History Around the World Trivia

1. In 149 BCE., on the pretext that Carthage had broken a treaty with Rome, the Romans laid siege to the city, starting the Third Punic War. How long did the Carthaginians hold out?

From Quiz World History at its Darkest

Answer: Three years

A provision of the treaty that ended the Second Punic War in 201 BCE was that Carthage could not go to war without permission from Rome. The Numidians began raiding Carthaginian lands, and Carthage mounted an unsuccessful campaign against them. Rome used this as a pretext to land an army of 50,000 men and lay siege to the city. After almost three years, the Romans breached the walls and went on a five day rampage, in which it is claimed that up to 750,000 men, women, and children were killed.

From Quiz The World in Chaos - World after WWI

Answer: Blockade of German ports for necessary food and fuel

None of the other three possible answers occurred. The blockade of northern German ports by the UK began in 1914 and limited imports of food and weaponry through these ports. Many historians consider it to be a crucial element in the Allies' victory. World War I did not end in a clear cut defeat, such as the capture of Berlin or loss of an entire army. The German army generals told Kaiser Wilhelm that they no longer had the troops or weapons to halt the Allies, and rebellions had occurred in some German cities and within the armed forces. The German surrender and abdication of the Kaiser led to the myth, to be exploited later by Hitler, that the German leaders had sold out their troops. The German surrender was done with the expectation that the eventual peace treaty would be based on Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points. The treaty that was offered to the Germans was much more vindictive and was met with strenuous objections by their delegation. The blockade of German ports was kept in place to pressure the Germans to sign the treaty and to prevent the resumption of hostilities. The effect of the extended (six months or more) blockade is highly debated by historians. Whether the effect was minimal (British) or significant (German) is immaterial as to how it was viewed by the German population.

From Quiz History Around the World 19

Answer: Thabo Mbeki

Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki was born in 1942 in the remote village of Mbewuleni in central Eastern Cape province. Educated in England, at the Universities of London and Sussex, he became Deputy President under Nelson Mandela in May 1994. When Mandela stepped down in June 1999, Mbeki became the country's second President. The first South African President to win two General Elections (in 1999 and 2004), Mbeki resigned in September 2008 after more than nine years in office. He was succeeded by Kgalema Motlanthe. The fourth South African President, Jacob Zuma who took office in May 2009, matched Mbeki's record of two wins in 2014 and will potentially break his record as the country's longest-serving President in September 2018.

From Quiz History Around the World 18

Answer: Ireland

All of those named held the office of Taoiseach, the head of government in Ireland and the equivalent position to Prime Minister in many other countries. The word Taoiseach means 'chief' in Gaelic and has been used for more than 1,500 years. Appointed by the President, the first modern-day holder of the office was Éamon de Valera, appointed in 1937. Enda Kenny, appointed in 2011, is the thirteenth different person to hold the office in the modern era.

From Quiz History Around the World 17

Answer: Zambia

Originally the home of the Khoisan peoples, the region became the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia at the end of the nineteenth century. It became the Republic of Zambia with Kenneth Kaunda as its first Prime Minister on October 24, 1864. Although English is still the official language of the country, eight other languages are also recognized. The country's motto is "One Zambia, One Nation".

From Quiz History Around the World 16

Answer: Romania

Although the nation now known as Romania was founded only in the middle of the 19th century, the region boasts the earliest European evidence of humanity. Remains found near the city of Anina in the southwest of the country have been carbon-dated as some 40,000 years old, the earliest ever found in Europe. More recently, the Romans arrived in the region early in the 2nd century A.D. Roman rule lasted 165 years and the name Romania literally means "citizen of Rome". Following the Crimean War, voters in the Ottoman provinces of Wallachia and Moldavia both elected Alexandru Ioan Cuza to be their 'prince', effectively uniting the two provinces. Cuza was exiled following a coup in 1866 and the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen established with Carol I the first King of Romania.

From Quiz History Around the World 15

Answer: Senegal

Leopold Sédar Senghor was born in 1906 in the Petite Côte village of Joal, then in French West Africa and now part of modern-day Senegal. A poet and cultural theorist as well as a politician, in 1983 he became the first African elected as a member of the 'Académie Française'. Senghor became the first President of Senegal when the country gained independence in 1960 and served for two decades before retiring towards the end of his fifth term in 1980. Regarded as one of the most important African intellectuals of the 20th century, Senghor died aged 95 in 2001.

From Quiz History Around the World 13

Answer: Ho Chi Minh

Born Nguyễn Sinh Côn in 1890 in the village of Kim Liên in Nghệ An Province in north central Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh became Vietnam's first President of September 2, 1945. He subsequently became the first President of the newly established North Vietnam in 1954, a position he retained until his death from heart failure at the age of 79 on the 24th anniversary of his Presidentship.

From Quiz History Around the World 11

Answer: Oslo

The city of Oslo was founded by King Harald III in 1048 and became Norway's capital under Harald V in the 14th century. The name Óslo (or Áslo) derives from Old Norse and means either "Meadow at the Foot of a Hill" or "Meadow Consecrated to the Gods". In 2009, Oslo was the world's most expensive city, and in 2011 was ranked second behind Tokyo.

From Quiz History Around the World 10

Answer: Haiti

Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Hispaniola in December 1492 and claimed the territory for Spain. Haiti became a French colony in 1697 as part of the Treaty of Ryswick, which ended hostilities between France and Spain. On January 1 1804, Haiti declared independence, although France refused to recognize its independence until 1825. Haiti thus became the first independent nation in Latin America and the first black-led republic in the world. It remains today the only nation to be born from a slave revolt.

From Quiz History Around the World 9

Answer: Osborne House

Osborne House, the former royal residence in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, was built as a summer home and rural retreat for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the mid 1800s. Prince Albert himself designed the building. Aged 81, Queen Victoria died here on January 22, 1901 having spent a record 63 years 7 months on the throne.

From Quiz History Around the World 8

Answer: Sir Francis Chichester

The ketch 'Gipsy Moth IV' was moored at Greenwich alongside the 'Cutty Sark' for many years following its historic voyage around the world. Francis Chichester left from Plymouth on August 27 1966 and returned 226 days later having made just a single stop, in Sydney Australia. He thus became the first person to sail solo from west to east around the world via the 'clipper route' (ie via the great capes). He also established a new record for the fastest circumnavigation. When Chichester was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II the following year, she used the same sword used by Elizabeth I when she knighted the first Englishman to sail around the world, Sir Francis Drake. That same year, another precedent was broken when Chichester's image appeared on a British postage stamp -- he was the first living non-Royal to be so honored. The alternatives are three more British round-the-world sailors... In 1968-69, Robin Knox-Johnston became the first person to sail single-handed non-stop around the world. He did so aboard 'Suhaili'. Two years later, Scotsman Chay Blyth's 292-day voyage made him the first person to sail non-stop, single-handed westward (ie against the prevailing winds) around the world. His yacht was a 59-footer named 'British Steel'. Ellen MacArthur first set new single-handed sailing records when she crossed from Plymouth UK to Newport, Rhode Island in just under 15 days. Four years later, she established a record for the eastward crossing of less than half that time. In 2005, MacArthur set a new speed record for a single-handed circumnavigation of the globe when she covered the 27,354 miles in less than 72 days aboard her trimaran 'B&Q/Castorama'.

From Quiz History Around the World 5

Answer: Herbert Hoover

I didn't offer George W Bush as a possibility, since that may turn out to be the correct answer. Herbert Clark Hoover became the Republican nominee for the 1928 election when Calvin Coolidge decided against running for a second term. He won a landslide victory over Democrat Alfred E Smith, gaining 58% of the popular vote. His First Lady, Lou Henry Hoover had graduated with a degree in biology from Stanford. Hoover took office on March 4, 1929 and the Great Depression that would blight his entire Presidency began less than a year later. When Hoover campaigned against Roosevelt in the 1932 election, it was in front of crowds more hostile than those faced by any previous sitting President. After his Presidency, Hoover spent much of his time writing and fishing. A year before his death in 1964, he published "Fishing for Fun -- And to Wash Your Soul", his 16th published book.

From Quiz History Around the World 4

Answer: England and Scotland

The Battle of Flodden Field was fought outside the village of Branxton, Northumberland in northern England on September 9, 1513. The invading Scots led by King James IV was decimated by Thomas Howard's English army. That this was the biggest battle ever between England and Scotland is particularly strange since the Scots only reason for invading was in order to divert English troops away from their war against the French, with whom the Scots were allied at the time. King James IV was the most notable casualty, although his son, Alexander, was another of the more than 10,000 Scottish deaths. This was the last great medieval battle fought in Britain, although English long-bowman continued to have success overseas. Future battles would be primarily fought with cavalry and artillery.

From Quiz History Around the World 3

Answer: General

Oberstgruppenführer was the second-highest rank in the Gestapo, subordinate only to Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler himself. It is considered the equivalent of a British or American General. Only four men attained the rank of Oberstgruppenführer: Kurt Daluege and Franz Schwarz in 1942, Sepp Dietrich and Paul Hausser in 1944. Luftwaffe commander Hermann Göring was apparently offered the rank of Oberstgruppenführer in 1945, but declined because of his hatred for Himmler.

From Quiz History Around the World 2

Answer: Alexandra Mary

Technically, her full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary -- as a titled monarch she has no surname although 'Windsor' is often added and a royal edict issued by George V during WWI officially gave the royal family the surname Windsor to replace Saxe-Coburg. The Queen was named after her mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, her maternal great-grandmother, Alexandra of Denmark (consort of King Edward VII) and her grandmother, Mary of Teck (consort of King George V). She ascended to the throne on the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952. Many of the Commonwealth countries have become republics during her reign, but at the end of the 20th century she was still Queen of 16 countries, with around 130 millions subjects.

From Quiz History Around the World

Answer: Fez

With a population of around 950,000, Fez (or Fes) is now the fourth-largest city in Morocco (after the three alternatives). The old walled city, Fes el Bali, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in 789, it became a religious and academic centre in the 12th century and held the distinction of being the world's largest city for about a decade beginning in 1170.

From Quiz World History at its Darkest

Answer: June 1099

Taking Muslim strongholds in Anatolia and the Levant from 1097-1099 BCE, the Crusaders put Jerusalem under siege on June 7, 1099. The city held out until July 15, when the attackers breached the walls and entered the city. An appalling massacre of almost all of the city's Jewish and Muslim residents began, with some 40,000 people killed within a few days by men who were ostensibly fighting in the name of God.

From Quiz History Around the World 18

Answer: Robert Menzies

Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, KT, AK, CH, FAA, FRS, QC was born in 1894 in the small town of Jeparit, Victoria, some 230 miles northwest of Melbourne. He became Australia's twelfth Prime Minister as the leader of the United Australia coalition in April 1939, when he served just over two years. He was returned to office as the leader of a Liberal coalition in December 1949, which was the beginning of the longest continuous term served by any Australian Prime Minister, lasting until January 1966. Menzies left office at the age of 71, and was the first Prime Minister to serve beyond his 70th birthday, John Howard was the second-oldest, leaving office at the age of 68 after he lost his seat at the 2007 general election.

From Quiz History Around the World 17

Answer: Richard II

The second son of Edward the Black Prince and Joan of Kent, the future King Richard II of England was born in 1367 in Bordeaux, France. When Richard was four years old, his older brother died and five years later so did his father, leaving him as next in line to the English throne occupied by his ageing grandfather, Edward III. A year later, Edward died and Richard became king at the age of just 10. Richard's early reign was blighted by the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 and the continued presence of the Black Death. In 1382, Richard married Anne of Bohemia, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, but she died of plague two years later. The Hundred Years' War was ongoing, and between 1386 and 1388 Richard had to deal with French invasions. The main threat to Richard's kingship, though, came from Lancastrian Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Derby, son of Richard's uncle, John of Gaunt. In 1399, Henry returned to England from France and began gathering an army. The official version is that in September 1399 Richard agreed to abdicate and Henry was crowned king in October. Richard was imprisoned in the Tower or London and then moved to Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire, where he starved to death in February 1400.

From Quiz History Around the World 16

Answer: 1901

The Swedish inventor of dynamite, Alfred Nobel, died in 1896 and his fortune was used posthumously to create the pries that now bear his name. The first prizes in five of the six categories were awarded in 1901. The first winners were the German developer of X-rays Wilhelm Röntgen in Physics, Dutch organic chemist Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff in Chemistry, the German physiologist who developed an antitoxin for diphtheria Emil von Behring in Physiology or Medicine, French poet Sully Prudhomme in Literature, and the Swiss founder of the Red Cross Henry Dunant and French economist Frederic Passy jointly in Peace. The sixth prize category, Economics, was introduced in 1969.

From Quiz History Around the World 15

Answer: Naples

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was the largest of the states that unified in 1861 to create the modern nation of Italy. It was established in 1816 by the joining of the Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples. It was conquered in 1860 by Sardinia, which became the Kingdom of Italy the following year. The Kingdom was divided into 22 departments, fifteen of those on the mainland and seven on the island of Sicily.

From Quiz History Around the World 13

Answer: 1831

Born in a palace in central Germany in 1790, the youngest son of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the 40-year old Leopold I became the first King of the Belgians on July 21, 1831. His issue include King Leopold II of Belgium and Empress Charlotte of Mexico. The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha still effectively reigns in Belgium, although the name was changed there (as it was in Britain) due to anti-German sentiment during WWI. Leopold I remained on the Belgian throne until his death just before his 75th birthday in December 1865.

From Quiz History Around the World 11

Answer: Bill Clinton & Ulysses S Grant

Born in 1961, Barack Obama was 47 when first inaugurated. Born in 1917, Kennedy was 43 when he became President in January 1960. Theodore Roosevelt was born in 1858 and also took office aged 43 following the assassination of William McKinley in 1901. The only other 20th-Century President younger than Obama was Bill Clinton, who was born in 1946 and took office aged 46 in 1993. The youngest pre-20th century President was Ulysses S Grant, born in 1822 and aged 46 when he took office in 1869. Of the alternatives, George W Bush and Herbert Hoover were both 54, James Garfield was 49, and Thomas Jefferson was 57.

From Quiz History Around the World 10

Answer: Lesotho

Letsie III became king in 1990 when his father, Moshoeshoe II, was forced into exile. His father's monarchy was restored in January 1995, but Letsie III became King again a year later when his father was killed in a motoring accident. Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy, so most of the King's royal duties are purely ceremonial.

From Quiz History Around the World 9

Answer: French

Born in Paris in 1839, poet and essayist Sully Prudhomme became the first Nobel Laureate in Literature in 1901. The first Spanish winner was José Echegaray, who shared the 1904 award with France's Frédéric Mistral. The first female winner was Sweden's Selma Lagerlöf in 1909. In first non-European winner was Rabindranath Tagore from India in 1913.

From Quiz History Around the World 7

Answer: William Pitt the Younger

The French revolution took place over the final decade of the 18th Century, roughly from 1789-1799. Although William Pitt the Younger lived for only 46 years, he served a remarkable 19 years as Britain's Prime Minister. He first took office in December 1783 at the age of just 24, and he remained in control until March 1801, thus covering the whole period of the French uprising. His second stint as PM began in May 1804, and was only curtailed by his death in January 1806. Of the alternatives, Walpole was the first British PM, holding office from 1721-1742, half a century before the French Revolution. The other two were both 19th-Century Prime Ministers. Spencer Perceval is remembered mainly for the way his term in office ended in 1812 -- he was the only British PM to be assassinated. Sir Robert Peel's legacy was the establishment of the first organized police force. He was PM from 1834-35 and 1841-46.

From Quiz History Around the World 6

Answer: Benito Mussolini

Born in the small town of Predappio in central Italy, Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini became Italian Prime Minister in 1922 and adopted the title 'Il Duce' three years later. Of the alternatives, Stalin was born in December 1878, Churchill in November 1874, and Hitler in April 1889.

From Quiz History Around the World 5

Answer: Henri

The 45 year old Henri Albert Gabriel Félix Marie Guillaume became Grand Duke Henri on October 7, 2000 following the abdication of his father, Grand Duke Jean. He is the grandson on his mother's side of King Leopold III and Queen Astrid of Belgium. Henri's father, Jean, who had ruled Luxembourg since 1964, abdicated shortly before his 80th birthday. Jean was preceded by his mother, Grand Duchess Charlotte, who came to power at the age of just 22, in 1919 following the forced abdication of her elder sister. She ruled for 45 years before abdicating in favor of her son. She died in 1985 at the age of 89. William IV became Grand Duke of Luxembourg on the death of his uncle, Adolphe, in 1905. He ruled until his death seven years later at the age of 60. He was succeeded by his oldest daughter, Marie-Adélaïde.

From Quiz History Around the World 4

Answer: 1713

The various treaties that ended the 'War of Spanish Succession' and established the so-called 'Peace of Utrecht', were signed in March and April of 1713. As a result of the treaty, the grandson of French King Louis XIV, the Duke of Anjou, became King Philip V of Spain. Spain's European Empire was also divided up, with The Holy Roman Empire gaining Spanish Netherlands, Sardinia and the Kingdom of Naples, while Britain acquired Gibraltar and the Balearic island of Minorca. In retrospect this was a minor concession compared to what France gave up -- their claims to the disputed North American territories. These included Newfoundland, Acadia (now the Canadian Maritime provinces and parts of Quebec and Ontario, plus the whole of New England and the eastern seaboard of the USA as far south as Philadelphia) and Rupert's Land (not most of Quebec and Ontario, the whole of Manitoba, most of Saskatchewan and Alberta and parts of Minnesota and North Dakota).

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