Good history trivia does two things: it makes you feel clever, and it quietly rearranges your sense of time. Number three here does both.
What was the shortest war in recorded history?
The Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 — roughly 38 minutes.
Who was the first President of the United States?
George Washington (an easy one — they get harder).
Which is closer in time to Cleopatra: the Great Pyramid's construction or the Moon landing?
The Moon landing — the pyramid was already about 2,500 years old in her day.
What year did World War I begin?
1914.
Which ancient wonder of the world still stands today?
The Great Pyramid of Giza — the only one of the seven.
Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize?
Marie Curie, in 1903 — and she later won a second in a different science.
What empire was ruled by Genghis Khan?
The Mongol Empire — the largest contiguous land empire in history.
What ship sank on its maiden voyage in April 1912?
The RMS Titanic.
Which document, sealed in 1215, limited the power of the English king?
Magna Carta.
Oxford University is older than which famous empire?
The Aztec Empire — teaching at Oxford predates Tenochtitlan by roughly two centuries.
Who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?
Michelangelo, between 1508 and 1512.
What was the code name for the D-Day invasion of Normandy?
Operation Overlord, June 6, 1944.
Which country gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States?
France, dedicated in 1886.
Who was Britain's Prime Minister for most of World War II?
Winston Churchill.
Cleopatra-and-the-Moon-landing is the one to memorize. It has ended more dinner-table arguments than any fact we know.
