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Bing History Quiz: 15 Questions From Ancient Egypt to the Moon Landing
History questions appear in the Bing Quiz whenever the homepage photo shows a castle, a ruin, a monument or an anniversary. This quiz has 15 questions running from ancient Egypt to the space race, each with the answer and a short explanation.
The questions are ordered roughly by date, so you can follow the story as you play.
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Pick A, B or C for each question. The right answer turns green and a short fact explains it.
All 15 questions and answers
Every question with its answer and explanation. Open “Show answer” after you guess.
1 The Great Pyramid of Giza was built for which pharaoh?
- A Khufu
- B Ramesses II
- C Tutankhamun
Show answer
✓ Answer: A. Khufu
Did you know? It was completed around 2560 BC and was the tallest human-made structure for more than 3,800 years.
2 Which ancient city was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79?
- A Carthage
- B Athens
- C Pompeii
Show answer
✓ Answer: C. Pompeii
Did you know? Volcanic ash preserved Pompeii's streets, houses and even loaves of bread.
3 Who was the first emperor of Rome?
- A Julius Caesar
- B Augustus
- C Nero
Show answer
✓ Answer: B. Augustus
Did you know? Julius Caesar was dictator but never emperor. His adopted heir Octavian became Augustus in 27 BC.
4 In which year did the Western Roman Empire traditionally fall?
- A AD 1066
- B AD 1453
- C AD 476
Show answer
✓ Answer: C. AD 476
Did you know? In 476 the Germanic leader Odoacer deposed the last western emperor, Romulus Augustulus.
5 Which document, sealed in 1215, limited the power of the English king?
- A Magna Carta
- B The Bill of Rights
- C The Domesday Book
Show answer
✓ Answer: A. Magna Carta
Did you know? King John sealed Magna Carta at Runnymede, near Windsor.
6 Who led the first expedition to sail all the way around the world?
- A Christopher Columbus
- B Ferdinand Magellan
- C Vasco da Gama
Show answer
✓ Answer: B. Ferdinand Magellan
Did you know? Magellan died in the Philippines in 1521. Juan Sebastián Elcano completed the voyage in 1522.
7 Which empire built Machu Picchu?
- A The Aztec Empire
- B The Maya
- C The Inca Empire
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✓ Answer: C. The Inca Empire
Did you know? Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century, probably as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti.
8 In what year did the United States declare independence?
- A 1812
- B 1789
- C 1776
Show answer
✓ Answer: C. 1776
Did you know? The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776.
9 The storming of which Paris prison started the French Revolution in 1789?
- A The Conciergerie
- B The Bastille
- C The Louvre
Show answer
✓ Answer: B. The Bastille
Did you know? July 14, Bastille Day, is France's national holiday.
10 Who was President of the United States during the Civil War?
- A Abraham Lincoln
- B Ulysses S. Grant
- C George Washington
Show answer
✓ Answer: A. Abraham Lincoln
Did you know? Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and was assassinated in April 1865.
11 Which ship sank on its maiden voyage in April 1912?
- A Lusitania
- B Britannic
- C Titanic
Show answer
✓ Answer: C. Titanic
Did you know? The Titanic hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic on the way from Southampton to New York.
12 In which year did World War II end?
- A 1918
- B 1950
- C 1945
Show answer
✓ Answer: C. 1945
Did you know? Germany surrendered in May 1945 and Japan in September 1945.
13 Who was the first person to walk on the Moon?
- A Buzz Aldrin
- B Neil Armstrong
- C Yuri Gagarin
Show answer
✓ Answer: B. Neil Armstrong
Did you know? Armstrong stepped onto the Moon on July 20, 1969. Gagarin was the first person in space, in 1961.
14 In which year did the Berlin Wall fall?
- A 1991
- B 1961
- C 1989
Show answer
✓ Answer: C. 1989
Did you know? The Wall opened on November 9, 1989. Germany reunified less than a year later.
15 Who became South Africa's first democratically elected president in 1994?
- A Desmond Tutu
- B Nelson Mandela
- C F. W. de Klerk
Show answer
✓ Answer: B. Nelson Mandela
Did you know? Mandela had spent 27 years in prison before his release in 1990.
How history shows up in the Bing Quiz
When the Bing homepage features a historic site, the quiz often asks who built it, when it was finished or what happened there. Anniversaries are another trigger: national holidays, famous voyages and scientific firsts are all common. Dates are usually tested in round terms (which century, which decade), so you rarely need an exact year.
A good tactic with three options is to rule out the anachronism first. If one option is a person or technology from the wrong century, cross it off and compare the remaining two.
More history quizzes
Try the Ancient Egypt Quiz, the Fourth of July Quiz or the Extraordinary Women Quiz for more history questions.
History Quiz FAQ
Is this the official Bing History Quiz?
No. BingQuiz.net is independent and not affiliated with Microsoft. This is a free practice quiz on world history, written by us. For the official daily quiz with Microsoft Rewards points, see today's Bing Homepage Quiz answers.
Do I need an account to play?
No. Every quiz on BingQuiz.net is free and works without signing up.