The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : In what year did the famous mutiny on the Bounty take place, on April 28?
Possible answers:
- 1776
- 1789
- 1793
- 1801
Explanation: The mutiny on the Bounty pitted Fletcher Christian against Captain William Bligh. The mutineers took control of the ship and abandoned Bligh on a lifeboat. They eventually took refuge on Pitcairn Island, where their descendants still live today.
Question 2 : What happened on April 28, 1969, with Charles de Gaulle?
Possible answers:
- He announced his candidacy for a new presidential term
- He resigned from the presidency of the French Republic
- He was overthrown by a military coup
- He delivered a historic speech to the National Assembly
Explanation: De Gaulle had staked his political future on a referendum about Senate reform and regionalization. After the French rejected it, he resigned the very next morning, scrupulously honoring the commitment he had made. Georges Pompidou succeeded him at the Élysée.
Question 3 : Who was the first space tourist aboard the ISS, on April 28, 2001?
Possible answers:
- Richard Branson
- Elon Musk
- Mark Shuttleworth
- Dennis Tito
Explanation: Dennis Tito, an American billionaire and former NASA engineer, paid about 20 million dollars for this trip. His stay aboard the ISS lasted nearly eight days. He thus paved the way for private space tourism, an industry that has since grown considerably.
Question 4 : On April 28, 1945, Benito Mussolini was executed with his mistress. What was her name?
Possible answers:
- Rachele Guidi
- Clara Petacci
- Teresa Labriola
- Elena Curti
Explanation: Clara Petacci had followed Mussolini in his attempted escape to Switzerland. Their bodies were hung by the feet in a Milan square, Piazzale Loreto, the very place where partisans had been executed by the fascists a few months earlier.
Question 5 : On April 28, 1996, the Port Arthur massacre in Australia caused how many casualties?
Possible answers:
- 12 dead and 20 wounded
- 22 dead and 15 wounded
- 35 dead and 37 wounded
- 50 dead and 60 wounded
Explanation: This massacre, perpetrated by Martin Bryant on the Tasman Peninsula in Tasmania, is one of the deadliest in Australian history. It pushed the Australian government to radically reform its firearms legislation in just a few weeks, banning in particular semi-automatic weapons.
Question 6 : Which famous industrialist known for his sports cars was born on April 28, 1916?
Possible answers:
- Enzo Ferrari
- Ferruccio Lamborghini
- Carlo Abarth
- Giovanni Agnelli
Explanation: Ferruccio Lamborghini had initially made his fortune manufacturing agricultural tractors. Legend has it that a dispute with Enzo Ferrari over the clutch on his Ferrari pushed him to create his own car brand, giving birth to iconic models like the Miura and the Countach.
Question 7 : On April 28, 1952, what was the scope of the Treaty of San Francisco concerning Japan?
Possible answers:
- It established an international tribunal to judge Japanese war criminals
- It integrated Japan into the United Nations
- It ended the Allied military occupation of Japan
- It granted independence to South Korea under Japanese protection
Explanation: The Treaty of San Francisco, signed on September 8, 1951, and entering into force on April 28, 1952, officially ended the state of war between Japan and the Allied powers. Japan regained full sovereignty but renounced its overseas territories. That day also marked the entry into force of a Japan-US security treaty that endures in revised form to this day.
Question 8 : Which Spanish actress of international renown was born on April 28, 1974?
Possible answers:
- Paz Vega
- Penélope Cruz
- Antonio Banderas
- Salma Hayek
Explanation: Penélope Cruz is the first Spanish actress to win an Oscar, which she earned for her role in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" by Woody Allen in 2009. She is also known for her repeated collaborations with director Pedro Almodóvar and for her roles in Hollywood productions.
Question 9 : In which ocean did the mutiny on the Bounty occur?
Possible answers:
- Atlantic Ocean
- Indian Ocean
- Caribbean Sea
- Pacific Ocean
Explanation: The mutiny broke out while HMS Bounty was sailing in the Pacific Ocean, not far from the island of Tonga. The ship was returning from Tahiti, where the crew had stayed for several months to collect breadfruit plants. This long stay in tropical paradise is often cited as one of the causes of discontent with Captain Bligh's discipline.
Question 10 : Which Japanese Buddhist founded an important religious school on April 28, 1253?
Possible answers:
- Dōgen
- Kūkai
- Shinran
- Nichiren
Explanation: Nichiren founded the Hokke-shū school, also called the Lotus school, in reference to the Lotus Sūtra, which he considered the ultimate teaching of the Buddha. His movement was often in conflict with political power and other Buddhist schools of the time. Nichiren Buddhism is today one of the most widespread branches in Japan.
