Trivia Cafe

100 History Trivia Questions and Answers

Wars, treaties, rulers and turning points, from antiquity to the recent past.

Every question below is shown with its answer, so you can scan the whole set, pick the ones you want, and run a round without clicking through. They are free to use for quiz nights, classrooms and pub quizzes. Where a question has extra background, it links to the full explanation.

  1. 1.What wall divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989?

    Answer: Berlin Wall

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  2. 2.Which ancient wonder was located in Alexandria, Egypt?

    Answer: The Lighthouse

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  3. 3.Which empire was ruled by Genghis Khan?

    Answer: Mongol Empire

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  4. 4.During which President's term in office did each of these historical events occur? a. U.S. hostages released from Iran? b. Stock Market crashed 1929 c. First 7 states seceded from the union

    Answer: a. REAGAN - 81 b. HOOVER c. BUCHANAN - 1860-61

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  5. 5.In June, 1994, the French, British and Americans celebrated the 50th anniversary of what event?

    Answer: D-DAY - Brit, Amer, and Canadian forces landed on Normandy beaches and began liberation of Europe from German control

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  6. 6.What is the second largest city in Japan?

    Answer: YOKOHAMA

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  7. 7.English history: Name any year during which Henry VIII reigned.

    Answer: 1509 to 1547

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  8. 8.From which building in Dallas, Texas, did Lee Harvey Oswald shoot the bullets that killed President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963?

    Answer: DALLAS BOOK DEPOSITORY

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  9. 9.Which U.S. President, who served from 1845-1849, was in office at the beginning of the California gold rush?

    Answer: JAMES K. POLK

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  10. 10.Around 1680, when King Charles II repaid a debt owed to his father, this 35-year-old man received a huge parcel of land on the western bank of the Delaware River which eventually became a state bearing his name. What was his name?

    Answer: WILLIAM PENN

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  11. 11.In both 1978 the Nobel Peace Prize was shared by two former political adversaries. Who were they?

    Answer: ANWAR SADAT / MENACHEM BEGIN

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  12. 12.This German field marshal commanded the African Korps during World War II. After he was implicated in a plot to kill Hitler in 1944, he took his life. He was nicknamed the "desert fox." Who was he?

    Answer: ERWIN ROMMEL

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  13. 13.Which important historical figure was nicknamed “the Little Corporal”?

    Answer: NAPOLEON BONAPARTE 1769-1821

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  14. 14.George and Martha Washington are buried on the grounds of their estate in Virginia, which is called what?

    Answer: MOUNT VERNON

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  15. 15.In 1938, Mussolini banned all American cartoons in Italy, except for which one?

    Answer: MICKEY MOUSE

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  16. 16.Besides the hanging Gardens of Babylon, the other six "Wonders of the Ancient World" were located in which three countries?

    Answer: GREECE / EGYPT / TURKEY

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  17. 17.What was the first state to enter the union after the original thirteen?

    Answer: VERMONT

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  18. 18.He was a Persian mathematician, astrologer, and poet who lived about 900 years ago. He wrote a major treatise on algebra, he was appointed by the Shah of Persia to reform the calendar, but most famously he wrote a number of poems celebrating the pleasures of life. Who was he?

    Answer: OMAR KHAYYAM

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  19. 19.Which country suffered the most deaths of military personnel in World War II?

    Answer: SOVIET UNION (approximately 8.7 to 10.7 million military deaths)

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  20. 20.In 1774 Rhode Island was the first U.S. state to ban something which is now illegal in all states. What was it?

    Answer: THE IMPORTATION OF SLAVES (SLAVE TRADE) — Rhode Island banned the importation of slaves in 1774, not slavery itself.

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  21. 21.When this explosive noise occurred in August, 1883, it equaled the sound of 3,000 atomic bombs, could be heard 2,200 miles away, and debris was scattered 4000 miles away. What was it that exploded?

    Answer: KRAKATOA - volvano in indonesia

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  22. 22.In 1940, seven months after the outbreak of World War II, Winston Churchill replaced which person as British prime minister?

    Answer: NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN

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  23. 23.What pair of economic philosophers were the driving force behind communism when they wrote the 1848 book "The Communist Manifesto"?

    Answer: KARL MARX / FRIEDRICH ENGELS

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  24. 24.When, in 1941, General Douglas MacArthur said "I shall return," to which country was he referring?

    Answer: PHILIPPINES

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  25. 25.During World War I, the allies, Britain, France, the USA primarily fought against Germany and which two major forces?

    Answer: AUSTRIA-HUNGARY / TURKEY

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  26. 26.When future President of the United States Andrew Jackson established this city in 1819 he named it after an ancient city of Egypt. What is it?

    Answer: MEMPHIS but not alexandria, va. which is much older

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  27. 27.In 1891 Mr. W.L. Judson invented a small metalic object that most people make use of, men a bit more than women. What was it?

    Answer: ZIPPER

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  28. 28.Which city, founded in 1565, could rightfully be called the oldest existing city in the U.S.?

    Answer: ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

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  29. 29.Which Frenchman is credited with having laid out and designed the city of Washington, D.C.?

    Answer: PIERRE L'ENFANT

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  30. 30.Can you name three other Presidents besides Clinton whose first name was William?

    Answer: William Henry Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft

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  31. 31.June 6, 1944 is known as D-Day, when in the early daylight at low tide about 5,000 Allied ships invaded the coastline in what part of France?

    Answer: NORMANDY the final drive to liberate Europe was under way.

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  32. 32.The earliest account of European travel to the far east was provided by what Venetian traveler who explored Asia from 1271 to 1295?

    Answer: MARCO POLO His Travels of Marco Polo was the only account of the Far East available to Europeans until the 17th century.

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  33. 33.America's first home made production sports car was released in 1953. What kind of car was it?

    Answer: CHEVROLET CORVETTE

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  34. 34.What period of human culture followed the Stone Age and preceded the Iron Age?

    Answer: BRONZE AGE

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  35. 35.Which country of the world has the oldest written constitution still in force today?

    Answer: UNITED STATES

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  36. 36.President Franklin D. Roosevelt referred to the date Dec. 7, 1941 with an ominous quotation. What happened on that date, and how did FDR refer to it?

    Answer: PEARL HARBOR ATTACK BY JAPANESE / "THE DATE WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY"

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  37. 37.On August 7, 1963, Jacqueline Kennedy gave birth to a son, who died 2 days later. What was his name?

    Answer: PATRICK BOUVIER KENNEDY

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  38. 38.Around 500 B.C., during the golden age of the Greek civilization, what were the three most important city-states of Greece?

    Answer: ATHENS / SPARTA / CORINTH

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  39. 39.After the union of England and Scotland, in 1707 this woman became the first monarch of Great Britain and Ireland. Later in life, through overeating, she grew so fat she had to be carried. Who was she?

    Answer: ANNE, QUEEN OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND

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  40. 40.This English woman organized the hospital and nursing services during the Crimean War, in 1854, and later became known as the originator of modern nursing techniques. What was her name?

    Answer: FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

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  41. 41.Because this English military hero was killed in 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar off the coast of Spain, his statue stands in the center of Trafalgar Square in London. Who is he?

    Answer: ADMIRAL LORD NELSON

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  42. 42.Because the Indian tribes living in this region were so friendly, the Spanish named this region after the Spanish and Indian words which mean "friends" or "allies." Today this region is the state with which name?

    Answer: TEXAS Spanish and Indian words tejas and techas, meaning "friends" or "allies."

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  43. 43.Which American general and supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in World War II launched the invasion of Normandy in 1944 and oversaw the final defeat of Germany in 1945?

    Answer: DWIGHT DAVID EISENHOWER

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  44. 44.From 1859 to 1869, the Suez Canal was designed, engineered, and constructed by a company from which country?

    Answer: FRANCE

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  45. 45.In 1966, American POW Jeremiah Denton sent a message to his superiors about prisoner treatment from the North Vietnamese military during a staged televised interview that was telecast back to the United States. What was the one-word message Denton sent by blinking his eyes in Morse code?

    Answer: T-O-R-T-U-R-E

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  46. 46.A few questions about the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor: a. On which island is Pearl Harbor located? b. On which date did this attack occur? c. What three-word phrase did President Roosevelt use to describe the day of this attack?

    Answer: a. OAHU b. DECEMBER 7, 1941 c. DAY OF INFAMY

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  47. 47.Presidential extremes: a. At 6'4", who was the tallest President? b. At 5'4", who was the shortest President?

    Answer: a. ABRAHAM LINCOLN b. JAMES MADISON

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  48. 48.The second wife of King Henry VIII was convicted of adultery and beheaded. Who was this woman, the mother of Queen Elizabeth I?

    Answer: ANNE BOLEYN

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  49. 49.Which person selected the location which later became the District of Columbia (by act of Congress in 1790)?

    Answer: GEORGE WASHINGTON

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  50. 50.What was the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel?

    Answer: EGYPT

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  51. 51.In which year did Persia change its name to Iran - 1535, 1735, or 1935?

    Answer: 1935

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  52. 52.From 1309 to 1378 , the popes of the Roman Catholic church did not sit in Rome. Which city was the seat of the papacy?

    Answer: AVIGNON, FRANCE

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  53. 53.Before Sacramento became California's capital city in 1854, five other places hosted the seat of California's government. Can you name them?

    Answer: LOS ANGELES / MONTEREY / SAN JOSE / BENICIA / VALLEJO

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  54. 54.Thirty-six columns surround the Lincoln Memorial. What do they represent?

    Answer: 36 U.S. STATES AT TIME OF LINCOLN'S DEATH

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  55. 55.What king of Mesopotamia, who lived from 1792-1750 BC, put the laws of his country into a formal code?

    Answer: HAMMURABI

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  56. 56.During which President's term in office did each of these historical events occur? a British captured Washington, D.C. b. Panama Canal opened to traffic? c. After the Russians invaded a foreign country this President reacted by imposing a grain embargo

    Answer: a. JAMES MADISON - 1814 b. WILSON - 1914 c. JIMMY CARTER - 80

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  57. 57.The years between 1650 and 1750, in which European thinkers exhibited rational thought and optimism in human development, has been named two different ways. What are they?

    Answer: AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT / AGE OF REASON

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  58. 58.Which emperor of Rome, around 300 AD, was first to become a Christian?

    Answer: CONSTANTINE I = CONSTANTINE THE GREAT

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  59. 59.June 29, 1995 - The U.S. space shuttle Atlantis successfully docked with the Russian space station called what?

    Answer: MIR

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  60. 60.In 1802, E.I. DuPont established a factory that developed into the worldwide firm Du Pont. The DuPont family made their early riches selling what?

    Answer: GUNPOWDER

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  61. 61.By what name do we call the series of European power struggles fought from 1618-48?

    Answer: THIRTY YEARS' WAR

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  62. 62.Abraham Lincoln had two vice Presidents: the first had H as an initial, and the second became President upon Lincoln's death. Who were they?

    Answer: HANNIBAL HAMLIN / ANDREW JOHNSON

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  63. 63.What was the name of the Greek physician, from 400 B.C., who showed that diseases have only natural, not supernatural, causes?

    Answer: HIPPOCRATES

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  64. 64.Which city in New York is named for an ancient city in Sicily?

    Answer: SYRACUSE founded in the eighth century B.C.

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  65. 65.When, according to legend, a Trojan Horse was used to help win a war, which two armies were fighting, and what is the current name for the country where this war occurred?

    Answer: GREEKS / TROJANS / TURKEY

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  66. 66.Beginning around 1000 BC, the first King of Israel was Saul. Who were the next two?

    Answer: DAVID / his son SOLOMON

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  67. 67.French army officer Alfred Dreyfuss and Henri Charriere, author of Papillon, were two of the most famous residents of which penal colony off the coast of French Guiana?

    Answer: DEVIL'S ISLAND

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  68. 68.An English colonist in Virginia, John Rolfe, introduced and planted tobacco in the colonies. In 1614, he married the daughter of a local indian chief and went to England to live with her. What was her name?

    Answer: POCAHONTAS

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  69. 69.As the waters of the great flood receded, Noah's Ark supposedly came to rest on what mountain, located today in what country?

    Answer: MT. ARARAT / TURKEY

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  70. 70.BONUS: In 399 BC, at the age of 70, Socrates was convicted and sentenced to death by drinking poison, for what crime?

    Answer: IMPIETY / CORRUPTING THE YOUTH BY QUESTIONING TRADITION

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  71. 71.The Declaration of Independence was written primarily by which person?

    Answer: THOMAS JEFFERSON

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  72. 72.On November 15, 1864, during the U.S. Civil War, which general in the northern army burned Atlanta?

    Answer: WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN 1820-1891.

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  73. 73.During the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese forces were able to move soldiers and supplies along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which passed along the border of Vietnam and what two countries?

    Answer: LAOS / CAMBODIA

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  74. 74.What was the name of the U.S. Army Lieutenant court-martialled for permitting atrocities in Vietnam in 1971?

    Answer: LT. WILLIAM CALLEY

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  75. 75.Who created the phrase, "Fifteen Minutes of Fame"?

    Answer: ANDY WARHOL

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  76. 76.In April, 1982, war broke out between two very unlikely enemies, countries located almost 7,000 miles apart, in a neutral location. Who were the opponents, and generally where did they fight?

    Answer: BRITAIN vs. ARGENTINA / FALKLANDS WAR

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  77. 77.During World War II the Japanese foot soldiers invaded a land region that is today part of United States. What is it?

    Answer: ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (specifically Attu and Kiska) or ALASKA TERRITORY (now part of Alaska)

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  78. 78.In 1843, Congress granted Samuel F.B. Morse $30,000 to build the first telegraph line between two cities located about 30 miles apart from each other. What were they?

    Answer: WASHINGTON AND BALTIMORE

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  79. 79.Around the time of the first World War, all the countries along the Mediterranean coast of Northern Africa were controlled by France or Great Britain, except for Libya, which was controlled by which other European nation?

    Answer: ITALY

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  80. 80.The United Kingdom of Great Britain, consisting of England, Scotland, and Wales, was formed in which year, ending with the digits "07"?

    Answer: 1707

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  81. 81.The father of Queen Elizabeth II was king of Britain from 1936 until 1952. What was his name?

    Answer: KING GEORGE VI

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  82. 82.Who was the first US President to live in the White House?

    Answer: JOHN ADAMS

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  83. 83.Which Mongol leader lead the attack of Baghdad in 13th century?

    Answer: Hulagu Khan

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  84. 84.The first African slaves were brought to the colonies in America in 1619 by which nationality of Europeans?

    Answer: DUTCH

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  85. 85.Just before the US Civil war, what were the first two states to secede from the union?

    Answer: SOUTH CAROLINA (first) / MISSISSIPPI (second)

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  86. 86.From 330 A.D. until World War II, two major world empires were centered in the region of today's Istanbul. What empires?

    Answer: BYZANTINE / OTTOMAN

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  87. 87.In Oakland, California in 1966 Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded what militant organization which called upon blacks to arm themselves for a confrontation against their white oppressors?

    Answer: BLACK PANTHERS

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  88. 88.Between 1847 and 1854 more than one million people left this European country and emigrated to the United States and elsewhere. What nationality were these people, and what natural event caused their mass emigration?

    Answer: IRELAND / POTATO FAMINE

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  89. 89.At the height of its greatness in the late 19th and early 20th century, it included 25% of the world's population and area. What was it?

    Answer: BRITISH EMPIRE

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  90. 90.Of California, Oregon, and Washington, which was the first to become a U.S. state?

    Answer: (CALIFORNIA) IN 1850 - 31st state

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  91. 91.The oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the Western Hemisphere was established in 1496 by Bartholomew Columbus (Christopher's brother), and today it is capital of its country. What city is it?

    Answer: SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

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  92. 92.This 18th century radical French political leader helped execute thousands of people without trial during the Reign of Terror. After a public reaction against his extreme policies, he was executed without trial himself. Who was he?

    Answer: ROBESPIERRE

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  93. 93.According to the opinion of President Lincoln, which best-selling 1852 novel helped bring on the American Civil War?

    Answer: "UNCLE TOM'S CABIN"

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  94. 94.What 1455 book was the first ever printed using movable, reusable type?

    Answer: GUTENBERG BIBLE

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  95. 95.During the Civil War, were these states Union or Confederate? A. West Virginia b. Kentucky c. Texas

    Answer: a. UNION b. UNION c. CONFEDERATE

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  96. 96.This British soldier, adventurer, and writer led a rebellion of Arabs against the Ottoman Turks in World War I. Who was he and which actor played him on film?

    Answer: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA / T. E. LAWRENCE / PETER O'TOOLE

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  97. 97.The wife of Nicholas II was the last czarina of Russia (1894-1917). After the Bolshevik revolution, she and her family were imprisoned and executed. Who was she?

    Answer: ALEXANDRA 1872-1918.

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  98. 98.In 1513, this Spanish explorer was searching for something supernatural, and discovered Florida. Who was he and what was he searching for?

    Answer: PONCE DE LEON / FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

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  99. 99.British explorer Richard Burton set out to Africa in 1858 to discover what?

    Answer: SOURCE OF THE NILE RIVER but he was not successful

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  100. 100.Although accused of Nazi associations during WWII, he served as Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972-81, then was elected President of Austria in 1986. Who was he?

    Answer: KURT WALDHEIM

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