Disasters Trivia

1. In June 1812, the Grand Armee was assembled by Napoleon Bonaparte and consisted of over 610,000 men to cross the European continent and invade what country?

From Quiz Disasters and Mistakes of the 19th and Early 20th

Answer: Russia

The French invasion of Russia by most accounts was a complete disaster. Lasting from June 14, 1812, until December 14, 1812, the casualties were absolutely massive for the French Grand Armee. The war was caused by a variety of reasons, including Napoleon's inability to marry a Russian princess, a continental blockade system and embargo in an attempt to boost the French economy, and various nations turning their backs on France at the hands of the Russians. Although the French Grande Armee had initially outnumbered the Russian army, the abandonment of Moscow by the Russians (and a failure of Napoleon to negotiate a peace offer) led to some devastating results. By October 1812, the Grande Armee was lacking food and water and was suffering from hypothermia due to extreme weather conditions. By the beginning of December, Napoleon had left his army and returned to Paris. French troops would soon follow, and on December 14, 1812, the surviving soldiers in the Grande Armee would head back to Paris as well. Unfortunately, Napoleon's reputation as a powerful leader would crumble. By 1821, he would be exiled and die while imprisoned on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean.

From Quiz Catastrophes

Answer: Mozambique

In 2000 Mozambique was devastated by a major flood in February and March of that year. The combination of heavy rain, swelling rivers and floods caused a disaster throughout of the country. Around 700 people were killed as a result of the flood and many more people were affected by the loss of their cattle, the mainstay of their food supply.

From Quiz This is the End of the World

Answer: Ireland

All of the countries listed experienced famines that wiped out over 25% of their populations. However, the famines of the incorrect three countries occurred earlier. The potato, native to the Americas, was introduced into European agriculture by the Spanish in the late 16th century. Because it was easy to cultivate, calorie-dense and nutritious, it became a staple crop in Ireland. By the mid 19th century, it was the sole source of nutrition for half of the population. In 1845, a water mold, Phytophthora Infestans, came into Ireland from North America. The mold destroys the leaves and tubers of the potato plant. That year, the weather was exceptionally cool and wet, the mold thrived ruining the majority of the crop. In the four years following, the "late blight", as the disease was commonly known, caused almost complete destruction of the harvest. In 1841, the population of Ireland was approximately 8.4 million. From 1845-1851, 1 million people died of starvation and disease and another 1-2 million of the Irish left the country. By 1851, the county's population was only 6.6 million.

From Quiz Slow as Molasses in January

Answer: 1919

The disaster occurred at around 12:30 in the afternoon on January 15, 1919. The day was unseasonably warm, so many people were outside having their lunch.

From Quiz Mother Nature & History

Answer: Mongols

Two Mongol fleets under Kublai Khan were dispersed after gaining toeholds in Japan in 1274 and 1281. Without seaborne support, the invading armies had to retreat.

From Quiz Naturally Disastrous

Answer: Flea-carrying rodents

The Oriental Rat-Flea has been identified as the main disease vector. The 'Yersinia pestis' bacterium is transferred during a flea bite. The plague reached its peak in Europe during the period 1348 to 1350. Worldwide, 75 million to 100 million people are believed to have died from the plague in the 14th century, perhaps as much as 50% of the population in Europe. This pandemic carried on for several centuries. Catapulting plague-infected bodies into a city during the Siege of Caffa in 1346 is amongst the earliest known examples of germ warfare. Those who escaped this Crimean city to Genoa in Italy are probably responsible for bringing the plague into Europe.

From Quiz What Went Wrong?

Answer: Challenger

The cause of the Challenger explosion, according to the Rogers Commission, were the faulty O-rings that sealed the joints of the solid rocket boosters, allowing pressurized gas to reach the external fuel tank. This caused the tank to fail structurally. Could this tragedy have been prevented? The answer is a resounding yes. The Rogers Commission found that NASA managers had known about the potential problems with the O-rings. These managers had ignored warnings from engineers that launching the Challenger in cooler temperatures could have dangerous consequences. As a result, seven crew members, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, lost their lives that day and left an indelible memory on those who watched the tragedy.

From Quiz Bridge Over Troubled Water

Answer: Gustave Eiffel

On June 14, 1891 the Munchenstein Bridge collapsed while a passenger train was crossing. Eight railway cars fell into the Birs River and over 70 people were killed. The bridge had been designed and erected in 1875 by Gustave Eiffel who went on to design the Eiffel Tower in Paris. One passenger car hung from the bridge and five remained on the bridge. At no time did the train derail, instead it plunged through the center of the bridge when it suffered structural collapse. This bridge disaster which injured over 170 people ushered in a new age of bridge safety in Switzerland which focused on design and upkeep.

From Quiz Mining Disasters Around the World

Answer: Coal

The Westray mine was set up to mine for coal. Before the mine even opened, rumors were rampant that safety issues were being ignored. Coal mining is among the most dangerous kinds of mining. Coal miners can be killed by flooding, landslides, earthquakes and explosions. In this instance, they searched for days before finding the bodies of 15 men, and then closed the mine permanently with 11 bodies still entombed in anthracite.

From Quiz Events That Shocked Nations

Answer: Aberfan

On the 21st October 1966 the community in South Wales was devastated when a slagheap (a huge pile of mining debris) collapsed, slid down a hillside and destroyed the village of Aberfan, including the village school. 116 of the dead were schoolchildren.

From Quiz My Date With Disaster

Answer: Hindenburg

The Hindenburg was the first disaster caught on tape when it burst into flames as mooring ropes were being lowered preparing for landing. There have been many theories as to how the disaster occurred, including a terrorist plot but most experts have said that a freak weather event caused static electricity to ignite the airship which was filled with hydrogen, a highly flammable gas. The cause of the fire, to this day is still unknown. Thirteen passengers were killed along with 21 crew members on the airship and another ground crew member.

From Quiz Dream Weavers' Nightmares

Answer: Hurricane Juan

The beautiful 185 acre municipal park located at the southern tip of the Halifax peninsula was beaten and battered by Hurricane Juan on September 28th 2003, lasting until September 29, 2003. The devastating winds of 142 kilometers per hour, of this category 1 hurricane, destroyed about ¾ of the parks trees causing the closure of the park until June 2004. Hurricane Hortense hit Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore, as a category one hurricane, in September 1966. Hurricane Kyle hit Nova Scotia as a category one hurricane on September 2008. Hurricane Ginny hit Nova Scotia's Southwest end in October 1963 as a category 2 hurricane. (Source: Wikipedia) Contributed by funnytrivianna

From Quiz Mayday! Mayday!

Answer: French

When translated from its French derivation, 'mayday' literally means 'help me' ('m'aider', shortened from 'venez m'aider - 'come, help me').

From Quiz The Tragedy of the Cult at Jonestown

Answer: 918

All information was gathered at http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/ -a very informative website designed to humanize this terrible event with pictures, recordings and discussion. "There were 918 people who died in Guyana on November 18. The death toll at Jonestown was 909, with two confirmed gunshot deaths and the balance dying by cyanide poisoning. Five people - including Congressman Leo Ryan, three members of the media who accompanied his party, and one Jonestown defector - were shot to death at the Port Kaituma airstrip. Finally, four Temple members died at the group's Georgetown house when a mother herded her children into an upstairs bathroom, slit their throats, and then took her own life with the knife." -an excerpt from the aforementioned website.

From Quiz Worst U.S Natural Disasters

Answer: 1900 Galveston hurricane

This particular hurricane claimed an estimated 8,000 lives and is the pinnacle of natural disasters in the US.

From Quiz Great Disasters

Answer: San Francisco

At 5:13 am on April 18, 1906, a terrific earthquake tore through San Francisco and the area around it. The resulting fire raged for three days, destroying most of San Francisco. Several things contributed to the disaster, including the death of the fire chief, the breaking of water mains so that there was no water to fight the fire, and ironically, the actions of the officials to fight the fire by dynamiting homes and businesses to create fire breaks. This quake is estimated to have registered 8.3 on the Richter Scale.

From Quiz Disasters in the U.S.

Answer: Exxon Valdez

The Exxon Valdez hit an undersea reef, and cut loose 10 million gallons of oil. This occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24th.

From Quiz Was it really that long ago? A Log of Disasters

Answer: 1963

Lee Harvey Oswald shot John F. Kennedy as he drove along a plaza in Dallas in an open top motorcade - or at least that's what the FBI claims.

From Quiz Great Disasters

Answer: Herculaneum

Mt. Vesuvius erupted on August 24, 79 A.D. killing thousands.

From Quiz More Famous Disasters

Answer: 1980

Inadequate fire protection and highly combustible decorations and furnishings were blamed for the tragic fire that claimed 85 lives and injured over 600 others.

From Quiz Famous Disasters

Answer: Good Friday

One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in North America, registering 9.2 on the Richter scale, the Good Friday earthquake struck Alaska on March 27, 1964. The quake claimed 131 lives.

From Quiz World Disasters and Tragedies

Answer: Spanish influenza

The 1918 influenza pandemic caused 500,000 to 675,000 deaths in the USA (commonly known as the Spanish flu).

From Quiz Man Made Disasters In World History II

Answer: Static electricity

The official report lists the cause as 'St. Elmo's Fire', but most experts agree the explosion was caused by an electrical discharge between the fabric and the aluminum frame. The fabric was grounded to the frame, except for one panel. The accelerant was the doping on the fabric. Furthermore, hydrogen was used because the United States, which cornered the market on the more stable helium, was charging extravagent prices to Nazi Germany (A tip of the hat to 'M' for the extra info).

From Quiz Man Made Disasters 3

Answer: Le Mans

Driver Pierre Levegn's Mercedes was struck by Lance Macklin in an attempt to avoid a slower car during this annual 24-hour event in France, plunged into the crowd and bounced back onto the protective barrier before exploding, sending more wreckage into the crowd.

From Quiz More Natural Disasters In World History

Answer: Washington

A vast amount of snow crashed from the Cascade mountain range into this town's railway station, taking three locomotives, carriages, rails and debris into a gorge 150 feet down. Over 100 lives were lost.

From Quiz Natural Disasters

Answer: Firestorms immediately after the quake.

The earthquake set off several fires as it brought down power cables and shattered gas mains. Hundreds of other fires started when family cooking stoves fell to the ground, igniting the wood and paper from which most of the houses were built. Almost half the city was destroyed but almost all of the damage was caused by fire.

From Quiz Natural Disasters in World History

Answer: Hurricane

Most lives were lost when a storm surge caised by the hurricane struck the port city of Galveston, Texas in September, 1900.

From Quiz Disasters and Mistakes of the 19th and Early 20th

Answer: Thin Red Line

The Battle of Balaclava began on October 25, 1853, but a series of costly mistakes following the initial success of the 93rd Highland Regiment proved deadly. To start the battle, the Russians had set up a first line of defense armed with heavy artillery and fortified positions in an attempt to take over a supply base at Balaclava. To counterattack, the Scottish 93rd Highland Regiment set up two long rows, now known as "The Thin Red Line" to push the Russians back. Unfortunately, the continuing battle would fare less successfully. The British commander, Lord Raglan, who was commanding from higher ground, chose to send in his cavalry against a much larger Russian army. The other commander, Lord Cardigan, responsible for the Light Brigade, miscommunicated with Raglan, believing his troops were to defend their position. Cardigan is also believed to have been reluctant to attack as the order came from Lord Lucan (whom Cardigan detested). They did not join in the attack against the Russian army. Further to this, there was a miscommunication as to the location of British guns that were feared to be taken by the Russians. Lucan and Cardigan, who lacked Raglan's viewpoint, could not agree on where the guns were. As a result, The Light Brigade would charge at the wrong gun batteries, leading them to be attacked on three sides in what is now called "The Valley of Death". When all was said and done, over 670 men began the charge. Just under 200 of them made it back to their lines. Nearly 120 were killed, and roughly 60 of them were captured.

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Last Updated Nov 16 2024 5:45 AM

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