The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What major event took place in France on February 6, 1934?
Possible answers:
- The Popular Front wins the legislative elections
- Anti-republican riots kill 16 people at Place de la Concorde
- Marshal Pétain is appointed head of government
- Nazi Germany reoccupies the Rhineland
Explanation: The riots of February 6, 1934 represent the most serious political crisis of the IIIrd Republic. Far-right leagues, including the Croix-de-Feu and Action française, attempted to storm the National Assembly. That evening, Prime Minister Édouard Daladier resigned under pressure, triggering a lasting governmental crisis.
Question 2 : What feat did astronaut Alan Shepard accomplish on the Moon on February 6, 1971?
Possible answers:
- He plants the American flag on the lunar surface
- He performs the first long-duration spacewalk
- He plays golf, becoming the first golfer in space
- He drives the first motorized lunar rover
Explanation: Alan Shepard, the first American in space in 1961, was also one of the few humans to walk on the Moon during Apollo 14. His improvised golf game became legendary: unable to swing properly because of his rigid suit, he hit two balls with a 6-iron adapted to a lunar tool. According to him, the second one went "miles and miles."
Question 3 : Which treaty was signed on 6 February 1840 in New Zealand?
Possible answers:
- The Treaty of Sydney
- The Treaty of Waitangi
- The Treaty of Auckland
- The Treaty of Wellington
Explanation: The Treaty of Waitangi is considered the founding document of modern New Zealand. Signed between the British Crown and around 500 Maori chiefs, it is still at the heart of New Zealand's political debates today. 6 February is now Waitangi Day, New Zealand's national holiday.
Question 4 : Who was the first woman to pilot a space shuttle, at the controls during the first docking between the shuttle Discovery and the Mir station in 1995?
Possible answers:
- Sally Ride
- Kathryn Sullivan
- Shannon Lucid
- Eileen Collins
Explanation: Eileen Collins, a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force, became on February 6, 1995 the first female space shuttle pilot in NASA history. She would also become, in 1999, the first female shuttle commander during mission STS-93, which put the Chandra telescope into orbit.
Question 5 : In 1778, what major diplomatic agreement was signed on February 6 between France and the United States?
Possible answers:
- The Franco-American Treaty of Amity and Commerce
- The Franco-American declaration of neutrality
- The Versailles agreement on American independence
- The Paris convention on American military aid
Explanation: The Treaty of Amity and Commerce of February 6, 1778 was the first official agreement between France and the young United States of America. It followed the efforts of Benjamin Franklin, sent to Paris to convince Louis XVI to support the American Revolution. France thus became the first European power to officially recognize American independence.
Question 6 : What famous personality was born on February 6, 1911 and would become the 40th President of the United States?
Possible answers:
- Richard Nixon
- Gerald Ford
- Ronald Reagan
- George H. W. Bush
Explanation: Ronald Reagan was governor of California before winning the presidency in 1980, defeating Jimmy Carter. A former Hollywood actor, he was the oldest American president to take office (69 years old). His economic policy, nicknamed "Reaganomics", and his hard line against the USSR profoundly shaped the 1980s.
Question 7 : On February 6, 2018, SpaceX successfully completed the first flight of its Falcon Heavy rocket. What unusual payload was put into orbit during this inaugural flight?
Possible answers:
- A military communications satellite
- A Dragon capsule loaded with scientific equipment
- Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster
- An asteroid exploration probe
Explanation: To test the Falcon Heavy's capacity, Elon Musk chose to send his own red Tesla Roadster into space, with a spacesuit-clad mannequin nicknamed "Starman" at the wheel. The car is now in heliocentric orbit and has crossed the orbit of Mars. It's one of the most publicized launches in the history of space exploration.
Question 8 : In what year was the French Cycling Federation founded under the name Union vélocipédique française?
Possible answers:
- 1872
- 1881
- 1896
- 1903
Explanation: Founded on 6 February 1881, the Union vélocipédique française is one of the oldest French sports federations. It was created at a time when the velocipede was experiencing considerable growth in France, even before the appearance of modern chain-driven bicycles. It would officially become the Fédération française de cyclisme (FFC) in the XX century.
Question 9 : Which inventor is credited with inventing the electric battery on February 6, 1800?
Possible answers:
- André-Marie Ampère
- Alessandro Volta
- Michael Faraday
- Benjamin Franklin
Explanation: Alessandro Volta invented the first electric battery, called the "voltaic pile", by stacking copper and zinc discs separated by cloth soaked in salt water. In his honor, the unit of electrical voltage, the volt, bears his name. Napoléon Bonaparte, impressed by his work, made him a knight of the Legion of Honor.
Question 10 : In 1964, France and Great Britain decided to build a tunnel under the English Channel. How many years passed before its actual inauguration?
Possible answers:
- 20 years
- 25 years
- 30 years
- 40 years
Explanation: The decision was made on 6 February 1964, but the Channel Tunnel was only inaugurated in 1994, 30 years later. The digging work actually began in 1988, on the French and British sides simultaneously. The two teams met in the middle of the strait in December 1990, a historic moment nicknamed the "breakthrough".
