20th-Century History in the 1920s Quiz

Answer: Spanish Flu

The Spanish Flu was a deadly influenza pandemic caused by HINI influenza virus. The pandemic lasted from February 1918 to April 1920, infecting 500 million people, a third of the world's population during that time. Approximately 100 years later, the world was affected by another global pandemic, COVID-19.

Answer: Georgia

In 1920, Georgia was recognized by Russia as an independent state in the Treaty of Moscow. Josef Stalin, himself a Georgian got the consent from Lenin to invade Georgia. The Russian started an expansionary policy to occupy territories which were formerly part of the Russian Empire. Georgia was overrun within three weeks on 17th March 1921.

However, it was not until September 1924 that the Soviet rule was firmly established.

Answer: Benito Mussolini in Italy

Benito Mussolini, founder of National Fascist Party, established his power on broad base support of his ideas of nationalism and anti-Bolshevism. The other three leaders became dictators of their own countries in 1926. Mussolini ruled Italy until he was killed on April 28, 1945 by an Italian partisan in the small village of Giulino di Mezzegra in northern Italy.

Answer: Calvin Coolidge

29th American president Harding (1865-1923) who served from March 4, 1921 passed away on August 2, 1923 from a heart attack during his visit to San Francisco. A number of scandals, Teapot Dome and his extramarital affair with Nan Britton began to surface after his death. He was succeeded by his vice-president Calvin Coolidge who served from 1923 to 1929.

Answer: Lenin

Vladimir IIyich Ultanov (1870-1924) best known as Lenin passed away on January 21, 1924. He was the first paramount leader of the Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1924. His death led to a power struggle between Josef Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Trotsky lost the power struggle and was exiled to Turkey. He was eventually killed in 1940 in Mexico.

Answer: Televised image

On 25th March 1925, John Logie Baird, a Scottish inventor and electrical engineer, gave his first public demonstration of a televised image in motion at Selfridge's Department Store in London. He followed up on 26th January 1926, to demonstrate his invention to members of the Royal Institution.

Answer: China

Chinese Communist Party (CPC) was supported by the Soviet Union with money and spies to curb the power of Chiang Kaishek, who was the leader of the Nationalist Party. In order to stop the influence of the CPC within his own party and the military, Chiang started a campaign to purge the communists through arrests and murders in Shanghai in April.

The CPC responded with an uprising on 1st August 1927, at Nanchang against the Nationalist government in Wuhan.

Answer: Discovery of penicillin

On 28th September 1928, Scottish physician Alexander Fleming, made the discovery at St. Mary's Hospital in London, after he observed fungal contamination of a bacterial culture killing the bacteria. In 1929, he published his experiment called the antibacterial substance penicillin. Insulin was discovered in 1921, vitamin E in 1922 and polio vaccine in 1955.

Answer: Vatican City

The Lateran Treaty signed in 1929 made Vatican City independent from Italy on 11th February 1929. Vatican City, an enclave within Rome, became the smallest state in the world with a land area of 0.49 sq. km.

Answer: Academy Award

On 16th May 1929, the 1st Academy Awards aka Oscars took place with a dinner held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, hosted by Douglas Fairbanks. "Wings" was awarded the Best Picture. Golden Globe was first awarded in 1944, Emmy in 1949 and Grammy in 1959.