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 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

When was Neptune first discovered?

  1. 1612

  2. 1781

  3. 1846

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

Neptune was first discovered by Urbain Le Verrier and John Couch Adams in 1846.

Multiple choice

When was the first solar-powered airplane flight?

  1. 1974

  2. 1981

  3. 1990

  4. 1997
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

In 1981, the Solar Challenger became the first solar-powered airplane to fly.

Multiple choice

When was Barack Obama first elected as President of the United States?

  1. 2008

  2. 2012

  3. 2016

  4. 2020
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Barack Obama was first elected as President of the United States in 2008.

Multiple choice

In what year was the Spanish Inquisition established?

  1. 1478

  2. 1492

  3. 1517

  4. 1545
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Spanish Inquisition was established in 1478 by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

Multiple choice

When was the Spanish Inquisition abolished?

  1. 1808

  2. 1812

  3. 1820

  4. 1834
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Spanish Inquisition was abolished in 1834.

Multiple choice

When was archery first introduced as an Olympic sport?

  1. 1896

  2. 1900

  3. 1904

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

Archery was first introduced as an Olympic sport at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

Multiple choice

When was the first national party convention held in the United States?

  1. 1832

  2. 1840

  3. 1848

  4. 1856
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The first national party convention was held in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1832 by the Democratic Party.

Multiple choice

In what year did the Republican Party hold its first national convention?

  1. 1854

  2. 1856

  3. 1860

  4. 1864
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Republican Party held its first national convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1856.

Multiple choice

In which century did haiku gain popularity in the West?

  1. 18th century

  2. 19th century

  3. 20th century

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

Haiku gained popularity in the West during the 20th century.

Multiple choice

When was the first university in Africa established?

  1. 1868

  2. 1908

  3. 1922

  4. 1948
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The first university in Africa was the University of Algiers, established in 1868.

Multiple choice

What was the first long-distance telephone call made?

  1. New York City to Boston

  2. Boston to Washington, D.C.

  3. San Francisco to New York City

  4. Chicago to St. Louis
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The first long-distance telephone call was made between Boston and Washington, D.C., on October 9, 1876.

Multiple choice

In what year did Ludwig van Beethoven die?

  1. 1827

  2. 1828

  3. 1829

  4. 1830
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Beethoven died on March 26, 1827, at the age of 56.

Multiple choice

In what year did Frederic Chopin die?

  1. 1847

  2. 1848

  3. 1849

  4. 1850
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Chopin died on October 17, 1849, at the age of 39.

Multiple choice

When was the International Space Station (ISS) first launched?

  1. 1998

  2. 2000

  3. 2002

  4. 2004
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The first module of the ISS, Zarya, was launched on November 20, 1998.