The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : Which Parisian monument was inaugurated on 31 March 1889?
Possible answers:
- The Arc de Triomphe
- The Sacré-Cœur of Montmartre
- The Eiffel Tower
- The Pantheon
Explanation: The Eiffel Tower was inaugurated on 31 March 1889 on the occasion of the Paris World's Fair. Built by Gustave Eiffel in only two years, two months and five days, it stood at the time at 300 metres in height. Long controversial, it is today the most visited monument in the world with about 7 million visitors per year.
Question 2 : In which year did Mayotte become a French department?
Possible answers:
- 2001
- 2005
- 2011
- 2017
Explanation: On 31 March 2011, Mayotte officially became the 101st French department. An archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, between Madagascar and the Mozambican coast, Mayotte had voted 95.2% in favour of departmentalisation in the referendum of March 2009. This status enabled it to gradually benefit from French laws and social protection.
Question 3 : Which famous French philosopher and mathematician was born on 31 March 1596?
Possible answers:
- René Descartes
- Blaise Pascal
- Michel de Montaigne
- Voltaire
Explanation: René Descartes, born on 31 March 1596 in La Haye-en-Touraine (today renamed Descartes in his honour), is one of the major figures of Western philosophy. Author of the famous "I think, therefore I am", he is also at the origin of the Cartesian coordinate system in mathematics. He died on 11 February 1650 in Stockholm.
Question 4 : Which major event occurred on 31 March 1814 concerning Paris?
Possible answers:
- The signing of the peace treaty with Prussia
- The proclamation of the French Republic
- The troops of the Sixth Coalition entered Paris
- Napoleon officially abdicated in Paris
Explanation: On 31 March 1814, the troops of the Sixth Coalition (Prussia, Russia, Austria, the United Kingdom and their allies) entered Paris. It was the first time since 1418 that foreign troops occupied the French capital. Napoleon I abdicated on 6 April that followed, paving the way for the Restoration with Louis XVIII.
Question 5 : Which Australian rock band counts among its members Angus Young, born on 31 March 1955?
Possible answers:
- Metallica
- AC/DC
- The Rolling Stones
- Guns N' Roses
Explanation: Angus Young is the iconic guitarist of AC/DC, a hard rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Recognisable by his schoolboy outfit worn on stage, Angus Young is one of the most influential guitarists in the history of rock. The band has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, with legendary tracks such as "Highway to Hell" or "Back in Black".
Question 6 : Who became Secretary-General of the UN on 31 March 1953?
Possible answers:
- Trygve Lie
- Kurt Waldheim
- Dag Hammarskjöld
- Kofi Annan
Explanation: Dag Hammarskjöld, a Swedish diplomat, became the second Secretary-General of the UN on 31 March 1953. His term was marked by active management of international crises, notably the Suez Crisis in 1956. He died in a plane crash on 18 September 1961 over the Congo. He received the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously the same year.
Question 7 : In which year did the Dalai Lama flee Tibet?
Possible answers:
- 1950
- 1959
- 1965
- 1972
Explanation: On 31 March 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, fled Tibet after the failure of the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese occupation. He took refuge in India, where he established a Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala. Since then, he has peacefully campaigned for the autonomy of Tibet and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
Question 8 : Which famous German composer, born on 31 March 1685, is recognised as one of the masters of the Baroque?
Possible answers:
- Georg Friedrich Handel
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Franz Joseph Haydn
- Johann Sebastian Bach
Explanation: Johann Sebastian Bach was born on 31 March 1685 in Eisenach, in Thuringia. A virtuoso organist and composer, he produced a colossal body of work including cantatas, suites, fugues and concertos. His compositions, such as the Goldberg Variations or the St Matthew Passion, profoundly influenced Western music. He died on 28 July 1750 in Leipzig.
Question 9 : Which British actor, born on 31 March 1971, is notably known for playing the character of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars?
Possible answers:
- Daniel Craig
- Ewan McGregor
- Jude Law
- Orlando Bloom
Explanation: Ewan McGregor, born on 31 March 1971 in Crieff, Scotland, played the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2005), then in the Disney+ series "Obi-Wan Kenobi" (2022). He is also famous for his roles in Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge! and for his motorcycle adventures around the world documented in the series "Long Way Round".
Question 10 : The Marshall Plan, approved by the US Congress on 31 March 1948, had as its main objective to do what?
Possible answers:
- Finance the military reconstruction of NATO countries
- Help with the economic reconstruction of Europe after the Second World War
- Create a single European currency to stabilise trade
- Financially support European colonies in Africa
Explanation: The Marshall Plan, officially called the European Recovery Program, was proposed by US Secretary of State George Marshall in 1947. It aimed to rebuild the European economies devastated by the Second World War, but also to contain Soviet influence in Western Europe. In total, about 13 billion dollars (more than 130 billion in current value) were distributed between 1948 and 1952.
