It Happened in 1800 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Infrared radiation

Infrared are wavelengths that are longer than those of visible light and cannot be seen by the human eye. Sir William Herschel discovered this light had lower energy than red light, which is why it's called infrared. Infrared is now used in science, military, commercial, and medical fields.

Answer: HMS Queen Charlotte

The HMS Queen Charlotte was designed by Edward Hunt, and first launched on April 15, 1790. Four years later, it was the flagship of Admiral Lord Howe at The Battle of the Glorious First of June during the French Revolutionary Wars.

On March 17, 1800, it was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Lord Keith when it caught on fire in the Tuscan Archipelago. Keith, who was not on the ship at the time, watched it happen from land. The fire may have been started by hay being thrown on a match tub. Captain Tod and other 673 officers and men died.

Answer: Beethoven

"Symphony No. 1" was written in C major. It was dedicated to Baron Gottfried van Swieten, one of Beethoven's first sponsors. It has been said that the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Francis II was there and exclaimed, "There is something revolutionary in that music!" Beethoven gradually started losing his hearing around 1798, and as it worsened, he contemplated suicide.

He was able to hear a little until he died in 1827.

Answer: John Adams

John Adams was President of the United States from 1797 to 1801, and the second president of the United States. He was a Founding Father and a leader in The American Revolution. He served as vice president under George Washington. When Adams moved to the President's Mansion was under construction, so he lived at the Tunnicliffe's City Hotel.

Answer: Jean-Baptiste Kleber

Jean-Baptiste Kleber was born on March 9th, 1753, in Strasbourg, France. In 1798, he was wounded in the head while in Egypt under Napoleon Bonaparte. He could not finish the job there, but in 1799, as commander, he conquered El-Arish, Gaza, Jaffa. Eventually, he took re-Cairo, who had previously revolted against French rule.

On June 14th, 1800, while walking in the garden of the Palace when Suleiman al-Halabi posing as a beggar took Kleber's hand and stabbed him multiple times in multiple places, including the heart.

Answer: Austria

Austria has had an influence over northern Italy since the 1500s. In many wars, including wars against the Ottoman Empire and Ferrara, Austria was an ally of Italy. And since the 1700s, Austria has ruled parts of Italy. But after The War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1715), parts of Italy, including Naples, and Sardinia, fell to Austria in 1714.

The Convention of Alessandria is also known as the Armistice of Marengo. It occurred during the War of the Second Coalition. It was the 2nd war against France by many monarchs in Europe. While Austria did not completely leave Italy, it went as far as Mincio and left strongholds in Piedmont and Milan.

Answer: Calcutta, India

Lord Wellesley was the Governor-General of British India, and he started the college in Calcutta to train the European administrations in oriental studies. Although the college was founded in July of 1800, he put the date on the statue as May 4th, 1800, because that is when he had victory over the Tipu Sultan at Seringapatam. The college was no longer used after 1854.

Answer: Quasi-War

The Quasi-War was not a declared war but was fought (technically considered a conflict such as Vietnam) for two years, mainly in the Caribbean. The United States agreed to protect the French West Indies after they helped them in The American Revolution. France said there was no end date, so the United States should have defended them against Great Britain and the Dutch Republic during the War of the First Coalition (1792-1797).

The war was fought over 300 French ships seized in the Caribbean by the United States.

Answer: Louisiana

Spain agreed to return Louisiana in exchange for the Tuscany Territories. The Treaty of Aranjuez confirmed this in March 1801. In 1803, Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, purchased Louisiana and the surrounding areas from France.

The Third Treaty of San Ildefonso was meant to be a secret between Spain and France. It gave France control of the Louisiana Territory.

Answer: France

The War of the Second Coalition was the second war against the French First Republic by most of Europe's monarchies. Prussia did not fight in the war. Spain fought on the French side. The war was fought because Britain and Russia wanted to restore the French monarchy, but Austria wanted to maintain its position and regain some of the finances it lost in the First Coalition War. France won the war.