The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : In 1997, what major scientific event was presented to the media on February 22?
Possible answers:
- The launch of the Navstar-1 GPS satellite by NASA
- The placing into orbit of the Spot-1 observation satellite
- The presentation of Dolly, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell
- The discovery of seven exoplanets around the star TRAPPIST-1
Explanation: Dolly was born on July 5, 1996, but her public presentation took place on February 22, 1997. She was cloned from a mammary cell of an adult Finn Dorset ewe, which was an absolute world first. She lived until 2003 and is now on display at the Royal Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
Question 2 : On February 22, 1943, three members of the White Rose were executed on the same day as their sentencing in Nazi Germany. Who was among them?
Possible answers:
- Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl and Christoph Probst
- Sophie Scholl, Karl Jaspers and Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- Hans Scholl, Claus von Stauffenberg and Christoph Probst
- Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl and Kurt Huber
Explanation: Hans and Sophie Scholl, along with Christoph Probst, were tried by the Volksgerichtshof, a Nazi special tribunal, then guillotined the same day in Stadelheim prison. The White Rose distributed pacifist leaflets calling for resistance against Hitler. Sophie Scholl was only 21 years old at the time of her execution.
Question 3 : On February 22, 1635, the statutes of a major French cultural institution were signed. Which one?
Possible answers:
- The Comédie-Française
- The Academy of Fine Arts
- The Academy of Sciences
- The Académie française
Explanation: The Académie française was founded by Cardinal de Richelieu under Louis XIII. It has 40 members nicknamed the "Immortels" (Immortals) and its mission includes defining the French language through its Dictionary. Its first edition was published in 1694, nearly sixty years after its founding.
Question 4 : Which American president was born on February 22, 1732?
Possible answers:
- Thomas Jefferson
- George Washington
- John Adams
- Benjamin Franklin
Explanation: George Washington, born in Virginia, became the 1st president of the United States in 1789 and remained so until 1797. He refused a 3rd term, establishing a tradition respected for 150 years, until Franklin D. Roosevelt. His birthday is celebrated in the United States as Presidents' Day.
Question 5 : In 1848, which regime was overthrown during the Paris uprising that began on February 22?
Possible answers:
- Napoleon Bonaparte's First Empire
- The July Monarchy of Louis-Philippe
- The Restoration of Charles X
- The revolutionary Directory
Explanation: The 1848 revolution put an end to the July Monarchy of Louis-Philippe d'Orléans, leading to the proclamation of the French Second Republic. This uprising was part of a vast revolutionary movement that shook all of Europe in 1848, sometimes called the "Spring of Nations".
Question 6 : In 1996, Jacques Chirac announced a major reform of the French army. What did it consist of?
Possible answers:
- Halving the military budget
- France's withdrawal from NATO
- The creation of a joint Franco-German army
- The end of compulsory military service and the professionalization of the armed forces
Explanation: The professionalization of the French armed forces came into effect in 2001, ending conscription that had existed since 1798, during the revolutionary era. Since 2001, young French people complete a Defence and Citizenship Day (JDC) in place of military service. Several European countries have since reintroduced a form of national service in response to new threats.
Question 7 : On February 22, 1819, Spain ceded Florida to the United States. Which treaty made this agreement official?
Possible answers:
- The Treaty of Paris
- The Adams-Onís Treaty
- The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
- The Treaty of New Orleans
Explanation: The Adams-Onís Treaty, also known as the Transcontinental Treaty, was signed in Washington between John Quincy Adams and Spanish diplomat Luis de Onís. In exchange for Florida, the United States gave up its claims on Texas. Florida was officially transferred in 1821.
Question 8 : Which famous German physicist, whose work gave his name to the unit of frequency, was born on February 22, 1857?
Possible answers:
- Max Planck
- Heinrich Rudolf Hertz
- Werner Heisenberg
- Wilhelm Röntgen
Explanation: Heinrich Rudolf Hertz experimentally demonstrated in 1887 the existence of electromagnetic waves, which Maxwell had theorized. The hertz (Hz), the unit of measurement for frequency in the International System, was named in his honor. He died at just 36 years old, in 1894, from a generalized infection.
Question 9 : Which landmark work by Galileo, presented to the Grand Duke of Tuscany on 22 February 1632, led to his condemnation by the Inquisition?
Possible answers:
- Sidereus Nuncius
- Discourses and Mathematical Demonstrations
- Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems
- De revolutionibus orbium coelestium
Explanation: The "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems" featured three characters debating geocentrism and heliocentrism. The Inquisition saw it as a defence of the Copernican system, condemned by the Church. Galileo was forced to recant his theories in 1633 and placed under house arrest until his death in 1642.
Question 10 : Robert Baden-Powell, born on February 22, 1857, is known for founding which worldwide movement?
Possible answers:
- Scouting
- The British Young Labour
- The International Red Cross
- The International Brigades
Explanation: Baden-Powell, a British officer who distinguished himself during the defence of Mafeking in South Africa, founded the Scout movement in 1907 after organising a first experimental camp on Brownsea Island. Today, the Scout movement has more than 50 million members worldwide. His wife Olave Baden-Powell, also born on February 22, became World Chief Guide.