The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What major industrial disaster occurred on March 10, 1906 in the Pas-de-Calais?
Possible answers:
- The explosion of a chemical plant in Lens
- The collapse of a coal mine in Courrières killing 1,200 people
- A gas explosion in a power plant in Lille
- The flooding of an iron mine in Valenciennes
Explanation: The Courrières mining disaster is the deadliest in French history and one of the most significant in Europe. It was caused by a firedamp explosion followed by an underground fire. Thirteen days after the tragedy, 13 survivors were found alive after having survived underground.
Question 2 : Who discovered the Galápagos Islands on March 10, 1535?
Possible answers:
- Ferdinand Magellan
- Amerigo Vespucci
- Thomas de Berlanga, Bishop of Panama
- Vasco da Gama
Explanation: Thomas de Berlanga, Bishop of Panama, discovered the Galápagos by accident when his ship drifted toward the islands during a voyage to Peru. The Galápagos would become famous three centuries later thanks to Charles Darwin's observations in 1835, where he developed his theory of evolution.
Question 3 : What historical event on March 10, 1762 sparked a campaign by Voltaire to rehabilitate the victim?
Possible answers:
- The execution of the Chevalier de La Barre for blasphemy
- The torture and execution of Jean Calas, a Protestant condemned without evidence
- The condemnation of Giordano Bruno for heresy
- The imprisonment of the philosopher Diderot for his writings
Explanation: The execution of Jean Calas, wrongly condemned for the murder of his son, inspired Voltaire to write his famous Treatise on Tolerance (1763). Voltaire obtained the posthumous rehabilitation of Calas in 1765, making this affair a symbol of the fight against religious fanaticism and judicial injustice.
Question 4 : What French military institution was created by royal ordinance on March 10, 1831?
Possible answers:
- The National Gendarmerie
- The Zouaves
- The Foreign Legion
- The Republican Guard
Explanation: The Foreign Legion was created by King Louis-Philippe to incorporate foreign soldiers who wanted to serve France. It was first deployed in Algeria during the colonization. Today based in Aubagne, it has around 8 000 legionnaires from 140 different nationalities.
Question 5 : What major scientific event took place on March 10, 1876 involving Alexander Graham Bell?
Possible answers:
- He files the patent for his telephone invention in Washington
- He conducts the first telephone conversation in history with his assistant
- He presents the telephone for the first time at the Universal Exhibition in Philadelphia
- He founds the Bell Telephone Company in Boston
Explanation: The first sentence spoken during this first telephone call was: "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you." Bell had filed his patent a few days earlier, on February 14, 1876, narrowly beating his rival Elisha Gray. This invention would revolutionize global communications.
Question 6 : What event took place in Tibet on March 10, 1959, whose consequences are still visible today?
Possible answers:
- The declaration of Tibetan independence from China
- The uprising of the Tibetan people in Lhasa, forcing the Dalai Lama into exile in India
- The Chinese military invasion of Tibet from Sichuan province
- The signing of an autonomy agreement between Tibet and the People's Republic of China
Explanation: The uprising of March 10, 1959 in Lhasa against Chinese authority led the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso to flee to India, where he established a Tibetan government in exile in Dharamsala. This date is now commemorated every year as "Tibetan Uprising Day". The Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
Question 7 : In what year was the Revolutionary Tribunal created in France, during the French Revolution?
Possible answers:
- 1789
- 1791
- 1793
- 1795
Explanation: The Revolutionary Tribunal was created on March 10, 1793, driven by Danton, to judge the enemies of the Republic. During the Terror, it sent thousands of people to the guillotine, including Marie-Antoinette, and Robespierre himself would eventually fall victim to it. It was abolished in May 1795.
Question 8 : Which Gloria Gaynor song, which became a universal anthem, reached the top of the charts in March 1979?
Possible answers:
- Stayin' Alive
- I Will Survive
- Hot Stuff
- Le Freak
Explanation: I Will Survive was originally the B-side of a single released in 1978. It was demand from radio stations and the public that pushed it to the top. The song became a symbol of resilience and is today considered one of the greatest hits of the disco era. It was re-recorded by Gloria Gaynor in an a cappella version during the 2020 lockdown.
Question 9 : Which illustrious American diplomat succeeded Benjamin Franklin as U.S. Ambassador to France in 1785?
Possible answers:
- John Adams
- Alexander Hamilton
- George Washington
- Thomas Jefferson
Explanation: When Thomas Jefferson was asked if he had come to replace Franklin, he replied: "I am his successor, no one can replace him." Jefferson spent five years in Paris, where he developed a passion for French culture and architecture. This period profoundly influenced his political ideas, particularly on civil liberties.
Question 10 : What is the main characteristic of the Battle of the Egadi Islands, which took place on March 10, 241 BC?
Possible answers:
- It marks the first Roman invasion of North Africa
- It represents Rome's decisive victory over Carthage, ending the First Punic War
- It seals the alliance between Rome and Greece against Carthage
- It represents the last Carthaginian naval defeat before the fall of Hannibal
Explanation: The Battle of the Egadi Islands, off the coast of Sicily, was Rome's first great naval victory. It ended the First Punic War, which had lasted 23 years. Carthage, exhausted, signed a peace treaty and had to cede Sicily to Rome, which thus gained its first province outside Italy. This sparked Rome's Mediterranean expansion.