A Brief History of the World
Written by Regina Munch History Expert
Last updated · 8 min play time
What kind of student were you? Take this world history quiz and find out if you were actually paying attention during those lessons.
Quiz written by
Regina MunchWorld History Quiz Questions
28 Questions · 1.5M Plays · 13 Comments
Question 1
What French Emperor was notorious for both his height and his temper as he came into power after the French Revolution?
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ANapoleon Bonaparte
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BLouis XIV
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CPhilip II
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DHugh Capet
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon was emperor of France from 1804 until 1815, when he was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo. At the empire's height, Napoleon's territory extended into Italy and Central Europe. Despite legends, Napoleon was actually 5'7" which was above average for men of his time.
Question 2
Let’s swing back to North America. What explorer sailed to the continent in 1492?
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AAmerigo Vespucci
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BEdmund Hilary
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CChristopher Columbus
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DLeif Eriksson
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus sailed on three ships to the North American continent. His exploration initiated centuries of European conquest in the Americas, though his legacy has become controversial as knowledge of his genocidal tendencies has come to light.
Question 3
John F. Kennedy is one of the most popular American presidents in history. Who assassinated him?
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ASirhan Sirhan
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BLee Harvey Oswald
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CTamladge X Hayer
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DJames Earl Ray
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy on November 22, 1963 in Dallas. Oswald was shot and killed by Jack Ruby two days later, leading some to think it was all a massive government conspiracy.
Question 4
The group of men that not only drafted the Declaration of Independence but also built a new system of government under the Constitution are now known as what?
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AFounding Fathers
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BForerunners
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CDaughters of the American Revolution
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DFreedom Fathers
Founding Fathers
The Founding Fathers include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Samuel Adams, and Alexander Hamilton.
Question 5
What is the only country to have ever used an atomic bomb on an enemy?
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AGermany
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BChina
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CRussia
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DUnited States
United States
In August 1945, President Harry Truman dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan to give a devastating blow to the Japanese military. Historians sometimes view this as the beginning of the Cold War.
Question 6
Landing on the moon was a pivotal moment in human history. Who was the first man to step foot on the moon?
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ANeil Armstrong
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BBuzz Aldrin
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CJohn Glenn
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DPete Conrad
Neil Armstrong
On the Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969.
Question 7
The USSR and the United States faced a global stalemate during what infamous conflict?
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AWorld War II
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BGulf War
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CCold War
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DRed Dawn
Cold War
The Cold War lasted almost half a century, and was a conflict between the two postwar superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. No direct fighting between the two occurred, but they competed in an arms race, the space race, and numerous proxy wars.
Question 8
The 1917 Bolshevik Revolutions shook which country to its core?
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ARussia
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BGermany
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CIran
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DFrance
Russia
In the February and October Revolutions in 1917, Czar Nicholas II was deposed and the Soviets, lead by Vladimir Lenin, took over Russia and removed themselves from WWI. Russia descended into years of civil war.
Question 9
After World War II concluded, what organization was created to prevent such conflict from ever breaking out again?
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AWorld Health Organization
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BUnited Nations
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CLeague of Nations
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DInternational Maritime Organization
United Nations
The United Nations was a second attempt (after the failed League of Nations) to form an international ruling body that would prevent the breakout of war. It was conceived by the four Allied leaders after WWII, at the time with 51 members. It now has 193.
Question 10
What US president led the country through the Civil War, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest leaders of all time?
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AWoodrow Wilson
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BTheodore Roosevelt
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CAbraham Lincoln
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DAndrew Johnson
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was president from 1861 to 1865, during the American Civil War. He led the Union armies against the southern Confederacy.
Question 11
During Louis XVI’s rule, preceding the French Revolution, there was a great famine. What was the name of his wife who is credited with saying, “Let them eat cake”?
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AMarie Antoinette
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BEugenie de Montijo
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CQueen Margaret
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DQueen Josephine
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette was the wife of King Louis XVI. Both were executed during the French Revolution and she portrayed in French culture as having disdain for the needs of the poor.
Question 12
Certain British rulers have been…unkind to their wives. What British King is known for either ordering the execution or divorcing four of his six wives?
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AKing Henry VIII
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BEdward II
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CKing Louis II
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DKing Henry VI
King Henry VIII
Henry VIII had six wives in total, of which he beheaded two. His marriage to Anne Boleyn caused a rift from the English monarchy and the Catholic Church, during which Henry established the Anglican Church. You can remember their fates by the rhyme "divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived"!
Question 13
Germany rebounded from WWI thanks to the (nefarious) work of what chancellor?
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AOtto von Bismarck
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BJoseph Goebbels
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CAdolf Hitler
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DVladimir Lenin
Adolf Hitler
Hitler had a long career in German politics after WWI, rising from head of the German Workers Party to Chancellor of Germany and in 1934, Fuhrer.
Question 14
Native Americans experienced oppression in the 1830s which culminated in the Trail of Tears. What was this event?
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AThe mass murder of Native American children
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BMass enslavement of Native Americans
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CForced migration to what we now call Oklahoma
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DDeportation of Native Americans to England
Forced migration to what we now call Oklahoma
The Trail of Tears was the removal of Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole, and Cherokee people from the Southeastern United States, following the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830, signed by Andrew Jackson.
Question 15
What legendary Scottish warrior was portrayed by Mel Gibson in the 1995 film 'Braveheart'?
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AJamie Fraser
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BWilliam Wallace
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CArgyle Wallace
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DLord MacClannough
William Wallace
William Wallace led the Scottish Wars of Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He was executed for high treason, but has achieved mythic status.
Question 16
What United States President ushered in his "New Deal" to help sculpt the shape of America for generations to come?
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ATheodore Roosevelt
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BRonald Reagan
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CGeorge H.W. Bush
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DFranklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
To help the economy recover from the Great Depression, FDR directed New Deal programs that included Social Security and spending on public works, from 1933 to 1938.
Question 17
Who penned the majority of the United States' Declaration of Independence?
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AGeorge Washington
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BJohn Adams
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CThomas Jefferson
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DJames Madison
Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson was on a five-person committee that drew on documents such as the Virginia Declaration of Rights, local calls for independence, and his own draft of a Virginia constitution, to write the Declaration of Independence.
Question 18
Let's jump back in time several years now. What Austrian's assassination kicked off World War I?
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AFranz Ferdinand
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BGavrilo Princip
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CKaiser Wilhelm II
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DDavid Lloyd
Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, one of the Serbian nationalist members of the Black Hand.
Question 19
What great event occurred during 1400-1650 in Europe?
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AThe French Revolution
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BThe Industrial Revolution
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CThe Renaissance
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DThe Great Depression
The Renaissance
The Renaissance was a "rebirth" of culture beginning in Italy and spreading throughout Eurasia. It brought back forms of ancient Greek and Roman art, philosophy, literature, and architecture in a time of increased prosperity for Europe.
Question 20
Which country was NOT a member of the losing "Axis Powers" in World War II?
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AJapan
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BGermany
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CItaly
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DSoviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union was a member of the Allied forces, along with the United States, Britain, and France.
Question 21
At its peak, what empire conquered more of the world than anyone else in history?
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ARome
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BGreece
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CBritish
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DChina
British
The British Empire is the largest empire in history. At its height, it controlled 13.71 million square miles on every continent.
Question 22
What man effectively created Protestantism by nailing the Ninety-Five Theses to a church entrance?
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APope Pius VI
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BPope Francis
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CMartin Luther
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DJohn Calvin
Martin Luther
On October 31, 1517, priest Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church at Wittenburg Castle. The theses questioned the authority of the hierarchical church and its lavish practices. Lutheranism is named after him, and he inspired many other reformers to rebel against the church.
Question 23
Robert E. Lee is considered one of the Confederacy’s finest soldiers. From where in the country did his army originate?
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ASouthern Minnesota
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BNorthern Mississippi
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CSouthern Tennessee
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DNorthern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Robert E. Lee commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia from 1862 until 1865, when he surrendered and lost the Civil War.
Question 24
Virginity was sacred to royalty hundreds of years ago. What ruler is known as "The Virgin Queen"?
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AElizabeth I
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BDaenerys Targaryen
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CMary II
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DVictoria
Elizabeth I
Queen Elizabeth I is known as the Virgin Queen because she never married. Historians are unsure why, but they speculate that she may have known herself to be infertile, which would have illegitimized her reign to some.
Question 25
Now for more North American history. Who was the King of England when America won its independence?
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AKing George II
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BKing George III
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CKing Louis II
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DKing Louis III
King George III
King George III was the king of England from 1760 to 1820 and was on the receiving end of the Declaration of Independence.
Question 26
In what year did the British destroy the Spanish Armada, turning Great Britain into a superpower?
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A1742
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B1588
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C1492
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D1776
1588
On July 29, 1588, English forces defeated the Spanish Armada. Until this time, Spain and Portugal had been the leaders of global empire, but this defeat signaled that powers such as England and the Netherlands were taking over global power.
Question 27
Which event in American history was known to the British as the "Incident on King Street"?
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ALincoln Assassination
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BBoston Massacre
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CBoston Tea Party
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DInauguration of President Washington
Boston Massacre
On March 5, 1770, British soldiers shot and killed tax protestors in Boston. It was one of the incidents that fomented revolution leading up to the Declaration of Independence.
Question 28
Here's our last Presidential question. Which politician first made the phrase, "Let's Make America Great Again", famous?
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ADonald J. Trump
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BGeorge H.W. Bush
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CRonald Reagan
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DBill Clinton
Ronald Reagan
This phrase was popularized by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election. The current US president Donald Trump also ran on the slogan "Make America Great Again."
Comments (13)
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Great Test to remind me of what I have learned and need to knowl.
My Mom came from Leeds England after the 2nd WW being a war bride and marrying my Dad while he was stationed in England.
i enjoyed it. the one about the indians was sad . my great grandfather came here from wales back in the 1860 nd he settled right here in southern ohio and we are still here. thank you lord....
@mcsa : good dude
i iam proud of myself for this thing
This one really had my brain working and still didn't do too well, lol ??
I thought it was fun and it got me to think on a few of the questions. I could see where doing something like this on a daily basis would be good to exercise your brain.
I enjoyed it.
Half of this is US history. There's nothing about South America, Africa, Asia, Australia or even Canada for that matter. I would rather call this "Western History of which mostly American History Quiz" and not "World History Quiz"
WHAT WE LEARNED IN THE PAST ABOUT HISTORY IS NOT RELEVANT TO WHAT WE LEARNED IN SCHOOL ,THERE ARE SO MANY QUESTIONS ON WHAT IS FACT OR FICTION .
IT WAS FUN,HAD TO THINK A LITTLE,OK CALL IT A BRAIN ****.
Some of the questions were challenging for sure.
Very good questions in regards to history.