The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : In 1888, which historic law was promulgated in Brazil on 13 May?
Possible answers:
- The law separating Church and State
- The Golden Law, abolishing slavery
- The law establishing the Federal Republic
- The law granting women the right to vote
Explanation: The Golden Law (Lei Áurea) was signed by Princess Regent Isabel of Brazil. Brazil was the last country in the Western Hemisphere to abolish slavery, freeing about 700,000 people. This act precipitated the fall of the Brazilian monarchy the following year, in 1889.
Question 2 : On 13 May 1917, in Fátima, Portugal, three children claimed to have had an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Who was the cousin of the two siblings Francisco and Jacinta Marto?
Possible answers:
- Ana da Silva
- Teresa of Ávila
- Lúcia dos Santos
- Maria de Fátima
Explanation: Lúcia dos Santos was the main visionary of Fátima and the only one of the three children to survive into adulthood. She became a Carmelite nun and died in 2005 at the age of 97. Francisco and Jacinta Marto were canonised by Pope Francis on 13 May 2017, exactly 100 years after the first apparition.
Question 3 : On 13 May 1981, Pope John Paul II was the victim of an assassination attempt at St Peter's Square in Rome. Who was the perpetrator of this attack?
Possible answers:
- Mehmet Ali Ağca
- Yigal Amir
- Sirhan Sirhan
- Mark David Chapman
Explanation: Mehmet Ali Ağca, a Turkish national and member of the Grey Wolves, fired several shots at John Paul II. The pope survived thanks to a surgical operation. He visited his attacker in prison in 1983 and granted him his pardon. Suspicions of involvement by the Bulgarian and Soviet secret services have never been fully clarified.
Question 4 : Which famous French writer, known notably for his tales and novels of southern France, was born on 13 May 1840?
Possible answers:
- Guy de Maupassant
- Émile Zola
- Alphonse Daudet
- Jules Verne
Explanation: Alphonse Daudet is famous for works such as "Letters from My Windmill", "Tartarin of Tarascon" and "Jack". Born in Nîmes, he settled in Paris and became one of the great representatives of French realism and naturalism. His picturesque and warm style earned him immense popular success in his lifetime.
Question 5 : On 13 May 1968, in France, a major demonstration marked a turning point in the events of May 68. What was its main characteristic?
Possible answers:
- It was the first day of barricades in the Latin Quarter
- It was the start of a general strike that would paralyse the whole country
- It was the day de Gaulle announced his resignation
- It was the first occupation of the Sorbonne university
Explanation: On 13 May 1968 was a historic day when unions and students marched together for the first time, with about one million demonstrators in the streets of Paris. This convergence of workers' and students' struggles led to a general strike that paralysed France with nearly 10 million strikers, provoking a major political crisis for General de Gaulle.
Question 6 : In 1830, which South American country gained its independence from Gran Colombia on 13 May?
Possible answers:
- Bolivia
- Peru
- Venezuela
- Ecuador
Explanation: Ecuador broke away from Gran Colombia, a federation created by Simón Bolívar which also included Venezuela and New Granada (present-day Colombia). Gran Colombia disintegrated in 1831. Ecuador owes its name to the equatorial line that crosses its territory, making it one of the few countries in the world named after a geographical phenomenon.
Question 7 : Born on 13 May 1950, which famous American singer, blind since early childhood, is considered one of the greatest icons of soul and R&B music?
Possible answers:
- Ray Charles
- Stevie Wonder
- Marvin Gaye
- James Brown
Explanation: Stevie Wonder, real name Stevland Hardaway Judkins, lost his sight shortly after birth due to too much oxygen in his incubator. Nicknamed "Little Stevie Wonder" at his debut at Motown at age 11, he has accumulated 25 Grammy Awards and is the author of classics such as "Superstition", "Sir Duke" and "I Just Called to Say I Love You".
Question 8 : On 13 May 1779, the Treaty of Teschen ended a European conflict. Which war did this treaty close?
Possible answers:
- The Seven Years' War
- The War of the Spanish Succession
- The War of the Bavarian Succession
- The War of the League of Augsburg
Explanation: The War of the Bavarian Succession (1778-1779), ironically nicknamed "the Potato War" because the soldiers spent most of their time foraging in the fields, pitted Prussia under Frederick the Great against Austria under Maria Theresa. The Treaty of Teschen, signed in Silesia, was one of the first treaties guaranteed by Russia and France as mediating powers.
Question 9 : What is the speech delivered by Winston Churchill on 13 May 1940, before the House of Commons, considered one of the most famous in history?
Possible answers:
- "We shall fight on the beaches"
- "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat"
- "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"
- "An iron curtain has descended across the continent"
Explanation: This speech, delivered only three days after his appointment as Prime Minister, during the invasion of France by Nazi Germany, is one of the most famous in history. Churchill affirmed his absolute determination in the face of Nazism. This speech galvanised the morale of the British and helped keep the United Kingdom in the war despite the desperate situation.
Question 10 : In which artistic field is Georges Braque, born on 13 May 1882, mainly known?
Possible answers:
- Monumental bronze sculpture
- Painting, notably cubism
- Surrealist photography
- Modernist architecture
Explanation: Georges Braque is one of the founders of cubism, a movement he developed in close collaboration with Pablo Picasso between 1908 and 1914. The two artists worked so closely that their works from this period are sometimes difficult to distinguish. Braque was particularly interested in still lifes and introduced collage and papier collé into modern painting.
