History for all

 

14 Amazing History Facts

1. During World War II, a Great Dane named Juliana was awarded the Blue Cross Medal. She extinguished an incendiary bomb by peeing on it!

2. Alexander the Great was accidentally buried alive. Scientists believe Alexander suffered from a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré Syndrome. They believe that when he died, he was actually just paralyzed and mentally aware!

3. There were female gladiators in Ancient Rome! A female gladiator was called a gladiatrix (plural gladiatrices). They were extremely rare, unlike their male counterparts.

4. The world’s most successful pirate in history was a lady named Ching Shih. She was a prostitute in China until the Commander of the Red Flag Fleet bought and married her. But her husband considered her his equal, and she became an active pirate commander in the fleet.

5. You may know them as the bunch of heroes that broke box office records with their movies. But "The Avengers" was also a group of Jewish assassins who hunted Nazi war criminals after World War II. They poisoned 2,283 German prisoners of war!

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6. From 1912 to 1948, the Olympic Games held competitions in the fine arts. Medals were given for literature, architecture, sculpture, painting, and music. Obviously, the art created was required to be Olympic-themed.

7. Famous conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte was once attacked by a horde of bunnies! He had requested that a rabbit hunt be arranged for himself and his men. When the rabbits were released from their cages, the bunnies charged toward Bonaparte and his men in an unstoppable onslaught.

8. Cleopatra wasn’t actually Egyptian! As far as historians can tell, Egypt’s famous femme fatal was actually Greek! She was a descendant of Alexander the Great's Macedonian general Ptolemy.

9. Ketchup was sold in the 1830s as medicine. In 1834, it was sold as a cure for an upset stomach by an Ohio physician named John Cook. It wasn't popularized as a condiment until the late 19th century!

10. Did you know Abraham Lincoln is in the wrestling hall of fame? The 6'4" president had only one loss among his around 300 contests. He earned a reputation for this in New Salem, Illinois, as an elite fighter.

11. George Washington opened a whiskey distillery after his presidency. After his term, Washington opened a whiskey distillery. By 1799, Washington's distillery was the largest in the country, producing 11,000 gallons of un-aged whiskey!

12. During the Salem witch trials, the accused witches weren’t actually burned at the stake. The majority were jailed, and some were hanged. But none of the 2,000 people accused ever got burned alive.

13. President Zachary Taylor died from a cherry overdose! Zachary Taylor passed away after eating way too many cherries and drinking milk at a Fourth of July party in 1850. He died on July 9th from gastroenteritis. The acid in cherries, along with the milk, is believed to have caused this.

14. Andrew Jackson had a pet parrot. And he taught his parrot, Polly, to curse like a sailor. There is even one legend that the parrot had to be taken out of Jackson's funeral for its proclivity for profanity!

Current GK,  Current GK(INDIA),  Current GK(ODISHA),  

50 History GK Questions and Answers

1. Who was the first emperor of the Maurya Dynasty in India?

Answer: Chandragupta Maurya.

2. Which ancient Indian text is considered the oldest surviving scripture in the world?

Answer: Rigveda.

3. What is the name of the ancient Indian language in which most Hindu religious texts are written?

Answer: Sanskrit

4. Who is known as the Father of the Indian Constitution?

Answer: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

5. Which famous emperor of the Maurya Dynasty is known for spreading Buddhism across India and beyond?

Answer: Ashoka the Great.

6. The Indus Valley Civilization was primarily located in which modern-day country?

Answer: Pakistan.

7. Who was the first woman Prime Minister of India?

Answer: Indira Gandhi.

8. What famous ancient university was located in the city of Nalanda?

Answer: Nalanda University.

9. Who is known as the ‘Iron Man of India’ for his role in uniting the country after independence?

Answer: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

10. Which Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal?

Answer: Shah Jahan.

11. The Indian National Congress was founded in which year?

Answer: 1885.

12. Who is the author of the book “Discovery of India”?

Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru.

13. Which battle in 1757 marked the beginning of British rule in India?

Answer: Battle of Plassey.

14. What was the name of the ship on which Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915?-

Answer: SS Arabia.

15. Who was the first Indian woman in space?

Answer: Kalpana Chawla.

16. Who was the founder of the Maurya Empire?

Answer: Chandragupta Maurya.

17. Who was the leader of the non-violent civil disobedience movement against British rule in India?

Answer: Mahatma Gandhi.

18. The first war of Indian independence, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, took place in which year?

Answer: 1857.

19. Who was the last Mughal emperor of India?

Answer: Bahadur Shah II.

20. Who was the first Indian woman to become the President of the United Nations General Assembly?

Answer: Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit.

21. What is the famous ancient trade route that connected India with Europe and Asia?

Answer: Silk Road.

22. Who was the leader of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919?

Answer: General Dyer.

23. Which Indian leader is known for his role in the Salt March, a significant event in the Indian independence movement?

Answer: Mahatma Gandhi.

24. In which year did India gain independence from British rule?

Answer: 1947.

25. Who was the first Indian to win the Nobel Prize?

Answer: Rabindranath Tagore.

26. Who was the founder of the Sikh religion?

Answer: Guru Nanak.

27. What was the name of the Indian social reformer who advocated for women’s rights and education?

Answer: Raja Ram Mohan Roy.

28. Which ancient Indian mathematician is known for his work on the number zero and decimal system?

Answer: Aryabhata.

29. Who was the architect of the Indian Constitution?

Answer: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

30. What is the name of the famous ancient Buddhist cave complex in Maharashtra?

Answer: Ajanta Caves.

31. Who was the first Indian to win an individual Olympic gold medal?

Answer: Abhinav Bindra.

32. Which famous battle was fought between Prithviraj Chauhan and Muhammad Ghori?

Answer: First Battle of Tarain.

33. What is the name of the ancient script used by the Indus Valley Civilization that has not been fully deciphered?

Answer: Indus Script.

34. Who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean?

Answer: Amelia Earhart.

35. Who was the first Vice President and the second President of India?

Answer: Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

36. Which Mughal emperor built the Red Fort in Delhi?

Answer: Shah Jahan.

37. Who was the leader of the Indian National Army (INA) during World War II?

Answer: Subhas Chandra Bose.

38. What is the name of the Indian epic that tells the story of the prince Rama?

Answer: Ramayana.

39. Who was the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal?

Answer: Karnam Malleswari.

40. Which emperor is known for his rock edicts and pillars promoting religious tolerance and moral principles?

Answer: Ashoka the Great.

41. Which event in 1942 marked the call for immediate independence and is also known as the Quit India Movement?

Answer: Quit India Movement.

42. Who was the first Indian astronaut in space?

Answer: Rakesh Sharma.

43. What is the name of the ancient Indian text that provides guidelines for statecraft and politics?

Answer: Arthashastra.

44. Who is known for the construction of the famous Sun Temple in Konark, Odisha?

Answer: King Narasimhadeva I.

45. Who was the first woman Prime Minister of India?

Answer: Indira Gandhi.

46. What is the name of the ancient trade guilds in India that played a significant role in commerce and politics?

Answer: Maurya.

47. Who was the leader of the Khilafat Movement in India?

Answer: Mahatma Gandhi.

48. What is the name of the place where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated?

Answer: Birla House.

49. Who was the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize in Physics?

Answer: C.V. Raman.

50. Who is considered the “Mother of the Indian Revolution” for her contributions to India’s struggle for independence?

Answer: Rani Lakshmibai.