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The Ultimate Great Disasters Quiz | Specialized History

A great many natural and man-made disasters have struck all over the world, throughout history. Here are a few well-known disasters with a couple obscure.

A multiple-choice quiz by linn1117. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
linn1117

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
137,161

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
1201

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Most people know that when Mt. Vesuvius erupted it buried the city of Pompeii. What is the name of the other city buried in that eruption? Hint

Athens

Heraneum

Achillian

Herculaneum

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Question 2 of 10

2. Who has not heard the story of the O'Leary cow kicking over the lantern and starting the great Chicago fire - when did it occur? Hint

November 4th, 1871

September 7th, 1871

October 8th, 1871

December 3rd, 1871

3. On December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was attacked bringing the USA into World War II. Tragedy once again struck Pearl Harbor in 1969. Can you name the U.S. carrier that exploded there, on January 14, 1969? Hint

Bennington

Enterprise

Forrestal

Iowa

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Question 4 of 10

4. 73 seconds after lift off, the space shuttle Challenger exploded killing all seven crew members. Teacher Christa McAuliffe was one of them. A famous singer was one of the two that had been turned down in favor of McAuliffe, by Reagan himself. What is that singer's name? Hint

Billy Joel

David Bowie

John Denver

Elton John

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Question 5 of 10

5. September 25, 1978, San Diego, California, Flight 182 (Boeing 727) crashes into a Cessna. What airline did Flight 182 belong to? Hint

Pan America

Air India

Korean Air

Pacific Southwest

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Question 6 of 10

6. What is the exact date of the Mt. St. Helen's volcanic eruption in the 1980s? Hint

June 5, 1981

May 18, 1980

April 2, 1982

December 8, 1980

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Question 7 of 10

7. What is considered the world's worst natural disaster of the 20th century? Hint

The Great Hurricane, Caribbean, 1780

Earthquake, China, 1976

The Storm of the Century, US and Canada, 1993

cyclone and resulting floods in Bangladesh, 1970

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Question 8 of 10

8. Bangladesh is known for experiencing the world's deadliest tornado.

True

False

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Question 9 of 10

9. The deadliest earthquake in history hit the eastern Mediterranean in July 1201. It killed 1.1 million people in Syria and which other country?

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 10 of 10

10. Ukraine, Chernobyl, 1:24 AM, April 26th. The Chernobyl nuclear plant begins a meltdown that is considered one of the world's worst man- made disasters. What year did this take place? Hint

1987

1984

1986

1985

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Most people know that when Mt. Vesuvius erupted it buried the city of Pompeii. What is the name of the other city buried in that eruption?

Answer: Herculaneum

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

2. Who has not heard the story of the O'Leary cow kicking over the lantern and starting the great Chicago fire - when did it occur?

Answer: October 8th, 1871

The fire destroyed 17,450 buildings, caused damages worth $196 million and killed 250 people.

Answer: Enterprise

The "Enterprise" disaster left 27 dead and 82 injured. The aircraft carrier "Bennington" exploded and caught fire off of Quonset Point, R.I. on May 26, 1954, killing 103 crewmen. On July 29, 1967 off the shore of North Vietnam, the U.S. carrier "Forrestal" caught fire killing 134.

The "Iowa" was a battleship that had a gun turret explode during a test firing. The incident occured on April 19, 1989.

Answer: John Denver

Ronald Reagan was the one who chose McAuliffe. John Denver went on to write "Flying for me" to tell about his feelings on this tragedy. Sadly, John Denver died in a tragic plane accident on October 12, 1997.

5. September 25, 1978, San Diego, California, Flight 182 (Boeing 727) crashes into a Cessna. What airline did Flight 182 belong to?

Answer: Pacific Southwest

The plane crashed and fell into a residential area, killing 7seven on the ground, two from Cessna, and 135 on the Boeing.

6. What is the exact date of the Mt. St. Helen's volcanic eruption in the 1980s?

Answer: May 18, 1980

The final death toll was 57 and an estimated 24,000 animals perished. It was later concluded that the explosion was equivalent to 500 atomic bombs.

7. What is considered the world's worst natural disaster of the 20th century?

Answer: cyclone and resulting floods in Bangladesh, 1970

The flooding killed over 500,000 people and the winds, which reached 230 km/h and resulting large waves deluged entire villages, leaving millions homeless.

8. Bangladesh is known for experiencing the world's deadliest tornado.

Answer: True

It ripped through Bangladesh on April 26, 1989. 1,300 people were killed and another 50,000 were left homeless.

9. The deadliest earthquake in history hit the eastern Mediterranean in July 1201. It killed 1.1 million people in Syria and which other country?

Answer: Egypt

This earthquake claimed more lives than any other natural disaster in recorded world's history.

10. Ukraine, Chernobyl, 1:24 AM, April 26th. The Chernobyl nuclear plant begins a meltdown that is considered one of the world's worst man- made disasters. What year did this take place?

Answer: 1986

4,299 people in the Ukraine died as a direct result of that accident. Unofficial counts say that over 170,000 people, including unborn children, suffer from sicknesses caused by the Chernobyl radiation. An area over 2,500 sq. km is called "The Dead Zone" and considered too polluted to be habitable to humans.

Source: Author linn1117

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Beatka before going online.
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