The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What event of April 24, 1915 is considered the beginning of the Armenian Genocide?
Possible answers:
- The execution of the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople
- The mass deportation to Syria
- The roundup of Armenian personalities of Constantinople
- The burning of the Armenian quarters of Ankara
Explanation: The roundup of April 24, 1915 targeted the Armenian intellectual and political elite of Constantinople, depriving the community of its leaders. The genocide is recognized by many countries, including the United States officially since April 24, 2021, under the presidency of Joe Biden.
Question 2 : Which skyscraper inaugurated on April 24, 1913 in Manhattan was the tallest in the world until 1930?
Possible answers:
- The Empire State Building
- The Flatiron Building
- The Chrysler Building
- The Woolworth Building
Explanation: The Woolworth Building, financed by the retail magnate Frank W. Woolworth, measured 241 meters. It was dethroned in 1930 by the Chrysler Building, itself quickly surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931.
Question 3 : On April 24, 1990, NASA put the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit using which space shuttle?
Possible answers:
- Challenger
- Atlantis
- Discovery
- Columbia
Explanation: The Discovery shuttle, during the STS-31 mission, placed Hubble in orbit at about 600 km altitude. This telescope revolutionized astronomy, but a polishing error of its main mirror, corrected in 1993 during a maintenance mission, had initially compromised its performance.
Question 4 : On April 24, 1918, what was the historical context of the first tank battle between British and German forces at Villers-Bretonneux?
Possible answers:
- World War II
- The Franco-Prussian War
- The American War of Independence
- World War I
Explanation: The combat pitted the British Mark IV tanks against the German A7Vs. Villers-Bretonneux is today an important place of memory for Australia, because Australian soldiers played a decisive role in the recapture of the city that same day.
Question 5 : Which future king of France married Mary Stuart on April 24, 1558, thus becoming king consort of Scotland?
Possible answers:
- Henry III
- Charles IX
- Francis II
- Henry IV
Explanation: Francis II was only 14 years old at the time of this marriage and died prematurely in 1560, after only 17 months of reign. Mary Stuart, widowed, returned to Scotland and met a tragic end, beheaded in 1587 on the orders of Elizabeth I of England.
Question 6 : On April 24, 1800, the American president John Adams signed the law creating which cultural institution, later becoming one of the most important in the world?
Possible answers:
- The National Library of France
- The Library of Congress
- The New York Public Library
- The Bodleian Library at Oxford
Explanation: The Library of Congress was founded on April 24, 1800 by a law signed by John Adams. Originally intended for members of Congress, it is today the largest library in the world with more than 170 million documents.
Question 7 : In what year did Elisabeth of Wittelsbach, nicknamed "Sissi", marry Francis Joseph I of Austria?
Possible answers:
- 1848
- 1854
- 1862
- 1870
Explanation: Sissi was only 16 years old at the time of her marriage on April 24, 1854. Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, she was assassinated in Geneva in 1898 by the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni. Her life was popularized by the film trilogy with Romy Schneider in the 1950s.
Question 8 : What industrial disaster occurred on April 24, 2013 in Bangladesh and caused many victims?
Possible answers:
- Explosion of a chemical factory in Chittagong
- Sinking of a ferry on the Padma River
- Collapse of the Rana Plaza
- Fire of a power plant in Dhaka
Explanation: The collapse of the Rana Plaza, an eight-story building housing several textile garment workshops in Dhaka, killed more than 1,100 people and injured thousands more. This drama highlighted the precarious working conditions in the global fast fashion industry.
Question 9 : What is the link between the Bandung Conference, the end of which is mentioned on April 24, 1955, and the Cold War?
Possible answers:
- It led to the creation of NATO
- It formalized the alliance between the USSR and China
- It condemned colonialism and refused alignment with one of the two blocs
- It proposed a bilateral nuclear disarmament plan
Explanation: The Bandung Conference brought together 29 African and Asian countries and gave birth to the Non-Aligned Movement, which refused to choose between the two blocs (United States and USSR). This movement is considered an attempt by the Third World to emancipate itself from the domination of the great powers.
Question 10 : Which famous personality, born on April 24, 1942, is known for her career as both a singer and actress in Hollywood?
Possible answers:
- Shirley MacLaine
- Barbra Streisand
- Véronique Sanson
- Jill Ireland
Explanation: Barbra Streisand is one of the few artists to have won an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy and a Grammy Award, thus forming the "EGOT". She notably starred in Funny Girl (1968) and A Star is Born (1976), and remains one of the best-selling singers of all time.
