The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What major event did Austria-Hungary trigger on July 23, 1914, directly leading to World War I?
Possible answers:
- It invaded Bosnia-Herzegovina
- It mobilized its troops along the Russian border
- It issued an ultimatum to Serbia after the Sarajevo assassination
- It declared war on France
Explanation: The Austro-Hungarian ultimatum to Serbia was deliberately designed to be unacceptable. Serbia nonetheless accepted almost all of the conditions, but Austria-Hungary declared war anyway on July 28, 1914, setting off the chain of alliances and the start of the global conflict.
Question 2 : What major astronomical discovery was announced on July 23, 2015?
Possible answers:
- The discovery of comet Hale-Bopp
- The discovery of Kepler-452 b, the first terrestrial planet in the habitable zone of a solar-type star
- The launch of the Tianwen-1 probe toward Mars
- The discovery of a new natural satellite of Neptune
Explanation: Kepler-452 b, nicknamed the "Earth's cousin" or "Earth 2.0", orbits a star very similar to the Sun in the habitable zone. It is about 60% larger than Earth and its year lasts 385 days. Its discovery was announced by NASA using the Kepler space telescope.
Question 3 : On July 23, 1983, an Air Canada Boeing 767 was nicknamed the 'Gimli Glider'. What was the reason?
Possible answers:
- The plane had to land on a frozen lake due to no available runway
- The plane lost both engines in flight and had to glide to an emergency landing without fuel
- The plane survived a mid-air collision with another aircraft
- The plane landed upside down after an involuntary aerobatic maneuver
Explanation: This incredible story is known as the 'Gimli Glider'. The error came from a mix-up between kilograms and pounds when calculating the fuel. Pilots Robert Pearson and Maurice Quintal managed to land the plane on a former military airstrip in Gimli, Manitoba, without any casualties.
Question 4 : Who is Haile Selassie, born on July 23, 1892, and what role did he play beyond Ethiopia?
Possible answers:
- President of the Congo, symbol of African independence
- King of Morocco, promoter of Arab unity
- Emperor of Ethiopia, sacred figure of the Rastafari movement
- Prime Minister of Ghana, founder of the Organisation of African Unity
Explanation: Haile Selassie became an iconic figure of the Rastafari movement, whose followers consider him a divine or messianic incarnation. His fight against the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 also made him a symbol of African resistance against colonialism.
Question 5 : What historical event took place in Egypt on July 23, 1952?
Possible answers:
- Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal
- The monarchy was overthrown in Egypt
- Egypt declared its independence from Great Britain
- President Nasser was assassinated in Cairo
Explanation: The coup of July 23, 1952, led by the Free Officers, overthrew King Farouk. It was Gamal Abdel Nasser who ultimately took power in 1954. This event is still celebrated today as a national holiday in Egypt under the name "Revolution Day".
Question 6 : Which famous guitarist, known for his top hat and legendary solos, was born on July 23, 1965?
Possible answers:
- Jimmy Page, guitarist of Led Zeppelin
- Kurt Cobain, singer-guitarist of Nirvana
- Martin Lee Gore, guitarist of Depeche Mode
- Slash, guitarist of Guns N' Roses
Explanation: Slash, whose real name is Saul Hudson, was born to an English father and an American mother. He is best known for the opening riff of "Welcome to the Jungle" and the solo in "November Rain". Before Guns N' Roses, he co-founded the band with Axl Rose in Los Angeles in 1985.
Question 7 : What famous institution of the labor movement was created during a cultural event that took place on July 23, 1888 in Lille?
Possible answers:
- The first performance of La Marseillaise in northern France
- The first rendition of the socialist Internationale anthem
- The founding of the CGT, France's first trade union
- The creation of the Northern Miners' National Federation
Explanation: The Internationale, whose lyrics were written by Eugène Pottier in 1871 and music composed by Pierre Degeyter in 1888, became the official anthem of the worldwide communist and socialist movement. It was notably the anthem of the USSR until 1944 and is still sung by left-wing parties all over the world.
Question 8 : In what year did Ford sell his very first automobile, an event that took place on July 23?
Possible answers:
- 1896
- 1903
- 1908
- 1911
Explanation: The first car sold by Ford was the Ford Model A, bought by a Chicago dentist, Ernst Pfenning. Henry Ford had founded the Ford Motor Company two months earlier, in June 1903. The famous Ford T, symbol of mass production, would not be launched until 1908.
Question 9 : What did the French Republican Calendar call July 23, generally corresponding to 5 Thermidor?
Possible answers:
- Oak Day
- Ram Day
- Eagle Day
- Wheat Day
Explanation: The Republican Calendar, introduced in 1792 and abandoned in 1806, named each day after an element of nature, a tool, or an animal. The 5th of Thermidor bore the name of the ram. The month of Thermidor (from the Greek "thermos": heat) covered approximately the period from July 19 to August 17.
Question 10 : Why were the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, officially opened on July 23, 2021, unusual?
Possible answers:
- They were the first Games organized in two different cities simultaneously
- They were cancelled halfway through due to natural disasters
- They were delayed by one year due to the Covid-19 pandemic
- They were the first Games held in winter in Japan
Explanation: They were the first Olympics held without spectators in the stands for almost all events, due to the public health state of emergency in Japan. The opening by Emperor Naruhito was marked by a subdued ceremony. These Games were also the first to be held in summer in Tokyo, as the city had already hosted the Olympics in 1964.
