History Quiz – Printable Version
20 multiple-choice questions with an explained answer key, ready to print.
Print the sheet (or save it as a PDF from the print window), hand it out, then mark it together using the answer page: every answer is explained. Perfect for a party, a birthday, a classroom, a care home or a team activity.
Name: ………………………………Score: ……… / 20
- Which French statesman introduced the laws establishing free, secular, and compulsory public education?
- A. Jean Jaurès
- B. Léon Blum
- C. Jules Ferry
- D. Aristide Briand
- In the title 'King of France and Navarre', what does Navarre refer to?
- A. An Italian kingdom
- B. A Germanic kingdom
- C. An Ottoman kingdom
- D. An Iberian kingdom
- Who said 'Je vous ai compris' ('I have understood you') in 1958 in Algiers?
- A. Charles de Gaulle
- B. René Coty
- C. Guy Mollet
- D. Georges Pompidou
- Who was the US President during the Normandy landings in June 1944?
- A. Harry Truman
- B. Franklin Roosevelt
- C. Woodrow Wilson
- D. Dwight Eisenhower
- Which king is nicknamed the 'Father of Europe' for laying the foundations of a shared European identity in the late 8th century?
- A. Charles II
- B. Louis VI
- C. Charlemagne
- D. Francis I
- What is the oldest bridge in Paris?
- A. Pont de Bir-Hakeim
- B. Pont Neuf
- C. Pont de la Concorde
- D. Pont Alexandre III
- Which empire was ruled by Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century?
- A. Byzantine Empire
- B. Persian Empire
- C. Safavid Empire
- D. Ottoman Empire
- Which French king was nicknamed the 'Sun King'?
- A. Louis XIV
- B. Louis XIII
- C. Louis XV
- D. Louis XVI
- Which French explorer founded the city of Quebec in 1608?
- A. Jean Talon
- B. Jacques Cartier
- C. La Salle
- D. Samuel de Champlain
- Which event is considered the symbolic start of the Cold War between the United States and the USSR?
- A. Churchill's 'Iron Curtain' speech
- B. The atomic bomb on Hiroshima
- C. The Berlin Blockade
- D. The creation of NATO
- Which event marked the beginning of World War II in Europe?
- A. Battle of Stalingrad
- B. Invasion of Poland
- C. Normandy Landings
- D. Bombing of Pearl Harbor
- Which Gallic chieftain surrendered to Julius Caesar after the siege of Alesia?
- A. Ambiorix
- B. Asterix
- C. Vercingetorix
- D. Brennus
- What military tactic did Julius Caesar use to defeat the Gauls at Alesia?
- A. a bridge of boats
- B. a surprise naval attack
- C. a double line of fortifications
- D. a ten-year war of attrition
- On what date did the thirteen American colonies declare their independence?
- A. July 14, 1789
- B. November 11, 1918
- C. January 1, 1801
- D. July 4, 1776
- Which 1896 battle saw Ethiopia defeat Italian colonial forces?
- A. the Battle of Omdurman
- B. the Fashoda Incident
- C. the Battle of Khartoum
- D. the Battle of Adwa
- In which year did Algeria gain independence from France?
- A. 1956
- B. 1945
- C. 1962
- D. 1970
- In which year did the Crusaders capture Jerusalem during the First Crusade?
- A. 1291
- B. 1096
- C. 1187
- D. 1099
- In which year was the State of Israel proclaimed?
- A. 1917
- B. 1956
- C. 1967
- D. 1948
- Which Chinese dynasty ruled from 1368 to 1644 and built the Forbidden City?
- A. the Qing dynasty
- B. the Zhou dynasty
- C. the Yuan dynasty
- D. the Ming dynasty
- Which text, signed by Henry IV in 1598, granted freedom of worship to Protestants?
- A. The Edict of Nantes
- B. The Concordat
- C. The Edict of Fontainebleau
- D. The Peace of Westphalia
Answer key — History Quiz
- C. Jules FerryAs Minister of Public Instruction under the Third Republic, Jules Ferry passed laws in 1881 and 1882 making primary education free, compulsory for ages 6 to 13, and secular.
- D. An Iberian kingdomNavarre refers to the historical Kingdom of Navarre, straddling the Pyrenees with part of its territory in Spain on the Iberian peninsula.
- A. Charles de GaulleOn June 4, 1958, de Gaulle spoke these words to the crowd in Algiers from the balcony of the Government General.
- B. Franklin RooseveltRoosevelt had been president since 1933 and died in April 1945, weeks before Germany's surrender.
- C. CharlemagneThis nickname, used from the 20th century, refers to Charlemagne's work in unifying Western Europe (France, Germany, Italy) where he imposed Christianity, launched the Carolingian renaissance, and created an imperial model that…
- B. Pont NeufBuilt in the late 16th century and completed in the early 17th, it owes its name ('New Bridge') to the novelty at the time of a bridge without houses built on it.
- D. Ottoman EmpireSuleiman I (1520–1566), called 'the Magnificent' in the West and 'the Lawgiver' in the Ottoman Empire, brought it to its peak.
- A. Louis XIVLouis XIV reigned from 1643 to 1715 — 72 years, the longest reign in French history.
- D. Samuel de ChamplainSamuel de Champlain founded the city of Quebec on July 3, 1608 on the banks of the St.
- A. Churchill's 'Iron Curtain' speechOn March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill delivered his famous speech in Fulton, Missouri, declaring that an 'iron curtain' had descended across Europe.
- B. Invasion of PolandNazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.
- C. VercingetorixVercingetorix, chieftain of the Arverni, laid down his arms before Caesar after the defeat at Alesia.
- C. a double line of fortificationsCaesar built a line of circumvallation facing the town and a line of contravallation facing the relieving Gallic army outside.
- D. July 4, 1776The Continental Congress adopted the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
- D. the Battle of AdwaIn March 1896, Emperor Menelik II's Ethiopian army inflicted a major defeat on Italian troops at Adwa, preserving the country's independence.
- C. 1962The Évian Accords ended the Algerian War, and independence was declared on July 5, 1962.
- D. 1099The armies of the First Crusade captured Jerusalem on July 15, 1099.
- D. 1948David Ben-Gurion declared the independence of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948.
- D. the Ming dynastyThe Ming dynasty had the Forbidden City built in Beijing in the early 15th century.
- A. The Edict of NantesIt ended more than thirty years of Wars of Religion. Louis XIV revoked it in 1685 with the Edict of Fontainebleau, driving tens of thousands of Protestants into exile.