First in the World Practice Questions

Correct answer: Robert Peary

American explorer Robert Peary is generally credited with reaching the North Pole on April 6, 1909. He was accompanied by Matthew Henson and four Inuit men.

Correct answer: Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the Prime Minister of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1960. She served three terms as the head of government during her political career.

Correct answer: China

Paper currency was first developed in China during the Tang Dynasty (7th century). However, the first true widespread use of paper money occurred during the Song Dynasty in the 11th century.

Correct answer: The Wright Brothers

The Wright brothers achieved the first powered, controlled, and sustained flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft in 1903. The flight took place at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Correct answer: Yuri Gagarin

Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space on April 12, 1961. He orbited the Earth once in his Vostok 1 spacecraft.

Correct answer: Junko Tabei

Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei reached the peak of Mount Everest on May 16, 1975. She was also the first woman to ascend the Seven Summits.

Correct answer: Greece

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. This event marked the revival of the ancient Olympic tradition.

Correct answer: Ferdinand Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan's expedition (1519–1522) was the first to circumnavigate the globe. Although Magellan died during the voyage, Juan Sebastián Elcano completed the journey.

Correct answer: Marie Curie

Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize (Physics, 1903). She later became the first person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields (Chemistry, 1911).

Correct answer: New Zealand

New Zealand became the first self-governing country to grant women the right to vote in parliamentary elections in 1893. This was the result of a long campaign led by Kate Sheppard.

Correct answer: Roald Amundsen

Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911. He beat the British expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott by approximately five weeks.

Correct answer: Hiroshima

Hiroshima was the first city targeted by an atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, during World War II. The bomb, named 'Little Boy', was dropped by the US B-29 bomber Enola Gay.

Correct answer: Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart completed her solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic in May 1932. She flew from Newfoundland to Ireland in just under 15 hours.

Correct answer: Soviet Union

The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957. This event triggered the Space Race between the USSR and the United States.

Correct answer: Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. His famous words were, 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.'

Correct answer: Uruguay

Uruguay hosted and won the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930. They defeated Argentina 4-2 in the final held in Montevideo.

Correct answer: Valentina Tereshkova

Valentina Tereshkova of the Soviet Union became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963. She orbited the Earth 48 times aboard the Vostok 6.

Correct answer: Henry Dunant and Frédéric Passy

The first Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly in 1901 to Henry Dunant (founder of the Red Cross) and Frédéric Passy (founder of the French peace society).

Correct answer: United States

The United States Constitution, adopted in 1787 and effective in 1789, is the world's oldest written national constitution still in use today.