The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : Which great astronomer was born on February 19, 1473?
Possible answers:
- Galileo
- Johannes Kepler
- Nicolaus Copernicus
- Tycho Brahe
Explanation: Nicolas Copernicus is the author of the heliocentric theory, according to which the Earth revolves around the Sun. His major work, 'De revolutionibus orbium coelestium', was published in the year of his death in 1543 and transformed the world's view at the time.
Question 2 : Which space station was launched and put into orbit on February 19, 1986?
Possible answers:
- Salyut 7
- MIR
- Skylab
- ISS
Explanation: The MIR space station, whose name means 'peace' in Russian, was inhabited for 15 years and welcomed cosmonauts from many countries, including Americans after the end of the Cold War. It was deorbited and crashed into the Pacific Ocean in March 2001.
Question 3 : On February 19, 1964, which musical film by Jacques Demy was released in France with Catherine Deneuve in the lead role?
Possible answers:
- Bay of Angels
- The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
- Lola
- The Young Girls of Rochefort
Explanation: Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, sung entirely, won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1964. The film's iconic music was composed by Michel Legrand. This film propelled Catherine Deneuve to the status of a major French cinema star.
Question 4 : What major event did Fidel Castro announce on February 19, 2008?
Possible answers:
- The end of the American embargo on Cuba
- The opening of Cuba to international tourism
- His resignation from the presidency of the Cuban Communist Party
- His renunciation of the presidency of Cuba
Explanation: Fidel Castro announced his resignation through the official newspaper Granma after 49 years in power. His brother Raúl Castro succeeded him as president of Cuba. Fidel Castro remains one of the longest-serving leaders in modern history.
Question 5 : On February 19, 1919, a failed assassination attempt targeted French President of the Council Georges Clemenceau. Who carried it out?
Possible answers:
- Émile Cottin
- Raoul Villain
- Louis Althusser
- Gustave Eiffel
Explanation: Émile Cottin, a young anarchist worker, fired 8 revolver shots at Clemenceau, one of which struck him near the spine. Despite his injuries, Clemenceau survived and continued to lead the negotiations for the Treaty of Versailles. Cottin was sentenced to death and then pardoned.
Question 6 : On February 19, 1788, what was the first French abolitionist association founded?
Possible answers:
- The League of Human Rights
- The Society of the Friends of the Blacks
- The Philanthropic Society of Paris
- The Republican Social Circle
Explanation: The Société des amis des Noirs, founded by Jacques Pierre Brissot, campaigned for the abolition of the slave trade and slavery. Its members included Lafayette and Condorcet. Slavery would not be definitively abolished in France until 1848, thanks to the efforts of Victor Schoelcher.
Question 7 : On February 19, 1945, where did the US Marines land during the Pacific War?
Possible answers:
- Guadalcanal
- Okinawa
- Iwo Jima
- Midway
Explanation: The Battle of Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific: it lasted 36 days and cost the lives of nearly 7,000 Marines and more than 20,000 Japanese soldiers. Joe Rosenthal's famous photograph of American soldiers raising the flag on top of Mount Suribachi became a global symbol.
Question 8 : In what year did the Kellogg brothers found their cereal company, whose anniversary falls on February 19?
Possible answers:
- 1898
- 1906
- 1912
- 1921
Explanation: Will Keith Kellogg and his brother John Harvey Kellogg founded the Battle Creek Cornflake Company in 1906. John Harvey was a doctor and director of a sanatorium where he experimented with dietary regimens. Kellogg's cereals are now consumed in more than 180 countries.
Question 9 : Which play by Swiss author Friedrich Dürrenmatt, published on February 19, 1962, features physicists locked up in an asylum?
Possible answers:
- The Alchemists
- The Physicists
- The Mad Scientists
- The Secret Formula
Explanation: The Physicists by Dürrenmatt is a major work of XXth century theatre that explores the ethical responsibility of scientists in the face of the consequences of their discoveries, in a context of the Cold War and the nuclear arms race. Dürrenmatt is also known for his play The Visit.
Question 10 : What treaty signed on 19 February 1674 ended the third Anglo-Dutch War?
Possible answers:
- The Treaty of Breda
- The Treaty of Westminster
- The Treaty of Utrecht
- The Treaty of Nijmegen
Explanation: The Treaty of Westminster of 1674 restored peace between England and the United Provinces of the Netherlands. This war had been triggered in part at the instigation of Louis XIV, who sought to weaken the Netherlands. The city of New York, formerly New Amsterdam, had been ceded by the Dutch to the English as early as the previous war in 1667.