General Awareness ยท History

Historical Dates and Firsts

2,390 Questions

Historical dates and firsts questions test your memory of significant global milestones in sports, science, technology, and literature. These factual questions appear regularly in SSC, banking, and state PSC general awareness papers. Use these questions to quickly memorize important historical events and their exact years.

Inventions and launchesSports world firstsHistorical prize awardsTechnology milestones

Historical Dates and Firsts Questions

Multiple choice

Which country was the first to develop a hydrogen bomb?

  1. United States

  2. Soviet Union

  3. United Kingdom

  4. France
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The United States was the first country to develop a hydrogen bomb. The first hydrogen bomb was detonated on November 1, 1952, at the Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Multiple choice

When did the concept of youth culture first emerge?

  1. 19th century

  2. 20th century

  3. 21st century

  4. Middle Ages
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The concept of youth culture first emerged in the 19th century, as a result of industrialization and urbanization, which led to increased leisure time and disposable income for young people.

Multiple choice

In what year was the first World Chess Championship held?

  1. 1851

  2. 1866

  3. 1886

  4. 1907
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The first World Chess Championship was held in 1886 in Vienna, Austria.

Multiple choice

When did video art first emerge?

  1. In the 1950s.

  2. In the 1960s.

  3. In the 1970s.

  4. In the 1980s.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Video art first emerged in the 1960s, as artists began to experiment with the new medium of video. Some of the early pioneers of video art include Nam June Paik, Wolf Vostell, and Bruce Nauman.

Multiple choice

When was French toast first mentioned in a cookbook?

  1. 16th century

  2. 17th century

  3. 18th century

  4. 19th century
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

French toast was first mentioned in a cookbook in the 17th century.

Multiple choice

In which year did the "Biennale de Port-au-Prince" art exhibition make its debut in Haiti?

  1. 2007

  2. 2011

  3. 2015

  4. 2019
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The "Biennale de Port-au-Prince" was first held in 2011, showcasing the works of Haitian and international artists and promoting contemporary art in Haiti.

Multiple choice

When were the first recorded Olympic Games held?

  1. 776 BC

  2. 1000 BC

  3. 500 BC

  4. 200 BC
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The first recorded Olympic Games were held in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece.

Multiple choice

When were the modern Olympic Games first held?

  1. 1896

  2. 1900

  3. 1904

  4. 1908
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The modern Olympic Games were first held in 1896 in Athens, Greece.

Multiple choice

In which year did the Soviet Union launch Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth?

  1. 1955

  2. 1957

  3. 1961

  4. 1969
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Sputnik 1 was launched on October 4, 1957, marking a major milestone in the Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Multiple choice

Which country is known as the birthplace of table tennis?

  1. England

  2. China

  3. Japan

  4. United States
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Table tennis originated in England in the late 19th century.

Multiple choice

When did the first Earth Day take place?

  1. 1962

  2. 1970

  3. 1972

  4. 1980
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970.

Multiple choice

When was the first national park established in the United States?

  1. 1872

  2. 1880

  3. 1890

  4. 1900
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872, becoming the first national park in the United States.

Multiple choice

In Touching the Sky: Jim Whittaker and His Quest to Summit Mount Everest, Jim Whittaker becomes the first American to summit Mount Everest. What year did Jim Whittaker summit Mount Everest?

  1. 1963

  2. 1953

  3. 1978

  4. 1986
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Jim Whittaker summitted Mount Everest in 1963, becoming the first American to do so.

Multiple choice

In which year were the first Grammy Awards held?

  1. 1958

  2. 1959

  3. 1960

  4. 1961
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4, 1959, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

Multiple choice

In which year was the first European Weightlifting Championships held?

  1. 1896

  2. 1905

  3. 1911

  4. 1921
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The first European Weightlifting Championships were held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in 1896.