embargo is defined as one country (or group) prohibiting trade with another country or region whereas a blockade involves military power being used to restrict all of a country's incoming/outgoing trade. Throughout history blockades have been utilized at sea, on land, and in the air.

From Quiz X Marks The Shot

Answer: Hamilton's political opposition to Burr

In the aftermath of the American Revolution, strong political differences arose between the men who had forged the nation. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, both from New York, were leaders of opposing parties. During the Presidential election of 1800, in accord with then US law, the President was the top vote getter and the Vice President the second highest candidate. Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied with 73 electoral votes. The election of the President was determined by a vote of the US House of Representatives where (on the 36th ballot) due in large part to the efforts of Alexander Hamilton, Jefferson was elected over Burr. In 1804 Burr, despite being Vice President decided to run for Governor of New York. Hamilton again used all of his influence to publicly denounce Burr's character. The feud boiled over in the spring of 1804, and the two men met outside New York City (Weehawken New Jersey) where they each fired a pistol. Hamilton's shot missed, but Burr's did not mortally wounding Hamilton. Burr was charged with murder but was acquitted. He served out the remainder of his term as Vice President but was no longer a viable force in American politics. Ironically, In 1801 Alexander Hamilton's son, Phillip, had also died from injuries suffered from a duel. Both Hamiltons died from wounds inflicted by the same pistol.

From Quiz Oh, the Things That They'll Tax

Answer: urine

Vespasian was one of Rome's emperors during the first century AD. At the time, the Roman Empire had just emerged from a civil war and was in dire need of cash. One of the many ways that Vespasian raised money was to tax the urine that was gathered from public urinals. At the time, urine was important for the process of tanning and creating many textiles. The urine tax wasn't popular, and Vespasian's son, Titus, was among its disparagers. It was to him that Vespasian explained "pecunia non olet," or "money does not smell." The saying is sometimes used today with the connotation that money is money, regardless of its source.

From Quiz This is Why We Can't Have Historical Things

Answer: The only copy was lost when the Library of Alexandria burned

Though Archimedes was famous for several different inventions, theories, and works in the third century BC, only a few ever chronicled the fact that his manuscript, "On Sphere-Making", was actually in existence. Though his other more mathematical works "On the Sphere and the Cylinder", "On the Measurement of a Circle" and "On Spirals" survived through the years and hinted at the immense understanding of science and math the Greeks had in his day, "On Sphere-Making" was most likely lost in Egypt's Library of Alexandria when it was burned down in 48 BC, making it one of countless books that the Romans simply decided to torch. Had it survived it could have had an immense impact on science as we know it today-- many believe it contained clues to the purpose and construction of the Antikythera mechanism, a device unseen in history for another sixteen centuries after Archimedes' death. Thanks Ancient Romans. Thanks. Many historical paintings depict the building being burnt down, so it's not like they can get out of it either. Sigh.

From Quiz You Need To Grow a Thicker Skin! - Body Armour

Answer: Bronze

The basic Corinthian style helmet proved to be very popular for many centuries; the early Romans used this style of helmet and, as late as the 16th century in Italy, a similar style of helmet known as a Barbuta was still in common use. Corinthian style helmets would be hand beaten and shaped from a single sheet of thick bronze. Bronze was less brittle than iron and could be formed into the most beautiful armours. Although bronze was extremely useful as a material for making armour due to its superior strength and light weight, its use in the manufacture of weapons was less effective; bronze is better suited to weapons designed for thrusting as opposed to weapons that use their cutting edges to wound or kill.

From Quiz Historical Survey of Computing

Answer: abacus

It's somewhat difficult to pinpoint the exact date of the invention of the abacus, but it certainly dates back to the second century B.C. It is worth noting that the abacus still thrives today in some cultures. It is purported that a skilled abacist can make calculations faster than someone using a modern electronic calculator.

From Quiz Book Burning Party!

Answer: Constantine I

In 325 CE Roman emperor Constantine I convened an ecumenical council to deal with a number of theological issues. The most important dispute was between Trinitarians and Arians and concerned the nature of 'God the Father' and 'the Son'. Arianism claimed that Jesus Christ the Son was created by God and is therefore distinct from God the Father, whereas Trinitarianism teaches that the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit coexist in unity. After two months of heated debate it was decided that God is one divine being consisting of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The council of Nicaea proved to be pivotal for the direction Christianity would go the next centuries to come. Being declared heretical didn't immediately root out Arianism, and it continued to thrive for several centuries. Even two later Roman emperors were Arians. It wasn't until the 8th century that supporters of Arianism were crushed in a number of military and political confrontations.

From Quiz Seven Ate Nine

Answer: French

Tips for touring deepest, darkest Africa (number one) - make sure your car is in good condition and not likely to break down. Biaka-Boda was on a tour of his electorate in early 1950 to see his constituents who had been complaining for some time (ironically) of food shortages. His car broke at a place called Bouafle' (population of about 1,000 people) where he instructed his chauffer to repair it. Tips for touring deepest, darkest Africa (number two) - do not wander off into the jungle on your own. Victor did and was never seen again. Several months later a set of charred bones were found in the area. These were sent to Paris, examined and identified as those belonging to Biaka-Boda, with the popular belief that he'd found his way onto somebody's menu. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,889084,00.html

From Quiz Just How Old is That Computer?

Answer: the change to the metric system

The introduction of the metric system meant a need for new mathematical tables - the books of computations used to save people from having to work out the equations time and time again. In this case the need was prompted by Napoleon's desire for a new set of maps in order to reallocate property taxes, commissioned by the French Ordnance Survey. And you thought I was going to say the French government did it just for the love of science, didn't you!

From Quiz Vandelay Industries

Answer: the Americas

Many sources report pre-Columbian civilizations using rubber in a variety of ways, including a Mayan ball game which utilized a 15-pound rubber ball. The rubber used in Mexico probably came from Castilloa elastica, a different species than the tree commercially cultivated in modern rubber plantations.

From Quiz Khalifat Capitals

Answer: Baghdad

The Abbasid Caliphate was one of the greatest civilizations of all time! Because of the Abbasids, Christian Europe gained ideas from the Abbasids' vast body of knowledge and thought. This facilitated the Renaissance in Europe. Baghdad was at the centre of all of this. It was there that the "House of Wisdom" stood, and practically all knowledge from known world was here. In some ways it was like the Library of Alexandria.

From Quiz Overview of Jewish History

Answer: King Saul

Saul was a farmer's son, who had gone to find his father's runaway donkeys. He met the prophet Samuel, who anointed him King of Israel. Over the years, Saul's reign was characterized by much bravery and successful military campaigns. However, as the story goes, he committed a grave sin by allowing his people to pillage their enemies, against the will of God. For this he was cursed, and later went mad with power. In this madness he sought to kill the young David, who was his household 'squire' at the time, and who he thought was plotting to overthrow him. Saul eventually died in battle by falling on his own sword, after his son Jonathan was killed. King David wrote a song of lamentation for both these fallen men.

From Quiz Fun History VI: History of Writing

Answer: Thoth

In Socrates's story Thoth approached the king of Egypt seeking his royal blessing for his invention. The king said to Thoth, "You, who are the father of letters, have been led by your affection to ascribe them a power of the opposite to that which they really possess. You have invented an elixir not of memory, but of reminding; and you offer your pupils the appearance of wisdom, not true wisdom, for they will read many things without instruction and will therefore seem to know many things, when they are for the most part ignorant." Bearing in mind how long ago they were written, some might consider those words to have quite a contemporary sound.

From Quiz "Miner" History

Answer: silver

In 1857, Ethan and Hosea Grosh searched for gold in western Nevada. They both died before their claims could be recorded. In 1859, Henry T.P. Comstock (also known as 'Old Pancake') took possession of the brother's cabin to search for gold. He was not very sucessful until the bluish sand found in the area was discovered to be silver. The bonanza boomed but declined in the 1870s due to wasteful mining methods and the demonitization of silver. By 1898 the Comstock was almost totally abandoned.

From Quiz Battles over The Bible (in English)

Answer: An explanatory note in the margin

A gloss is a margin note in English, translating the Latin text for those priests whose grasp of Latin was somewhat shaky. One of the more famous glosses is found in the Lindisfarne Gospels, added by one Aldred, some time between 950 and 970. One can only hope that any priest with lousy Latin reading this gloss had a decent understanding of the Northumbrian dialect in which it was written. Here's an example (it's Matthew 6:9-13, which is Matthew's version of the Lord's Prayer, by the way): "Suae oonne iuih gie bidde fader urer ou aro ou bist in heofnum + in heofnas; sie gehalgad noma oin; to-cymeo ric oin, si willo oin suae is in heofne J in eoroo. Hlaf userne oferwistlic sel us to daeg. J forgef us scylda usra suae uoe forgefon scyldgum usum. J ne inloed usih in costunge ah gefrig usich from yfle." (I'm not able to put in all the diacritical marks and the diphthongs, but you get the picture.) I'd rather learn Latin!

From Quiz Medals and Awards

Answer: Australia and New Zealand

Recipients had to serve one day in country, 28 days at sea or 30 days on official visit, continuous. The Australian version had large capitals spelling Vietnam while the New Zealand version had small capitals. This was the first medal designed and produced in Australia.

From Quiz History of Greek Philosophy and Math

Answer: Democritus

Democritus stated that the volume of a cone was one-third the cylinder with the same base and height, and the pyramid was one-third of a prism. Not only did this Universal-genius discover that all materiality was composed of a-tomos (atoms), but he also contributed in every field of science. He travelled to India, Babylon and the rest of the known world, consulting with magi and the wisest-people he could find.

From Quiz Famous 'Footnotes'

Answer: Crazy Horse

I guess he didn't have a P.R. man!

From Quiz The Bowels of History

Answer: Sir John Harington

Sir John Harington designed the first flush toilet. Wallace Rayburn's 1969 satirical book, 'Flushed With Pride: The Story of Thomas Crapper', is to blame for the commonly held misconception that Crapper designed the toilet - and of course, any factor may be Crapper's name.

From Quiz History of the Dutch East India Company (VOC)

Answer: Spices

Spices, particularly pepper, cloves, and nutmeg, were the primary commodities traded by the VOC. These spices were highly sought after in Europe, and the VOC's control over their trade brought immense wealth and influence to the Dutch Republic during the 17th century.

From Quiz A Time of Innocence

Answer: Napalm Girl

On June 8, 1972, the South Vietnamese dropped napalm bombs on the Vietnamese town of Trang Bàng, home of Phan Thi Kim Phuc, who was nine years old when the attack occurred. Kim Phuc, who was given the unfortunate nickname "Napalm Girl", was photographed running through her town's streets naked after her clothes had been burned off by the napalm which left her with severe burns on her body. Despite the graphic nature of the photograph, it was posted on the front page of the "New York Times" on June 9, 1972. The photograph was chosen as the World Press Photo of the Year in 1973. Kim Phuc later founded a non-profit organization designed to help children who have suffered physical and psychological trauma as the result of war.

From Quiz 17th-20th Century Resistance to Colonialism

Answer: It was founded by African runaways from slavery and managed to remain autonomous

Zumbi de Palmares was the son of a Congolese princess, whose uncle had established this Qilombo, one of many where runaways took refuge in Brazil. Most only lasted for about 25 years, but Palmares remained free for almost a century. Zumbi battled the Portuguese but lost. Palmares is reputed to be the birthplace of Capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art disguised as a dance.

From Quiz Cloak & Dagger

Answer: To tattoo a message on his scalp

From Herodotus we learn that Histaieus, governor of Miletus, urged Aristagoras and the Ionians to join him in a revolt against the Persian Darius in 499 B.C. After tattooing the message on the spy's scalp, they had to wait for his hair to grow back and hide it. Not recommended for urgent communications!

From Quiz X Marks The Shot

Answer: Elephants

The Kingdom of Siam (modern Thailand) and the Burma Empire fought a series of conflicts in the 15th and 16th centuries. For much of the mid-16th century Siam was a vassal state of Burma. In 1585, Siamese forces under King Naresuan, who was educated while a hostage in Burma, defeated the Burmese ending their control of Siam. Burmese Crown Prince Minchit Sra returned to Siam in 1590 intent on reacquiring the lost territory. After several years of battle, the two leaders met in single combat near the village of Nong Sarai. The Royals each mounted on battle elephants fought for several hours before the older, and more experienced Naresuan killed his Burmese opponent with a thrown blade. In keeping with rules of middle age chivalry, Naresuan made the nobles serving with Minchit Sra swear allegiance to Siam and allowed their army to live. Thailand, as well as other southeast Asian countries, had a long history of using elephants as war animals. Elaborate armor was created to protect the elephants in combat. Usually, a battle elephant required three men. A warrior of high rank sat at the neck and used spears and blades as attack weapons. A man in the middle served as squire to the warrior while a mahout (elephant trainer) sat at the rear to control the elephant.

From Quiz Oh, the Things That They'll Tax

Answer: beards

Even in the 1600s, Russia was not exactly at the forefront of modernization. In an attempt to modernize Russia, Peter the Great introduced a number of sweeping reforms and unusual taxes to help pay for them. Peter's reforms included looking and dressing like Europeans, which is why he introduced a beard tax to encourage the habit of shaving. This tax disproportionately affected Old Believers, Orthodox Christians who considered shaving to be a terrible sin. Those that did pay the tax were given a token as proof of their payment; it stated that "the beard is a superfluous burden."

From Quiz This is Why We Can't Have Historical Things

Answer: His wife lost them on a vacation in Switzerland

This is why you bring this sort of thing on as a carry-on. When soon-to-be Nobel Prize winner Ernest Hemingway needed to take a break, he and his first of four wives, Elizabeth Hadley, decided to head abroad to Switzerland for the winter. Amongst their travel cases was one piece of luggage containing Hemingway's entire body of work, and with the year being 1922, four years before Hemingway's first novel, "The Sun Also Rises", you can imagine the impact it had on him when it was all lost en route to Geneva. Many believe that the case simply didn't make it onboard; it was lost to the ages. Although we can't possibly know the contents of the case now, it did contain most of what he'd written during and after the First World War. He and his wife split up a few years later. Can't imagine why.

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:44 AM

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