General Awareness · History
Historical Dates and Firsts
2,518 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
A
Correct answer
Explanation
The barometer was invented by Evangelista Torricelli in 1643. This was a breakthrough in measuring atmospheric pressure. The other dates (1852, 1590, 1884) are incorrect - 1643 is the historically accurate year of invention.
C
Correct answer
Explanation
The first laser was built in 1960 by Theodore H. Maiman at Hughes
D
Correct answer
Explanation
The neutron was discovered by James Chadwick in 1932. This was a major breakthrough in nuclear physics, confirming the existence of a neutral subatomic particle. The other dates (1759, 1814, 1958) are incorrect for this discovery.
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17th century
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16th century
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18th century
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19th century
B
Correct answer
Explanation
Victoria became Queen of Great Britain on June 20, 1837, following William IV's death. Her reign lasted until 1901 (the Victorian era). 1857 was during her reign (Indian Rebellion), 1887 was her Golden Jubilee, and 1911 was in George V's reign.
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Microsoft has come a long way after 1980, when it was started by Software engineer Bill Gates.
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In 1980, Microsoft was started by Software engineer Bill Gates and has come a long way since then.
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Started in 1980 by Software engineer Bill Gates, Microsoft has come a long way.
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Software engineer Bill Gates in 1980 started Microsoft which has come a long way.
C
Correct answer
Explanation
Option C uses a concise participial phrase to introduce the subject and time, making it the most clear and economical expression. The passive constructions in A and B are wordier, while D has awkward word order with 'in 1980' splitting 'Bill Gates' and 'started'.
B
Correct answer
Explanation
CP/M was developed in 1974 by Digital Research (then called Intergalactic Digital Research). It became the dominant operating system for 8-bit microcomputers during the late 1970s before being displaced by MS-DOS in the early 1980s.
A
Correct answer
Explanation
The ballpoint pen was first patented in 1888 by John J. Loud, though a commercially successful version was developed later by Laszlo Biro in the 1930s. The original patent addressed the basic mechanism of a rolling ball to dispense ink.
C
Correct answer
Explanation
The Lumière brothers held the first public film screening on December 28, 1895, in Paris, marking the birth of cinema as we know it. This event demonstrated their cinématographe device to a paying audience.
C
Correct answer
Explanation
Pluto was discovered on February 18, 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. The discovery came after years of searching for a hypothetical 'Planet X' beyond Neptune.
D
Correct answer
Explanation
Ernest Rutherford identified the proton as a positively charged particle in the atomic nucleus in 1919 through experiments with nitrogen gas. This discovery followed his earlier work on the nucleus.
D
Correct answer
Explanation
Ozone (O3) was discovered in 1850 by Christian Friedrich Schönbein, who recognized its distinct properties and characteristic odor. He identified it while studying electrolysis and electrolytic gas.