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1.During the year, which of these festivals begins first (in the northern hemisphere, in terms of the Gregorian calendar)?
Samhain
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Lughnasadh
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Yule
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Beltane
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Beltane occurs on 1st May, Lughnasadh on 1st August. Samhain begins on 31st October and ends on 1st November, while Yule begins on 21st December and lasts until 1st January.
2.The site of which of these cities was settled first?
Ur
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Aššur
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Jericho
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Susa
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People have lived within what is now Jericho since around 10,000 BC, though the first permanent settlement on the site was built sometime between 9,500 and 9,000 BC. Ur was settled sometime between 6500 and 3800 BC, Susa was occupied from 4395 BC and Aššur was occupied from the middle of the 3rd millennium BC.
3.Which of these African rulers lived before the others?
Shaka
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Ewuare
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Radama I
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Mansa Musa
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Musa's reign as the Mansa of Mali lasted from c. 1312 to c. 1337. Ewuare was the Oba of the Kingdom of Benin from 1440 to 1473, Radama I was the first King of Madagascar and his reign lasted from 1810 to 27th July 1828. Shaka was the founder of the Zulu Kingdom, which he ruled between 1816 and 1828.
4.Which of these pre-Columbian cities was established first?
Cusco
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Teotihuacan
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Chichen Itza
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Tetzcoco
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The first settlement in what would become Teotihuacan was established c. 600 BC, while the city itself began to form in around 200 BC. Chichen Itza was founded sometime during the Classic period, which lasted from 250 to 900 AD. The oldest part of Cusco, Sacsayhuamán, was built in around 1100, while Tetzcoco was founded in the 12th century.
5.Which of these began first?
Taiping Rebellion
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Meiji Restoration
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Franco-Siamese War
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Second Anglo-Afghan War
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The Taiping Rebellion lasted from December 1850 to August 1864, the Meiji Restoration lasted from 1868 to 1889, the Second Anglo-Afghan War lasted from 1878 to 1880 and the Franco-Siamese War lasted from 13th July to 3rd October 1893.
6.Which of these Italian churches was completed first?
St Mark's Basilica, Venice
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Siena Cathedral
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Florence Cathedral
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Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna
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The basilica, known for its mosaic art, was completed in 547. St. Mark's Basilica was completed in 1094, Siena Cathedral in 1348 and Florence Cathedral in 1436.
7.Which of these Egyptian necropolises was established first?
Dahshur
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Saqqara
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Giza pyramid complex
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Valley of the Kings
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The earliest burials at Saqqara were those of nobles from the First Dynasty (c. 3100-2900 BC), while the first royal burials at the site date to the Second Dynasty (c. 2890-2686 BC). Dahshur and Giza were both established during the Fourth Dynasty (c. 2613-2494), while the Valley of the Kings contains burials from the New Kingdom (c. 1550-1077 BC).
8.Which country's Declaration of Independence occurred first?
Brazil
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Peru
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Colombia
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Argentina
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Colombia: 20th July 1810, Argentina: 9th July 1816, Peru: 28th July 1821, Brazil: 7th September 1822.
9.Which of these rulers was born first?
Babur
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Timur
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Osman I
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Saladin
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Saladin was born in 1137 in Tikrit, Osman I was born sometime in the 13th century in the Sultanate of Rum, Timur was born on 9th April 1336 in Kesh (modern Shahrisabz) and Babur was born on 14th February 1483 in Andijan.
10.Which of these 20th-century wars ended first?
Spanish Civil War
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Lapland War
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Italian Civil War
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Winter War
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The Spanish Civil War ended on 1st April 1939. The Winter War (USSR vs Finland) ended on 13th March 1940, the Lapland War (Nazi Germany vs Finland) ended on 27th April 1945 and the Italian Civil War ended on 2nd May 1945.
11.The construction of which of these sites began earlier than the others?
Ruapekapeka (New Zealand)
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Ahu Tongariki (Easter Island)
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Nan Madol (F.S. Micronesia)
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Haʻamonga ʻa Maui (Tonga)
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Nan Madol was a city built on artificial islands: the construction of the islands began in the 8th or 9th century, while the buildings were built from some point between 1180 and 1200. Haʻamonga ʻa Maui is a trilithon (two stones as posts with a third as a lintel, like at Stonehenge) located on the island of Tongatapu, and it was created in around 1200. Ahu Tongariki is a stone platform holding several moai, the stone figures that can be found on Easter Island; all moai were carved between 1250 and 1500. Ruapekapeka is a pā (fortified settlement) that was designed to counter the cannons of the British forces.
12.Which of these cities was the first to become a national capital?
Yamoussoukro
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Dakar
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Dodoma
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Abuja
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Dakar has been the capital of Senegal since the country became independent in 1960. Dodoma became the capital of Tanzania in 1974, Yamoussoukro became the capital of Ivory Coast in 1983 and Abuja became the capital of Nigeria in 1991.
13.Which of these cities was established before 1000 AD?
Espoo
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Aarhus
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Malmö
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Stavanger
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Aarhus was founded in the 8th century, which would have made it one of the earliest cities within what is now Denmark alongside Ribe (which is currently a town). Stavanger was established in the early 12th century, Malmö is thought to have been founded shortly before the earliest written mention of the city in 1275, and Espoo was established as a self-governing Catholic parish in the 15th century.
14.Which of these temples was founded first?
Kailasa Temple
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Tōdai-ji
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Angkor Wat
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Shaolin Monastery
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Shaolin Monastery was established in 495 within the domain of the Northern Wei dynasty. Tōdai-ji (in Nara) and Kailasa Temple (part of the Ellora Caves) were both established in the 8th century, while Angkor Wat was founded in the early 12th century.
15.Which of these U.S. federal agencies is the oldest?
FBI
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CIA
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DEA
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NSA
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The FBI was formed on 26th July 1908, the CIA on 18th September 1947, the NSA on 4th November 1952 and the DEA on 1st July 1973.