History Pub Quiz Questions and Answers

1. How many years did the Elizabethan era last?

Answer: 45 years.

The Elizabethan era is often called the Golden Age by many. It was a time of great ingenuity as well as discovery, a time when science and philosophy were revolutionized. An age that regarded education highly, this period saw the rise of the modern university system in England. Despite its overall optimism, it was not without tragedy and had its fair share of ups and downs.

The origins of the Golden Age can be found in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. She was a talented politician and a great monarch who had solid control over her nobles. Except for the French Wars of Religion, she was able to maintain peace in England, giving her time to focus on other issues.

Her reign led to a great interest in education and innovation among many Englishmen. It was during Elizabeth’s rule that Francis Bacon published his Novum Organum and Sir Thomas More wrote Utopia, both works which would have a great impact on the future scientific method as well as humanist ideas. Her father’s reign however was what really set off this period in terms of technology and exploration. Her father, Henry VIII, did away with the old medieval order of Europe. This contributed to a shift from the feudal system and led to the rise of centralized monarchies throughout Europe.

2. What volcano erupted in 79 A.D., and destroyed three cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae?

Answer: Vesuvius.

Vesuvius is an active stratovolcano located in the Gulf of Naples, Italy. Vesuvius is most famous for its eruption in 79 A.D., which led to the destruction of cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae. Vesuvius has erupted many times since and is a very dangerous volcano. Recently, it has erupted again. The eruption of March 18, 1944, was a phreatic eruption which caused serious damage in the town of Torre del Greco. On June 15, 1947, another phreatic eruption killed four persons near the mountain base. On July 19, 1956, Vesuvius entered into an eruptive phase which continued for 2 days and left traces of ash in Naples. From December 3 to December 4, 1970 the volcano produced a small phreatic eruption (AVE) that was visible from Naples and produced small ash clouds which fell on nearby towns including Torre Annunziata and Torre del Greco.

3. In what year was the first newspaper cartoon published?

Answer: 1754.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was a published author and inventor in his own right, but is chiefly remembered today for being the publisher of a newspaper called The Pennsylvania Gazette. And while it may be true that his paper had many other functions than publishing cartoons, on October 29th it showed the world its first-ever illustration – namely, an editorial cartoon which showed a snake cut into eight pieces. Franklin wrote to his son William: “A piece of news will make them more quietly disposed in their new quarters.”

4. What U.S. general beat the British at the Battle of New Orleans?

Answer: Andrew Jackson.

U.S. general Andrew Jackson defeated a British force in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. This battle ensured that the U.S. could never be conquered by European armies; it also helped establish Jackson’s fame as an American hero.

On January 8th, 1815, Major General Andrew Jackson and a motley group of around 1,500 militiamen and volunteer fighters were faced with an invading army of over 8,000 seasoned British soldiers who were trying to take control of what would soon become America’s first great cotton-growing empire.

5. What month and day did Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and James Monroe all die on?

Answer: July 4th.

July 4th isn’t just Independence Day in the U.S. It’s also the day that three of our nation’s founders died: Thomas Jefferson on July 4, 1826, John Adams on July 4 1826 and James Monroe on July 4 1831. Thomas Jefferson (who drafted the Declaration of Independence) died on the same day as Adams and Monroe, but he passed away a little later in the day (at 5:20 pm).

His final words were “Is it the Fourth? I resign my spirit to God, my daughter and my country.”

6. The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in the year 9 A.D. established a boundary between the Latin and German speaking people along what river?

Answer: Rhine River.

In the year A.D. 9, Roman General Publius Quinctilius Varus led three legions of soldiers into Germania from their winter quarters in Gaul. The legions were in search of new lands and, after conquering them, more soldiers to fill out the ranks of Rome’s army.

This venture would prove disastrous for Varus and his men. They marched north through the territory of allied tribal confederations and were sporadically attacked as they went; not enough to discourage their advance but enough to let those tribes know who they were dealing with — Romans intent on conquest and enslavement.

7. In what city would you find the Parthenon in?

Answer: Athens.

Parthenon is a Greek word meaning “a virgin’s place”, and it can refer to the temple of Athena Parthenos in Athens. One of the most famous buildings from ancient Greece, it was dedicated to Athena, goddess of wisdom, civilization, and handicrafts. The structure was built atop an older temple at this site from around 447 BCE.

While we cannot be sure how old the original building on this site was before its destruction by Persian forces in 480 BCE there were traces of an even earlier building below this one.

8. During the Black Death, or Bubonic Plague, in mid 1300’s Europe (approx.), what percentage of the population perished?

Answer: One-third.

Black Death, or Bubonic Plague, was a deadly strain of the bubonic plague and one of the most widespread diseases to ever affect humans. The disease killed an estimated 50-60% of Europe’s population, while another 30% more died in Asia.

The plague also had a devastating impact on those who survived. From 1346 to 1353, it was responsible for decreased agricultural production and labor shortage that created extreme poverty in Europe. It also contributed to the social unrest that led to peasants revolts and piracy at sea.

There are two forms of this disease…

Black Death or Bubonic Plague was a deadly disease that killed about half the population in some areas from 1346-1353 during something called “The Black Death”.

The first form was the bubonic plague, which infected the lymph nodes in a person’s armpit or groin. Spores from flea bites in the rats would infest them and they would have gastrointestinal problems and nausea. They also would have high fevers, be very weak, and start throwing up blood. This is called bleeding out of their nose, mouth, eyes, and other places on their body.

The second form of The Black Death was called pneumonic plague which infected the lungs (or pneumo). It originated from infected lungs or throat with droplets being spread by coughing or sneezing while still alive. The symptoms involved fever, chills, headaches, vomiting, etc.

9. In what year did Queen Elizabeth come to the throne?

Answer: 1952.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (born 21 April 1926), known as Queen Elizabeth II, is the Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms. She ascended to this position on 6 February 1952 following her father’s death.

As a constitutional monarch, she retains executive authority over some Commonwealth states such as Jamaica and Bahamas. Her other roles are ceremonial and apolitical in nature or are entirely symbolic. In 1952, succeeding her then deceased father George VI, she was crowned in Westminster Abbey with all due pomp and ceremony by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

10. Which was constructed first, The Cathedral or The Tower, in Pisa, Italy?

Answer: The Cathedral.

The Cathedral was constructed in 1063 and the Tower in 1173. The tower leans to one side due to an imbalance of weight, which causes it to rotate and shirk off the vertical axis.

11. What was the wall dividing England & Scotland named after?

Answer: Hadrian.

In 1497, to protect against an invasion from France, King Henry VII decreed that a wall be built between England and Scotland — known as Hadrian’s Wall. Today, with so much trade between Britain’s two great neighbors it is hard to find somebody who still remembers this line of defense. But there are still some places where people live close enough to each other for one nationality or another to keep them under surveillance.

12. Joan of Arc was a heroine during what war?

Answer: Hundred Years’ War

Joan of Arc was born on 6 January 1412 at Domrémy in the Low Countries. She was the daughter of Jacques d’Arc and Isabelle Romée. Her father worked as a field laborer, but he also owned a small piece of land which provided his family with food and a little income. Joan was the third of five children; her older brothers were Jacques (born c. 1405) and Pierre (born c. 1407) and her younger siblings were Jehanne (born c.1410), Catherine (born c.1413), Jean (born after November 1423).

Joan of Arc’s birth name was Johanna. She changed her name to Jeanne d’Arc (also spelled Jeannette or Jianne) when she joined the Duke of Orleans in his fight to win the crown of France for Charles VII. She was also known as La Pucelle (the Maid). Joan of Arc was not her real name. It was a nickname given by her father after she had performed an unusual feat.

13. Who was the father of Queen Elizabeth I?

Answer: Henry VIII.

Henry VIII (full name Henry Tudor) was King of England from 1509 until his death in 1547. He is the third English monarch who ruled this country alone without a consort. During his reign he married six times and divorced two of those wives; four additional pregnancies ended in miscarriages or stillbirths. His marriages to Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn caused political unrest in England with the Church of Rome because they were rejected as illegitimate by the Pope at that time.

Queen Elizabeth I (born September 7, 1533; died March 24, 1603), the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife Anne Boleyn, was the last Tudor monarch of England. She ruled from 1558 until her death. During her almost 45 years of reign she never married.

Henry’s father was Henry VII, who reigned from 1485 to 1509. His grandfather was Edmund Tudor, the second son of Edmund Tudor (the eldest son died as a baby), who became Earl of Richmond upon his marriage to Lady Margaret Beaufort by whom he had one child who survived to adulthood; Margaret Tudor, Henry’s mother.

14. In 1594, Shakespeare became an actor and playwright in what company?

Answer: Lord Chamberlain’s Men.

Shakespeare is easily the most well-known playwright from the Elizabethan Era. But what many people do not know is that Shakespeare was a member of a company, or “playing company” – Lord Chamberlain’s Men. It has been argued that these players had an influence on Shakespeare’s later plays and it does seem reasonable to assume that he might have imbued his characteristics into some of his characters.

15. Which dynasty was in power throughout the 1500s in China?

Answer: Ming dynasty

The Ming dynasty started in 1368 and ended in 1644. During this time, they were known for their military successes against the Mongols and for taming the Mongolian tribes. They also built many temples and fortresses during this time that still exist today. Their territory stretched from southern China to present-day central Russia and Mongolia. It was a period of prosperity for the Chinese people with advancements in literature, art, architecture, religion, and commerce taking place. The Ming dynasty was considered to be one of the greatest periods of peace both within China as well as outside it’s borders because trade flourished between all nations without any interference from outside threats such as pirates or wolves.

16. What country was invaded in WWII during “Operation Avalanche”?

Answer: Italy.

Operation Avalanche was the Allied invasion of Italy, which took place on September 9, 1943.
The plan for the landings, codenamed Operation Avalanche, was that British and American troops would put ashore on 9 September 1943. They had to fight their way inland from Salerno to seize Naples and drive on towards Rome. The Allied forces were supported by a naval bombardment of the shore installations at Salerno by Royal Navy ships, followed by an invasion from the sea.

17. Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation in 1517 by criticizing the Roman Catholic Church. Where did he nail his 95 Theses?

Answer: Wittenberg Cathedral.

Martin Luther’s actions on October 31, 1517, may not have shocked his contemporaries, but they were definitely revolutionary. That’s because that day he nailed 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Their publication marked the start of a time period we now know as the Protestant Reformation and led to monumental changes in church doctrine.

What were the 95 Theses?
Published in Latin, the theses criticized various practices of the Catholic Church and called for debate about them. One of these issues concerned the practice of issuing indulgences, which was a medieval system that granted remission of temporal punishment for sin to those who receive sacramental absolution. Indulgences had been used in recent years mainly as a way to raise money and build churches. The sale of indulgences became an increasingly controversial issue in exasperating debates between Martin Luther and Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz, who happened to be selling indulgences at the time.

18. Who was the first Prime Minister of Great Britain?

Answer: Robert Walpole.

Robert Walpole, born 2 April 1676 in Houghton, was the first prime minister of Great Britain. He is called “the most powerful and longest-reigning British Prime Minister in history”. He has created Earl of Orford in 1723. Robert Walpole’s father had a strong interest for education and law which influenced him to pursue his career. As Parliament grew more powerful he left his position as an attorney and became a member of the House of Commons from 1702 to about 1740 then again from 1742 until he died on 18 March 1745 (age 69). His earldom passed to his son Horatio who was also an M.P.

19. The South Sea was renamed the Pacific Ocean in the early 16th century by what well-known navigator?

Answer: Ferdinand Magellan.

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer that accomplished the first circumnavigation of the Earth. His voyage set out in September 1519 with five ships and 270 crew members. In April 1521, only one ship returned to Portugal, having sailed all the way around the world. The ships’ journey had been long and difficult with many hazards, including lack of food, bad weather, and fierce resistance from indigenous peoples. Magellan himself was killed early on in the voyage due to fighting among some of his crew members. Nonetheless he is celebrated as being one of Portugal’s greatest explorers for completing what others before him could not even dream: travelling all around our planet by sea.

20. Which English Queen lived longer than all her 17 children?

Answer: Queen Anne.

One of the most interesting members of the House of Hanover, Queen Anne was born in 1665, daughter of James II. Her father’s deposition left her with a difficult inheritance. She ascended the throne at a perilous time in England’s history and presided over one of its stormiest periods-the Tory-Whig power struggle, two Jacobite rebellions, and a global war against France.

She became queen after her brother-in-law William III died childless; but she herself had many children with her new husband George Louis, son of the Elector Palatine. The Queen was an ardent advocate of the Church of England, and many Presbyterians and Puritans were forced to leave the country.

The Queen suffered from a serious illness for most of her life. She was not a popular monarch. She did not exhibit the same genius for politics as her predecessor William nor her successor George II. Her reign came to an end on August 1, 1714, when she died at Kensington Palace of breast cancer at age seventy-one. She was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Facts About the Appalachian Mountains > Essay on Hobby