History quiz

Ancient empires, great battles, explorers and the twentieth century. Ten history questions, each with the story behind the answer.

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Question 1 of 10
Which secret U.S. program flew ex-Nazi rocket scientists into the space race?
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The answer is Operation Paperclip. Operation Paperclip brought Wernher von Braun and hundreds of German engineers to the U.S., jump-starting Army missiles and, later, NASA’s Saturn V.
Question 2 of 10
Which three-word slogan filled avatars after the Jan 2015 Paris newsroom attack, pens up in solidarity?
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The answer is Je suis Charlie. Je suis Charlie (“I am Charlie”) became a global banner for free expression after the Charlie Hebdo attack. The stark black-and-white design by art director Joachim Roncin spread worldwide within hours.
Question 3 of 10
Which ocean liner’s 1915 sinking helped tilt U.S. opinion on the war?
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The answer is RMS Lusitania. A German U-boat torpedoed Lusitania off Ireland, killing civilians and shocking American public opinion.
Question 4 of 10
Which battle maimed Don Quixote’s author, Miguel de Cervantes?
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The answer is Battle of Lepanto. At Lepanto in 1571, Cervantes was hit by Ottoman gunfire and lost the use of his left hand. He proudly called himself “El manco de Lepanto.”
Question 5 of 10
Which Inca stronghold crowns Cusco with jigsaw‑fit megalithic walls?
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The answer is Sacsayhuamán. Sacsayhuamán’s cyclopean blocks lock so tightly a blade can’t slide between them.
Question 6 of 10
Which Portuguese-built fortress in present-day Ghana was founded in 1482?
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The answer is Elmina Castle. Built in 1482 as São Jorge da Mina, Elmina anchored Portugal’s Gold Coast trade and the Atlantic’s grim circuits.
Question 7 of 10
Which deal’s secret maps carved up Poland in 1939?
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The answer is Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. The Nazi–Soviet pact split Eastern Europe into spheres, clearing the way for invasion.
Question 8 of 10
Who breathed life into bones stolen from Mictlan to make humans anew?
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The answer is Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl retrieved ancestral bones from the underworld and revived them with his essence.
Question 9 of 10
Who was the longest-reigning Ottoman sultan?
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The answer is Suleiman the Magnificent. Suleiman the Magnificent ruled for 46 years (1520-1566), the longest Ottoman reign.
Question 10 of 10
Who invented the power loom?
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The answer is Edmund Cartwright. Edmund Cartwright invented the power loom in 1785.

10 more history questions with answers

In 2010, which Tunisian town lit the Arab Spring after a fruit seller’s protest?
Alexandria · Tunis · Sidi Bouzid · Benghazi
Answer: Sidi Bouzid. Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation in Sidi Bouzid sparked protests that spread across the region.
Which Danish king bankrolled Tycho Brahe’s island observatory Uraniborg on Hven?
Frederick II of Denmark · Frederick III of Denmark · Christian IV of Denmark · Christian III of Denmark
Answer: Frederick II of Denmark. Frederick II granted Tycho the island of Hven and funds to build Uraniborg. After his death, support waned, pushing Tycho to leave Denmark for Prague.
Which Crimean War fight sparked Tennyson’s poem about a doomed cavalry charge?
Battle of Alma · Battle of Balaklava · Battle of Inkerman · Siege of Sevastopol
Answer: Battle of Balaklava. The Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava in 1854, born of muddled orders, inspired Tennyson’s famous verses about duty and disaster.
Which Roman wall runs coast to coast and dots the moors with milecastles?
Antonine Wall · Hadrian's Wall · Limes Germanicus · Saxon Shore forts
Answer: Hadrian's Wall. Hadrian’s frontier in Britannia spanned about 117 km, controlling movement with forts and gates.
Who explored the Hudson River?
Abel Tasman · Willem Barentsz · Peter Minuit · Henry Hudson
Answer: Henry Hudson. Henry Hudson explored the Hudson River in 1609.
Who invented the telegraph?
Thomas Edison · Alexander Graham Bell · Guglielmo Marconi · Samuel Morse
Answer: Samuel Morse. Samuel Morse invented the telegraph and Morse code in the 1830s.
Which courthouse hosted the Nuremberg Trials?
Reich Chancellery (Berlin) · Volksgerichtshof (Berlin) · Palace of Justice (Nuremberg) · Reichstag Building (Berlin)
Answer: Palace of Justice (Nuremberg). The trials were held in Nuremberg’s Palace of Justice, chosen for its intact courthouse and symbolic Nazi past.
What was the Marshall Plan?
US military alliance · US nuclear program · US aid to rebuild Europe · US space program
Answer: US aid to rebuild Europe. The Marshall Plan provided US economic aid to rebuild Europe after World War II.
Which undersea link let trains zip from Folkestone to Calais starting in 1994?
Seikan Tunnel · Øresund Bridge · Gotthard Base Tunnel · Channel Tunnel
Answer: Channel Tunnel. The 50‑km Channel Tunnel created a fixed UK–France link, with Shuttle trains carrying cars and trucks.
At judgment, which feather weighs a heart to see if it’s light enough for paradise?
Djed pillar · Scarab of Khepri · Eye of Horus · Feather of Ma’at
Answer: Feather of Ma’at. In Egypt’s Hall of Ma’at, a heart is balanced against Ma’at’s feather of truth to judge the soul.

About this history quiz

The questions come from the history topics in DoYouKno, from ancient civilisations and world mythology to the industrial revolution, the world wars and the Cold War.

Every answer comes with a short explanation, so even a wrong guess teaches you something.