The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : What radio event by Orson Welles, on October 30, 1938, is said to have caused a panic among some American listeners?
Possible answers:
- A reading of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein
- The radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
- A broadcast simulating a speech by Hitler invading the United States
- A live broadcast of a fictional plane crash over New York
Explanation: The broadcast of The War of the Worlds by Orson Welles on CBS was presented as a news bulletin simulating an alien invasion. The actual extent of the panic was greatly exaggerated by the press of the time, eager to discredit radio as a competitor to print media.
Question 2 : On October 30, 1961, the Tsar Bomba exploded over the Russian archipelago of Novaya Zemlya. What makes it a unique bomb in history?
Possible answers:
- It's the first neutron bomb ever tested
- It's the bomb that exploded highest in the atmosphere
- It's the most powerful bomb ever developed
- It's the first Soviet thermonuclear bomb tested outside the continental territory
Explanation: The Tsar Bomba, developed by the USSR, had an estimated power of 50 megatons, about 3,300 times the Hiroshima bomb. The shockwave circled the Earth 3 times and was detected as far as New Zealand.
Question 3 : On October 30, 1922, Mussolini formed a fascist government. What event had just opened the doors to power for him a few days earlier?
Possible answers:
- His election to Parliament as leader of the absolute majority
- The march on Rome by his Blackshirts
- The assassination of the sitting Prime Minister by his supporters
- A popular referendum in his favor held in northern Italy
Explanation: The March on Rome (October 27-29, 1922) saw tens of thousands of Blackshirts converge on the Italian capital. Faced with this show of force, King Victor Emmanuel III refused to declare a state of siege and appointed Mussolini Prime Minister, thus sparing him an actual military coup.
Question 4 : On October 30, 1995, Quebecers voted in a referendum on sovereignty. Which side won, and by what margin?
Possible answers:
- Yes, with 51.2% of the votes
- No, with 50.58% of the votes
- No, with 55.3% of the votes
- Yes, with 50.2% of the votes
Explanation: The No side won with just 50.58% of the vote, a margin of about 50,000 votes out of more than 4.7 million voters. It was the closest referendum in Canadian history, with an exceptional turnout of nearly 94%.
Question 5 : In 1794, the French National Convention founded an institution considered the ancestor of the École normale supérieure. What was its original name?
Possible answers:
- The Republican Central School of the Arts
- The National Institute of Revolutionary Education
- The École normale de l'an III
- The Academy of Popular Sciences of the Republic
Explanation: The École normale de l'an III, founded on 30 October 1794, had the mission of training teachers capable of spreading the Enlightenment throughout the Republic. It quickly closed its doors in 1795, but was refounded in 1808 by Napoleon under the name École normale, before taking the name École normale supérieure in the XIXth century.
Question 6 : John Adams, born on October 30, 1735, is known for being the 2nd president of the United States. What other important role had he held before becoming president?
Possible answers:
- Secretary of State under George Washington
- Vice President of the United States under George Washington
- Governor of the State of Virginia
- United States Ambassador to France
Explanation: John Adams was George Washington's vice president during both of his terms (1789-1797), before succeeding him as president. He is also one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, a signer of the Declaration of Independence of 1776, and the father of John Quincy Adams, who would become the 6th president.
Question 7 : On October 30, 1918, the Armistice of Mudros ended the war between the Allies and which empire?
Possible answers:
- The Austro-Hungarian Empire
- The Ottoman Empire
- The Bulgarian Empire
- The German Empire
Explanation: The Armistice of Mudros, signed aboard the British battleship HMS Agamemnon in the port of Mudros (island of Lemnos), marked the capitulation of the Ottoman Empire. It paved the way for the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920, then the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, which established the borders of modern Turkey.
Question 8 : On October 30, 1980, comedian Coluche announced his candidacy for the 1981 French presidential election. What percentage of voting intentions did polls give him at one point?
Possible answers:
- 8% of voting intentions
- 12% of voting intentions
- 16% of voting intentions
- 21% of voting intentions
Explanation: Credited with 16% in the polls at his peak, Coluche seriously destabilized the political class. Rumors of pressure and tragic events (including the narrowly avoided murder of his friend Romain Goupil, and the death of his bodyguard) contributed to his withdrawal in March 1981. He then focused on creating Les Restos du Cœur in 1985.
Question 9 : Which French poet, born on October 30, 1871, is especially known for his major poetic work titled La Jeune Parque?
Possible answers:
- André Gide
- Paul Valéry
- Guillaume Apollinaire
- Stéphane Mallarmé
Explanation: Paul Valéry, a member of the Académie française, published La Jeune Parque in 1917 after twenty years of poetic silence. A friend of Mallarmé and a central figure of symbolism, he is also famous for Le Cimetière marin (1920). Valéry was elected to the Académie française in 1925 and refused the title of marshal of letters that Pétain offered him.
Question 10 : In 2012, a company acquired Lucasfilm, the production company founded by George Lucas and creator of Star Wars. Which company made this acquisition?
Possible answers:
- Sony Pictures Entertainment
- The Walt Disney Company
- Warner Bros. Entertainment
- Universal Pictures
Explanation: The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm on October 30, 2012 for around 4 billion dollars. This acquisition allowed Disney to launch a new Star Wars trilogy (starting in 2015) as well as many spin-off series and films. Lucasfilm also owned Industrial Light & Magic, a world reference in special effects.
