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

When did the first manned moon landing take place?

  1. 1961

  2. 1969

  3. 1972

  4. 1975
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The first manned moon landing took place on July 20, 1969, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin becoming the first humans to walk on the moon.

Multiple choice

When did the first iPhone launch?

  1. 2007

  2. 2008

  3. 2009

  4. 2010
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The first iPhone was launched on June 29, 2007, by Apple Inc.

Multiple choice

When did the first COVID-19 vaccine receive approval for use?

  1. 2020

  2. 2021

  3. 2022

  4. 2023
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The first COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, received approval for use in December 2020.

Multiple choice

In which year was the first Earth Day celebrated?

  1. 1970

  2. 1968

  3. 1972

  4. 1974
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, and has since become an annual event to raise awareness about environmental issues and promote sustainability.

Multiple choice

When was cuneiform first deciphered?

  1. 18th century

  2. 19th century

  3. 20th century

  4. 21st century
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Cuneiform was first deciphered in the 19th century by a British scholar named Henry Rawlinson. Rawlinson used a combination of linguistic analysis and archaeological evidence to decipher the cuneiform script.

Multiple choice

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

  1. 1873

  2. 1883

  3. 1893

  4. 1903
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The first nursing school in the United States, the Bellevue Hospital Training School for Nurses, opened in 1873.

Multiple choice

In which year was the poem "Ode to the Confederate Dead" published?

  1. 1928

  2. 1930

  3. 1932

  4. 1934
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The poem was first published in the April 1930 issue of The American Review.

Multiple choice

When was cuneiform first developed?

  1. Around 3500 BCE

  2. Around 2500 BCE

  3. Around 1500 BCE

  4. Around 500 BCE
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Cuneiform was first developed around 3500 BCE in the region of Mesopotamia, which is now modern-day Iraq.

Multiple choice

When was the ozone hole first discovered?

  1. 1974

  2. 1985

  3. 1995

  4. 2005
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The ozone hole was first discovered in 1985 by British Antarctic Survey scientists Joe Farman, Brian Gardiner, and Jonathan Shanklin.

Multiple choice

When was cuneiform first developed?

  1. Around 3500 BC

  2. Around 2500 BC

  3. Around 1500 BC

  4. Around 500 BC
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Cuneiform was first developed around 3500 BC in ancient Mesopotamia.

Multiple choice

What was the first modern Olympic Games?

  1. 1896

  2. 1900

  3. 1904

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

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

Multiple choice

What is the name of the mysterious manuscript that has baffled cryptographers for centuries?

  1. The Voynich Manuscript

  2. The Dead Sea Scrolls

  3. The Codex Seraphinianus

  4. The Book of Kells
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Voynich Manuscript, written in an unknown language and filled with intricate illustrations, remains one of the most enigmatic texts in history.

Multiple choice

When did the First Congress of the United States convene?

  1. March 4, 1789

  2. April 6, 1789

  3. May 1, 1789

  4. June 2, 1789
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The First Congress of the United States convened on March 4, 1789, in New York City, which was the temporary capital of the United States at the time.

Multiple choice

When did the conservation movement in South America begin?

  1. 19th century

  2. 20th century

  3. 18th century

  4. 17th century
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The conservation movement in South America began in the 19th century, as a response to the increasing environmental degradation caused by human activities.

Multiple choice

When was the first women's suffrage convention held in the United States?

  1. 1848

  2. 1850

  3. 1852

  4. 1854
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The first women's suffrage convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848.