History

101 World History Trivia Questions For All The Global Citizens

World history is an enormous and loose field (it would take a while to chart a history of the entire globe, after all), but there are plenty of famous stories, memorable vignettes, and legendary events to capture the imagination. If you’re ready to test your knowledge of this global panorama, try this world history trivia quiz.

Whether you know Ming Dynasty politics like the back of your hand, are intimately familiar with the ins and outs of twelfth-century Sub-Saharan African politics, or simply have some Roman roots and are proud of it, there’s something for everybody in world history. After all, you’re living it right now!

As a result, it’s your duty as a global citizen and human being to know your stuff. So what are you waiting for? Test your historical acumen with these world history trivia questions and answers.

When you’ve finished, expand your historical knowledge with these quizzes on the Royal Family, Greek mythology, and the medieval world.

Which country adopted the Weimar Constitution in 1919?

Norway

United Kingdom

France

Germany

In Victorian Britain, what was a Jacquard?

Bicycle

Lady’s bustle

Waistcoat

Horse drawn carriage

In which century was the Magna Carta signed?

13th

15th

14th

12th

In which country did bridge originate?

Egypt

India

Greece

Turkey

Who was known as The Lady with the Lamp?

Juliet Bravo

Elizabeth Royal

Florence Nightingale

Jane Seymour

Ötzi was a man from which age discovered in 1991?

Bronze

Iron

Dark

Copper

What was the name of the policy to try to contain WW2 by agreeing to some of Hitler’s demands?

Aggravation

Accordant

Appeasement

Alliteration

On what type of paper did the Egyptians write?

Vellum

Papyrus

Paper

Tissue

In which century was the Wall Street Crash?

18th

20th

17th

19th

Which European island was awarded the George Cross for bravery in 1942?

Mallorca

Crete

Malta

Sicily

The Battle of Kursk was part of which larger conflict?

American Civil War

Spanish Civil War

World War 1

World War 2

Sunni and Shia are the two major branches in which world religion?

Hinduism

Islam

Christianity

Judaism

Maximilien Robespierre led which country at the end of the 18th century?

Italy

France

Spain

Greece

Great Train robber Ronnie Biggs escaped from prison and fled to which country?

Brazil

Italy

Mexico

China

Who fought the 100 years war?

France and Spain

America and Russia

England and Scotland

England and France

In the past, who or what was an ‘anchoress’?

Religious hermit

Ship’s prostitute

Wet nurse

Cart horse

In what year did the Mayan Long-count calendar end?

1982

2012

1992

2002

Who led the 1745 Jacobite rebellion?

Catherine the Great

Boudica

Bonnie Prince Charlie

George III

In what year did the Tudor Age begin?

1665

1485

1575

1795

In China, what color does a bride traditionally wear?

Black

Blue

Red

White

Interpol was founded in 1923 in which city?

Geneva

Berne

Vienna

Paris

How many ancient wonders of the world were there?

9

5

7

8

Which explorer had ships called Pinta, Santa Maria and Niña?

John Cabot

Amerigo Vespucci

Christopher Columbus

Marco Polo

The Khmer Rouge were the communist forces of which Asian country?

Japan

China

Burma

Cambodia

Explorer Francisco Pizarro defeated the Inca Empire and founded which modern day city?

Lima

New Orleans

Buenos Aires

Mexico City

In which European country have the most major land battles been fought?

France

Belgium

Holland

Netherlands

In which country did the rumba originate?

Brazil

Cuba

Ecuador

Peru

How many writing Bronte sisters were there?

3

2

4

5

Who was the last Tsar of Russia?

Alexander IV

Peter V

Ivan VIII

Nicholas II

Victorian killer Jack the Ripper haunted the streets of which city?

Paris

New York

London

Dublin

Who was the last of the British Stuart monarchs?

Henry VIII

William II

Anne

Elizabeth I

In what century were post boxes invented?

19th

18th

16th

17th

Paul Revere was famous for warning the residents of which US city that the British were coming?

New York

Chicago

Boston

Washington DC

Who was US President during the First World War?

Herbert Hoover

Woodrow Wilson

William Taft

Calvin Coolidge

In Tudor times, Venetians were another name for which item of clothing?

Breeches

Boots

Gloves

Socks

What was the name of the investment plan to help Europe recover from WW2?

Marshall

Melbourne

Montgomery

McDonald

Alexander the Great of which country conquered Egypt in 332 BC?

Ethiopia

India

Venice

Greece

The Battle of Midway was a sea battle during which war?

World War 1

Crimean War

American Civil War

World War 2

In ancient times, which country was known as Gaul?

France

Norway

China

Italy

In which century did the Titanic sink?

18th

17th

19th

20th

Blogs were originally called what?

Weblogs

Beta Logs

Online Diaries

Web Journals

Former UN Secretary General Javoer Perez de Cuellar was from which South American country?

Mexico

Peru

Brazul

Venezuela

In what year was UNESCO founded?

1956

1946

1936

1966

In which country was the longbow invented?

Ireland

Scotland

Wales

England

In what year was the laser printer invented?

1995

1975

1985

2005

What was Hillary Clinton’s profession before going into politics?

Actress

Teacher

Doctor

Lawyer

How many km long was the Berlin Wall?

12

22

82

42

What was the occupation of Spartacus in ancient Rome?

Philosopher

Lawyer

Gladiator

Doctor

In which century did the Boston Tea Party occur?

17th

20th

18th

19th

In which century did Henry V fight at Agincourt?

17th

15th

19th

21st

In what year was US President Zachary Taylor born?

1791

1784

1776

1804

For how many years was Leonid Brezhnev leader of the Soviet Union?

38 years

8 years

28 years

18 years

In what year did the Rainbow Warrior sink?

1984

1987

1986

1985

In olden times, what did a ‘colporteur’ sell?

Ice

Books

Fish

Fabric

In which country was Leon Trotsky murdered?

Mexico

Russia

Brazil

USA

1980 saw shipyard workers in Gdansk in which country go on strike?

Poland

Germany

Russia

Netherlands

Alexander the Great was an ancient ruler of which country?

Macedonia

Egypt

Spain

Italy

Josephine, vicomtesse de Beauharnais, married which famous leader?

Horatio Nelson

Napoleon

Duke of Wellington

General de Gaulle

In what year was US President Abraham Lincoln born?

1809

1813

1800

1822

Dionysus was the Greek god of which drink?

Cider

Beer

Wine

Rum

The Princes in the Tower were supposedly murdered in which London building?

Westminster Abbey

Tower of London

Hampton Court Palace

Houses of Parliament

In February 1990, 160 million bottles of what were withdrawn from sale?

Beer

Water

Wine

Soda

In which harbor did the Mary Rose sink in 1545?

Portsmouth

Plymouth

Southampton

Dover

In which decade was Dolly the Sheep cloned?

1980s

1970s

1990s

2000s

In Stalin’s USSR, what was as ‘kolkhoz’?

Member of the KGB

Peasant worker

Collective farm

Governing body

In which country were antibiotics first used?

Italy

Persia

Egypt

China

Shaka was a 19th century leader of which famous African tribe?

Berbers

Shona

Maasai

Zulu

How many ponies did the Pony Express use weekly?

100

None

300

200

Who was the first wife of King Henry VIII?

Catherine of Aragon

Jane Seymour

Anne of Cleeves

Anne Boleyn

In 1958, Fidel Castro overthrew President Batista in which country?

Cuba

Peru

Jamaica

Argentina

In which century was the Norman Conquest of England?

11th

17th

15th

13th

In what year was US President Millard Fillmore born?

1791

1809

1804

1800

Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union in which decade?

1980s

1990s

1960s

2000s

Of which ancient people was Attila the leader?

Vikings

Huns

Romans

Egyptians

The Tamil Tigers were an extremist group from which country?

China

Australia

Sri Lanka

Libya

Marco Polo was a citizen of which city?

Venice

Rome

Florence

Naples

Which Duke beat Napoleon at Waterloo?

Cornwall

Nelson

Buckingham

Wellington

The Great Wall of China was built to keep which people from invading?

Egyptians

Vikings

Mongols

Phoenicians

In which century did Nelson triumph at Trafalgar?

18th

20th

19th

17th

The territory of the ancient kingdom of Mesopotamia is located in which modern day country?

Iraq

India

Egypt

Japan

What was the codename given to the project to develop the atomic bomb?

Massachusetts

Brooklyn

Baltimore

Manhattan

What was the surname of sufragette campaigners Emmeline, Christabel and Sylvia?

Parkhurst

Packhorse

Pockmann

Pankhurst

In which century was the Great Depression?

17th

19th

18th

20th

Israel, France and which other country led a military attack on Egypt during the Suez Crisis?

West Germany

Italy

United Kingdom

Soviet Union

What was the name for military leaders of Japan between the 12th and 19th centuries?

Meiji

Kanji

Shogun

Nippon

In what year did Germany occupy Austria?

1942

1945

1933

1938

In Tudor times, what was a farthingale?

Tax on farmers

Horse drawn carriage

Small castle

Skirt

Sirimavo Bandaranaike of which country became the world’s first female Prime Minister?

Sri Lanka

New Zealand

Singapore

Malaysia

Ariel Sharon was a former politician from which country?

Russia

Egypt

India

Israel

In what year was St Paul’s Cathedral completed?

1811

1611

1711

1911

In which decade did John Glenn become the first American in space?

1960s

1950s

1970s

1940s

In which country was Bonnie Prince Charlie born?

France

Italy

Scotland

England

In December 1989 the Brandenburg Gate reopened, uniting two halves of which city?

Berlin

Prague

Moscow

Athens

In what year did Russian troops occupy Afghanistan?

1969

1979

1949

1959

In the past, who or what were Tommy’s?

Soldiers in World War I

Miners

Policemen

Chimney sweeps

In Roman Numerals what does LXX stand for?

60

120

70

1200

In the past, what was a ‘jakes’?

Toilet

Mangle

Saucepan

Tunic

The Dalai Lama fled from Tibet to which nearby country in 1959?

India

Russia

Japan

China

In his lifetime, Louis XVI of France had two what?

Shaves

Baths

Haircuts

Marriages

In what year was Facebook founded?

2006

2004

2008

2002

In which century was Joan of Arc burned at the stake?

14th

16th

15th

17th

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