20th Century Mixed Bag, 1902-1903 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. On January 31 1902, doctors in London, England, warned of the need for a vaccination programme to bring an epidemic to an end. About which disease was the warning issued?

Answer: Smallpox

By the end of January 1902 the smallpox epidemic was in its eighth month, and had claimed 2,273 victims, 878 of whom were being cared for in remote treatment centres and on quarantine ships moored on the River Thames. At the time the smallpox outbreak was said to be one of the worse in medical history.

2. February 15 1902, saw the inauguration of an underground railway. In which city was it?

Answer: Berlin

The Berlin underground railway is known as the U-Bahn, it was built by the Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft (German Imperial Railways Company) predecessor of today's Deutsche Bahn AG (German Railways Inc). The lines opened in 1902 correspond to the central sections of what are now called lines U1 and U2. (In fact, most of the central section of U1 is an elevated railway). New York's first subway opened in Manhattan in 1904; Moscow's Metro opened in 1935; Dublin does not have an underground system (February 2005).

3. On May 8 1902, the town of St. Pierre was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Of which Caribbean island was St. Pierre the capital?

Answer: Martinique

The eruption of Mt. Pel�e destroyed St. Pierre. In 1902 around 30,000 people lived there. The only reported survivor of the disaster was one Monsieur Cyparis who was in jail for drunkenness at the time. Following the eruption, Fort-de-France became the island capital.

4. Which legend of musical theatre was born on June 28 1902?

Answer: Richard Rodgers

Richard Rodgers collaboration with Lorenze Hart began in the mid 1920s, their first work "Poor Little Ritz Girl" was staged in 1926, the partnership continued until Hart's death in 1943. In 1943 Rodgers teamed up with Oscar Hammerstein II. Together they wrote some of the best known musicals of the 20th century, their first being "Oklahoma!" in 1943. Andrew Lloyd Webber has not been around since 1902, although sometimes it seems that way!

5. On October 15 1902, a five month long strike by coalminers in Pennsylvania came to an end. Which union president negotiated the settlement of the strike?

Answer: John Mitchell

Born in Illinois in 1870, John Mitchell became vice-president of the United Mine Workers of America in 1897 and their president in 1898. Under his leadership the union's membership grew from 34,000 to 300,000. The 1902 strike came to an end when President Roosevelt announced he had appointed a commission to "inquire into, consider and pass upon all questions at issue between the operators and the miners".

6. In Paris on January 19 1903, a new sporting event was announced, which sporting competition was it?

Answer: Tour de France

The first six winners of the Tour de France were French, the first being Maurice Garin. The first foreign winner was Francois Faber of Luxembourg in 1909. There have been 54 different winners of the 91 Tours held up to and including 2004.

7. On March 3 1903, a bill seeking to limit immigration into the U.S. was passed by Congress, the bill levied a "head tax" on all imigrants arriving at U.S. ports. How much was the tax?

Answer: $2

Among the groups of people the new law sought to exclude were: idiots, felons, anarchists, polygamists, the insane and women of "bad repute". Is this law still on the statute books? If it is, I guess it rules out my getting into the States then!

8. On June 14 1903, Prince Peter Karadjordjevic was confirmed as King of which European country?

Answer: Serbia

The Serbian Parliament confirmed Prince Peter Karadjordjevic as King, three days after the murder of his parents, King Alexander and Queen Draga, on June 11 1903. The King and Queen were killed by a group of renegade army officers led by colonels Mashin and Misches. Mashin was a brother of the Queen's first husband.

9. Which Pope died on July 20 1903, aged 93?

Answer: Leo XIII

Pope Leo XIII was born Vincenzo Gioacchino Picci in 1810, he became a priest in 1837, Bishop of Perugia in 1846, and a Cardinal in 1853. In 1878 he was elected pope to succeed Pope Pius IX ("Pio Nono"). Leo XII died in 1829; Pius X in 1914; and Pope Pius XI in 1939.

10. On December 31 1903, in which American city did 600 people lose their lives in a fire at the Iroquois Theatre?

Answer: Chicago

On New Years Eve 1903, 2,000 people were attending an afternoon performance of the musical comedy "Mr. Blue Beard", starring Eddie Foy and Annabelle Whitford, when a fire broke out in the theatre. Many who escaped the flames were trampled to death, some died inside the auditorium while jumping from the balcony to the stalls, others perished jumping from the fire escapes to the street.

Source: Author gerry01

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The second in a series of quizzes, one for every two years of the last century. The questions and additional information are primarily but not exclusively based on the book "Chronicle of the 20th Century" by Derrick Mercer.

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