History Around the World 12 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sweden

Born Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée in 1977 in Solna, Sweden, the Duchess of Västergötland is also the Crown Princess of Sweden. Sweden became the first European monarchy to pass a law establishing absolute primogeniture (i.e that they first born is the heir, irrespective of gender) -- they did so on January 1, 1980. Princess Victoria's father, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, was born in 1946, so is one of the younger European monarchs. If she does one day ascend to the throne she will be Sweden's first Queen Regnant since 1720, and the fourth in all (after Queen Margaret, Queen Christina and Queen Ulrika Eleonora). The photo shows the Swedish Wedding Crown.

Answer: North Korea

Born in 1941, Kim Jong-Il became President of North Korea on the death of his father, Kim Il-sung, in 1994. He also assumed the title "Dear Leader", following a tradition begun by his father, who was designated "Great Leader". Kim Jong-Il's death in December 2011 saw his son, Kim Jong-un, succeed him as President. Five months after his death, Kim Jong-Il was named "Eternal General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea".
The photo shows the North Korean Coat of Arms.

Answer: Portugal

The oldest known human settlement in the Oman region dates back to the Stone Age more than 8,000 years ago. Vasco de Gama successfully navigated around the Cape of Good Hope and reached India in 1497-98. A decade later, Portuguese explorers arrived in Oman and began a 143-year occupation of Muscat and other ports. No European country ever controlled the whole of what is now known as Oman, with most of the territory always ruled by tribes.
The photo shows the statue of Vasco das Gama in Cape Town, South Africa.

Answer: Canada

Renamed simply "Canada Day" in 1982, it was previously known as "Dominion Day". The anniversary itself dates back to 1867, when the "British North America Act, 1867" joined three colonies together into a single country called Canada. The original three colonies were Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada, the latter of which was sub-divided into Quebec and Ontario to give the new country four provinces.
Of the alternatives, "Australia Day" is celebrated on January 26, "Independence Day" in India is on August 16 and in Malta on September 21.
The photo is of a red maple tree in autumn.

Answer: Indonesia

Born Kusno Sosrodihardjo in Soerabaia, Blitar, then part of the Dutch East Indies, in 1901, Sukarno became the first President of Indonesia on August 18 1945. He remained in office for more than 20 years, before being succeeded by Suharto in March 1967. He died shortly after leaving office, at the age of 69 in 1970.
The photograph shows the Presidential Standard of Indonesia.

Answer: Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon married Henry and became Queen Consort of England on June 11, 1509. Their marriage was declared invalid almost 24 years later, in May 1533. Henry's five marriages to his other wives lasted for a combined total of less than 14 years.
The photo shows a portrait of Catherine of Aragon by Flemish artist Lucas Hornebolte dating to around 1525.

Answer: 4

Barack Obama assumed office on January 20, 2009. At that time, four former Presidents were still alive: Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
The last former President to die before Obama was inaugurated was Gerald Ford, who died on December 26, 2006. Having reached the age of 93 years and 165 days, Ford set a new record as the longest-lived U.S. President, beating the previous mark set by Ronald Reagan by 45 days. Of the four former Presidents still living, George H. W. Bush has the first chance to overtake Ford's record -- he needs to survive until late in 2017 to do so. Jimmy Carter, who is 111 days younger than Bush, can surpass Ford's record in 2018. Carter already holds the record as the President to live the longest after leaving office.
Gerald Ford's 895-day Presidency also established a record as the shortest of all Presidents other than those who died whilst in office.
The photo shows the tomb of Gerald and Betty Ford in Grand Rapids MI.

Answer: Middle Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is also known as Congo-Kinshasa to differentiate it from the Republic of Congo aka Congo-Brazzaville. The second-largest country in Africa since the division of Sudan and the world's 11th-largest country, it has a population of around 67 million (2013 UN estimate), which is slightly larger than France or the UK and slightly less than Germany.
European exploration of the region began with Sir Henry Morton Stanley on behalf of King Leopold II of Belgium. Leopold formally acquired rights to the region at the 1885 Conference of Berlin and he named in "Congo Free State". The Belgian Parliament took the Free State over in 1908 and renamed in "Belgian Congo". Independence came in 1960 and the name was changed to "Republic of Congo" which was the same as the neighboring former French colony of Middle Congo. The former Belgian colony was renamed "Zaire" in 1971 and the changed again, to "The Democratic Republic of Congo" in 1997.
The photo shows the flag of the Congo Free State (1877-1908) and the Belgian Congo (1908-1960).

Answer: Gregory I

Born Gregorius Anicius in Rome sometime around 540, he became Pope Gregory I in September 590. The first of 17 Popes who were previously Benedictine monks, his papacy lasted thirteen and a half years until his death in March 604. Canonized immediately after his death, he is known as "Saint Gregory the Great" and as "St. Gregory the Dialogist". He is the Patron Saint of students and teachers, singers and musicians. He has two feast days: September 3 and March 12, the dates on which his papacy began and ended. His mother, Silvia, is also a Saint.
Of the alternatives: Leo I aka St Leo the Great, was a significant earlier Pope, reigning for 21 years from 440-461; Urban II (reigned 1088-1099) was the Pope who instigated the First Crusade; Adrian IV (reigned 1154-1159) is the only English Pope.
The photo is an 11th-Century depiction of Gregory I dictating the Gregorian Chant.

Answer: Yugoslavia's Marshal Tito

Born Josip Broz in Kumrovec, Austria-Hungarian Empire (now in modern-day Croatia) in 1892, Marshal Tito was the leader of the anti-Nazi Yugoslav Partisans during WWII. A Russian POW during WWI, he became the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia in November 1944 and the country's first President in 1953, a position he retained until his death at the age of 87 in May 1980.
The photo shows the flag of the "National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia", the most effective anti-Nazi movement in Europe during WWII.