General Awareness · 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

What was the first university to offer a degree in astronomy?

  1. University of Oxford

  2. University of Cambridge

  3. University of Paris

  4. University of Bologna
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The University of Bologna was the first university to offer a degree in astronomy, in the 13th century.

Multiple choice

In which year was the Shanghai International Film Festival first held?

  1. 1993

  2. 1995

  3. 1997

  4. 1999
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Shanghai International Film Festival was first held in 1993.

Multiple choice

In which year was the American Film Institute Conservatory established?

  1. 1969

  2. 1972

  3. 1975

  4. 1978
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The American Film Institute Conservatory was established in 1969 as part of the American Film Institute.

Multiple choice

When did music first start being used in advertising?

  1. 1920s

  2. 1940s

  3. 1950s

  4. 1960s
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Music was first used in advertising in the 1920s with the advent of radio broadcasting.

Multiple choice

When was the first dance festival held?

  1. 1900

  2. 1910

  3. 1920

  4. 1930
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The first dance festival was held in 1900 in Paris, France.

Multiple choice

When was the first Copa América Femenina held?

  1. 1989

  2. 1991

  3. 1993

  4. 1995
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The first Copa América Femenina was held in 1991 in Chile.

Multiple choice

When was the Rosetta Stone deciphered?

  1. 1822

  2. 1802

  3. 1799

  4. 196 BC
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Rosetta Stone was deciphered in 1822 by Jean-François Champollion.

Multiple choice

What is the date of the Rosetta Stone?

  1. 196 BC

  2. 100 BC

  3. 50 BC

  4. 1 AD
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Rosetta Stone is dated to 196 BC.

Multiple choice

In which year was the São Paulo International Film Festival first held?

  1. 1976

  2. 1984

  3. 1992

  4. 2000
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The São Paulo International Film Festival was first held in 1976.

Multiple choice

When was the Red Cross founded?

  1. 1859

  2. 1864

  3. 1869

  4. 1874
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Red Cross was founded in 1864 by Henry Dunant, a Swiss businessman who witnessed the suffering of wounded soldiers during the Battle of Solferino in Italy.

Multiple choice

In what year was the first World Lacrosse Championship held?

  1. 1967

  2. 1974

  3. 1982

  4. 1990
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The first World Lacrosse Championship was held in Toronto, Canada, in 1967.

Multiple choice

When did the first vocational school open in the United States?

  1. 1876

  2. 1880

  3. 1890

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

The first vocational school in the United States, the Philadelphia Trades School, opened in 1876.

Multiple choice

In what year was the first Percy Jackson film released?

  1. 2008

  2. 2009

  3. 2010

  4. 2011
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The first Percy Jackson film, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, was released in 2010.

Multiple choice

In what year was the second Percy Jackson film, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, released?

  1. 2012

  2. 2011

  3. 2013

  4. 2014
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The second Percy Jackson film, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, was released in 2013.

Multiple choice

What year did Twitch launch?

  1. 2007

  2. 2011

  3. 2014

  4. 2017
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Twitch launched in 2011 as a spin-off of Justin.tv.