History50 randomly selected History questions for quizmasters. New random selection made weekly. Next update: Monday 1st June 2026 (Please note: Questions are taken from our database of previous quizzes. Some questions and answers may be outdated.) |
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| 1. | What was Malcolm X's surname? |
| 2. | In what year was Abraham Lincoln assassinated? |
| 3. | What name was given to the diluted rum rationed to sailors between the 17th and 19th century? |
| 4. | Dying on 4th April 1841, after just a month in office, who is the shortest-serving president in U.S. history? |
| 5. | Who was the last German emperor (Kaiser) and king of Prussia from 15th June 1888 until his abdication on 9th November 1918? |
| 6. | What is the name of the city park in Dallas, Texas that was the location of the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, on 22nd November 1963? |
| 7. | Between 1807 and 1821, what South American city functioned as the capital of the Kingdom of Portugal? |
| 8. | For what did Chesley B. Sullenberger make headline news on 15th January 2009? |
| 9. | Who was Emperor of Japan during World War II? |
| 10. | What war was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of France, Britain, the Ottoman Empire, and Sardinia between 1853 and 1856? |
| 11. | Until relocated in 1851, what London landmark served as the state entrance to the courtyard of Buckingham Palace? |
| 12. | What made the Treetops Hotel in Kenya famous in February 1952? |
| 13. | What name was given to the incendiary projectile used to great effect during the 1st millennium by the Byzantine Empire because it continued burning while floating on water? |
| 14. | Designed by R. J. Mitchell, what famous plane first flew on 5th March 1936? |
| 15. | What 'P' described the restructuring of the Soviet political and economic system, introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s? |
| 16. | What city held its first Oktoberfest in 1811? |
| 17. | In what year did the Chernobyl disaster occur? |
| 18. | What mythical city was named for its ruler, who supposedly dusted his body with gold before jumping into a lake? |
| 19. | What battle of 1746 ended the Jacobite revolution? |
| 20. | Who was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 along with Nelson Mandela? |
| 21. | On 12th June 1979, what did the Gossamer Albatross successfully cross to win a Kremer prize for human-powered flight? |
| 22. | Who seized power from King Idris in a coup d'état on 1st September 1969? |
| 23. | On 1st November 1800, who became the first US President to reside in the executive mansion now known as the White House? |
| 24. | On which foot did Neil Armstrong first step on the moon? |
| 25. | In which century did Moctezuma II reign as king of the Aztec Empire before being killed during the Spanish invasion? |
| 26. | What was the name of the research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons? |
| 27. | Prior to the introduction of the euro in January 1999, the escudo was the currency of what European country until removed from circulation in February 2002? |
| 28. | In December 1970, a Soviet spacecraft became the first to soft land on another planet and transmit data back to Earth. What major planet did it land on? |
| 29. | Which US General escaped to Australia from the Philippines in March 1942, vowing "I shall return"? |
| 30. | By what nickname was George VI known by family and close friends? |
| 31. | What name was given to the Indian dungeon measuring 18 by 15 feet into which 146 prisoners entered on the night of 20th June 1756 but only 23 came out alive the following day? |
| 32. | In what century did the Hundred Years' War between England and France begin? |
| 33. | What was the surname of the Archduke assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914, a precursor to World War I? |
| 34. | Transported to Britain in the early 19th century, from what country do the Elgin Marbles originate? |
| 35. | What airline owned the hijacked plane involved in the hostage situation at Entebbe Airport, Uganda in 1976? |
| 36. | In what year was the Wall Street Crash? |
| 37. | Since 1818, the House of Bernadotte has served as the royal family of what country? |
| 38. | In what century was the Battle of the Boyne fought near the town of Drogheda on the eastern coast of Ireland? |
| 39. | From 1520 to his death in 1566, Suleiman the Magnificent was the tenth and longest-reigning Emperor of where? |
| 40. | Former Beatle John Lennon was shot and killed on 8th December 1980 by who? |
| 41. | From what country did Western Samoa gain independence in 1962? |
| 42. | Who was the first U.S. president to have taken part in televised debates during his election campaign? |
| 43. | What Icelandic explorer is considered by some to be the first European to land in mainland North America, 500 years before Christopher Columbus? |
| 44. | What incumbent lost the 1976 U.S. presidential election? |
| 45. | The Mannerheim Line was a defensive structure built after World War I to defend what country? |
| 46. | In the early morning of 22nd August 1961, German nurse Ida Siekmann became the first known person to die doing what? |
| 47. | Still in use today, for what household item was Swedish inventor Gustaf Erik Pasch granted a patent in 1844? |
| 48. | What country declared independence from the Netherlands on 4th October 1830? |
| 49. | During World War II, what was the name of Japan's equivalent to Germany's Lord Haw-Haw? |
| 50. | In English folklore, who rode a horse called Black Bess? |
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