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May "30" calendar, pyre and banner of Joan of Arc, sheet music of the Chant des Partisans, wing of the Wright brothers' biplane, Voltaire's wig and quill
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HistoryMedium

May 30th Through History

Joan of Arc burned at Rouen in 1431, Wilbur Wright carried off by typhoid in 1912, the Mariner 9 probe launched in 1971 to Mars, the Chant des Partisans written by Kessel and Druon in 1943. May 30 in dated facts.

Source: fr.wikipedia.org

10

Questions

2

Minutes

Tip: Use keys 1-4 to answer quickly

The 10 quiz questions

Question 1 : Which emblematic figure in French history was burned alive in Rouen on 30 May 1431?

Possible answers:

  • Margaret of Anjou
  • Isabeau of Bavaria
  • Joan of Arc
  • Christine de Pizan

Explanation: Joan of Arc was condemned for heresy by a pro-English ecclesiastical tribunal. She was rehabilitated in 1456 by a nullity trial ordered by Pope Callixtus III, and canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. She is today the patron saint of France.

Question 2 : On 30 May 1943, in a hotel in the London suburbs, which emblematic text was composed by Joseph Kessel, Maurice Druon and Anna Marly?

Possible answers:

  • The Marseillaise revisited
  • The Chant des Partisans
  • The Hymn to Freedom
  • The Song of Hope

Explanation: The Chant des Partisans became the unofficial anthem of the French Resistance. Anna Marly had first composed its melody in Russian. The song was broadcast by the BBC on Radio London and used as the sonic signature of the show 'Honneur et Patrie'.

Question 3 : On 30 May 1912, which American aviation pioneer died, leaving his brother to continue their common legacy?

Possible answers:

  • Glenn Curtiss
  • Samuel Langley
  • Charles Nieuport
  • Wilbur Wright

Explanation: Wilbur Wright died of typhoid fever at only 45. His brother Orville survived him until 1948. Together, they had achieved the first controlled motorized flight in history on 17 December 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Question 4 : Which space probe, launched on 30 May 1971, became the first spacecraft to study Mars from orbit?

Possible answers:

  • Mariner 9
  • Viking 1
  • Surveyor 3
  • Pioneer 10

Explanation: Mariner 9 entered Mars orbit on 14 November 1971, narrowly beating the Soviet probes Mars 2 and Mars 3. It mapped 85% of the Martian surface and photographed the moons Phobos and Deimos, revolutionizing our knowledge of the red planet.

Question 5 : On 30 May 1968, after secretly going to Baden-Baden to consult the army, which general did De Gaulle consult in particular?

Possible answers:

  • General Bigeard
  • General Massu
  • General Salan
  • General Ailleret

Explanation: De Gaulle's meeting with General Massu, former leader of the Battle of Algiers, remains one of the most mysterious episodes of May 1968. Massu reportedly reassured De Gaulle and encouraged him to retake control. Back in Paris, De Gaulle delivered a decisive radio speech that turned the tide of events.

Question 6 : On 30 May 1778, which great French Enlightenment philosopher died, a few weeks after his triumphant return to Paris?

Possible answers:

  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  • Denis Diderot
  • Voltaire
  • Montesquieu

Explanation: Voltaire returned to Paris in February 1778, after 28 years of exile, to attend the performance of his play 'Irene'. His return was acclaimed by the public. He died exhausted by the excitement at the age of 83. His burial had to be done in secret because the clergy refused him a religious sepulchre.

Question 7 : In 2024, for what type of offenses was Donald Trump found guilty on 34 counts?

Possible answers:

  • Espionage and treason against the state
  • Falsification of business records
  • Obstruction of justice during Senate inquiries
  • Large-scale tax fraud

Explanation: This historic verdict made Donald Trump the first former US president convicted on criminal charges. The 34 counts related to the falsification of business records linked to hush payments made before the 2016 presidential election. Sentencing was however postponed several times.

Question 8 : On 30 May 1814, which treaty set France's borders after Napoleon I's first abdication?

Possible answers:

  • The Treaty of Vienna
  • The Treaty of Paris
  • The Treaty of Fontainebleau
  • The Treaty of Lunéville

Explanation: The Treaty of Paris of 1814 was relatively lenient toward defeated France: it kept its 1792 borders, and even some territorial gains. It was the influence of Tsar Alexander I that pleaded for a moderate peace. A second, much harsher Treaty of Paris was signed in November 1815 after the Hundred Days.

Question 9 : In what historical context does the vote of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 30 May 1854 take place?

Possible answers:

  • The conquest of the West and pioneer rights
  • Tensions over slavery leading to the Civil War
  • Immigration policy toward Midwest territories
  • Commercial rivalry between industrial North and South

Explanation: The Kansas-Nebraska Act, signed by President Franklin Pierce, abolished the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and allowed new territories to decide for themselves on the legality of slavery. The law caused a wave of violence known as 'Bleeding Kansas' and contributed to the rising tensions that led to the Civil War in 1861.

Question 10 : Which philosopher, theologian and disciple of Jan Hus was burned alive in Constance on 30 May 1416, about nine months after his master?

Possible answers:

  • Jan Hus
  • Jerome of Prague
  • Thomas Müntzer
  • John Wycliffe

Explanation: Jerome of Prague had defended Jan Hus's theses before the Council of Constance. Unlike his master condemned in July 1415, he had first abjured his ideas under pressure, before retracting and fully assuming his convictions. His execution fueled the Czech Hussite movement that led to the Hussite Wars.

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