The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What major event took place on July 1, 1867 in Canada?
Possible answers:
- Canada proclaims its full independence from Great Britain
- The Canadian Confederation is founded, creating the Dominion of Canada
- Canada joins the British Commonwealth
- Quebec obtains its status as an autonomous province
Explanation: The creation of the Dominion of Canada resulted from the British North America Act, which united the provinces of Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. This date is now celebrated as Canada's national holiday, called 'Canada Day'.
Question 2 : The Battle of Gettysburg, which began on July 1, 1863, is considered a major turning point of which war?
Possible answers:
- The American War of Independence
- The Spanish-American War
- The American Civil War
- World War I
Explanation: The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to 3, 1863 in Pennsylvania, was the deadliest of the American Civil War, with around 50,000 soldiers killed, wounded or missing. The Southern defeat there ended the last major offensive by Confederate general Robert E. Lee on Northern soil.
Question 3 : On July 1, 1903, which sporting event was launched for the very first time?
Possible answers:
- The modern Olympic Games
- The Tour de France cycling race
- The French Grand Prix motor race
- The French football championship
Explanation: The Tour de France was created at the initiative of journalist Géo Lefèvre and the director of the newspaper L'Auto, Henri Desgrange. The first edition had only 60 riders at the start and covered about 2,500 km over six stages. The first winner was Maurice Garin.
Question 4 : On July 1, 1997, which territory was handed back to China after 156 years of British sovereignty?
Possible answers:
- Macau
- Taiwan
- Hong Kong
- Singapore
Explanation: Hong Kong had been ceded to the United Kingdom after the First Opium War in 1842, then additional territories were leased for 99 years in 1898. The 1997 handover took place under the principle of 'one country, two systems', guaranteeing Hong Kong a degree of autonomy until 2047.
Question 5 : Which German philosopher and mathematician, whose birth on July 1, 1646 we celebrate, is notably known for co-inventing infinitesimal calculus at the same time as Newton?
Possible answers:
- Immanuel Kant
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
- René Descartes
- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Explanation: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Isaac Newton developed infinitesimal calculus independently, which sparked a historical controversy over who invented it first. Leibniz's notation (dy/dx for derivatives, ∫ for integrals) is, however, the one used universally today.
Question 6 : On July 1, 2002, which international institution was officially created on the basis of the Rome Statute?
Possible answers:
- The International Court of Justice in The Hague
- The International Criminal Court
- The World Trade Organization
- The International Atomic Energy Agency
Explanation: The International Criminal Court (ICC), headquartered in The Hague in the Netherlands, is the first permanent international criminal tribunal. It has jurisdiction to try the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Some major powers such as the United States, Russia and China have not ratified it.
Question 7 : The famous writer George Sand was born on July 1, 1804. Why did she use a male pseudonym?
Possible answers:
- To conceal her dangerous political opinions
- To get around discrimination against women in the literary world
- To imitate her father, himself a renowned writer
- As a tribute to a deceased friend named George
Explanation: George Sand, whose real name was Amantine Aurore Lucile Dupin, adopted a male pseudonym because in the 19th century it was very hard for a woman to be taken seriously in the literary world. She was a major figure of French Romanticism and is known for novels such as 'The Devil's Pool' and 'Indiana'.
Question 8 : Born on July 1, 1872, Louis Blériot is famous for which aviation feat accomplished in 1909?
Possible answers:
- First transatlantic flight from Paris to New York
- First crossing of the Mediterranean by plane
- First crossing of the English Channel by plane
- First flight of a powered aircraft in Europe
Explanation: On July 25, 1909, Louis Blériot crossed the English Channel in a monoplane in 37 minutes, linking Calais to Dover. He thereby won the prize of 1,000 pounds sterling offered by the Daily Mail. This feat showed that aviation could cross natural borders and marked the start of a new aeronautical era.
Question 9 : Hugh Capet was elected King of the Franks on July 1, 987. What is the importance of this event in the history of France?
Possible answers:
- It unites all the Frankish territories under a single crown for the first time
- He founds the Capetian dynasty, which will rule over France for centuries
- He signed the first peace treaty between France and the Holy Roman Empire
- It established Paris as the permanent capital of the Kingdom of France
Explanation: The election of Hugh Capet marks the end of the Carolingian dynasty and the start of the Capetian dynasty, which would rule France, in the direct line and then through collateral branches, until the French Revolution. His family gave rise to the Valois and the Bourbons, making the Capetians the longest-lasting royal family in Europe.
Question 10 : On July 1, 1921, which major political party was founded in China, becoming one of the most powerful in the world in the 20th century?
Possible answers:
- The Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang)
- The Chinese Communist Party
- The May Fourth Movement in China
- The Chinese Socialist Youth League
Explanation: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was founded in Shanghai with the help of the Communist International (Comintern). Among its founding members was Mao Zedong. After a long civil war against the Kuomintang nationalists, the CCP took power in 1949 and proclaimed the People's Republic of China.
