Weekly History Quiz

Ancient and Modern History Trivia for August 31, 2026

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +1200

Test yourself with today's history quiz questions. Visit the quiz page once you're ready to take the challenge. Good luck!

How did the indebted East India Company gain the large amounts of money needed to buy tea from China, hugely popular in Britain in the 19th century?
1. Soliciting the protection of the Chinese Emperor
2. Trading in sugar
3. Imposing a monopoly on opium in Bengal and selling it to be smuggled into China where it was illegal
4. Getting into the arms trade

In the fifth year of his reign the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep IV, or Amenophis, changed his name to what?
1. Tutankhamun
2. Akhenaten
3. Ramesses
4. Thutmose

Which political organisation was founded by José Antonio Primo de Rivera in 1933, during the Second Spanish Republic?
1. Riviera
2. Nazism
3. Fascism
4. Falange

Until the year 2000, how many US presidents had previously served as vice president?
1. 14
2. 20
3. 25
4. 30

When the Royal Charter was granted to the "Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading with the East Indies" what was the area over which they were granted monopoly?
1. China, Malaysia and the Philippines
2. India and the East Indies
3. All countries east of the Cape of Good Hope and west of the Straits of Magellan
4. The Middle East

In 1498, Vasco da Gama was the first European to reach which area by sea?
1. Japan
2. Singapore
3. China
4. India

In 1309, the papacy moved the papal court from Rome to where?
1. Avignon
2. Constantinople
3. Genovia
4. Gilead

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for August 24, 2026

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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What name was given to the civil war in England during the reign of Stephen?
1. The Rising
2. The Anarchy
3. The Storm
4. The Seven Days' War

Over what country did the Safavid Dynasty rule from 1501 to 1722 CE?
1. Vietnam
2. Spain
3. Persia (modern day Iran)
4. Turkey

The embroidered linen mural, the Bayeux Tapestry, tells one side of what military story?
1. The Norman Conquest of England in 1066
2. The Trojan War
3. The Battle of Agincourt
4. The sack of Carthage

The Nasrids, the last Muslim dynasty in Spain, who were the last survivors of the tussle between Muslim and Christian for Spain were responsible for what still surviving landmark in Spain?
1. The Alhambra
2. Mosque of Cordoba
3. The Alcazar of Segovia
4. El Escorial

During the 12th to the 18th centuries multiple powers or countries claimed the area now known as Latvia; which of these was not one of them?
1. Poland
2. Germany
3. Sweden
4. Norway

The Greeks constructed hippodromes for holding what events?
1. Bird racing
2. Fights with African animals
3. A form of Sumo wrestling
4. Chariot and horse races

What Greek mythological female monster has the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the rear of a dragon?
1. Chimaera
2. Harpy
3. Gorgon
4. Minotaur

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for August 17, 2026

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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The Pax Mongolica which influenced Mongolia, China and a large swathe of Eurasia as far westward as Hungary in the 13th and 14th centuries CE owed its force to what?
1. Treaties by Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky and his dynasty
2. Conquests by Emperor Zhu and the Ming dynasty
3. Trading through the Silk Road
4. Conquests by Genghis Khan and his successors

According to the Bible's old testament, what was deciphered by Daniel?
1. The Rosetta stone
2. The writing on the wall
3. The Da Vinci Code
4. The Dead Sea Scrolls

A peace camp was established at which RAF base in Berkshire, England from 1981 to 2000 to protest at nuclear weapons being sited there?
1. Greenham Common
2. Marston Moor
3. Hampstead Heath
4. Yorkshire moors

Which was planned from the late 1940s, designed beginning in 1957 (after an international competition), completed in 1973, and declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007?
1. The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge
2. The London Eye
3. The Sydney Opera House
4. One World Trade Center, New York City

The original terms of reference of the International Whaling Commission were to "provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry"; what did the Commission do in 1982?
1. Established Japan and Norway as joint permanent Chairmen
2. Declared its purpose was achieved, and disbanded
3. Extended its terms to include squid and crustaceans
4. Adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling

Which of these countries became independent from Britain on 9 December 1961?
1. Tanganyika
2. Tasmania
3. Timbuktu
4. Taiwan

Which was the Israelite sect whose revolt against Roman Emperor Justinian in 529 CE was put down so severely that tens of thousands died or were enslaved?
1. Samaritans
2. Pharisees
3. Semites
4. Hamites

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for August 10, 2026

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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What did US president Harry S. Truman's middle initial stand for?
1. Solomon
2. Shippe
3. Nothing
4. Simon

When did Canada gain almost full legislative independence in national and international affairs?
1. 1953
2. 1931
3. 1865
4. 1982

The IWC, established in 1946, is the International ... what ... Commission?
1. Whaling
2. Wrestling
3. Worrying
4. Warcrimes

The loss of what causes the end of the love story in the Greek myth of Hero and Leander?
1. Leander was executed for daring to love Hero
2. A guiding light
3. They were struck blind
4. Hero died

How many kings of France were named Louis?
1. 16
2. 18
3. 20
4. 21

In 1948 Finland signed a treaty known as YYA with what country?
1. Sweden
2. UK
3. Germany
4. The Soviet Union

A famous march led by Mohandas Gandhi to Dandi in India in early 1930 was a protest concerning what?
1. Employment on tea plantations
2. The British-imposed salt tax
3. Suspension of the rights of political prisoners in sedition trials
4. The Rowlatt Act

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for August 3, 2026

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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The charter of Georgia in America, when it was established in 1732, prohibited liquor and what else?
1. Cave dwellings
2. Private ownership of rifles
3. Crack cocaine
4. Slavery

Which of these was not one of the "Three Fates" (or "Moirae") in Greek mythology?
1. Lachesis
2. Clotho
3. Athos
4. Atropos

According to Jacobus de Voragine's Golden Legend, who, in Silene, Libya, saved a princess from a dragon by capturing it, and then led it to the king, promising to kill it if his people converted to Christianity?
1. Saint George
2. Saint Michael
3. Saint Patrick
4. Saint Andrew

What was the reason behind the name given to the theory about cold episodes in Earth's history between 2.4 billion years ago and 650 million years ago?
1. Earth is thought to have become almost completely frozen
2. Snowball fighting became a recognised international sport
3. People drank a lot of advocaat cocktails
4. Flourishing global growth of Viburnum opulus Sterile

Three Americans, artist Samuel F. B. Morse, physicist Joseph Henry, and machinist and inventor Alfred Vail, developed what in the 1830s?
1. An electrical telegraph system
2. A type of chair for cinemas
3. A stockbroker's code
4. A ball for basketball

Three weeks after the USSR launched the first man into space what did the USA launch, with its first manned space flight?
1. Mercury-Redstone 3
2. MR-2
3. Freedom 6
4. Friendship 7

The Treaty of Punakha, signed in 1910, was an agreement between British India and which other country, guaranteeing British advice in foreign policy in exchange for internal autonomy?
1. Singapore
2. Burma (Myanmar)
3. Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
4. Bhutan

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for July 27, 2026

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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Before 918 CE, when Alfred the Great's son Edward accepted their submission, who ruled in East Anglia and parts of Mercia in England?
1. Norsemen
2. The Danes
3. The Swedish
4. The French

Which of these became a parliamentary republic in 1994 with a new constitution?
1. Abkhazia
2. Transnistria
3. Ukraine
4. Moldova

Charles Lindbergh's first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927 was between which two cities?
1. Montpellier, Vermont and Birmingham, England
2. St Louis and Dublin
3. Boston and London, UK
4. New York and Paris, France

The customs union established by three countries in Europe which came into force in 1948 is known as what?
1. European Economic League
2. Benelux
3. European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
4. The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)

UNESCO was formed in 1945 for the purpose of building world peace and security through strengthening international co-operation in what?
1. Identifying areas of national significance
2. Sporting tournaments
3. Dealing with refugee issues
4. Education, sciences and cultural relations

Which was first?
1. Cold War
2. Spanish Civil War
3. World War II
4. Russian Revolution

Where did the Eureka Rebellion happen?
1. Syracuse, Sicily
2. Ballarat, Australia
3. Eureka, California, USA
4. Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for July 20, 2026

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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When it was enacted in 1883 what did the Pendleton Act establish in the USA?
1. Rules governing rodeo
2. Regulations limiting anti-competitive conduct by companies
3. Protection of industrial property
4. The basis for the modern USA Civil Service

The forces in which country were described by the leader of the opposing forces during battles in 1808 as "an army of bandits led by monks"?
1. Spain
2. Austria
3. Finland
4. Belgium

The Irishmen William Burke and William Hare were famous for doing what in the early 19th century?
1. Starting a revolution to free Ireland from British rule
2. Exploring central Australia
3. Discovering the existence of X and Y chromosomes
4. Murdering people and selling the bodies

Which period in Japanese history came to an end in 1868?
1. Meiji Period
2. The Edo, or Tokugawa, Period
3. Jōmon Period
4. Reiwa Period

What became legal in the Republic of Ireland when the 15th Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1995?
1. Membership of the IRA
2. Divorce
3. Abortion
4. Contraception

When South Sudan was established as a country independent of Sudan in 2011 how was this done?
1. By referendum
2. A truce between warring factions
3. Military action overseen by the East African Community
4. By edict from the religious leader of Sudan

What did the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919 mark?
1. End of the state of war of the First World War
2. Completed renovations at the Palace of Versailles
3. Agreement to build a Channel Tunnel
4. Agreed definition of the length of the metre

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for July 13, 2026

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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Who founded the Ptolemaic dynasty which followed Alexander the Great as Pharaohs of Egypt?
1. A Greek philosopher
2. Niece of the previous pharaoh
3. Alexander's son
4. One of Alexander's military commanders and personal bodyguards

In its early years the European Economic Community (EEC), created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957, was nicknamed what?
1. The Inner Six
2. The Outer Seven
3. The Circle of Three
4. The Gang of Four

Over several weeks after the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union agreed to give up its monopoly of power, on February 7, 1990, the constituent republics of the USSR held their first competitive elections. How many republics were there?
1. 15
2. 10
3. 8
4. 4

The "Entente Cordiale", signed on 8 April 1904, was a pact to resolve all outstanding issues between France and which other country?
1. Great Britain
2. Germany
3. Spain
4. USA

Who, with his crew, was credited as being the first person to circumnavigate the continents of North and South America, including a transit of the Northwest Passage?
1. Sir John Franklin
2. Roald Amundsen
3. Captain Buchan
4. Sir Robert McClure

American Iva Ikuko Toguri D'Aquino, who was convicted for treason in 1949 and pardoned by US President Gerald Ford in 1977, was popularly known as whom?
1. Yoko Ono
2. Tokyo Rose
3. Madam Butterfly
4. The Nightingale of Nanking

The last four nations to join the United Nations 193 members are Switzerland (2002), Timor-Leste (2002), Montenegro (2006) and which other nation?
1. Tonga
2. Serbia
3. Tuvalu
4. South Sudan

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for July 6, 2026

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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What region in the Dinaric Alps, from the southern borders of the Pannonian plain to the rivers Sava and Drina, was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century and then annexed variously by Austria-Hungary and Yugoslavia in the 20th century?
1. Nepal
2. Bosnia
3. Uzbekistan
4. Tanzania

What was the name of the British India "Special Force", the brainchild of British Brigadier Orde Charles Wingate, that operated behind Japanese lines in Burma & India in 1943/1944 during World War II?
1. The Chindits
2. The Gurkhas
3. The LRDG
4. The Kardashians

At the end of 1937 the system known as the Estado Novo began in which country?
1. Portugal
2. Brazil
3. Colombia
4. Spain

Following 645 CE the government of which country devised and implemented what is known as Taika Reforms of land ownership, base for taxation, and centralised, imperial government?
1. Vietnam
2. Korea
3. Japan
4. Laos

What is the only Southeast Asian nation that has never been colonised, mainly because it had a long succession of able rulers in the 1800s, and was able to exploit the rivalry between the French and the British?
1. Thailand
2. Australia
3. Portugal
4. Pakistan

What was a significance of the 1969 Battle of Hamburger Hill, or Ap Bia Mountain, in Vietnam?
1. There was 100% loss of Vietnamese lives involved
2. It was the last before the armistice agreement
3. It was the bloodiest fight of the Vietnam war, in terms of American dead
4. It was a turning point in American combat operations in the country

When Australia built a long fence complex across the country in the first years of the 20th century, what was it aiming to contain?
1. Koalas
2. Sparrows
3. Horned lizards (Thorny devils)
4. Rabbits

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for June 29, 2026

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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The United Nations Declaration was signed by 4 nations and subsequently co-signed by a further 22 in Washington DC on which two days?
1. 1-2 January 1942
2. 1-2 January 1946
3. 15-16 September 1945
4. 26-27 June 1945

Which of the first four monarchs of England after the Norman Conquest in 1066 - William I, II, Henry I, and Stephen - died of old age and illness?
1. William I
2. All of them
3. Stephen
4. Henry I

What was the name of the meeting that drafted the United States Constitution in 1787?
1. The Philadelphia Convention
2. The Berne Convention
3. The Pelican Brief
4. The Washington Conference

John Taylor Johnston, a railroad executive, and the publisher George Palmer Putnam were founding president and superintendent, respectively, of which American institution that opened in 1872?
1. University of Utah
2. University of California
3. Stevens Institute of Technology (New Jersey)
4. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)

Near what French town did Marie-Bernarde (Bernadette) Soubirous reportedly see visions of the Virgin Mary in 1858?
1. Versailles
2. Lyon
3. Toulouse
4. Lourdes

A giant auction complex opened in 1972 in Aalsmeer in the Netherlands, selling what?
1. Flowers
2. Tricklers
3. Tumblers
4. Runners

Which African country was never fully or formally colonised by the West, and resisted all kinds of European rule until 1936?
1. Kenya
2. South Africa
3. Egypt
4. Ethiopia

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for June 22, 2026

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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In 1931, lawyer and politician Sir Isaac Isaacs was sworn in as the first what?
1. Australian-born Governor-General of Australia
2. Head of the League of People with Doubled-Up Names
3. Surfer to lead snail- and tortoise-racing
4. Official "Keeper of the Broom" for Ig Nobel prize awards

Which nation was the first to declare itself a nuclear free zone?
1. Republic of Palau
2. New Zealand
3. Austria
4. Estonia

Which is the oldest and still inhabited lighthouse in Europe?
1. Cordouan
2. Cap Fréhel
3. Tower of Hercules
4. Hook

Which war, from 1853 to 1856, was between Turkey and Sardinia together with (from 1854) Britain and France, on one side and Russia on the other?
1. Crimean War
2. Seven Years' War
3. The Wars of the Roses
4. The Hundred Years' War

When was the first road speed limit set in the UK for powered vehicles?
1. 1878
2. 1903
3. 1861
4. 1920

Which chief laid siege to Fort Detroit in 1763, an action that led to widespread rebellion against colonists in the area around Ohio and Illinois?
1. Pontiac
2. Cadillac
3. Potomac
4. Buick

What name was given to 6 December 1745, after Scottish highlanders led by Charles Edward Stuart reached Derby, over 200 miles (320 km) into English territory, causing a financial panic in London?
1. Scottish Monday
2. Black Friday
3. Bloody Sunday
4. Pancake Tuesday

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for June 15, 2026

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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What occasioned the death of Mumtaz Mahal in 1631, at the age of 37?
1. A heart attack while dancing for her husband
2. Poison administered by other wives in the harem
3. Fall from horseback while hunting with her husband
4. Childbirth, while accompanying her husband in a military campaign

With whom or what is Androcles associated in ancient legend?
1. Andromache
2. A clown
3. Miraculous writing on a wall
4. A lion

In 1871 a proclamation was made in Europe which is celebrated as the founding of what?
1. The French Third Republic
2. The Census in Wales
3. The Spanish Fire Service
4. The German Empire

Which calendar was different from its predecessor because leap years did not fall on years divisible by 100 unless they were also divisible by 400?
1. Roman calendar
2. Gregorian calendar
3. Lunar Calendar
4. Julian calendar

What was signed to end World War I?
1. The Treaty of Königsberg
2. Magna Carta
3. The Treaty of Berlin
4. The Treaty of Versailles

Why was the 1974 revolution in Portugal called the Carnation Revolution?
1. Almost no shots were fired and at the end people filled the rifle muzzles with carnations
2. The revolutionaries all wore a carnation in their buttonhole
3. It was particularly bloody
4. It was sparked by a carnation grower

Which is the last major military engagement of the American Civil War?
1. Battle of Five Forks
2. Battle of Nashville
3. Battle of Cedar Creek
4. Siege of Petersburg

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for June 8, 2026

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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In the 7th to 9th century, which kingdom of England was between the Thames and the Trent?
1. Anglia
2. Wessex
3. Mercia
4. Sussex

On 3 January 2009 the starting block of a chain, known as the genesis block, was mined to create the first what?
1. Legoland
2. Bitcoin network
3. Byte Net
4. The Hadron Collider

The ancient city of Petra in Jordan, thought to have been built around 312 BCE, is known for its towering rose red rocks and what quality of its buildings?
1. They are inverted cones
2. They are faced with tiled mosaics
3. They are underground
4. They are cut into the rock

The European banking crisis of 1931 was triggered by the collapse of several major banks in which country or countries?
1. Norway and Sweden
2. Belgium and the Netherlands
3. The UK
4. Austria and Germany

In 1994 NFL star O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and who else?
1. His next-door neighbour
2. His two children
3. Waiter Ronald Lyle Goldman
4. Her lawyer

What was the first building in London to be erected on a fully loadbearing steel frame, construction for which started in 1904?
1. Ritz Hotel
2. The Old Bailey
3. Cannon Street Station
4. The Barbican

In which year did George Bush succeed Ronald Reagan as US President, the US ratify the Berne convention on copyright, Time Inc and Warner Communications merge to form Time-Warner, and the Exxon Valdez spill oil in Alaska?
1. 1989
2. 1991
3. 1987
4. 1985

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for June 1, 2026

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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When are the first daily gazettes, effectively newspapers, recorded as being published?
1. 1609
2. 400 CE
3. 130 BCE
4. 801

What, among other things, was special about 2015?
1. The first same sex civil partnerships in Scotland are celebrated
2. The highest global average temperature on record
3. The sixteenth country joins the Eurozone
4. Iran's Pishgam rocket successfully completed a return trip of sending a monkey into space

What was the first formal alliance entered by the U. S. A. in peacetime after World War II?
1. United Nations
2. N A T O
3. League of Nations
4. Treaty of Utrecht

What was the name of the scheme approved by U S Congress in 1948 for the long term financing of the reconstruction of Europe following World War II?
1. Marshall Plan
2. Domino Theory
3. Apartheid
4. Value Added Tax

Major and continuing protests in France during 18 months in 2018 to 2020 were known as what in the media?
1. Jeunes Jaunes
2. Maillots Jaunes
3. Outremer
4. Gilets Jaunes

What ancient structures have been recorded and excavated as being built for tombs, religious and monumental use, throughout China, India, Nubia (southern Egypt and Sudan), Middle America, Greece, Mesopotamia, and Egypt?
1. Pagodas
2. Wigwams
3. Igloos
4. Pyramids

Which place between York and Knaresborough in the UK was the site of a decisive battle in 1644 when Cromwell defeated Royalist forces?
1. Culloden
2. Ilkley Moor
3. Oakham Common
4. Marston Moor

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for May 25, 2026

Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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In which city were the first meetings held of the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations in January 1946?
1. San Francisco
2. London
3. New York
4. Geneva

The second incarnation of which organisation was formed at a meeting led by William J Simmons on the top of Stone Mountain, Georgia, in 1915?
1. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
2. Ku Klux Klan
3. Knights of the White Camellia
4. Knights of Mary Phagan

What was the name of the official newspaper of the USSR before it broke up?
1. Politburo
2. TASS
3. PRAVDA
4. Aeroflot

When was the longest established women's organisation in Denmark, the Danish Women's Society, formed?
1. 1868
2. 1792
3. 1920
4. 1871

Where was the earliest high-speed rail line in Europe built?
1. Italy
2. France
3. Germany
4. Spain

Which country that achieved independence in 1962 has had leaders named Milton Obote and Idi Amin Dada?
1. Algeria
2. Uganda
3. Thailand
4. Sri Lanka

What was the main form of transport used by the Japanese army in their invasion of Singapore in World War II?
1. Aeroplanes
2. Bicycles
3. Ships
4. Trucks

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for May 18, 2026

Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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Alexander III, or Alexander the Great, was ruler of which ancient Greek kingdom?
1. Macedon
2. Macaroon
3. Mastic
4. Maastricht

Sigurd I, King of Norway from 1103 to 1130 ruling with two half-brothers for part of the period, is regarded as the first king to do what?
1. Rule jointly
2. Take the title of the King of the Isles (the Hebrides, Isle of Man, the islands of Clyde)
3. Convert to Christianity
4. Take part in a crusade

What was founded in 1960 in the Brazil Highlands?
1. The city of Brasilia
2. Clube da Esquina
3. The public park and recreation area known as Flamengo Park
4. Thermas dos Laranjais water park

The Yom Kippur War in 1973 was between Israel and which other forces?
1. China
2. Germany
3. Egypt, Syria and a coalition of other Arab countries
4. Palestine

In Alise-Sainte-Reine, Burgundy, France, the famous French battleground of Alesia is remembered. The battle was 52 BCE and was the last great battle between Julius Caesar of Rome and whom?
1. Vercingétorix
2. Cingétorix
3. Cassivellaunus
4. Cartimandua

Who, legend has it, led Phoenicians to found Carthage?
1. Tristan
2. Leda
3. Dido
4. Siegfried

The Union of South Africa was formed in 1910: which of these did not join?
1. Orange Free State
2. Natal
3. Transvaal
4. South West Africa

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for May 11, 2026

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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Which of the discoveries made by the 17th and 18th century British navigator and explorer William Dampier was of particular help to Captain James Cook and Horatio Nelson?
1. Notes on the fauna and flora of north-western Australia
2. The first data on currents, winds and tides across all the world's oceans
3. Observations and analysis of natural history
4. Observations on the east coast of New Holland

What right of a defendant was last used in "Ashford v Thornton", an 1818 English legal case that was a private appeal from an acquittal for murder?
1. Trial by combat
2. To remain silent
3. A woman can refuse to testify against her husband
4. To challenge potential jurors

Around the beginning of the 17th century, the first what were circulated in the West?
1. Results of international sporting fixtures
2. Comparisons of hotels worldwide
3. Lists of veterinarian surgeons
4. Printed regular public newspapers

The "canary girls" in Britain worked during what period?
1. World War I (1914-18)
2. 1830s and 1840s prior to the Mines and Collieries Act 1842
3. The Luddite movement 1811-1816
4. Crimean War (1853-56)

Which establishment owes much to the offer by Sir Hans Sloane in 1758 for England to purchase his collections?
1. Harrow College
2. Madam Tussauds
3. St Martin in the Fields
4. British Museum

From 752 BCE to 664 BCE the Kings of Kush in Nubia, ruled over what other area as well?
1. Kenya
2. Ethiopia
3. Libya
4. Egypt

The phrase "beyond the pale" refers to the history of which country?
1. Ireland
2. India
3. Wales
4. South Africa

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for May 4, 2026

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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In 1954 Obninsk, USSR, was the place for what ?
1. Launch of Sputnik 1
2. A devastating earthquake, killing over 200,000
3. Coming online of the world's first grid-connected nuclear power plant
4. A meteor strike

What does the Statute of Anne 1709 in Great Britain provide for?
1. Copyright of written work to be regulated by the government and courts rather than private parties
2. Regulation of privateers
3. Censorship of theatre performances
4. Freedom of the press

A UN tribunal ruling under the auspices of the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea was asked for in 2013 by the Philippines on claims by what other country?
1. Australia
2. USA
3. Malaysia
4. People's Republic of China

Which Greek God is the equivalent of the Roman God Neptune?
1. Apollo
2. Eros
3. Poseidon
4. Pluto

Despite playing a major role in setting it up and despite support for membership by Presidents Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, and Roosevelt from 1920 when its predecessor was set up, the USA never joined it. What is it?
1. The International Monetary Fund (IMF)
2. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
3. World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
4. The International Court of Justice (ICJ)

The first secular school in Britain was established in 1860 in order to train what professional practitioners?
1. Anaesthetists
2. Nurses
3. Nutritionists
4. Hospital managers

The city was founded under the rule of King Byzas around 660 BCE, served as the capital of three empires and is still the largest city in its country. What name was officially adopted for the city in 1930?
1. Byzantium
2. Constantinople
3. Istanbul
4. Bosphorus

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for April 27, 2026

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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What opened in 1932 on land donated by two countries to demonstrate their links?
1. The International Peace Garden (Canada-US border)
2. Øresund Bridge (Denmark-Sweden border)
3. Friendship Bridge (Afghanistan-Uzbekistan)
4. UNESCO Garden of Peace, Paris

The USA purchased Alaska in 1867 from which country?
1. Canada
2. Argentina
3. Russia
4. Portugal

Under the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), which followed the War Of The Spanish Succession, Spain ceded Minorca and which other area to Britain?
1. Sark
2. Canary Islands
3. Gibraltar
4. Barcelona

The US state of Virginia was named after which queen?
1. Freddie Mercury
2. Elizabeth II
3. Victoria
4. Elizabeth I

Which of these became an independent country in 1971?
1. Belgium
2. Australia
3. Bangladesh
4. Sweden

Villa Tugendhat, an example of pioneering architecture in Europe, designed by the German architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, was built where?
1. Switzerland
2. Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic)
3. Belgium
4. Canada

Which inn that stood on the east side of Borough High Street in Southwark accommodated pilgrims headed on annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, and is mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales"?
1. The Rover's Return
2. The Tabard
3. Admiral Benbow
4. The Queen Victoria

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for April 20, 2026

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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Which country was the first to introduce a comprehensive social media ban for some teenagers?
1. New Zealand
2. Australia
3. France
4. USA

Who was the last Empress of All the Russias?
1. Alexandra
2. Catherine
3. Anna
4. Elizabeth

When Princess Louise, a daughter of Queen Victoria, married the Marquess of Lorne in 1871 she became the first legitimate daughter of a British monarch since 1515 to do what?
1. Marry a subject of the monarchy
2. Dispense with a church blessing
3. Dance at her own wedding
4. Invite thousands of commoners to celebrate the marriage with her

What excise levied from 1746 to 1845 in the UK resulted for a while in hollow-stemmed glasses?
1. On glass smashing in toasts
2. On Beer
3. On weight of glass melted in a glasshouse
4. On lead

Up to 1974, the title of "Negus" was used for the traditional rulers of what country?
1. Ghana
2. Somalia
3. Egypt
4. Ethiopia

From 1922 to 1937, what name was given to the area of Ireland that was more independent than the rest of the island?
1. The Irish republic
2. The Irish Free State
3. The Republic Of Ireland
4. Ireland

The Vasco da Gama Bridge, the longest bridge in the European Union, spans which river?
1. Tagus
2. Po
3. Ebro
4. Rhine

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for April 13, 2026

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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When was the first digital-based voicemail system, known as the Speech Filing System (SFS), invented?
1. 1980
2. 1961
3. 2000
4. 1973

The emperor who took the name Quetzalcoatl ruled which ancient people in Mexico in the 10th century CE?
1. Toltecs
2. Aztecs
3. Safesecs
4. Pygmies

How did Hannibal die in 183 BC?
1. Killed in battle at Metauras
2. Crushed by an elephant
3. Froze to death in the Alps
4. Committed suicide

In 2025 Japan set which political record?
1. Closing Parliament completely for 6 months
2. Appointing the first Ainu as Speaker of the House of Representatives
3. Signing up to a 7-way coalition in Parliament
4. Having the first female Prime Minister, and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)

What date was the US Transcontinental Railroad completed?
1. May 10, 1869
2. June 22, 1899
3. December 25, 1910
4. July 4, 1850

Around 1050 CE there was a major building boom in the middle Mississippi area of what is now the USA to form a city which is now referred to as what?
1. Aztalan
2. The Cahokia Mounds
3. Spiro
4. Crystal River

What US policy introduced in 1823, that efforts by European governments to colonise land or interfere with states in the Americas would be viewed by the USA as acts of aggression requiring US intervention, became one of the longest-standing tenets of US foreign policy?
1. Gettysburg Address
2. The Monroe Doctrine
3. The Domino Theory
4. Charters of Freedom

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for April 6, 2026

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +1200

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Felipe Calderón became President of which country on 1 December 2006?
1. Venezuela
2. Mexico
3. Colombia
4. Ecuador

On 15 February 1990 the United Kingdom restored diplomatic relations after 8 years, with which country?
1. Israel
2. Spain
3. Argentina
4. Lebanon

Which cocktail ingredient was invented in Venezuela in 1824 as a tonic?
1. Tequila
2. Angostura bitters
3. Vermouth
4. Absinthe

Who became King of England and Lord of Ireland after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field?
1. Richard IV
2. Henry V
3. Charles II
4. Henry VII

John Calvin, 16th century French theologian, was the autocrat of which city for 23 years, established it as a theocracy, provided harsh punishments for moral transgressions and transformed the city into a principal centre in the Protestant Reformation?
1. Rouen
2. Avignon
3. Basle
4. Geneva

The current continuing eruption period of which Italian volcano started in November 2022?
1. Mt Etna
2. Monte Amiata
3. Cimini
4. Vulture

The "Missouri Compromise" allowed which state to join the USA in 1820 to balance the admission of Missouri?
1. Maryland
2. Minnesota
3. Maine
4. Mississippi

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for March 30, 2026

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +1300

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Which of these was not one of the "Three Fates" (or "Parcae") in Roman mythology?
1. Morta
2. Nona
3. Decima
4. Portia

The military action popularly known as "The Charge of the Light Brigade" took place in which war?
1. Crimean War
2. World War I
3. Boer War
4. War of the Roses

What is the oldest surviving book printed using movable metal type?
1. The Auspicious Tantra of All-Reaching Union, China, sometime 1139-93 AD
2. Gutenberg's Bible, Germany, 1455 AD
3. Records of Jingde County, China, 1298 AD
4. The Jikji, Korea, 1377 AD

What was the first propeller driven iron-hulled ship to cross the Atlantic?
1. Titanic
2. Great Britain
3. Mauretania
4. Great Eastern

According to Greek legend, what was the 9 headed monster from the Lerna marshes killed by Hercules?
1. Minotaur
2. Hydra
3. Harpy
4. Valkyrie

The last of a series of uprisings against the Roman republic, ending in 71 BCE and led (among others) by Spartacus, were rebellions by which people?
1. Disaffected soldiers
2. Peasants
3. Slaves
4. Bakers

What appeared in a newspaper for the first time, in France's "L'Illustration", the issue of 1-7 July 1848?
1. The photo finish of a horse race
2. Times New Roman typeface
3. Pictures of entertainers, not just politicians
4. A photograph

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for March 23, 2026

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +1300

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What purpose was the rear-view mirror intended to serve in cars when it was first suggested in 1906 by Dorothy Levitt and later patented (in 1921) and installed?
1. Somewhere to hang personal items and accessories
2. As an aid to arrange make up and hair
3. To facilitate face-to-face conversation with rear passengers
4. A quick means of seeing following and surrounding traffic

Swiss legendary hero William Tell was instrumental in rescuing his land from the tyranny of which country in 1307?
1. Mongolia
2. Turkey
3. Austria
4. Japan

Which state of the USA, initially called New Connecticut, declared independence in 1777, issued its own coinage 1785-1788, exchanged ambassadors with France, the Netherlands and the USA, and in 1791 joined the US Federal union as the 14th state?
1. California
2. Vermont
3. Pennsylvania
4. Tennessee

When "The Titanic" set out on her maiden voyage, she had enough lifeboats for what percentage of the passengers and crew that were on board?
1. 50
2. 75
3. 100
4. 25

Leo Joseph Ryan Jr., the first US congressman to be killed in the line of duty, was murdered where?
1. Guyana
2. Venezuela
3. Philippines
4. Berlin

Which city was hit by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake about 5 kilometres below its centre at 12:29 a.m. 23 December 1972, killing around 5,000 of the 400,000 population, injuring 20,000 and leaving over 250,000 homeless?
1. Guatemala City, Guatemala.
2. Managua, Nicaragua
3. Haiyuan, Ningxia-Gansu, China
4. Sarajevo, Yugoslavia

Between 1570 and 1582, the Imam Al Aqib restored the three great mosques Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia of which important 15th and 16th century centre for the diffusion of Islamic culture?
1. Timbuktu
2. Benin
3. Cordoba
4. Baghdad

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for March 16, 2026

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +1300

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In 1965 after several years of debate Canada officially adopted a new what?
1. Flag
2. Constitution
3. Time zone
4. National food

The Treaty of Versailles signed in 1871 marked another step in what for the signatories?
1. End of the first British Empire
2. France's and Vietnam's agreement to military support in exchange for trade advantages
3. Founding of the German Empire
4. Establishment of monarchy in united Italy

In 1936, Anastasio Somoza became the dictator of which country?
1. Honduras
2. Nicaragua
3. El Salvador
4. Guatemala

In 1977, Hamida Djandoubi was involved in what act that was special in French history?
1. He tried to assassinate the President
2. He set off a bomb that destroyed a large shopping mall in Paris
3. He was the last person to be guillotined
4. He was the first Frenchman to swim the English Channel

What was the first known contact by Europeans with the people of the islands known at one time as New Hebrides?
1. Martinique trader Peter Dillon in 1825
2. British explorer James Cook in 1774
3. French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville in 1768
4. Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernandes de Queirós in 1606

Which changed as a result of the Treaty of Maastricht signed in 1992?
1. Andorra
2. European Communities
3. Luxembourg
4. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

What was the confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union that was at its peak in October 1962?
1. The Berlin Airlift
2. The building of the Berlin Wall
3. The Cuban Missile Crisis
4. Results of the Olympic 10,000 metre race

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Ancient and Modern History Trivia for March 9, 2026

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +1300

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Once the most famous clipper and the fastest, and profitable because of that speed, the UK's Cutty Sark, for over a decade from 1883 accelerated a major trade for Australia in what commodity?
1. Wool
2. Tea
3. Aluminium
4. Botanical specimens

Scottish physician James Young Simpson (1811-1870) was the first to do what?
1. Prescribe cocaine as a cough medicine
2. Use disinfected surgical gloves
3. Introduce ether, and then chloroform, as anaesthesia for childbirth
4. Establish formal clinic hours for patients to visit

To end The War of 1812, the USA and Great Britain signed which treaty on 24 December 1814?
1. Treaty of Waitangi
2. Treaty of Utrecht
3. Treaty of Rome
4. Treaty of Ghent

Where was the industrial accident on 2-3 December 1984 that caused the deaths of 3,000 to 16,000 people, for which 7 ex-employees were convicted in June 2010 and sentenced to 2 years imprisonment & a fine of about US$2,000 each?
1. Chernobyl, Ukraine
2. Bhopal, India
3. Greenham Common, England
4. Pasadena, Texas, USA

The ruling dynasty founded in 1270 CE in the Ethiopian Empire which lasted until its last Emperor Haile Selassie was overthrown in 1974, claimed to be descended from the son of the Queen of Sheba and which biblical king?
1. Balthasar
2. Nebuchadnezzar
3. Solomon
4. Mithridates

When the lighthouse marking the Royal Sovereign sandbank in Eastbourne, UK, was built in 1970 it was positioned on an offshore platform supported by a telescopic column. What did it replace?
1. An old onshore lighthouse
2. An onshore beacon
3. A lighted buoy
4. A light ship

From before the 12th century until the 17th when it was abandoned, what walled stone city in southern Africa served as the capital of a kingdom thought to cover around 50,000 km² (19,000 sq mi)?
1. Marrakesh
2. Gao
3. Benin City
4. Great Zimbabwe

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