Test your basic knowledge |

Global History Basics

Subjects : literacy, history
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. (570-490 BCE?) Chinese philosopher credited with originating Taoism/Daoism. His teachings were collected and published as the Tao-te Ching.






2. Hindu epic poem that was written in Sanskrit in the 5th century BCE. Its most important part is the Bhagavad-Gita.






3. The sending of goods to another country for sale or trade.






4. Siddhartha's Gautama philosophy of the nature of human suffering and its relation to desire is articulated by four statements






5. First Islamic religious shrine. It was built in 687 C.E. - and is located in present day Jerusalem - Israel.






6. The spreading of ideas through contact such as trade or war.






7. In Hinduism - the term given to the endless cycle of birth - death - and rebirth.






8. Roman Catholic religious order founded by Ignatius Loyola in 1540 to setup schools and serve as missionaries - spreading church teachings.






9. Early name of communists during the Russian Revolution of 1917.






10. Hindu god called the Preserver. Vishnu is the second member of the triad that includes Brahma the Creator and Shiva the Destroyer.






11. (1773-1859) Chancellor of the Astro-Hungarian Empire between 1821 and 1848. He was the most powerful political figure in Europe between 1814 and 1848. He was driven from power in the Revolutions of 1848.






12. A vast financial resource owned and controlled by its membership of over 180 countries. The purpose of the bank - established in 1944 - is to provide loans and economic advice to its member countries. In 2001 - the bank provided over 17.3 billion dol






13. The protest against perceived wrong doings by the Catholic Church during the early 16th century. Main leaders were Martin Luther and John Calvin.






14. A river that is able to be navigated by boat.






15. Movement in the English church in the late 16th to remove all catholic influences and purify.






16. (1841-1929) French Premier during World War I. He was one of the formulators of the Treaty of Versailles.






17. A famous Renaissance painting by Leonardo Da Vinci.






18. Godlike - or coming from - or having to do with a god.






19. An asset that is beneficial to a country or people.






20. A device used to see distant objects - such as those in space.






21. The complete destruction of a group of people.






22. (495? BCE-429? BCE) Athenian statesman. He was the central ruler of Athens during its golden age. He was the central patron behind many of their achievements. He was also a very skilled speaker. Athens City-State of Ancient Greece and center of Greek






23. A multinational peace keeping organization which began as an idea of United States President Woodrow Wilson following the first World War. The Treaty of Versailles created a League with over 40 different countries joining. The United States was not o






24. Economic aid from the United States used to rebuild Europe after World War II. Named after United States Secretary of State George Marshall.






25. On November 9th - 1938 - Nazis in German looted - and burned Jewish stores and Synagogues - often beating Jews in the street. Over 90 Jews were killed during Kristallnacht. Also called Night of Broken Glass.






26. Hindu god called the Creator. Brahma is the first member of the triad that includes Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer.






27. British philosopher and writer Adam Smith's 1776 book that described his theory on free trade - otherwise known as laissez-faire economics.






28. Revolutionary document of the French Revolution. Written in 1789 - it spelled out certain rights believed to be universal to all mankind. Patterned on the American Declaration of Independence.






29. Japanese writing system adapted from Chinese - with the addition of phonetic symbols representing syllables.






30. The death of all members of a species.






31. Economic union between countries in Europe for mutual gain. Originally formed in 1951 as the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) - it later became the European Community in 1967 - then the European Union in 1991.






32. A group of people that shares distinctive cultural traits.






33. (274 CE - 337 CE) Roman Emperor between 306 CE and 337 CE. He issued the Edict of Milan which outlawed the persecution of Christians. He also founded the city of Constantinople - the future capital of the Byzantine Empire.






34. (1874-1965) British politician and Prime Minster of Great Britain from 1940 to 1945 - and 1951 to 1955. He is regarded as the finest British leader of the 20th century and was instrumental in leading Britain to victory during World War II.






35. Ancient Middle Eastern empire comprising modern day Iran. The Perisan Empire dominated the Middle East from the middle of the 6th century BCE to about the end of the 5th century BCE - Its greatest ruler was Dairus I. Persia was later conquered by Ale






36. Islamic terrorist organization led by Osama bin Laden. They are responsible for numerous terrorist attacks - including the destruction of the World Trade Center buildings in New York City.






37. The branch of science that studies the physical structure of living organisms.






38. Theory of the universe that states the sun is the center - and that the earth revolves around it.






39. (1491-1556) Founded the Society of Jesus - the Order of the Jesuits. He worked to combat the Protestant Reformation by providing strong Catholic leadership to monarchs across Europe.






40. (1871-1948) American inventor. He is best know for his work with his brother Wilbur in the development of the airplane.






41. The curving distance east or west of the prime meridian that stretches from the North Pole to the South Pole.






42. Conflict over landownership in Israel/Palestine. This conflict has at times involved most of the nations of the Middle East as well as the United States and the Soviet Union. Widespread terrorism against Israel and its allies occurs because of this c






43. To travel around something - like an island or the world.






44. To serve under another person. Unequal.






45. Nationalistic movement which emphasized the unity of all Slavic peoples - and sought to end foreign control of various Slavic nations.






46. Numeric system based on ten. Created by mathematicians during the Gupta golden age in India.






47. Islamic terrorist organization led by Osama bin Laden. They are responsible for numerous terrorist attacks - including the destruction of the World Trade Center buildings in New York City.






48. (1904-1905) War between Russia and Japan over imperial possessions. Japan emerges victorious.






49. Sacred spirits that are worshipped in the Shinto religion of Japan.






50. A device that combined thread to make cloth using steam power.