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March 26 Through History

March 26 Through History
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HistoryMedium

Explore the major turning points of this historic date: a peace treaty in the Middle East, the independence of a South Asian nation, and major scientific breakthroughs that shaped humanity. Between international diplomacy, decolonisation movements and discoveries that changed our understanding of the world, this quiz revisits the key moments that crystallised around this day.

Source: fr.wikipedia.org

10

Questions

2

Minutes

Tip: Use keys 1-4 to answer quickly

The 10 quiz questions

Question 1 : Which treaty signed on 26 March 1979 marked a historic step in the Middle East?

Possible answers:

  • The peace treaty between Egypt and Israel
  • The Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO
  • The Camp David Accords between Israel and Jordan
  • The peace treaty between Israel and Lebanon

Explanation: On 26 March 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a historic peace treaty thanks to the mediation of US President Jimmy Carter. Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 for their peace efforts.

Question 2 : On 26 March 1995, the Schengen Agreement came into force. How many European Union countries initially participated in the abolition of border controls?

Possible answers:

  • Five countries
  • Seven countries
  • Nine countries
  • Twelve countries

Explanation: When the Schengen Agreement came into force on 26 March 1995, seven of the fifteen EU countries took part: Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal. The Schengen area today has 29 member countries.

Question 3 : Which sect committed a collective suicide of 39 members on 26 March 1997 in California?

Possible answers:

  • The Aum Shinrikyo sect
  • The Order of the Solar Temple
  • Heaven's Gate
  • The Branch Davidians of Waco

Explanation: Members of the Heaven's Gate sect committed suicide believing that their souls would join a spaceship hidden in the tail of comet Hale-Bopp. Their leader, Marshall Applewhite, blended Christian beliefs and ufology into an apocalyptic doctrine.

Question 4 : On 26 March 1791, the French Academy of Sciences defined a fundamental unit of measurement. Which one?

Possible answers:

  • The kilogram
  • The litre
  • The second
  • The metre

Explanation: On 26 March 1791, the Paris Academy of Sciences defined the metre as one ten-millionth of a quarter of the Earth's meridian. This decision was part of the revolutionary movement to rationalise measurements, leading to the metric system gradually adopted worldwide.

Question 5 : On 26 March 1971, which country proclaimed its independence, triggering a war of liberation?

Possible answers:

  • Sri Lanka
  • Bangladesh
  • East Timor
  • Bhutan

Explanation: Bangladesh proclaimed its independence from Pakistan on 26 March 1971, triggering a bloody war of liberation. India intervened militarily in December 1971 alongside Bangladesh, forcing Pakistan to surrender. About 3 million people perished during this conflict.

Question 6 : Which famous personality born on 26 March 1973 is the co-founder of one of the most widely used search engines in the world?

Possible answers:

  • Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook
  • Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon
  • Larry Page, co-founder of Google
  • Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter

Explanation: Larry Page (Lawrence E. Page), born on 26 March 1973, is one of the co-founders of Google with Sergey Brin. They developed the search engine while they were students at Stanford University in the 1990s. Google is today one of the most highly valued companies in the world.

Question 7 : On 26 March 1953, which American doctor developed the first vaccine against a paralysing disease that was widespread in the 20th century?

Possible answers:

  • The tuberculosis vaccine by Dr Fleming
  • The smallpox vaccine by Dr Jenner
  • The typhoid vaccine by Dr Pasteur
  • The polio vaccine by Dr Jonas Salk

Explanation: Dr Jonas Salk announced on 26 March 1953 the development of the first vaccine against poliomyelitis. This disease affected thousands of children every year and caused permanent paralysis. Salk's vaccine has practically eliminated polio in many countries, and he refused to patent it in order to make it accessible to all.

Question 8 : On 26 March 1991, which major economic agreement between South American countries was founded by the Treaty of Asunción?

Possible answers:

  • Mercosur
  • ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas)
  • The Andean Community of Nations
  • UNASUR (Union of South American Nations)

Explanation: The Treaty of Asunción, signed on 26 March 1991 in Argentina, marks the birth of Mercosur (Common Market of the South). It initially brought together Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Mercosur is today one of the largest trading blocs in the world in terms of GDP.

Question 9 : Which American bridge collapsed on 26 March 2024 after being struck by a container ship?

Possible answers:

  • The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
  • The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore
  • The George Washington Bridge in New York
  • The Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida

Explanation: On 26 March 2024, the container ship Dali, leaving the port of Baltimore, struck a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing its collapse. The bridge takes its name from the author of the American national anthem. This disaster caused the death of several workers and considerably disrupted maritime traffic at the port of Baltimore.

Question 10 : Which international organisation launched its first daytime bombings on Yugoslavia on 26 March 1999?

Possible answers:

  • The UN (United Nations)
  • The United States in a unilateral operation
  • The European Union via its rapid reaction force
  • NATO forces

Explanation: On 26 March 1999, NATO launched its first daytime bombing on Yugoslav army positions during the Kosovo War. NATO's air campaign, called "Operation Allied Force", aimed to put an end to violence against the Albanian-speaking population of Kosovo and lasted 78 days.

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