The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What major event began on July 18, 1936 and shook Europe for almost three years?
Possible answers:
- The Portuguese revolution of Salazar
- The Spanish Civil War
- The Italian invasion of Ethiopia
- The military coup in Greece
Explanation: The Spanish Civil War pitted Republicans against Franco's Nationalists until 1939. It drew international volunteers on both sides, including the International Brigades for the Republic, and was seen as a prelude to World War II.
Question 2 : Nelson Mandela, born on July 18, 1918, was imprisoned for how many years according to the available information?
Possible answers:
- 18 years old
- 21 years old
- 27 years old
- 32 years old
Explanation: Mandela was incarcerated mainly at Robben Island from 1964 to 1990. His release by F. W. de Klerk marked the beginning of the transition to democracy in South Africa. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize with de Klerk in 1993, before becoming president in 1994.
Question 3 : On July 18, 1668, which comédie-ballet by Molière was performed at the 'Grand Divertissement royal' at Versailles?
Possible answers:
- The Bourgeois Gentleman
- The Learned Ladies
- George Dandin or the Baffled Husband
- The Miser
Explanation: George Dandin ou le Mari confondu was created to celebrate the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. This play by Molière deals with the misadventures of a wealthy peasant married to a noblewoman who cheats on him and humiliates him. It is one of Molière's sharpest works on marriage and social ambition.
Question 4 : On July 18, 1610, which famous Lombard painter died in Porto Ercole?
Possible answers:
- Caravaggio
- Raphael
- Tintoretto
- Andrea Mantegna
Explanation: Caravaggio, whose real name was Michelangelo Merisi, revolutionized Baroque painting with his dramatic use of light and shadow known as chiaroscuro. Fleeing Rome after killing a man in a brawl, he died at 38 in circumstances that are still unclear, perhaps from a fever or poisoning.
Question 5 : In what year was the first volume of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf published, an event that took place on a July 18?
Possible answers:
- 1923
- 1925
- 1928
- 1930
Explanation: Mein Kampf (My Struggle) was written by Hitler during his imprisonment at Landsberg Fortress following the failed Beer Hall Putsch of 1923. The book laid out his antisemitic and expansionist ideology. Despite modest initial sales, it sold millions of copies after 1933.
Question 6 : Which American astronaut born on July 18, 1921 is famous for being the first to orbit the Earth?
Possible answers:
- Buzz Aldrin
- Alan Shepard
- John Glenn
- Neil Armstrong
Explanation: John Glenn made his orbital flight on February 20, 1962 aboard the Friendship 7 capsule, becoming the first American to orbit the Earth. He completed three full orbits. He returned to space in 1998 at age 77, becoming the oldest astronaut to have completed a spaceflight.
Question 7 : July 18, 64 AD is associated with what catastrophic event that struck the capital of the Roman Empire?
Possible answers:
- A devastating earthquake
- The Visigoth invasion
- The Great Fire of Rome
- A bubonic plague epidemic
Explanation: The Great Fire of Rome lasted several days and destroyed a large part of the city. Emperor Nero was accused by popular rumor of having orchestrated the fire to rebuild Rome to his glory, although this theory is disputed by historians. He then shifted the blame onto the Christians, triggering the first persecutions.
Question 8 : What French medical research institution was created on July 18, 1964?
Possible answers:
- The National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS)
- The Pasteur Institute
- The National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM)
- The National Academy of Medicine
Explanation: INSERM (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale) was born from the merger of the Institut national d'hygiène and research centers. Today it is the main French public organization dedicated to biomedical and population health research, with more than 300 laboratories in France.
Question 9 : On July 18, 1870, the First Vatican Council proclaimed a major dogma concerning the pope. Which one?
Possible answers:
- The primacy of the pope over all bishops
- The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary
- Papal infallibility
- The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist
Explanation: The dogma of papal infallibility states that the pope cannot err when speaking ex cathedra (as supreme pastor) on matters of faith and morals. This dogma was contested by a minority of Catholics who refused to accept it, forming the Old Catholic movement.
Question 10 : The Battle of the Allia, which took place on a July 18 around 390 BC, pitted the Romans against which invading people who captured and sacked Rome?
Possible answers:
- The Etruscans
- The Gauls
- The Carthaginians
- The Samnites
Explanation: The Gauls, led by their chief Brennus, crushed the Roman army on the banks of the Allia river. The defeat was so traumatic that the Romans considered July 18 a cursed day, the dies Ater. Only the citadel of the Capitoline Hill held out. According to legend, the sacred geese of Juno raised the alarm during a night assault.
