Match the Date in History Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1066

The Battle of Hastings was fought on 14th October 1066, which resulted in the defeat and death of Harold II of England by William, Duke of Normandy. The Battle is well documented in the Bayeux Tapestry and shows the death of Harold due to an arrow in his right eye. After the battle, William the Conqueror was crowned the first Norman King of England on 25th December 1066.

Answer: 1666

After the Great Plague of 1665, the last thing that London expected was a fire that decimated the city the year after. On 2nd September 1666, a fire broke out at the King's bakery in Pudding Lane which quickly spread to all the surrounding houses due to the wind and the fact that the wooden structures were dry due to lack of rain for a period of weeks. Four days later, the fire was brought under control with the loss of only six lives, but 80% of London was destroyed including St. Paul's Cathedral. One benefit of the fire was that the rat-infested city from the plague was cleansed.

Answer: 1588

The Spanish Armada was a fleet of over 130 ships and 30,000 men that sailed from Spain with the aim of invading England and overthrowing Queen Elizabeth I in July 1588. The English defeated them by having ships that were lighter and maneuverable. The Spanish galleons were also damaged in storms and set on fire by the British. Less than 30 ships and under 10,000 men returned home to Spain after the defeat.

Answer: 1788

In 1788, eight states ratified the U.S. Constitution:
January 2 - Georgia
January 9 - Connecticut
February 6 - Massachusetts
April 28 -Maryland
May 23 - South Carolina
June 21 -New Hampshire
June 25 -Virginia
July 26 - New York
Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey had ratified the Constitution the year before. North Carolina (1789) and Rhode Island (1790) made up the first thirteen colonies to ratify the Constitution.

When the Constitution was drafted in 1787, Article VII required that nine of the thirteen colonies had to approve the Constitution before it could become law and a government formed. There was some dissatisfaction to the Constitution, but it was promised that a Bill of Rights would be drafted, which persuaded some states that were initially opposed, to ratify the Constitution.

Answer: 1911

The M1911, also known as the Colt 1911, was the standard US Armed Services pistol from 1911 until 1985. It was designed by John Browning and had the advantage of being reloaded quickly. It was used in WWI, WWII, as well as the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Although replaced by the Beretta M9 9mm, the pistol has not been phased out of service completely.

Answer: 2011

On 2nd May 2011, Osama bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan. He was the mastermind behind the 2001 terrorist attacks on the US by al Qaeda. The attacks were the worst in U.S. history with nearly 3,000 deaths. Osama bid Laden evaded capture for nearly a decade until intelligence confirmed his location near Islamabad. President Obama announced bid Laden's death on TV after the body had been positively identified by DNA.

Answer: 1755

On the 1st November 1755, one of Europe's deadliest earthquakes struck the capital city of Portugal, causing over 60,000 deaths. When the earthquake occurred, over 200,000 people were in churches celebrating mass due to this being All Saint's Day. Three earthquakes shook the city within a few minutes, followed by fires and a tsunami which devastated the Port of Lisbon and surrounding areas.

Answer: 1455

The Gutenberg Bible, printed by Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany, was the first major book printed by movable metal type. The book was available for sale by March 1455. Although the cost of the book is not known, most copies were likely purchased by churches or monasteries. It is thought that only around 40 copies exist today, one being in the US Library of Congress.

Answer: 1877

Wimbledon is the oldest tennis championship in the world and has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon (London) since 1877. It is the only Grand Slam tournament still played on grass. The original tournament was for men only - the first singles tournament for Ladies was held in 1884. The Ladies' and Mixed Doubles were added in 1913.

Answer: 1977

Queen Elizabeth II became Queen in 1952 upon the death of her father, King George VI, and celebrated her Silver Jubilee in 1977 with large street parties being held across the UK and the Commonwealth countries. Her Golden Jubilee, in 2002, was marred by the deaths of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and her sister, Princes Margaret.

Her Platinum Jubilee, in 2022, was the first time any British monarch has been able to celebrate 70 years on the throne.