The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : In 1906, Alberto Santos-Dumont achieved a historic feat on November 12. What distance did he manage to cover with his airplane?
Possible answers:
- 120 meters in 15 seconds
- 220 meters in 21 seconds
- 350 meters in 30 seconds
- 500 meters in 45 seconds
Explanation: This feat by Santos-Dumont was officially certified by the Aéro-Club de France as the first powered flight in Europe. His aircraft, the 14-bis, took off without a catapult or ramp, which set it apart from the Wright brothers' attempts, which were disputed in Europe at the time.
Question 2 : On November 12, 2014, the Philae lander successfully touched down on comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. How many years had the Rosetta probe been traveling before this landing?
Possible answers:
- Five years
- Eight years
- Ten years
- Twelve years
Explanation: Launched in 2004 by the European Space Agency, Rosetta traveled more than six billion kilometers. Philae bounced twice upon landing before coming to rest in the shadow of a cliff, which limited the recharging of its solar batteries.
Question 3 : What iconic American immigration institution closed its doors on November 12, 1954?
Possible answers:
- The port of Boston
- Ellis Island
- Angel Island in San Francisco
- The port of Baltimore
Explanation: Ellis Island, in New York Bay, had welcomed more than 12 million immigrants between 1892 and 1954. Now transformed into a museum, it remains the symbol of the American dream and the waves of migration that shaped the United States at the turn of the XX century.
Question 4 : Nadia Comaneci, born on November 12, 1961, is known for being the first gymnast in history to receive a perfect score at the Olympic Games. In which city did these historic Games take place?
Possible answers:
- Mexico City
- Moscow
- Munich
- Montreal
Explanation: At the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, Nadia Comaneci, then 14 years old, scored a 10 on the uneven bars, an absolute first. The scoreboard was not designed to display a 10, so it showed "1.00". She won three gold medals at these Games.
Question 5 : On November 12, 1927, Leon Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Who was the main architect of this removal?
Possible answers:
- Nikolai Bukharin
- Joseph Stalin
- Grigory Zinoviev
- Lev Kamenev
Explanation: Stalin skillfully used the party structures to marginalize Trotsky after Lenin's death in 1924. After his expulsion, Trotsky was exiled in 1929, then assassinated in Mexico in 1940 by a Stalinist agent, Ramon Mercader, with an ice axe.
Question 6 : On November 12, 1970, Charles de Gaulle's funeral took place in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises. Who was the general buried next to, according to his wishes?
Possible answers:
- His wife Yvonne de Gaulle
- His daughter Anne
- His son Philippe de Gaulle
- His mother Jeanne Maillot
Explanation: De Gaulle had a deep affection for his daughter Anne, who had Down syndrome and passed away in 1948. He reportedly confided: "Without Anne, perhaps I would have done nothing. She gave me the heart of things." He refused a state funeral in Paris, wishing for a simple ceremony in his village.
Question 7 : Louis-Antoine de Bougainville, born on 12 November 1729, is famous for completing the first French circumnavigation of the globe. A tropical plant bears his name. What plant family does it belong to?
Possible answers:
- Orchids
- Tree ferns
- Climbing plants with colorful bracts
- Tropical palm trees
Explanation: The bougainvillea, a climbing plant with colorful bracts native to South America, was brought back during Bougainville's circumnavigation voyage between 1766 and 1769. Before becoming a navigator, Bougainville was also a mathematician and had published a treatise on integral calculus.
Question 8 : On November 12, 1893, the Durand Line was drawn to establish an important border in Asia. Between which two territories does it mark the boundary?
Possible answers:
- India and China
- Persia and British India
- Afghanistan and the British Raj
- Russia and Afghanistan
Explanation: Negotiated by Sir Mortimer Durand, Foreign Secretary of British India, this 2,640 km line divides the Pashtun tribal areas between Afghanistan and British India, which became Pakistan in 1947. This border remains disputed by Afghanistan to this day.
Question 9 : Singer Neil Young, born on November 12, 1945, is a major figure in Canadian rock. Which iconic group did he notably collaborate with in the 1960s and 1970s?
Possible answers:
- The Band
- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
- Buffalo Springfield
- The Byrds
Explanation: Neil Young joined Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1969, forming Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY). Their album "Déjà Vu" (1970) is considered a masterpiece of rock. Young is also famous for his solo albums like "Harvest" (1972) and his commitment to environmental causes.
Question 10 : Auguste Rodin, born on November 12, 1840, is one of the most famous sculptors in the world. What is the most well-known sculpture in his work?
Possible answers:
- The Venus de Milo
- The Thinker
- Psyche's Kiss
- David
Explanation: "The Thinker", created in 1880, was originally designed to decorate "The Gates of Hell", a commission from the French state inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy. Rodin had the model enlarged in 1902 and today several copies are displayed around the world, including one at the Rodin Museum in Paris.
