The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What secret Soviet organization was created on December 20, 1917?
Possible answers:
- The KGB
- The GPU
- The NKVD
- The Cheka
Explanation: The Cheka (All-Russian Extraordinary Commission) was founded by Felix Dzerzhinsky on Lenin's orders. A forerunner of the KGB, it was tasked with suppressing all opposition to Bolshevik power and became notorious for its summary executions during the Red Terror.
Question 2 : What event marks December 20, 1848 for the French possession of Réunion?
Possible answers:
- The proclamation of the island as a French department
- The abolition of slavery, commemorated by the Cafres festival
- The founding of the city of Saint-Denis
- The attachment of the island to metropolitan France
Explanation: The abolition of slavery in Réunion is commemorated every year by the Cafres festival, celebrated on December 20. France had already abolished slavery once in 1794 before reinstating it under Napoleon in 1802; the Schoelcher law of 1848 abolished it permanently in all French colonies.
Question 3 : What is special about the world's first nuclear power plant, commissioned on December 20, 1951?
Possible answers:
- It was built in the Soviet Union in Obninsk
- It was named EBR-I and built in Idaho, in the United States
- It was built in France near Grenoble
- It was operated by the American army in New Mexico
Explanation: The EBR-I (Experimental Breeder Reactor I) was a so-called "breeder" reactor, capable of producing more fissile material than it consumes. Located in Idaho, it generated enough electricity to light four light bulbs when it was commissioned, a modest but historic demonstration.
Question 4 : Which territory was officially handed back by Portugal to China on December 20, 1999?
Possible answers:
- Hong Kong
- East Timor
- Macao
- Goa
Explanation: Macao, a Portuguese colony since 1557, became the last European possession in Asia to be returned. Unlike Hong Kong, handed back to the United Kingdom in 1997, Macao retains the status of a special administrative region with its own legal and economic system until 2049.
Question 5 : On December 20, 1812, which famous collection was published by the Brothers Grimm for the first time?
Possible answers:
- The Fables of La Fontaine, German edition
- Grimms' Fairy Tales
- One Thousand and One Nights, German translation
- The Encyclopedia of Arts and Crafts
Explanation: The collection "Children's and Household Tales" (Kinder- und Hausmärchen) by brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm originally contained 86 tales collected from German folk storytellers. Cinderella, Snow White, and Hansel and Gretel were among them. The work went through many revised editions up until 1857.
Question 6 : In 1973, Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, head of the Spanish government under Franco, was assassinated in Madrid. Which organization was responsible for this attack?
Possible answers:
- GRAPO, Spanish communist group
- The Italian Red Brigades
- The Irish IRA
- ETA, the Basque separatist organization
Explanation: ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna) detonated a bomb under Carrero Blanco's car, launching his vehicle over a five-story building in what was nicknamed Operation Ogre. Carrero Blanco was considered Franco's natural successor, and his death profoundly changed the transition to Spanish democracy.
Question 7 : Which French international footballer was born on December 20, 1998?
Possible answers:
- Antoine Griezmann
- Ousmane Dembélé
- Kylian Mbappé
- Marcus Thuram
Explanation: Kylian Mbappé, born in Bondy in Seine-Saint-Denis, became world champion with the France national team in 2018 at just 19 years old, becoming the 2nd player after Pelé to score in a World Cup final at that age. He is also the all-time top scorer in the history of the France national team.
Question 8 : In 1997, Nelson Mandela stepped down as president of the ANC. Who succeeded him as leader of the movement?
Possible answers:
- Cyril Ramaphosa
- Desmond Tutu
- Thabo Mbeki
- Walter Sisulu
Explanation: Thabo Mbeki, son of one of Mandela's fellow struggle companions, later became president of South Africa from 1999 to 2008. His term was marked by a controversial stance on HIV/AIDS, which he refused to link to the virus. He was forced to resign by the ANC before the end of his second term.
Question 9 : Which European city was officially recognized as the capital of its country on December 20, 1955, after a referendum?
Possible answers:
- Edinburgh, capital of Scotland
- Cardiff, capital of Wales
- Belfast, capital of Northern Ireland
- Dublin, capital of the Republic of Ireland
Explanation: Cardiff, a city in Wales in the United Kingdom, waited until 1955 to be officially designated as capital, even though it had been the largest Welsh city since the XIX century. It has since been home to the Welsh Parliament (Senedd), and its Gothic cathedral dates back to the XII century.
Question 10 : The organization Médecins sans frontières (MSF) was founded on December 20, 1971. In what context was it born?
Possible answers:
- It was created to respond to victims of the Vietnam War
- It was born from the determination of doctors who lived through the Biafra war and wanted to go beyond traditional neutrality
- It was founded by the UN to coordinate international medical aid
- It grew out of the humanitarian movement of the International Red Cross
Explanation: MSF grew out of the frustration of French doctors who had taken part in relief efforts during the Biafra war (1967-1970) and the floods in East Pakistan. They felt that the neutrality imposed by the Red Cross prevented them from speaking out against atrocities. Bernard Kouchner was one of the founding figures. The organization received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.
