The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : In 1533, which capital was taken by Francisco Pizarro's Spaniards during the conquest of Peru?
Possible answers:
- Machu Picchu
- Lima
- Cuzco
- Potosí
Explanation: Cuzco was the political, religious and cultural center of the Inca empire. Its capture by Pizarro marked the effective end of organized Inca resistance, though Manco Inca attempted a reconquest in 1536 with a failed siege of the city.
Question 2 : What revolutionary microprocessor was launched on November 15, 1971 by Intel?
Possible answers:
- Intel 8086
- Intel 4004
- Intel 8080
- Motorola 6800
Explanation: The Intel 4004, designed by Federico Faggin, Marcian Hoff and Stanley Mazor, was a 4-bit processor clocked at 740 kHz. It was initially developed for Busicom calculators, but paved the way for the era of personal computing and embedded systems.
Question 3 : Which political party came to power in Quebec for the first time on November 15, 1976?
Possible answers:
- The Quebec Liberal Party
- The Bloc Québécois
- The Union Nationale
- The Parti Québécois
Explanation: The victory of René Lévesque's Parti québécois was a historic turning point for Quebec. This sovereigntist party organized the first referendum on Quebec sovereignty-association in 1980, which was rejected by 59.56% of the Quebec population.
Question 4 : What major event took place on November 15, 1920 in the field of international diplomacy?
Possible answers:
- The creation of the International Court of Justice
- The signing of the Treaty of Versailles
- The first assembly of the League of Nations
- The founding of the United Nations
Explanation: The first assembly of the League of Nations brought together representatives of 41 nations in Geneva. Created after World War I by the Treaty of Versailles, it was dissolved in 1946 to make way for the United Nations, founded in 1945.
Question 5 : On November 15, 1988, Yasser Arafat proclaimed the creation of a Palestinian state before which body gathered in Algiers?
Possible answers:
- The UN Security Council
- The Arab League
- The Palestinian National Council
- The UN General Assembly
Explanation: The Palestinian National Council, which serves as the parliament of the PLO, recognized UN Resolution 242 during this session, implying an implicit recognition of Israel. This declaration of independence was recognized by more than a hundred states in the following weeks.
Question 6 : Which famous German general of World War II was born on November 15, 1891?
Possible answers:
- Heinz Guderian
- Erwin Rommel
- Claus von Stauffenberg
- Erich von Manstein
Explanation: Erwin Rommel, nicknamed the "Desert Fox", commanded the Afrika Korps in North Africa. Involved in the July 20, 1944 plot against Hitler, he was forced to commit suicide by cyanide on October 14, 1944, in exchange for a state funeral and the protection of his family.
Question 7 : In 1793, the French National Convention established by decree an ancestor of which iconic French gastronomy food?
Possible answers:
- The croissant
- The brioche
- The country bread
- The baguette
Explanation: The Pain Égalité, ancestor of the baguette, was established to symbolize republican equality: everyone had to eat the same bread. The modern baguette as we know it was popularized in the 20th century, and its artisanal know-how was inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2022.
Question 8 : Which painting by Leonardo da Vinci officially became the world's most expensive artwork on November 15, 2017?
Possible answers:
- The Mona Lisa
- The Virgin of the Rocks
- Salvator Mundi
- Lady with an Ermine
Explanation: The Salvator Mundi, depicting Christ blessing the world, was sold for $450.3 million at Christie's in New York. The buyer was identified as a Saudi prince acting on behalf of the Abu Dhabi government, with plans for an exhibition at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Question 9 : Which space shuttle made its first and only flight on November 15, 1988, with no crew on board?
Possible answers:
- Energiya
- Mir
- Soyuz-T
- Buran
Explanation: The Soviet shuttle Buran completed 2 orbits around the Earth in 3h25 before landing automatically at Baikonur. This unpiloted flight was a technological feat, as American shuttles could not land in a fully automated way. The program was abandoned after the dissolution of the USSR.
Question 10 : Which international conference, inaugurated on November 15, 1884 in Berlin, had as its major consequence the partition of Africa among European powers?
Possible answers:
- The Congress of Vienna
- The Berlin Conference
- The Barrier Treaty
- The Potsdam Conference
Explanation: The Berlin Conference, organized by Bismarck, brought together 14 European nations and the United States. It established the rules of African colonization and delimited spheres of influence without consulting African populations. This partition, often called the "scramble for Africa", led to the near-total colonization of the continent in less than twenty years.
