The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What major work did Charles Darwin publish on 24 November 1859?
Possible answers:
- The Voyage of the Beagle
- The Descent of Man
- On the Origin of Species
- The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals
Explanation: On the Origin of Species sold out completely on its first day of publication. Darwin develops his theory of natural selection, according to which species evolve through the accumulation of hereditary variations favorable to survival.
Question 2 : In 1974, the fossil "Lucy" discovered in Ethiopia belongs to which prehistoric species?
Possible answers:
- Homo habilis
- Australopithecus afarensis
- Homo erectus
- Paranthropus boisei
Explanation: The nickname "Lucy" was given in reference to the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", which was playing on repeat at the researchers' camp during the celebration of the discovery. This Australopithecus afarensis fossil is approximately 3.2 million years old.
Question 3 : On November 24, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby. Where did this murder take place?
Possible answers:
- In the corridor of the Dallas courthouse
- On the sidewalk in front of the Dallas Police Department
- In the basement of the Dallas police station
- At Dallas Love Field airport
Explanation: Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner in Dallas, killed Oswald in front of television cameras, making this murder one of the first violent events broadcast live. Ruby died in prison in 1967 before his second trial.
Question 4 : What decree did Eugène Poubelle, prefect of the Seine, sign on November 24, 1883?
Possible answers:
- A decree establishing the paving of Paris streets
- A decree on household waste collection
- A decree on the sanitation of Seine river water
- A decree regulating open-air markets
Explanation: Eugène Poubelle required Parisian landlords to provide their tenants with closed containers to collect waste. His name has since entered the French language to refer to these containers, although he is sometimes wrongly credited as the inventor of the container itself.
Question 5 : On November 24, 1922, which leader received full powers in Italy?
Possible answers:
- Gabriele D'Annunzio
- Victor Emmanuel III
- Pietro Badoglio
- Benito Mussolini
Explanation: Mussolini had organized the March on Rome at the end of October 1922, forcing King Victor Emmanuel III to appoint him head of government. The full powers of November 24 allowed him to govern by decree, laying the foundations of his totalitarian regime, fascism.
Question 6 : On November 24, 1971, D. B. Cooper pulled off a famous criminal feat. What was it?
Possible answers:
- He robs the Federal Reserve of Seattle and disappears
- He hijacks a plane and disappears with 200,000 dollars
- He escapes from a high-security American prison
- He steals a valuable painting from the Portland museum and is never caught
Explanation: D. B. Cooper is the only unidentified hijacker in the history of American aviation. After jumping from a Boeing 727 with $200,000 in ransom money, he was never found. In 1980, bundles of bills matching the ransom were discovered on the banks of the Columbia River, but without giving any clue about his fate.
Question 7 : Which French painter and lithographer, born on November 24, 1864, is famous for his depictions of Parisian nightlife in Montmartre?
Possible answers:
- Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
- Edgar Degas
- Pierre Bonnard
- Paul Signac
Explanation: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec suffered from a bone disease that had stunted his growth to 1.52 m. He immortalized the Moulin Rouge and its performers in lithographic posters that became icons of Art Nouveau. He died at just 36 from the effects of alcoholism and syphilis.
Question 8 : What fundamental scientific theory did the publication of 'On the Origin of Species' help establish?
Possible answers:
- The theory of Mendelian genetics
- The theory of plate tectonics
- The theory of relativity
- The modern theory of evolution
Explanation: Before Darwin, the dominant view was fixism, the idea that species had been unchanging since their creation. The theory of evolution, since enriched by genetics and molecular biology, is today the central foundation of all life sciences.
Question 9 : What major political event took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on November 24, 1965?
Possible answers:
- Congo's independence from Belgium is proclaimed
- Mobutu Sese Seko's successful coup
- The assassination of President Patrice Lumumba
- The creation of the single ruling party in Kinshasa
Explanation: Mobutu Sese Seko's coup d'état launched a 32-year dictatorship in the Congo. He renamed the country "Zaire" in 1971 as part of his African authenticity policy and accumulated a massive fortune, becoming one of the symbols of African kleptocracy in the 20th century.
Question 10 : Carlo Collodi, born on November 24, 1826, is the author of a famous children's novel. Which one?
Possible answers:
- The Jungle Book
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
- The Adventures of Pinocchio
- Peter Pan
Explanation: Carlo Collodi published The Adventures of Pinocchio as a serial starting in 1881 in a Florentine newspaper. The wooden puppet whose nose grows when he lies has become one of the most adapted characters in cinema and theatre worldwide, notably by Walt Disney in 1940.
