Megan Moran Quizzes

History quiz

A war that lasted far longer than its name suggests, a queen who spoke Greek and a lighthouse that gave its name to lighthouses everywhere: the past is full of twists. These 20 questions run from ancient civilizations to the 20th century, taking in empires, explorers and inventions. See how much you know, then pass the quiz on to friends and family.

A free quiz from Megan Moran, author of The Mighty History Quiz Book.

Pick an answer to start20 to go

  1. Question 1 of 20Ancient Rome

    Which Roman town was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79?

  2. Question 2 of 20Medieval Europe

    The Hundred Years' War between England and France actually lasted about how long?

  3. Question 3 of 2020th Century

    In which year did the Titanic sink on its maiden voyage?

  4. Question 4 of 20Ancient Rome

    Who was the first emperor of Rome?

  5. Question 5 of 20Ancient Egypt

    Which scholar announced in 1822 that he had deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs, with help from the Rosetta Stone?

  6. Question 6 of 2020th Century

    Who was the first person to walk on the Moon?

  7. Question 7 of 20Explorers

    Which explorer led the expedition that completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in 1522, despite dying partway through?

  8. Question 8 of 20Medieval Europe

    Which English king agreed to the Magna Carta in 1215?

  9. Question 9 of 20Empires

    Moctezuma II was ruling which empire when Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1519?

  10. Question 10 of 20Inventions

    Who developed the movable-type printing press in Europe in the mid-15th century?

  11. Question 11 of 20Ancient Egypt

    Cleopatra VII belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty, which had Macedonian roots. What was the family's main language?

  12. Question 12 of 2020th Century

    Who became the first woman to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic, in 1932?

  13. Question 13 of 20Inventions

    In which country did the Industrial Revolution begin?

  14. Question 14 of 20Empires

    In which year did Constantinople fall to the Ottoman Empire, ending the Byzantine Empire?

  15. Question 15 of 20Ancient World

    Which of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World stood on the island of Pharos?

  16. Question 16 of 20Explorers

    In which year did Christopher Columbus first reach the Americas?

  17. Question 17 of 20Ancient World

    Which Carthaginian general famously led an army, including war elephants, across the Alps in 218 BC?

  18. Question 18 of 20Ancient China

    The Terracotta Army was buried to guard the tomb of which ruler, the first emperor of a unified China?

  19. Question 19 of 20Explorers

    Who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole, in December 1911?

  20. Question 20 of 20Inventions

    Where did the Wright brothers make their first powered, controlled airplane flight in 1903?

Answer all 20 to see your score.

Want more? The Mighty History Quiz Book has over 800 questions like these, ready for your next quiz night.

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Show all the answers
  1. Which Roman town was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79? Pompeii
  2. The Hundred Years' War between England and France actually lasted about how long? 116 years
  3. In which year did the Titanic sink on its maiden voyage? 1912
  4. Who was the first emperor of Rome? Augustus
  5. Which scholar announced in 1822 that he had deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs, with help from the Rosetta Stone? Jean-François Champollion
  6. Who was the first person to walk on the Moon? Neil Armstrong
  7. Which explorer led the expedition that completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in 1522, despite dying partway through? Ferdinand Magellan
  8. Which English king agreed to the Magna Carta in 1215? King John
  9. Moctezuma II was ruling which empire when Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1519? Aztec
  10. Who developed the movable-type printing press in Europe in the mid-15th century? Johannes Gutenberg
  11. Cleopatra VII belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty, which had Macedonian roots. What was the family's main language? Greek
  12. Who became the first woman to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic, in 1932? Amelia Earhart
  13. In which country did the Industrial Revolution begin? Great Britain
  14. In which year did Constantinople fall to the Ottoman Empire, ending the Byzantine Empire? 1453
  15. Which of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World stood on the island of Pharos? Lighthouse of Alexandria
  16. In which year did Christopher Columbus first reach the Americas? 1492
  17. Which Carthaginian general famously led an army, including war elephants, across the Alps in 218 BC? Hannibal
  18. The Terracotta Army was buried to guard the tomb of which ruler, the first emperor of a unified China? Qin Shi Huang
  19. Who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole, in December 1911? Roald Amundsen
  20. Where did the Wright brothers make their first powered, controlled airplane flight in 1903? Near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina