The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What major event of the Hundred Years' War took place on July 17, 1453?
Possible answers:
- The siege of Bordeaux by the English
- The coronation of Joan of Arc at Reims
- The Battle of Castillon, the last major battle of the Hundred Years' War
- The signing of the Treaty of Paris ending the conflict
Explanation: The Battle of Castillon, in Guyenne, is considered the last great battle of the Hundred Years' War. The French victory there ended three centuries of English presence in Guyenne. John Talbot, the English commander, was killed there at over 60 years old.
Question 2 : Why did the British royal family change their name to "Windsor" on July 17, 1917?
Possible answers:
- To celebrate the British victory on the Western Front
- Because of anti-German sentiment among the population during World War I
- To mark the accession to the throne of a new king
- Following a request from the British Parliament related to the succession
Explanation: King George V decided to rename the royal house because of the anti-German sentiment that prevailed in Great Britain during World War I. The former name, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was of Germanic origin. The House of Windsor is the official name of the British royal family to this day.
Question 3 : Which German scientist and politician was born on July 17, 1954?
Possible answers:
- Ursula von der Leyen
- Angela Merkel
- Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
- Gertrude Scholl
Explanation: Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021, holds a doctorate in quantum chemistry. She was the first woman to hold the German chancellorship and was the longest-serving leader among the major Western democracies at the time of her departure.
Question 4 : What famous amusement park opened on July 17, 1955 in California?
Possible answers:
- Universal Studios Hollywood
- Six Flags Magic Mountain
- Disneyland in Anaheim
- Knott's Berry Farm
Explanation: Disneyland, located in Anaheim, California, opened under the direction of Walt Disney himself. That first day was nicknamed "Black Sunday" by the Disney team due to numerous technical problems. Despite this rocky start, Disneyland quickly became one of the most visited parks in the world.
Question 5 : Who was elected president of the European Parliament on 17 July 1979?
Possible answers:
- Françoise Giroud
- Édith Cresson
- Simone de Beauvoir
- Simone Veil
Explanation: Simone Veil, a major figure in feminism and French politics, became the first woman to preside over the European Parliament. She was already known for having passed the law legalizing voluntary termination of pregnancy in France in 1975. A survivor of the Nazi concentration camps, she was elected to the Académie française in 2008.
Question 6 : What major diplomatic conference at the end of World War II began on July 17, 1945?
Possible answers:
- The Yalta Conference
- The Potsdam Conference
- The Tehran Conference
- The Casablanca Conference
Explanation: The Potsdam Conference, which brought together Truman, Stalin, and Churchill (replaced midway by Attlee), defined the fate of defeated Germany. It was during this conference that Truman informed Stalin, in an elliptical way, of the success of the first American nuclear test carried out two days earlier at Alamogordo.
Question 7 : On July 17, 1975, a historic space mission marked the beginning of cooperation between the United States and the USSR. What was it?
Possible answers:
- The first joint American-Soviet artificial satellite
- The docking of Soyuz 19 and Apollo capsules in space
- The first orbital flight of an American astronaut from a Soviet base
- The signing of a treaty on the non-militarization of space
Explanation: The Apollo-Soyuz mission was the first orbital rendezvous between American and Soviet spacecraft. The astronauts and cosmonauts shook hands in space, a powerful symbol of détente during the Cold War. This project was also the last crewed American flight before the Space Shuttle era in 1981.
Question 8 : In 1998, a statute adopted on July 17 founded which permanent international legal institution?
Possible answers:
- The International Court of Justice
- The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
- The International Criminal Court
- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Explanation: The Rome Statute created the International Criminal Court (ICC), based in The Hague in the Netherlands. It has jurisdiction to try crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Unlike ad hoc tribunals such as the Nuremberg tribunal, the ICC is a permanent court with universal scope.
Question 9 : Which famous American jazz singer, icon of blues and soul, died on July 17, 1959?
Possible answers:
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Nina Simone
- Sarah Vaughan
- Billie Holiday
Explanation: Billie Holiday, nicknamed "Lady Day", died at just 44 years old from complications related to alcoholism and drug use. Her tragic life, marked by poverty, racial discrimination and addiction, is depicted in several biographical films. Her song "Strange Fruit", denouncing the lynching of Black Americans, is considered one of the first protest songs.
Question 10 : Which Scottish philosopher and economist, author of a founding work of economic liberalism, died on July 17, 1790?
Possible answers:
- David Hume
- John Locke
- Adam Smith
- Thomas Hobbes
Explanation: Adam Smith, author of "The Wealth of Nations" (1776), is considered the father of modern political economy. He develops the concepts of the division of labor and the "invisible hand" of the market. Smith was also a professor of moral philosophy and had published "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" in 1759.
