History for grades 1–2: questions with answers
The History questions for grades 1–2 from the game, with the correct answers and an explanation for each.
In which year did Christopher Columbus first reach the Americas?
- 1066
- 1492
- 1776
- 1914
Correct answer: 1492 — Columbus landed in the Bahamas on 12 October 1492 while looking for a western sea route to Asia. He believed until his death that he had reached the Indies.
Which ancient civilisation built the pyramids of Giza?
- Egyptians
- Greeks
- Romans
- Persians
Correct answer: Egyptians — The Great Pyramid was built around 2560 BC as a tomb for the pharaoh Khufu. It remained the tallest structure on Earth for almost four thousand years.
In which year did the First World War begin?
- 1914
- 1918
- 1939
- 1945
Correct answer: 1914 — The war broke out in the summer of 1914 and lasted until November 1918. It drew in more than 30 countries and killed around 17 million people.
The Second World War ended in which year?
- 1912
- 1918
- 1939
- 1945
Correct answer: 1945 — Germany surrendered in May 1945 and Japan in September, after the atomic bombs. It was the deadliest conflict in human history.
Who was the first person to walk on the Moon?
- Yuri Gagarin
- Buzz Aldrin
- Neil Armstrong
- John Glenn
Correct answer: Neil Armstrong — Armstrong stepped onto the Moon on 20 July 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission. Buzz Aldrin followed him minutes later, while Michael Collins stayed in orbit.
In which year did the Berlin Wall fall?
- 1949
- 1961
- 1975
- 1989
Correct answer: 1989 — The wall was opened on the night of 9 November 1989 after East Germany lifted travel restrictions. Germany was reunited less than a year later.
Nelson Mandela became the first Black president of which country?
- Kenya
- Nigeria
- Ghana
- South Africa
Correct answer: South Africa — Mandela spent 27 years in prison before being elected president in 1994, in South Africa's first election open to all races.
Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor of which country?
- France
- Spain
- Austria
- Russia
Correct answer: France — Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French in 1804. His armies conquered much of Europe before his final defeat in 1815.
Abraham Lincoln was the president of which country?
- Canada
- United States
- Mexico
- Brazil
Correct answer: United States — Lincoln led the United States through the Civil War and issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing enslaved people. He was assassinated in 1865.
Mahatma Gandhi led the non-violent struggle for the independence of which country?
- China
- India
- Egypt
- Indonesia
Correct answer: India — Gandhi's campaigns of civil disobedience helped end British rule in India in 1947. He was assassinated the following year.
Which ship sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage?
- Britannic
- Lusitania
- Titanic
- Bismarck
Correct answer: Titanic — The Titanic sank in the North Atlantic on 15 April 1912 with the loss of about 1,500 lives. There were lifeboats for barely half the people on board.
Who was the dictator of Germany during the Second World War?
- Franco
- Hitler
- Mussolini
- Stalin
Correct answer: Hitler — Hitler came to power in 1933 and led Germany into war in 1939. He killed himself in Berlin in April 1945 as Soviet troops closed in.
In which year did humans first land on the Moon?
- 1957
- 1961
- 1965
- 1969
Correct answer: 1969 — Apollo 11 landed on 20 July 1969. Only twelve people have walked on the Moon, all of them between 1969 and 1972.
Cleopatra was the last queen of which ancient kingdom?
- Egypt
- Greece
- Persia
- Rome
Correct answer: Egypt — Cleopatra ruled Egypt until her death in 30 BC, after which Egypt became a Roman province. She was of Greek descent, from the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Germany's invasion of Poland started the Second World War in which year?
- 1939
- 1941
- 1943
- 1945
Correct answer: 1939 — The war began on 1 September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later.
Julius Caesar was a general and statesman of which ancient state?
- Greece
- Persia
- Rome
- Egypt
Correct answer: Rome — Caesar conquered Gaul and made himself dictator of Rome. He was stabbed to death by senators on the Ides of March, 44 BC.
Which country attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in 1941?
- Germany
- Japan
- Italy
- Soviet Union
Correct answer: Japan — The surprise attack on 7 December 1941 brought the United States into the Second World War. Pearl Harbor is in Hawaii.
Which war was fought between the northern and southern states of the USA from 1861 to 1865?
- War of Independence
- Mexican–American War
- American Civil War
- Spanish–American War
Correct answer: American Civil War — The Civil War began after eleven southern states seceded over slavery. Around 620,000 soldiers died, more than in any other American war.
The Aztec civilisation flourished in what is now which country?
- Brazil
- Peru
- Argentina
- Mexico
Correct answer: Mexico — The Aztec capital Tenochtitlan stood where Mexico City is today. It was one of the largest cities in the world when the Spanish arrived in 1519.
Martin Luther King Jr. led the civil rights movement in which country?
- Canada
- South Africa
- United Kingdom
- United States
Correct answer: United States — King gave his 'I Have a Dream' speech in Washington in 1963 and won the Nobel Peace Prize a year later. He was assassinated in Memphis in 1968.
The Great Wall was built to defend which country?
- India
- China
- Persia
- Japan
Correct answer: China — Sections were raised and rebuilt over many centuries; most of what tourists walk today is Ming work from the 14th to 17th centuries.
In which city does the Colosseum stand?
- Athens
- Cairo
- Istanbul
- Rome
Correct answer: Rome — The amphitheater was finished around AD 80 and could seat tens of thousands for games and mock battles.
Which ocean did Columbus cross in 1492?
- Pacific
- Indian
- Atlantic
- Arctic
Correct answer: Atlantic — He sailed west from Spain expecting Asia and made landfall in the Caribbean after about five weeks at sea.
Which country dropped atomic bombs on Japan in 1945?
- Soviet Union
- United States
- Britain
- China
Correct answer: United States — Hiroshima was bombed on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9; Japan announced its surrender days later.
Which people were the main victims of the Holocaust?
- Mongols
- Persians
- Jews
- Aztecs
Correct answer: Jews — Around six million European Jews were murdered by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1941 and 1945.
What did ancient Egyptians turn their dead into for burial?
- Statues
- Ashes
- Mosaics
- Mummies
Correct answer: Mummies — Organs were removed, the body was dried with salts and wrapped in linen so the dead could live on in the afterlife.
After which war was Germany split into East and West?
- Napoleonic Wars
- Second World War
- First World War
- Thirty Years' War
Correct answer: Second World War — The four occupation zones of 1945 hardened into two states in 1949, and they stayed apart until 1990.
Which country's monarchs paid for Columbus's first voyage?
- Portugal
- England
- Spain
- France
Correct answer: Spain — Isabella and Ferdinand backed him after Portugal turned the plan down, betting on a western route to Asia.