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Can You Pass This History Quiz? 33 Questions You Must Know

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Can You Pass This History Quiz? 33 Questions You Must Know

About this quiz

History quiz: 33 questions about ancient wonders, great inventions, explorers and world-changing moments. 🏺

Pyramids, Pompeii, the printing press, the South Pole and a university older than the Aztec capital: how well do you know the past? Great for family quiz nights, road trips and classrooms.

❓ IN THIS QUIZ

  • Who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole?
  • On which island did Napoleon spend his final years?
  • What did the Rosetta Stone help people read?
  • Which is older: Oxford University or the Aztec capital?

💬 How many did you get right? Tell us your score in the comments. Which period of history do you find most fascinating?

How to play

  1. Read the question and look at the pictures.
  2. Pick your answer before the timer runs out (or switch the timer off).
  3. See if you were right and read the fun fact.
Answers and fun facts (spoilers!)
  1. How well do you know history? Who built the pyramids of Giza?
    Ancient Egyptians
    The Great Pyramid was the tallest human-made structure on Earth for over 3,800 years!
  2. Whose expedition was the first to sail all the way around the world?
    Ferdinand Magellan
    Magellan died on the way. Juan Sebastián Elcano led the ship home in 1522.
  3. Who invented the printing press with movable metal type in Europe?
    Johannes Gutenberg
    Gutenberg's press, around 1440, made books cheaper and spread ideas fast.
  4. What did the Wright brothers achieve in 1903?
    First powered flight
    Their first flight lasted just 12 seconds!
  5. Who was granted the first patent for the telephone?
    Alexander Graham Bell
    Bell received his telephone patent in 1876.
  6. In which country was the Magna Carta sealed in 1215?
    England
    The Magna Carta limited the king's power, and inspired later constitutions.
  7. Who was the UK's first female Prime Minister?
    Margaret Thatcher
    Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979.
  8. Where did the Vikings come from?
    Scandinavia
    Vikings came from what is now Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
  9. Which Roman city was buried by Mount Vesuvius in AD 79?
    Pompeii
    The ash preserved Pompeii so well that we can still see its streets, homes and paintings.
  10. What was the Renaissance?
    Rebirth of art & learning
    The Renaissance began in Italy in the 1300s and 1400s.
  11. Which civilization invented paper?
    China
    Papermaking is credited to China, around 2,000 years ago!
  12. Which US president led the country through the Civil War?
    Abraham Lincoln
    Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 declared freedom for enslaved people in the Confederacy.
  13. Which war was fought from 1914 to 1918?
    World War I
    World War I was called 'the Great War' at the time.
  14. In which year did the French Revolution begin?
    1789
    It began in 1789 with the storming of the Bastille on 14 July.
  15. Who was known as the Maid of Orléans?
    Joan of Arc
    Joan of Arc led French troops when she was just 17!
  16. Which empire was ruled from Constantinople for about 1,000 years?
    Byzantine Empire
    Constantinople is today's Istanbul.
  17. Which pharaoh's tomb was found almost untouched in 1922?
    Tutankhamun
    Howard Carter found Tutankhamun's tomb packed with treasure, including a golden mask.
  18. Who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole?
    Roald Amundsen
    Amundsen's team reached the South Pole in December 1911.
  19. In which country were the ancient Olympic Games held?
    Greece
    The ancient Olympics began at Olympia in 776 BC.
  20. In which year did the Great Fire of London happen?
    1666
    It burned for four days and destroyed most of the old city.
  21. Which British monarch reigned for 70 years?
    Elizabeth II
    Queen Elizabeth II reigned from 1952 to 2022, the longest of any British monarch.
  22. What was the ancient trade route between China and Europe called?
    Silk Road
    Silk, spices, ideas and inventions all travelled along the Silk Road.
  23. On which island did Napoleon spend his final years?
    Saint Helena
    He escaped from Elba, but not from Saint Helena in the South Atlantic!
  24. Which ancient wonder stood in Alexandria, Egypt?
    The Lighthouse
    The Lighthouse of Alexandria was one of the tallest structures of the ancient world.
  25. What language did the ancient Romans speak?
    Latin
    Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese all grew out of Latin!
  26. Which country launched the first satellite into space?
    Soviet Union
    Sputnik 1 was launched in 1957, starting the Space Race.
  27. Who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?
    Michelangelo
    Michelangelo painted it between 1508 and 1512.
  28. Which document declared American independence in 1776?
    Declaration
    The Declaration of Independence was adopted on 4 July 1776.
  29. Which wall did the Romans build across northern England?
    Hadrian's Wall
    Hadrian's Wall was begun in AD 122 and is about 117 km long.
  30. What disease was the Black Death?
    Plague
    The Black Death swept across Europe in the 1340s.
  31. What did the Rosetta Stone help people read?
    Hieroglyphs
    It had the same text in three scripts, which unlocked Egyptian hieroglyphs.
  32. What was the capital of the Aztecs?
    Tenochtitlan
    Tenochtitlan was founded in 1325, where Mexico City stands today.
  33. Final question! Which is older: Oxford University or the Aztec capital?
    Oxford University
    Teaching at Oxford dates back to at least 1096, over 200 years before Tenochtitlan was founded!