1. The Punic Wars! They were fought between Romans and Carthaginians, this I know. And I know also that there were three of them. But when? Let's take the first one: when did it start? 4 AD 476 BC 264 BC 89 BC

2. Ferdinand Magellan: I remember he sailed from Spain to circumnavigate the entire world, but going westward he went as far as the Philippines where he was killed in battle by the natives. The problem is the usual one: I'm not sure in what year or even in what century he died. 1457 1634 1399 1521

3. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark: my favourite explorers and a great western story. Let me think: they started from Camp Dubois (Illinois) in the year ...? 1824 1844 1804 1784

4. The Battle of Culloden. I never studied it at school, but I know it thanks to a very impressive film by Peter Watkins. The Hanoverians beat the Jacobites, but when, exactly? 1746 1529 1638 1836

5. Tutankhamun or King Tut: I clearly have in my mind his golden mask. He's the Egyptian king whose tomb was discovered nearly intact and full of treasures, right? But the Egyptian Kingdom lasted so long: how can I know when Tut lived, and when he died? Can you guess the presumed year of his premature end? 3674 BC 2578 BC 1324 BC 895 BC

6. Alexander the Great, King of Macedon. He left home with an army and in few years he subdued much of the known world. One of his victories was at Issus, where he defeated King of Persia Darius III for the first time. This is one of the easiest dates to remember for me. So: when was Battle of Issus? 444 BC 666 BC 222 BC 333 BC

7. The Thirty Years' War. So I know how long it lasted: but when did it start? 1529-59 1618-48 1712-42 1490-1520

8. The most famous painting in the world? Mona Lisa, or La Gioconda. Who painted it? Leonardo da Vinci. Very good. Now another question: when did Leonardo start working on the painting? 1573 1601 1460 1503

9. The cinema, the Movies, the Magic of the Silver Screen. It all started thanks to the Lumiere Brothers, in France, many, many years ago. But exactly, how many? In what year was the first film shown to a paying audience by those brilliant brothers? 1895 1905 1875 1915

10. To end the quiz, I got another date that I've never forgotten since I learnt it at school because it easy to remember. When was Charlemagne crowned Emperor by the Pope? 400 1100 1000 800