13 July: Moments That Mattered Quiz

Answer: Roanoke Island

The first English attempt at colonizing the land that would eventually become the United States began in 1585, when Raleigh's expedition reached the coast of present-day North Carolina. There they established a settlement on Roanoke Island. Unfortunately, the colonists didn't get the storybook ending they were hoping for. Roanoke became famous as the Lost Colony after the settlers disappeared, leaving behind the mysterious word "CROATOAN" carved into a post.

Answer: James Cook

James Cook's second voyage was a pretty wild undertaking. He left England in 1772 aboard "HMS Resolution". He was tasked with finding out whether the mythical southern continent "Terra Australis" actually existed as a huge landmass in the far south. Cook didn't find the continent Europeans had imagined, but he did sail farther south than any explorer before him. The expedition became the first to cross the Antarctic Circle.

Cook's voyage was also a huge scientific expedition. The crew carried astronomers, artists, and scientists who documented islands, peoples, plants, and animals across the Pacific. Cook visited the islands of Tonga, the South Sandwich Islands, New Caledonia, Easter Island, and numerous others, some of which still bear the name he gave them. "HMS Resolution" became one of the most traveled ships of the era.

Answer: France

The Battle of Shubra Khit was an early one-day battle during Napoleon's Egyptian campaign. It was fought shortly after French forces landed in Egypt. The French, commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte, defeated Ottoman-aligned forces near the village of Shubra Khit as they marched toward Cairo.

This victory cleared the way for the French advance, although the campaign would become much more complicated later on.

Answer: Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria became the first British monarch to live in Buckingham Palace. She moved there shortly after becoming queen in 1837 following the death of William IV. The palace had existed for years before that, but earlier monarchs used it primarily as a private residence or an occasional home-away-from-home rather than as the official royal residence. Victoria transformed it into the center of royal life in Britain, and the palace became indelibly associated with the monarchy.

Answer: New York City

The New York City draft riots marked one of the more violent episodes of civil disorder in United States history. They began on 13 July 1863, not long after the Union's Enrollment Act established a military draft. The law was especially unpopular among working-class New Yorkers.

However, it wasn't just the draft. It was a combination of grievances: anger over conscription, economic hardship, and the nation's ever-present racial tensions all came out and turned into bloody chaos. There were attacks on buildings, police, Black residents, and pretty much any symbol of government authority.

Answer: Ottoman Empire

The Treaty of Berlin, signed after the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, was a big deal for the Balkans. After centuries of Ottoman rule, Serbia, Romania, and Montenegro were formally recognized as independent states. The treaty itself was basically a revision of the terms of the earlier Treaty of San Stefano, which the European powers thought gave too much influence to Russia. Now the Balkans could finally stop fighting their Ottoman rulers and start fighting each other, which they would do in earnest in the coming decades.

Answer: FIFA World Cup

The first FIFA World Cup "kicked" off in Uruguay on 13 July 1930. It brought together 13 teams for a tournament that would become one of the biggest sporting events on the planet. Uruguay was chosen as the host partly because it was celebrating the 100th anniversary of its first constitution.

The fact that its national team had been absolutely dominant in the past decade, winning Olympic football gold medals in 1924 and 1928, certainly didn't hurt. The opening matches were played in Montevideo, and it was the Uruguayans who would eventually lift the trophy after beating Argentina 4-2 in the final.

Answer: Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart was born in 1940 in the small industrial town of Mirfield, West Yorkshire. He would go on to became one of Britain's most recognizable actors, although it did take some time. He spent years working on the stage, especially with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where his impressive voice and presence made him stand out as a performer.

Then came the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and international fame. The rest is history.

Answer: Somalia

Somalia launched a major invasion of Ethiopia's Ogaden region on 13 July 1977. Thus began the conflict known as the Ogaden War. This region had a large Somali-speaking population, and Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre claimed that Ogaden rightfully belonged to his country. The invasion was an attempt to seize the territory from Ethiopia, which was then ruled by the Marxist military government known as the Derg.

Because the Cold War was quietly raging, each side found its own superpower backer. The Soviet Union and Cuba gave support to Ethiopia, while Somalia found a friend in the United States and others. Ethiopia, helped by a huge influx of Soviet weapons and Cuban troops, eventually pushed Somali forces back in 1978.

Answer: Live Aid

The Live Aid concert took place on 13 July 1985, with simultaneous performances at Wembley Stadium and John F. Kennedy Stadium. The event was organized to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia and was the brainchild of Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. It featured a massive lineup of famous performers, and the whole thing became one of those moments where music, television, and humanitarian effort all came together with spectacular results.

The money raised for charity on the day of the 16-hour event alone totaled over £40 million.