The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : In 1859, the Apache chief known as Geronimo adopted this nickname following a particular event. What is its origin?
Possible answers:
- He chose the name of a Catholic saint he venerated
- Mexicans shouted 'Geronimo!' invoking Saint Jerome to defend themselves against him
- It was the name of his ancestor who founded the Apache clan
- An American general gave him this nickname during a battle
Explanation: Geronimo, whose real name was Goyaałé, spent decades raiding Mexican and American armies to avenge his family. He only surrendered to the United States in 1886, after resisting with a handful of men against thousands of soldiers. His name is still shouted today by American paratroopers when they jump.
Question 2 : The Munich Agreement, signed on 30 September 1938, put an end to which international crisis?
Possible answers:
- The Austrian Anschluss crisis
- The Danzig Corridor crisis
- The Sudetenland crisis
- The Rhineland crisis
Explanation: The Munich Agreement was signed by Hitler, Mussolini, Daladier and Chamberlain. It allowed Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland, a German-speaking region of Czechoslovakia. The policy of appeasement that prevailed there is today considered a major strategic mistake, as it did not prevent World War II.
Question 3 : The Rosetta space probe deliberately crashed onto comet Chury on 30 September 2016. Which space agency had launched this mission?
Possible answers:
- NASA
- The Japanese space agency JAXA
- The European Space Agency (ESA)
- Roscosmos, the Russian space agency
Explanation: Rosetta was a mission of the European Space Agency launched in 2004. It had successfully landed the Philae lander on Chury in November 2014, a world first. Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, nicknamed Chury, measures about 4 km long and has a distinctive duck-like shape.
Question 4 : In 1791, Mozart's work titled The Magic Flute was performed for the first time. What type of musical work is it?
Possible answers:
- A symphony
- An opera
- An oratorio
- A piano concerto
Explanation: The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte) is Mozart's last opera, premiered in Vienna just 2 months before his death in December 1791. It is a singspiel, a form of German opera mixing singing and spoken dialogue. The libretto by Emmanuel Schikaneder is filled with Masonic symbolism. The work is today one of the most performed operas in the world.
Question 5 : On September 30, 1991, Jean-Bertrand Aristide was overthrown in a coup in Haiti. What was his role in the country?
Possible answers:
- Prime Minister
- President of the Republic
- Commander-in-Chief of the armies
- Head of Parliament
Explanation: Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a Salesian priest, had been elected president of Haiti in December 1990, during the country's first free elections. His overthrow by General Raoul Cédras plunged Haiti into a three-year crisis. Aristide was restored to power in 1994 thanks to a US military intervention, and re-elected president in 2000.
Question 6 : September 30, 1772 marks a major event for Poland. Which one?
Possible answers:
- The proclamation of the Polish constitution
- The election of a new King of Poland
- The first partition of Poland
- Poland's entry into the anti-Ottoman coalition
Explanation: The first partition of Poland in 1772 was carried out by Prussia, Austria, and Russia, who divided approximately 30% of Polish territory among themselves. There were two more partitions, in 1793 and 1795, the latter causing Poland to disappear from the map of Europe for 123 years, until the end of World War I.
Question 7 : Marion Cotillard, born on September 30, 1975, won an Oscar for playing which French personality on screen?
Possible answers:
- Simone Veil
- Coco Chanel
- Édith Piaf
- Marie Curie
Explanation: Marion Cotillard won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2008 for her role in 'La Vie en Rose' (2007) by Olivier Dahan. She portrays Édith Piaf from childhood to death. It was the 2nd Oscar for Best Actress awarded to a French actress, after Simone Signoret in 1960 for 'Room at the Top'.
Question 8 : In 1748, French general Dupleix successfully defended Pondicherry against British troops. What European conflict was this episode part of?
Possible answers:
- The Seven Years' War
- The Thirty Years' War
- The War of the Austrian Succession
- The War of the Spanish Succession
Explanation: Joseph François Dupleix was governor general of the French settlements in India from 1742 to 1754. His defense of Pondicherry against the British in 1748 was a success, but the War of the Austrian Succession ended with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which did not favor France in India. Dupleix was ultimately recalled to France in 1754, putting an end to French influence in the subcontinent.
Question 9 : Elie Wiesel, born on September 30, 1928, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. What is he mainly known for?
Possible answers:
- His diplomatic work for peace in the Middle East
- His testimony and commitment against forgetting the Shoah
- His mediation during the Cold War between East and West
- His humanitarian actions in favor of African refugees
Explanation: Elie Wiesel, a survivor of the Auschwitz and Buchenwald camps, is the author of 'Night' (1958), a landmark testimony about the Holocaust. The Nobel committee described him as a 'messenger of peace' and a 'voice of those whose voice had been silenced'. He also served as an advisor to several American presidents and was co-founder of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity.
Question 10 : On September 30, 2016, the Rosetta probe ended its mission by crashing into comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P). How many years did this space mission last?
Possible answers:
- About 6 years
- About 20 years
- About 12 years
- About 8 years
Explanation: Rosetta was launched on March 2, 2004 from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, and the mission ended on September 30, 2016, more than 12 years after its launch. The probe had traveled more than 6 billion kilometers. By landing on 67P, it transmitted its final scientific data, including information on the comet's composition that could shed light on the origin of water on Earth.
