History for Dummies Trivia Quiz

Answer: 6 days

The "Hundred Year War" between England and France began with a dispute between Edward III of England and Philip VI of France in 1337. The Battle of Castillon, effectively the final conflict of the on-again-off-again war, took place some 116 years later on July 17, 1453.
The "Six-Day War", also known as "The June War" or the "3rd Arab-Israeli War" was an Israeli offensive against the combined forces of Syria, Jordan and the United Arab Republic (aka Egypt). This brief war was preceded by a period of extreme tension between Israel and Egypt, during which Egypt mined the Gulf of Aqaba, thus preventing access to the Israeli port of Eilat. The war began with Israel launching a pre-emptive strike by bombing raids on June 5, 1967. Israel completed its final offensive just six days later, on June 10. A ceasefire was signed the following day (so perhaps the war technically lasted for seven days, although there were only six days of fighting).
In less than a week, Israel had multiplied its territory threefold, capturing the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula (from Egypt), the West Bank including East Jerusalem (from Jordan) and the Golan Heights (from Syria).

Answer: Queen Victoria

Queensland was originally part of the "Colony of New South Wales". The documents establishing Queensland as a colony in its own right were signed on June 6, 1859 by the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria, after whom it was named. "Queensland Day" is still celebrated annually with a state-wide public holiday on June 6. Other suggested names at the time included Cooksland, in honor of explorer Captain James Cook but we were, presumably, not amused by such suggestions.

Answer: Napoleon's Invasion of Russia

The Napoleonic Era was a time of many armed conflicts. The Anglo-Swedish War, though, was an 18-month bloodless conflict that began in November 1810 between two countries that were essentially allies against Napoleon's French forces. The Peninsular War was a battle for control of the Iberian Peninsular. It began in late 1807 with France one side and Spain, Portugal and Britain allied together on the other. It lasted until April 1814. A famous painting by Francisco Goya entitled "The Second of May 1808: The Charge of the Mamelukes" depicts one of the early battles.
The "War of 1812" was actually a 32-month conflict between Britain and America that formally began on June 18, 1812, when President James Madison signed the declaration of war. Peace negotiations began in August 1814 and the final agreement was signed on December 24. With the agreement still needing ratification, both sides began planning new offensives and it was February 1815 before peace was finally agreed with neither side having achieved any of the original objectives of the war.
The "1812 Overture" (or "The Year 1812 festival overture in E flat major, Op. 49" to give it its full name) was written in 1880 by Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky. It commemorates Russia's defense of the Motherland following the 1812 French Invasion of Russia. In France this was known as "The Russian Campaign" and in Russia it is called "The Patriotic War of 1812". The conflict began when Napoleon's forces crossed the Nieman River on June 24, 1812 and ended with a decisive Russian victory on December 14, 1812.

Answer: Netherlands

It is a curiosity that Adrian is the papal name chosen by two of the Popes who are the only person to hold that office from their country. Born around 1100 in Hertfordshire, Nicholas Breakspear became the only British-born Pope in 1154. He reigned until his death in 1159. Adriaan Florenszoon Boeyens was born in 1459 in Utrecht, Netherlands.

He succeeded Leo X as the first and so far only Dutch Pope in January 1522 although he died just 20 months later, in September 1523. The only Polish Pope is Karol Józef Wojtya, who reigned as Pope John Paul II from 1978 until 2005. Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the first non-European Pope when he was elected in 2013 following the abdication of Benedict XVI.

He is also the first Pope to take the papal name Francis. Of course, there have been hundreds of Italian popes.

Answer: Australia

The Australian Antarctic Territory covers an area of 2,276,000 square miles -- about one-third the size of Russia and not much smaller than Australia itself. Wholly located in Eastern Antarctica, the AAT stretches from Enderby Land in the north to Oates Land on the eastern coast of the Ross Sea. Discovered during Sir Douglas Mawson's 1929-1931 expedition, Princess Elizabeth Land was named for the then HRH Princess Elizabeth and subsequent Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Mary Land was also discovered by Mawson, but on his 1911-1914 expedition.

It was named for George V's consort, Queen Mary of Teck.

Answer: East Timor

Comprising the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse (on the northwestern side of the island within Indonesian West Timor) and the small islands of Atauro and Jaco, East Timor gained independence in May 2002 and subsequently became the newest member of the United Nations on September 27 of that same year.

The world's 159th-largest country, with an area of 5,743 square miles it is marginally larger than the Bahamas. The colony of Portuguese Timor was established in 1769. East Timor declared itself independent in 1975 but was invaded by Indonesia soon afterwards.

It officially became the 27th province of Indonesia in the summer of 1976 although the United Nations still recognized it as a "non-self-governing territory under Portuguese administration".

Independence was finally formalized on May 20, 2002.

Answer: Queen Elizabeth II

At the dawn of the 21st century, Queen Victoria was still the longest-lived of all British monarchs, having died at the age of 81 years and 243 days. This eclipsed by just four days the former record, held by King George III (who is still the longest-lived British king). Queen Elizabeth II, only the third British monarch to celebrate an 80th birthday, was born on April 21, 1926.

She tied Victoria's record on February 24, 2008 and of course broke it the following day. Richard Cromwell, who briefly ruled as "Lord Protector" in the 1650s is actually the longest-lived British male ruler.

He lived to the age of 85 years and 282 days. Whilst Elizabeth II is the longest-lived Queen Regnant, she still has some way to go to overtake the longest-lived Queen -- her mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyons, Queen Consort to King George VI, lived to the age of 101 years 238 days.

Answer: Austria

On March 12, 1938, Austrian Nazis took over the country's government and German troops marched across the border. On March 15, Hitler traveled to Linz and Vienna to announce the re-unification of his homeland with "the rest of Germany" - and never visited Austria again.

Answer: Josef Stalin

Born in the Donetsk Oblast province (now in eastern Ukraine) in 1891, Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev is best-remembered today for the ballet "Romeo & Juliet" and for the children's story "Peter & the Wolf", for which he wrote both the words and the music.

His death at the age of 61 in 1953 went virtually unnoticed, though, since Soviet leader Josef Stalin died on the same day. Of the alternatives, Lenin died in 1924, Hitler in 1945 and Churchill in 1965. Other significant deaths in 1953 include athlete Jim Thorpe, Queen Mary (consort of George V), astronomer Edwin Hubble, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas and Nobel laureate Eugene O'Neill.

Answer: The Davis Cup

One of the four students who first came up with the idea of an international challenge tournament was a gentleman who would serve as US Secretary of War under Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s and as Governor-General of the Philippines during the Presidency of Herbert Hoover.

His name is Dwight Filley Davis and he is best remembered today for the trophy he designed and donated to be presented to the winner of an international tennis challenge competition. What began as a challenge match between the USA and England is today a worldwide annual event known simply as the Davis Cup.

A fair player himself, Davis was a finalist in the Men's Singles in 1898 and 1899 at the forerunner of what is now the US Open. He was also a member of the winning US team in the first two Davis Cup events, in 1900 and 1902. Of the alternatives, sailing's "Americas Cup" is the oldest active trophy still contested in world sport, having first been awarded in 1851. Golf's "Ryder Cup" was first staged in 1927. Boston MA hosts the oldest annual marathon race and was close to being the right answer -- it was first held in 1897.

Another international sporting event also first held around the turn of the century was the Tour de France, which was first staged in 1903.