The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What major event concerning the French Third Republic happened on July 10, 1940?
Possible answers:
- France signs the armistice with Nazi Germany
- Charles de Gaulle delivers his appeal from London
- Full powers are voted to Philippe Pétain, abolishing the Third Republic
- Paris is declared an open city to avoid its destruction
Explanation: The vote granting full powers to Pétain on July 10, 1940 marked the end of the Third Republic. Out of 649 members of parliament present, 569 voted in favor, 80 against and 17 abstained. Those 80 opponents went down in history as the 'eighty'.
Question 2 : Which French writer, born on July 10, 1871, is the author of a monumental work titled 'In Search of Lost Time'?
Possible answers:
- Gustave Flaubert
- Émile Zola
- Anatole France
- Marcel Proust
Explanation: Marcel Proust was born in Auteuil on July 10, 1871. His sweeping work, made up of seven volumes, revolutionized the modern novel through its exploration of involuntary memory. He died in 1922, leaving some volumes published posthumously.
Question 3 : In 1985, the French secret service sank the Rainbow Warrior in which port?
Possible answers:
- The port of Sydney, in Australia
- The port of Auckland, in New Zealand
- The port of Wellington, in New Zealand
- The port of Papeete, in French Polynesia
Explanation: The Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace's flagship, was about to head to Mururoa to protest against French nuclear tests in Polynesia. The attack killed a Dutch photographer, Fernando Pereira. The affair caused an international diplomatic scandal.
Question 4 : Nikola Tesla, born on July 10, 1856, is mainly known for his contributions in which scientific field?
Possible answers:
- Nuclear physics and radioactivity
- Electricity and electromagnetism
- Organic chemistry and polymers
- Optics and the theory of colors
Explanation: Nikola Tesla, although of Serbian origin and born in Croatia, spent much of his career in the United States. He is especially famous for developing alternating current (AC), in opposition to Thomas Edison who championed direct current. His name was given to the unit of magnetic induction.
Question 5 : Howard Hughes completed an around-the-world flight on July 10, 1938. How long did it take him to achieve this feat?
Possible answers:
- 55 hours and 22 minutes
- 71 hours and 11 minutes
- 91 hours and 14 minutes
- 110 hours and 30 minutes
Explanation: Howard Hughes set this around-the-world record flying from New York aboard a Lockheed 14. This record beat the one previously set by Wiley Post. Hughes was also a movie and aviation industry magnate, famous for his eccentricities.
Question 6 : The Telstar 1 satellite achieved a historic first on July 10, 1962. What was it?
Possible answers:
- It photographed the far side of the Moon for the first time
- It relayed the first live television images across the Atlantic Ocean
- It established the first transatlantic telephone link by satellite
- It made the first weather measurements from space
Explanation: Telstar 1 was the first active communications satellite to relay live television images across the Atlantic, between the United States and Europe. It gave its name to an instrumental song by the band The Tornados, which was a worldwide hit in 1962.
Question 7 : On July 10, 1975, an institution that became part of everyday life in France was created. Which one?
Possible answers:
- The Livret A savings account
- The French Loto
- Supplementary social security
- The Navigo pass in the Île-de-France region
Explanation: The French Loto, created on July 10, 1975, is run by the Française des Jeux. It was modeled on the national lottery systems existing in other countries. Since its creation, it has paid out billions of euros in winnings and helps fund French sport.
Question 8 : On July 10, 1964, a law redrew the départements of the Seine and the Seine-et-Oise to create new départements. How many new départements were created this way?
Possible answers:
- Five new départements
- Six new départements
- Seven new départements
- Eight new départements
Explanation: The law of July 10, 1964 created seven new départements: Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, Essonne, Val-d'Oise, Yvelines and Paris, replacing the former départements of the Seine and the Seine-et-Oise. These new départements came into effect on January 1, 1968.
Question 9 : Jean Calvin, born on July 10, 1509, is one of the fathers of the Protestant Reformation. What is the religious movement that bears his name?
Possible answers:
- Lutheranism
- Anglicanism
- Calvinism
- Anabaptism
Explanation: Calvinism, based on the theology of Jean Calvin, emphasizes in particular the doctrine of predestination, according to which God chose in advance the souls that will be saved. Calvin spent much of his life in Geneva, which he turned into a genuine Protestant theocratic city.
Question 10 : The Seveso industrial disaster, which occurred on July 10, 1976 in northern Italy, released which dangerous substance into the atmosphere?
Possible answers:
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- Mercury in gaseous form
- Dioxins
- Asbestos in suspension
Explanation: The Seveso disaster, caused by the explosion of a chemical reactor at the ICMESA plant, contaminated thousands of hectares of farmland. It led the European Union to adopt in 1982 a directive on the prevention of major industrial hazards, known as the 'Seveso directive'.
