Contemporary History - Missing Links Quiz

Answer: Somme

Verdun and the Somme were the largest battles of WWI, both were fought on the Western front. Overall, WWI meant a horror never experienced before in the human history: the first form of "total war". It involved a massive number of troops, the casualties reached catastrophic proportions and its aftermath shaped a new world order.

In Europe, WWI was traumatic. The sheer and useless brutality of the conflict will forever leave its mark on history.

Answer: Charles Lindbergh

Mankind has always looked up to the skies, helplessly marveling at the wings of the birds. The 20th century not only saw the birth of the human "wings" with the invention of the plane, but this wonderful piece of engineering had a spectacular evolution. Thus, since the Wright brother's famous flight in 1903, the plane went through constant transformations which turned it into the modern means of travelling through air-space.

The people mentioned in the question made important contributions to the development of the plane in its early years.

Answer: "Market Garden"

These were the codenames of the most important military operations in World War II. WWII was the largest and most costly conflict in the history of the world, claiming over 50 million lives. It extended over a period of six years (September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945) and it involved many of the world's nations, divided into two sides: the Allies and the Axis.

Answer: Roosevelt

These key figures of WWII were the representatives of the winning powers of the conflict: the United States, the Soviet Union and Great Britain. They met at Yalta in 1945 (February 4-11), where they made the crucial decisions that would practically dictate the course of events for the next decades.

This is why the meeting at Yalta is considered by many as the event that set the scene for the Cold War.

Answer: Vietnam War

The Cold War emerged from the rivalry between the two superpowers who imposed their ideologies and established the new world order after WWII: the capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union. The Cold War did not take the form of a large scale total war like the previous two world wars, but was rather a strategic battle fought by means of mutual intimidation and espionage. Nonetheless, there were some very tense moments, when both sides were on the brink of nuclear war.

However, the real armed conflicts would arise is those countries who had doubts in choosing one of the two ideologies.

Therefore, depending on the case, the US or the USSR would intervene by funding, by supplying weapons or even by sending troops.

Answer: Romania

These countries were the members of the Warsaw Pact, a military treaty designed by the Soviet Union as a reaction to the forming of NATO in 1949. The Warsaw Pact was signed in 1955 by all the European communist countries except Yugoslavia. The alliance's most drastic action was the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, when the Warsaw Pact members (excepting Romania which didn't accept to take part in the repressive action) ended by force the country's "unapproved" policy of "socialism with a human face".

The alliance dissolved in 1991 as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Answer: Valentina Tereshkova

The year 1957 recorded the successful launch of Sputnik I by the Soviet Union, being the first artificial satellite sent to space. Hence, the world's powers embarked in the space race, a quest that would prove so beneficial due to its remarkable achievements (the first man sent in space, the first mission to the moon and hopefully still to come).

Valentina Tereshkova deserves a special place in the gallery of cosmonauts and astronauts that have pioneered space exploration, being the first woman in space (1963).

Answer: Nelson Mandela & Frederik Willem de Klerk

As Alfred Nobel stated when he instituted the Peace Prize, this honorary award should be given "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses". Since 1901 the Peace Prize was awarded almost each year whether to a person or to an organization which had been involved in peacefully solving a crisis situation.

Answer: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Considered by some the "seventh art", the film is a genuine product of the 20th century. Not surprisingly, movies caught up with the fast pace of society and at short notice became the main source of entertainment. Like any artistic manifestations, the film developed its own critics and awards. Probably the most coveted prizes in the film industry are the Oscars, awarded each year since 1927 for outstanding achievements in film-making.

The titles in the question are just a select few of the Oscar winning movies for "Best Picture of the Year".

Answer: London

The summer Olympics draws its root from the athletic events held every four years in ancient Greece in the city of Olimpia. This tradition was reestablished at a wider (global) scale in the 20th century and as time passed by, a medal in the Olympics became the highest recognition in many sports. The modern Olympics have been held every four years since 1896 (except in 1916, 1940, 1944) and have reached their 25th "edition" in 2004.

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