A Look at History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tan'Gun

The mythological first king of the Koreans, he was the grandson of Hwanin, the creator, and the son of Hwanung, who fathered his children by breathing on a beautiful woman. Tan'gun reportedly became king in 2333 BC.

Answer: Pol Pot

Originally called Saloth Sar, the Khmer political leader's totalitarian regime (1975-79) imposed severe hardships on the people of Cambodia. His extreme Communist government forced the mass evacuations of cities, killed or displaced millions of people, and left a legacy of brutality and impoverishment.

This set of events was best known for the infamous "killing fields" episodes where hundreds of thousands of civilians were brutally murdered in some of the worst atrocities of the 20th century.

Answer: Benigno Aquino

Aquino was the chief opposition leader during the era of martial law in the Philippines (1972-81) under President Ferdinand Marcos. Two years after martial law was lifted in the Philippines, he flew home, intending to campaign in promised elections. He was shot in the head while leaving the airplane at Manila airport under the protection of security guards.

Answer: Prophet Mohammed

The Hashimites are any of the Arab descendants, either direct or collateral, of the prophet Mohammed. From them came the family that created the 20th century Hashimite dynasty headed by the King of Jordan.

Answer: Golda Meir

She was a founder and the fourth prime minister (1969-74) of the State of Israel. Meir was elected to the Knesset (Israeli parliament) in 1949 and served in that body until 1974. She was appointed Foreign Minister in 1956. Shortly after retiring from the Foreign Ministry in January 1966, she became secretary general of the Mapai Party and supported Prime Minister Levi Eshkol in intraparty conflicts.

After Israel's victory in the six day war (June 1967) against Egypt, Jordan and Syria, Golda Meir helped merge Mapai with two dissident parties into the Israeli Labour Party. Upon Eshkol's death in 1969, Meir became Prime Minister.

She resigned as Prime Minister in April 1974.

Answer: Sukarno

He was leader of the Indonesian independence movement and Indonesia's first president (1946-66), who suppressed the country's original parlimentary system in favour of an authoritarian "Guided Democracy" and who attempted to balance the Communists against the army leaders. He was desposed in 1966 by the army under Suharto.

Answer: Franklin Roosevelt

He led the United States through two of the greatest crises of the 20th century, the Great Depression and World War Two. In seeking tp mitigate the effects of the Great Depression he greatly expanded the powers of the federal government through a series of programmes and reforms known as the New Deal.

In World War II he served, with Churchill and Stalin, as the principal architect of the successful effort to rid the world of German National Socialism and Japanese militarism.

Answer: British Prime Minister

Disraeli was a British statesman and novelist who was twice Prime Minister (1868 and 1874-80). A thoroughgoing imperialist, he is also noted for social reforms and for attempting to secure support from the working classes in Britain.

Answer: Edward William Stafford

Landowner and statesman, he served three times as Prime Minister of New Zealand (1856-61, 1865-69 and 1872). The son of a landed Irish family, Stafford was elected superintendent of Nelson province (1853) and representative from Nelson to the General Assembly (1855). Stafford's next ministry (1865-69) was primarily concerned with the problem of New Zealand's dependence on British troops. Stafford's third goverhnment lasted less than a month (September 6th to October 4th 1872).

Answer: French Revolution

The French Revolution continued in various forms for the greater part of a decade. Although historians do not agree on the causes of the Revolution, the following reasons are commonly adduced. Firstly, the increasingly prosperous elite of wealthy commoners - merchants, manufacturers, and professionals, often called the bourgeoisie - resented its exclusion from political power and positions of honor. Secondly, the peasants were acutely aware of their situation and were less willing to support the anachronistic and burdensome feudal system. Thirdly, the Philosophes, who advocated social and political reform, had been read more widely in France than anywhere else. Fourthly, French participation in the American War of Independence had driven the government to the brink of bankruptcy and finally that crop failures in much of the country in 1788, coming on top of a long period of economic difficulties, made the population particularly restless.

Moreover, France lacked the institutitonal machinery to make the necessary changes gradually, which was hardly surprising, given over 150 years of monarchic absolutism.

The States General (Etats-Généraux), the counterpart of a parliament, had not met at all between 1614 and 1789!

Answer: February Revolution

In the first stage of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the monarchy was overthrown and replaced by the Provisional Government. This government, intended as an interim stage in the creation of a permanent democratic, parliamentary polity for Russia, was in turn overthrown by the Bolsheviks in October (November, new style) of the same year.

The October (November) Revolution, established the Soviet Communist government in Russia.

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

In 1791 a public competition was held to choose the most suitable design for a presidential residence in the newly designated capital city of washington. The Irish-American architect James Hoban of Philadelphia won the commision with his plan for a Georgian mansion in the Palladian style. By 1809 it was already called the "White House" because its white-grey sandstone contrasted strikingly with red brick of nearby buildings.

In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt adopted "White House" as the building's official name.

Answer: John F Kennedy

He was the youngest man ever elected to the presidency of the USA. Kennedy was also the first Roman Catholic to be elected to the post. His administration lasted 1,037 days. From the outset he was preoccupied with foreign affairs. In his memorable inaugural address he called upon Americans "to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle ... against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself."

Answer: James Madison

He was the fourth president of the United States (1809-17) and one of the founding fathers of his country. At the Constitutional Convention (1787) he influenced the planning and ratification of the U.S. Constitution and collabarated with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay in the publication of 'The Federal Papers'.

As a member of the new House of Representatives, he sponsored the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.

Answer: General Assembly

The United Nations has played a major role in defining, codyfying, and expanding the realm of international law. The International Law Commission, established by the General Assembly in 1947, is the primary institution responsible for developing and codifying international law.

The commission and assembly have influenced international law in several domains, including the laws of war, the law of the sea, treaty law, and human rights law.