The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What decisive battle on 14 October 1066 marked the beginning of the Norman conquest of England?
Possible answers:
- The Battle of Agincourt
- The Battle of Crécy
- The Battle of Hastings
- The Battle of Bouvines
Explanation: The Battle of Hastings is one of the most famous battles in medieval history. After his victory, William the Conqueror was crowned King of England on 25 December 1066 at Westminster Abbey, profoundly transforming the English language, culture and institutions.
Question 2 : On October 14, 1947, Chuck Yeager became the first man to break the sound barrier. What experimental plane was he flying during this feat?
Possible answers:
- The Lockheed SR-71
- The Bell X-1
- The North American X-15
- The Douglas D-558
Explanation: The Bell X-1, nicknamed 'Glamorous Glennis' by Yeager in tribute to his wife, was dropped from a B-29 bomber at high altitude before igniting its rockets. Yeager actually had two broken ribs the day before this historic flight, which he had hidden from his superiors.
Question 3 : On October 14, 1985, Coluche founded a charity that is still very active today. Which one?
Possible answers:
- Les Restos du Monde
- Les Restaurants du Cœur
- Les Banques alimentaires
- Le Secours populaire
Explanation: Les Restaurants du Cœur served their first meal on December 21, 1985. Since their founding, they have served more than 1 billion meals in France. The association owes its name to a song by Claude Nougaro. Coluche died in a motorcycle accident in June 1986, less than a year after founding it.
Question 4 : On October 14, 1806, two simultaneous battles pitted France against Prussia. Which French victory, often overshadowed by that of Jena, was won by Marshal Davout on that same day?
Possible answers:
- The Battle of Elchingen
- The Battle of Wagram
- The Battle of Auerstedt
- The Battle of Eylau
Explanation: The Battle of Auerstadt is considered by many historians to be even more remarkable than Jena: Davout, with only 27,000 men, defeated a Prussian army of 63,000 soldiers commanded by the Duke of Brunswick. Napoleon himself initially refused to believe Davout's report, thinking it was a mistake.
Question 5 : On October 14, 1964, what Nobel Prize was awarded to Martin Luther King?
Possible answers:
- The Nobel Prize in Literature
- The Nobel Peace Prize
- The Nobel Prize for Civil Rights
- The Nobel Prize in Medicine
Explanation: Martin Luther King received the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 35, becoming the youngest laureate of this prize at the time. He donated the entire sum (54,123 dollars) to the civil rights movement. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Question 6 : On October 14, 1962, an American U-2 spy plane flew over Cuba and triggered one of the most serious crises of the Cold War. Which pilot was carrying out this reconnaissance mission?
Possible answers:
- Francis Gary Powers
- Rudolf Anderson
- Chuck Yeager
- John Glenn
Explanation: Rudolf Anderson flew over Cuba and photographed Soviet missile installations. The crisis that followed lasted 13 days and brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Tragically, Anderson was shot down over Cuba on October 27, 1962, becoming the only direct casualty of the missile crisis.
Question 7 : On October 14, 2012, Felix Baumgartner performed a record freefall jump from a capsule at over 39,000 meters altitude. What maximum speed did he reach?
Possible answers:
- Mach 0.95
- Mach 1.24
- Mach 1.50
- Mach 1.10
Explanation: Felix Baumgartner reached Mach 1.24 during his fall, around 1,357 km/h, becoming the first human to break the sound barrier in freefall without a motorized vehicle. The jump was sponsored by Red Bull and named 'Stratos'. The freefall lasted around 4 minutes and 20 seconds before the parachute opened.
Question 8 : On October 14, 1670, which play by Molière was performed for the first time before Louis XIV at Chambord?
Possible answers:
- Tartuffe
- The Misanthrope
- The Bourgeois Gentleman
- The Learned Ladies
Explanation: Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme was created as a comédie-ballet, with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully. The play mocks M. Jourdain, a wealthy bourgeois eager to adopt the manners of the nobility. It contains the famous line about prose: "Good heavens! For more than forty years I have been speaking prose without knowing it."
Question 9 : Which country left the League of Nations on October 14, 1933, a few months after Adolf Hitler came to power?
Possible answers:
- Italy
- Japan
- Germany
- The Soviet Union
Explanation: Germany's withdrawal from the League of Nations in 1933 was a strong signal of the nationalist and rearmament turn taken by the Nazi regime. The League, created after World War I by the Treaty of Versailles, proved unable to prevent World War II and was officially dissolved in 1946, replaced by the UN.
Question 10 : In what field did Jim Hines become a pioneer at the Mexico City Olympic Games in October 1968?
Possible answers:
- First man to high jump over 2.30 m
- First man to run 100 m in under 10 seconds
- First man to throw the discus over 70 metres
- First man to run 200 m in under 20 seconds
Explanation: Jim Hines ran the 100 meters in 9.95 seconds at the Mexico City Olympics on October 14, 1968, becoming the first man to officially break the 10-second barrier over that distance in an official competition. Mexico City, perched at 2,240 meters above sea level, offered favorable conditions thanks to the thinner air that reduced resistance.
