Epic World History Quiz

What is the earliest known period of human history?

Sumerians are credited with creating the first known writing system. What is it called?

What king is credited with creating one of the world's first law codes?

Which ancient civilization built the Great Pyramids of Giza?

Which early Chinese dynasty is known for its bronze work and writing system?

Harappa and Mohenjo-daro were cities apart of which ancient civilization?

Which Egyptian Pharaoh attempted to replace the traditional gods with Aten?

Which Minoan king is linked with the labyrinth myth?

Which empire was founded by Cyrus the Great and included much of the Near East?

Which Greek epic poem describes Odysseus' adventures returning home from the Trojan War?

Who was the Greek historian known for his account of the Persian Wars?

Which ancient wonder was built by king Nebuchadnezzar II?

Who was the Greek philosopher famous for his method of questioning?

Which ancient structure in Greece was used for athletic competitions and festivals?

Who is known for uniting the Persian Empire and allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem?

What name is given to the written laws created by the ancient Athenians around 621 BC?

The Greek city-state famous for its military discipline was known as what?

This ruler created a vast empire and spread Greek culture across three continents.

The Rosetta Stone helped scholars decipher which writing form?

Which river was crucial to the survival of ancient Egypt civilization?

Which battle in 490 BC saw the Greeks defeat the Persians, inspiring the modern race of the same name?

This Indian emperor expanded the Maurya Empire and later embraced Buddhism.

What is the oldest known work of literature, written by the Sumerians?

The Parthenon in Athens was dedicated to which Greek goddess?

This biblical figure led the Israelites out of Egypt in the event known as the Exodus.

What mountain range did the Inca civilization thrive in?

Which war was fought between Athens and Sparta in the 5th Century BC?

Who was the first Roman emperor, marking the end of the Roman Republic?

What Carthaginian general famously crossed the Alps to attack Rome during the Second Punic War?

What was the philosophical school founded by Zeno in ancient Greece that emphasized virtue and self-control?

The Silk Road connected China with which other major ancient empire?

What is the name of the large arena in Rome where gladiators fought?

Which Roman general and statesman was assassinated on the Ides of March in 44 BC?

Which famous battle in 331 BC saw Alexander the Great defeat the Persian Empire?

Germanic tribe that sacked Rome in 410 AD?

What Battle in 451 AD saw the Romans defeat the Huns?

Which ruler united the Frankish tribes and converted to Christianity in 496 AD?

What church was built in Constantinople under Justinian?

What were the religious wars fought to reclaim the Holy Land called?

Which leader defeated Muslims at the Battle of Tours in 732 AD?

Which saint's monastic rule laid the foundation for Western monastic life?

The Western Roman Empire ended in 476 AD. Which Germanic leader was responsible?

A 6th century kingdom was founded in Italy by which group?

Which decisive battle in 636 AD secured Muslim control of Syria?

The Umayyad Caliphate's capital was in which major city?

What is the term for Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD?

Which ruler's empire was divided among his grandsongs in the Treaty of Verdun in 843?

What city was the cultural and intellectual hub during the Abbasid Caliphate?

The introduction of this material greatly influenced European record-keeping. What was it?

Córdoba, a center of islamic culture, is located in which modern-day country?

The Quba Mosque is one of the earliest mosques in which city?

Who became the first caliph after Muhammad's death?

Which leader recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187?

Medieval European landholding system, where land was exchanged for military service, is called what?

In that system, what was the term for land granted to a vassal?

The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, aimed to limit the power of which English king?

Which crusade involved Richard the Lionheart and was aimed at retaking Jerusalem?

The elite warrior class in feudal Japan were known as what?

The medieval order, known for both its military and financial roles, was called what?

Pope Urban II called for the First Crusade at which council?

Which Parisian university was a major medieval center of learning?

Dante Alighieri's epic poem, The Divine Comedy, explores what afterlife realms?

Which Norse explorer reached North America around the year 1000?

Which English king solidified control after the Danish rule ended in 1016?

The Bayeux Tapestry depicts events leading up to which significant 1066 invasion?

The devastating plague of the 14th is known as what?

The Hundred Years' War was fought between which two countries?

Joan of Arc, a key figure to that war, was executed by which group

The conflict between the House of Lancaster and York is known as what?

Which council, held in 1417, resolved the Great Schism of the Catholic Church?

John Wycliffe was an early reformer whose followers were called?

The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 in England was led by whom?

Henry V's victory at which 1415 battle was a major event in the Hundred Years' War?

Mansa Musa was the emperor of which wealthy West African empire?

The Cologne Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece, is located in which modern day country?

Which Mongol ruler established the Yuan Dynasty in China

Who was the Italian Explorer who completed his first voyage to the New World in 1492?

What was the 1494 agreement that divided the New World between Spain and Portugal called?

Which explorer first crossed the Isthmus of Panama and viewed the Pacific Ocean?

Which empire did Hernán Cortés conquer in 1521?

Who led the spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in 1533?

The first permanent English settlement in North America was established in what colony in 1607?

Which company funded that colony?

Who that colony was named after?

Which country's East India Company was established in 1602?

Which explorer's expedition was the first to circumnavigate the Earth?

17-century conflict that involved the English Parliament fighting against the monarch?

Monarch's execution that marked the end of that conflict?

What modern day country would New France be located in today?

What 18th-century trade system involved exchanging good between Europe, Africa, and the Americas

Which conflict, occurring from 1756-1763, pitted Britain and its allies against France and its allies in North America?

The Dutch Colony at Cape of Good Hope later became part of which present day country?

What was the 1795 treaty that settled disputes with Native American tribes in the Northwest Territory called?

Which Portuguese explorer reached India by Sailing around Africa?

What 17th century European conflict was a series of wars involving the Holy Roman Empire and various other European powers?

Which North American colony and modern day city was purchased by the Dutch for just $24

Which 1773 event saw American colonist protest British taxation by dumping tea into the Boston Harbor?

What document, signed in 1776, declared American independence from Britain?

The Qing Dynasty was founded by which ethnic group?

Which British law of the 1760s imposed taxes on paper documents in the American colonies?

Which Quaker leader founded a colony in America known for its religious tolerance?

Which French Explorer established Quebec in 1608?

What was the name of the treaty that put an end to the American Revolutionary War?

What Spanish conquistador explored the southeastern United States in the early 16th century and was the first European to see the Mississippi River?

The colony of New Jersey was originally divided into how many separate territories before being united?

Which French monarch was known for extravagant spending and led to significant debt prior to the French Revolution?

Which American document, adopted in 1787, established the framework for the federal government?

Which island nation was heavily involved in the Atlantic slave trade, particularly in the 18th century?

Which British colony was established in 1788 as a penal settlement in what is now Australia?

Who was the explorer known for his expeditions to the Pacific Ocean, and was killed in the Hawaiian Islands in 1779?

Who is the Mughal emperor known for building the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his wife?

Who was the French Revolution figure known for his role in the Reign of terror and later executed by guillotine?

What was the name of the conflict in Haiti, that saw Haiti gain its independence from France?

Which conflict, occurring from 1803-1815, was fought between the French empire and various European coalitions?

What African nation, founded in 1822 by freed American slaves, declared its independence in 1847?

Which 19th century movement sought to abolish slavery and promote equal rights in the United States?

Which war, from 1853-1856, involved Russia fighting against an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, Britain, France and Sardinia?

Name of the 19th century industrial invention that revolutionized the production of textiles?

1861-1865 war between the Northern and Southern states of the US over issues including states' rights and slavery?

Which Russian czar's emancipation of the serfs in 1861 marked a significant social reform in Russia?

Title given to the 19th century movement that advocated for the extension of voting rights to women?

Which conflict, beginning in 1899 and ending in 1902, was fought between the British Empire and Dutch settlers in South Africa?

Name of the American inventor credited with inventing the lightbulb?

Which major 19th century conflict was fought between the US and Mexico, resulting in significant territorial changes?

Which war in the early 20th century involved Japan defeating Russia over territorial claims in East Asia?

Adam Smith's influential work "The Wealth of Nations" was published in what year?

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparked what major global conflict in 1914?

What 1918-1919 pandemic had significant impact worldwide?

Which Empire collapsed in 1922, leading to the establishment of modern day Turkey?

Japan's transformation into a major world power in the 19th century is largely attributed to which leader?

The U.S. Civil Rights Movement aimed to end racial segregation and achieve what?

The 19th century ideology advocating for national self-determination influenced the creation of new nation-states. What is it called?

in 1929, the U.S. experienced a major economic downturn known as what?

The Soviet Union's push for industrialization and economic reform in the 1920s was part of whose policies?

The 1939 invasion of Poland by Germany triggered which major global conflict?

Which 1944 Allied operation aimed to liberate Western Europe from Nazi control and began with the D-Day landings?

The division of Berlin into East and West after WWII was a result of tensions between which two major powers?

The policy of containing the spread of communism was a key element of U.S. foreign policy during which period?

What international organization, founded in 1945, aims to promote peace and security among nations?

The Korean War was a conflict between North Korea and which allied country?

Which event in 1969 marked the first manned Moon landing?

Which war involved the U.S. fighting against the forces of Ho Chi Minh?

Which political scandal in the 1970s led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon?

What 1979 crisis involved the seizure of American hostages in a foreign embassy?

The end of which major geopolitical entity in 1991 marked the conclusion of the Cold War?

The Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 were aimed at which type of reform?

The fall of which significant barrier in 1989 symbolized the end of the Cold War?

The Gulf War of 1990-1991 was triggered by the invasion of which country?

Which 1992 international agreement sought to address global climate change?

The conflict known for ethnic strife in the Balkans is called what?

Which 1994 genocide in Africa targeted the Tutsi population?

The 1994 peace agreement between Israel and Palestine was signed in which U.S. city?

The 1990s technology boom is often referred to as what?

The September 11, 2001, attacks targeted which iconic buildings?

The 2003 invasion was intended to remove which Iraqi leader from power?

What largely caused the collapse of what financial instruments in the 2008 financial crisis.

The 2011 Arab Spring led to uprisings across which region?

Which 2015 agreement aimed to limit global carbon emissions and combat climate change?

The term "Brexit" refers to what country's exit from the European Union

What 2019-20 global health crisis affected economies worldwide?