Bizzare Inventions
The penny-farthing, invented in the 1800s, had one enormous front wheel and one tiny back wheel. What modern vehicle was it an early version of?
Bicycle
Which ancient civilization built the Great Pyramid of Giza and preserved some of its dead as mummies?
Egypt
Who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969?
Neil Armstrong
During Prohibition, from 1920 to 1933, the United States banned the sale of what type of beverage?
Alcohol
What famous ocean liner sank in 1912 after striking an iceberg during its first voyage?
Titanic
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for an invention that allowed people to speak to each other over long distances. What was it?
Telephone
In ancient Rome, gladiators fought for huge audiences in a famous arena that still stands today. What is that arena called?
Colosseum
Which two brothers made the first successful powered, controlled airplane flight in 1903?
Wright Brothers
In England, some homeowners covered parts of their houses with bricks to avoid paying a tax on what?
Windows
In which Italian city can you find a famous bell tower that began tilting because of unstable ground beneath its foundation?
Pisa
In 1816, a French doctor invented an instrument that allowed physicians to listen to sounds inside the human body. What was it?
Stethoscope
Ancient Egyptians used a writing system made up of pictures and symbols. What was this form of writing called?
Hieroglyphics
In what city were the first modern Olympic Games held in 1896?
Athens
Russia's Peter the Great introduced a tax on men who wanted to keep what type of hair?
Beards
In 1919, a massive storage tank burst in Boston, causing a deadly flood of what thick, sticky substance?
Molasses
A Swiss inventor noticed that burrs kept sticking to his dog's fur. This inspired him to invent what popular fastening product?
In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried a Roman city under volcanic ash. What was the city's name?
Pompeii
Who became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1903, later winning a second Nobel Prize in chemistry?
Marie Curie
In England hundreds of years ago, certain laws restricted who could wear expensive fabrics like silk and velvet. What social distinction were these laws intended to reinforce?
Social or economic class
A bakery fire on Pudding Lane in 1666 spread out of control and destroyed thousands of buildings in which European capital?
London
In 1945, engineer Percy Spencer noticed that a candy bar melted in his pocket while he was working with radar equipment. What common kitchen appliance resulted from his discovery?
Microwave
Discovered in 1799, what famous ancient artifact helped scholars finally understand Egyptian hieroglyphics?
Rosetta Stone
What Soviet cosmonaut became the first human to travel into outer space in 1961?
Yuri Gagarin
In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi led a famous protest against British laws and taxes in India by marching to the sea to collect what everyday substance?
Salt
In 1999, NASA lost the Mars Climate Orbiter because engineers mistakenly mixed up which two systems. What were they?
Metric and Imperial measurement