The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : Which Portuguese navigator arrived in India on May 20, 1498?
Possible answers:
- Christopher Columbus
- Ferdinand Magellan
- Vasco da Gama
- Bartolomeu Dias
Explanation: Vasco da Gama was the first European to reach India by sea, sailing around Africa. This voyage opened the spice route and established Portuguese dominance over the maritime trade of the Indian Ocean for more than a century.
Question 2 : What major event regarding Cuba occurred on May 20, 1902?
Possible answers:
- Cuba joins the Organization of American States
- Cuba gains independence from the United States
- Cuba signs a trade treaty with Spain
- Cuba becomes a Spanish colony
Explanation: Cuba's independence from the United States in 1902 remained partial in practice, as the Platt Amendment granted Americans the right to intervene in Cuban affairs. This dependence persisted de facto until 1934, fueling the tensions that would lead to Castro's revolution in 1959.
Question 3 : On May 20, 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from New York aboard the Spirit of Saint Louis to attempt what feat?
Possible answers:
- The first non-stop New York - Los Angeles flight
- The first non-stop single-engine transatlantic crossing
- The first transatlantic flight in general
- The first round-the-world flight
Explanation: Lindbergh completed this crossing in 33 hours and 30 minutes, landing at Le Bourget on May 21, 1927. He received a $25,000 prize offered by hotelier Raymond Orteig. This feat made Lindbergh the most famous man in the world and revolutionized perceptions of transatlantic aviation.
Question 4 : Which famous French writer, author of "La Comédie humaine", was born on May 20, 1799?
Possible answers:
- Victor Hugo
- Honoré de Balzac
- Gustave Flaubert
- Stendhal
Explanation: Honoré de Balzac wrote a monumental work composed of nearly 90 novels and short stories grouped under the title "La Comédie humaine". His ambition was to depict the entire French society of his time. He died in 1850, exhausted by relentless work and colossal debts.
Question 5 : In 1875, a Metre Convention was signed in Paris on May 20. What field does it govern?
Possible answers:
- Land borders between nations
- International trade in raw materials
- Metrology and international measurement standards
- Maritime navigation and geographical maps
Explanation: The Metre Convention, signed by 17 states, created the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) based in Sèvres. It established uniform measurement standards on an international scale. It was within this framework that, in 2019, the definition of the kilogram was revised to be based on the Planck constant.
Question 6 : On May 20, 1941, the Battle of Crete began with what unprecedented large-scale military operation?
Possible answers:
- A massive amphibious landing
- An airborne invasion by 17,000 paratroopers
- A prolonged naval bombardment
- A combined submarine attack
Explanation: Operation Mercury was the first large-scale airborne invasion in military history, with 17,000 German paratroopers. Although the Germans eventually took Crete, their losses were so heavy that Hitler renounced any further large-scale airborne operations, particularly for Malta.
Question 7 : On May 20, 1980, a first referendum on the sovereignty-association of Quebec was held. What was the result?
Possible answers:
- The "yes" wins narrowly
- The referendum is cancelled
- The "no" wins with 59.6%
- Result invalidated by the Supreme Court
Explanation: The No won with approximately 59.6% of the votes against 40.4% for the Yes. This referendum, led by René Lévesque and the Parti Québécois, remained a founding moment in Canadian politics. A second referendum on sovereignty was held in 1995, where the No won narrowly with only 50.58%.
Question 8 : On May 20, 2002, which new country gained independence by separating from Indonesia?
Possible answers:
- The Maluku Islands
- East Timor
- Borneo
- West Papua
Explanation: East Timor (Timor-Leste) became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century. After 24 years of particularly brutal Indonesian occupation (1975-1999), a UN mission administered the territory before its formal independence. The country remains one of the youngest and poorest in Asia.
Question 9 : Which famous patent, filed on May 20, 1873, concerns a garment that became universal?
Possible answers:
- The waterproof coat
- Blue jeans with rivets
- The work overall
- Reinforced lace-up boots
Explanation: Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis filed the patent for jeans with copper rivets at stress points. These rivets were invented at the request of a miner whose wife complained that his pockets kept tearing. Jeans are today the most worn garment in the world with around 2 billion pairs sold each year.
Question 10 : In 1570, cartographer Abraham Ortelius published the "Theatrum orbis terrarum". What is the importance of this work in the history of science?
Possible answers:
- It is the first treatise on astronomical navigation
- It is the first modern geographical atlas
- It is the first work to defend the heliocentric theory
- It is the first illustrated scientific encyclopedia
Explanation: The "Theatrum orbis terrarum" is considered the first modern geographical atlas in history. Ortelius gathered maps from various authors and standardized them in a coherent format. This atlas was a tremendous success with more than 40 editions until 1612, translated into several European languages.
