The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : In what year was the city of Lugdunum, today known as Lyon, founded?
Possible answers:
- -52
- -43
- -27
- -67
Explanation: Lugdunum was founded by Lucius Munatius Plancus, a Roman general close to Caesar and then to Augustus. It quickly became the capital of Gaul and one of the most important cities of the Western Roman Empire, with an aqueduct, an amphitheater, and a forum.
Question 2 : What landmark event took place in Tokyo on October 10, 1964?
Possible answers:
- The opening of a world's fair
- The opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games
- The signing of a Japanese-American peace treaty
- The launch of the first Japanese satellite
Explanation: The 1964 Tokyo Olympics were the first held in Asia and the first broadcast live, in color, and worldwide, reaching 800 million viewers. Japan also showcased the Shinkansen, its high-speed train, inaugurated just a few days before.
Question 3 : Which Italian composer, famous for operas like Aida and La Traviata, was born on October 10, 1813?
Possible answers:
- Giacomo Puccini
- Gaetano Donizetti
- Giuseppe Verdi
- Gioachino Rossini
Explanation: Giuseppe Verdi was born in Roncole, in the Duchy of Parma. His career coincided with the Risorgimento, the Italian unification movement, and his name became a patriotic acronym: "Viva V.E.R.D.I." meant "Viva Vittorio Emanuele Re D'Italia".
Question 4 : October 10, 1913 marked the completion of the excavation of which major feat of engineering?
Possible answers:
- The Suez Canal
- The Gotthard Tunnel
- The Canal du Midi
- The Panama Canal
Explanation: The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific over roughly 80 km. Its construction, taken over by the United States after the failure of Ferdinand de Lesseps's French company, took ten years and cost thousands of workers their lives, mainly due to yellow fever and malaria.
Question 5 : On October 10, 1954, what major political movement was founded in Algeria?
Possible answers:
- The Algerian National Movement
- The National Liberation Front
- The Algerian People's Party
- The Democratic Union of the Algerian Manifesto
Explanation: The Front de libération nationale (FLN) was created in secrecy and launched the Algerian War on November 1, 1954, with the attacks of the Red All Saints' Day. It led the armed struggle until the Évian Accords in 1962, which resulted in Algerian independence.
Question 6 : Which American jazz musician, known for his unique bebop style, was born on October 10, 1917?
Possible answers:
- Miles Davis
- John Coltrane
- Thelonious Monk
- Charles Mingus
Explanation: Thelonious Monk is considered one of the fathers of bebop along with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. His piano playing was characterized by unexpected silences, dissonances, and angular rhythms. He is one of the most recorded jazz composers in history.
Question 7 : On October 10, 1997, which French institution launched its digital library Gallica?
Possible answers:
- The National Library of France
- The National Audiovisual Institute
- The National Centre for the Book
- The National School of Charters
Explanation: Gallica, launched by the Bibliothèque nationale de France, is today one of the largest digital libraries in the world with more than 9 million documents freely accessible: books, newspapers, manuscripts, maps and photographs covering several centuries.
Question 8 : Which country is the explorer Fridtjof Nansen, born on October 10, 1861, originally from?
Possible answers:
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Finland
- Norway
Explanation: Fridtjof Nansen is an iconic figure of Norway. In 1888, he crossed Greenland on skis for the first time, then attempted to reach the North Pole in 1893-1896. After his career as an explorer, he became a diplomat and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 for his humanitarian work.
Question 9 : Which treaty, which came into force on 10 October 1967, governs the activities of states in outer space?
Possible answers:
- The Outer Space Treaty on space defense
- The Outer Space Treaty
- The Geneva Convention on military satellites
- The UN agreement on lunar demilitarization
Explanation: The Outer Space Treaty, or Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, was signed in 1967 by the USSR, the United States and the United Kingdom. It notably prohibits the placement of nuclear weapons in orbit and affirms that outer space is the common heritage of humanity.
Question 10 : In which decade did Fiji gain its independence, celebrated every October 10 as a national holiday?
Possible answers:
- The 1960s
- The 1980s
- The 1970s
- The 1950s
Explanation: Fiji became independent from the United Kingdom on October 10, 1970, after about 96 years of British colonization. It is a member of the Commonwealth. The country has since experienced several military coups, notably in 1987 and 2006, disrupting its democratic process.
