The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What major diplomatic event between Napoleon I and Tsar Alexander I took place on July 7, 1807?
Possible answers:
- The Treaty of Lunéville
- The Treaty of Amiens
- The Treaty of Tilsit
- The Treaty of Pressburg
Explanation: The Treaty of Tilsit was signed on a raft moored in the middle of the Niemen River, near the town of Tilsit (now Sovetsk, Russia). This treaty allowed Napoleon to reach the peak of his power in Europe, imposing heavy territorial losses on Prussia and creating the Grand Duchy of Warsaw.
Question 2 : In 1978, which Pacific archipelago gained independence on July 7?
Possible answers:
- The Fiji Islands
- The Solomon Islands
- Vanuatu
- The Marshall Islands
Explanation: The Solomon Islands, formerly a British protectorate, gained independence on July 7, 1978, a date that has been their national day ever since. This Melanesian archipelago includes more than 900 islands and is notably known for having been the scene of major battles during World War II, including the Battle of Guadalcanal.
Question 3 : Which famous Beatles drummer was born on July 7, 1940?
Possible answers:
- John Lennon
- Paul McCartney
- George Harrison
- Ringo Starr
Explanation: Ringo Starr, whose real name is Richard Starkey, was born in Liverpool. He joined the Beatles in 1962, replacing Pete Best. Since the group broke up in 1970, he has pursued a solo career and is also known for having narrated the children's TV series Thomas the Tank Engine in its original English version.
Question 4 : On July 7, 1456, who was officially rehabilitated twenty-five years after being condemned and burned at the stake?
Possible answers:
- Margaret of Anjou
- Isabeau of Bavaria
- Joan of Arc
- Eleanor of Aquitaine
Explanation: Joan of Arc had been condemned and executed in 1431. In 1456, a retrial ordered by Pope Callixtus III overturned her conviction and declared her innocent. She would be beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920, becoming one of the patron saints of France.
Question 5 : Which Pacific territory was annexed by the United States on July 7, 1898?
Possible answers:
- Hawaii
- Puerto Rico
- Guam
- The Mariana Islands
Explanation: Hawaii was annexed by the United States in the midst of the Spanish-American War, due to its strategic importance in the Pacific. It would not officially become the 50th U.S. state until August 21, 1959, after a referendum. Previously, Hawaii was an independent kingdom whose last sovereign, Queen Liliuokalani, had been overthrown in a coup in 1893.
Question 6 : In 1983, young American Samantha Smith traveled to Moscow in a special role. Which one?
Possible answers:
- Candidate for a university student exchange
- Goodwill ambassador for peace
- Representative of an official American delegation
- Journalist for a major American newspaper
Explanation: Samantha Smith, then 10 years old, had written a letter to Soviet leader Yuri Andropov asking him whether the USSR wanted war. Andropov replied to her personally and invited her to the Soviet Union. Her visit made her a symbol of peace during the Cold War. She died tragically in a plane crash in 1985, at the age of 13.
Question 7 : On July 7, 2017, which historic disarmament treaty was adopted at the UN?
Possible answers:
- The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
- The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)
- The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
- The START treaty on the reduction of strategic arms
Explanation: The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted by 122 UN member states. It is the first international agreement to ban nuclear weapons entirely. However, none of the nine recognized nuclear powers (United States, Russia, France, United Kingdom, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea) signed this treaty.
Question 8 : Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, born on July 7, 1860, is best known for which major musical form?
Possible answers:
- Romantic opera
- The orchestral symphony
- The piano concerto
- Chamber music
Explanation: Mahler is above all renowned for his nine monumental symphonies (and an unfinished tenth), which push the limits of the orchestral form in terms of length and forces. His Symphony No. 8 is nicknamed the "Symphony of a Thousand" because of the colossal number of musicians and choristers required to perform it. Mahler was also director of the Vienna Opera from 1897 to 1907.
Question 9 : In 1520, the Battle of Otumba was decisive in which conquest led by the Spanish?
Possible answers:
- The conquest of the Inca Empire
- The conquest of the Aztec Empire
- The conquest of Cuba
- The conquest of the Spanish Antilles
Explanation: The Battle of Otumba took place a few days after the Noche Triste (June 30, 1520), during which Hernán Cortés and his men had to flee Tenochtitlan, suffering heavy losses against the Aztec warriors. The victory at Otumba allowed Cortés to regroup and prepare the final siege of Tenochtitlan, which fell in August 1521, ending the Aztec Empire.
Question 10 : In 2014, fossilized remains of the largest flying bird that ever existed were announced. What was the name of this prehistoric bird?
Possible answers:
- Argentavis magnificens
- Pelagornis sandersi
- Teratornis merriami
- Osteodontornis orri
Explanation: Pelagornis sandersi, whose discovery was announced on July 7, 2014, had an estimated wingspan of between 6.1 and 7.4 meters, roughly double that of the wandering albatross, the largest flying bird alive today. Its fossils had actually been discovered in 1983 near Charleston, South Carolina, during the construction of an airport. It lived about 25 to 28 million years ago.
