World History: 10 Turning Points: questions and answers
Study every question with its correct answer and explanation.
1. In which year was the Magna Carta sealed in England?
- A. 1066
- B. 1215
- C. 1492
- D. 1603
Answer: 1215
King John of England sealed the Magna Carta at Runnymede in June 1215 under pressure from rebellious barons. It set out the principle that even the king was subject to the law, and it later influenced many constitutions and charters of rights around the world.
2. In which century did the Black Death sweep across Europe?
- A. 12th century
- B. 13th century
- C. 14th century
- D. 15th century
Answer: 14th century
The Black Death reached Europe in 1347 and, by 1351, had killed an estimated one-third or more of its population. It was caused by the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis, spread largely by fleas. The huge loss of workers reshaped Europe's economy and society for generations.
3. In which year did Constantinople fall to the Ottoman Empire, ending the Byzantine Empire?
- A. 1453
- B. 1492
- C. 1066
- D. 1517
Answer: 1453
Ottoman forces led by Sultan Mehmed II captured Constantinople on 29 May 1453, bringing an end to the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire. Many historians treat this event as one of the markers of the end of the Middle Ages in Europe.
4. Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage across the Atlantic was sponsored by the monarchs of which country?
- A. Portugal
- B. England
- C. France
- D. Spain
Answer: Spain
Columbus's voyage was funded by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. He reached an island in the Bahamas on 12 October 1492, beginning lasting contact between Europe and the Americas, with enormous consequences for both.
- Advertisement
5. Who led the surviving ship home in 1522, completing the first voyage around the world?
- A. Ferdinand Magellan
- B. Juan Sebastián Elcano
- C. Francis Drake
- D. Vasco da Gama
Answer: Juan Sebastián Elcano
The expedition left Spain in 1519 under Ferdinand Magellan, but Magellan was killed in the Philippines in 1521. Juan Sebastián Elcano then led the last surviving ship, the Victoria, back to Spain in 1522, completing the first circumnavigation of the globe.
6. In which year was the United States Declaration of Independence adopted?
- A. 1765
- B. 1789
- C. 1776
- D. 1812
Answer: 1776
The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on 4 July 1776, announcing that the thirteen American colonies were breaking away from Great Britain. The main drafter was Thomas Jefferson, and 4 July is celebrated as Independence Day in the United States.
7. The French Revolution is traditionally dated from the storming of which Paris fortress-prison on 14 July 1789?
- A. The Louvre
- B. The Tuileries
- C. The Conciergerie
- D. The Bastille
Answer: The Bastille
On 14 July 1789, crowds in Paris stormed the Bastille, a royal fortress used as a prison and seen as a symbol of the king's absolute power. The date is now France's national day, commonly called Bastille Day in English.
8. In which country did the Industrial Revolution begin in the 18th century?
- A. Great Britain
- B. France
- C. Germany
- D. United States
Answer: Great Britain
The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain in the second half of the 18th century, driven by coal, new textile machinery and improved steam engines such as James Watt's. It moved production from homes and small workshops into factories and later spread across Europe, North America and the world.
9. The assassination that triggered the First World War took place in 1914 in which city?
- A. Vienna
- B. Sarajevo
- C. Belgrade
- D. Berlin
Answer: Sarajevo
On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia a month later, and a web of alliances quickly drew Europe's major powers into the First World War.
10. In which year was the Berlin Wall opened, leading to its fall?
- A. 1989
- B. 1961
- C. 1991
- D. 1975
Answer: 1989
The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 and divided East and West Berlin for 28 years. Its border crossings were opened on the night of 9 November 1989, and Germany was reunified less than a year later, on 3 October 1990.