Quiz Bowl History Studying from PDF

Marathon

A battle in 490 BC that ended the invasion of Greece by Darius I of Persia, where Pheidippides ran 26 miles to report victory to Athens.

Battle of Thermopylae

The site of a battle in 480 BC where Persians defeated King Leonidas and 300 Spartans; name means 'hot gates'.

Salamis

Greeks blocked the pass of Thermopylae. Naval battle in 480 BC where Themistocles led the Greeks to victory against the Persians under Xerxes.

Cannae

Famous battle during the Second Punic War in 216 BC, where Hannibal achieved a significant victory.

Zama

The final major battle of the Second Punic War in 202 BC, where Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal.

Milvian Bridge

A battle in 312 where Constantine the Great defeated Maxentius; named for a structure on the Tiber River.

Tours

A battle in 732 where Charles Martel stopped the Muslim invasion led by al-Rahman in Western Europe.

Hastings

A battle in 1066 in which William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson, often illustrated in the Bayeux Tapestry.

Kadesh

The largest chariot battle ever fought, which occurred in 1274 BC and ended in a draw between Hittites and Egyptians.

Agincourt

A 1415 battle during the 100 Years War, fought on St. Crispin's Day, where Henry V achieved victory over the French.

Bosworth Field

A battle in 1485 where Henry VII defeated Richard III, marking an important point in the War of the Roses.

Lepanto

The naval battle in 1571 where Don John of Austria led the Holy League, formed by Pope Pius V, to victory against the Turks, preventing their expansion.

Naseby

A 1645 battle during the English Civil War, marking the first major victory for the New Model Army led by Fairfax and Cromwell.

Bunker Hill

Fought in 1775, actually on Breed's Hill; noted for Prescott's command 'Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes'.

Saratoga

A pivotal battle in 1777 where Horatio Gates defeated the British under Burgoyne, considered the turning point of the Revolution.

Yorktown

The final battle of the American Revolution in 1781, where Cornwallis surrendered to Washington, Lafayette, and Rochambeau.

Battle of Austerlitz

A 1805 battle known as 'The Battle of the Three Emperors,' where Napoleon defeated the Third Coalition.

Trafalgar

A 1805 naval victory for British Admiral Horatio Nelson against the Franco-Spanish fleet; Nelson died in this battle.

Battle of Leipzig

Also known as the Battle of Nations, fought in 1813 and where the Sixth Coalition defeated Napoleon.

Battlle of Thames

A battle in 1813 during the War of 1812 in Upper Canada, where the US led by General William Henry Harrison defeated Great Britain, resulting in the death of Shawnee chief Tecumseh.

Waterloo

The 1815 battle where the Seventh Coalition and Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon, leading to his exile.

Alamo

A pivotal event in the War of Texan Independence in 1836, where Spanish forces led by Santa Anna overran the Alamo.

Antietam

The 1862 battle known as the bloodiest day in American history, where McClellan defeated Lee in Maryland.

Shiloh

A battle in 1862 also known as the Battle of Pittsburgh Landing, notable for the death of Confederate leader Sidney Johnston.

Fredericksburg

A 1862 battle where Robert E. Lee defeated Ambrose Burnside in Northern Virginia.

Vicksburg

The 1863 siege led by U.S. Grant that split the Confederacy in half.

Chancellorsville

A battle in 1863 where Confederate General Stonewall Jackson was killed by friendly fire.

Battle of Gettysburg

A major battle in Pennsylvania in 1863 where George Meade defeated Robert E. Lee.

First Battle of the Marne

A 1914 WWI battle that halted the German advance on Paris.

Jutland

The largest naval battle of WWI fought in 1916, where Britain maintained dominance of the North Sea.

Battle of Verdun

A bloody battle of World War I in 1916, fought along the Meuse River in France. Longest battle of WWI.

Leningrad

The city besieged for 900 days beginning in 1941.

Pearl Harbor

The 1941 attack that led to the U.S. entering WWII, famously referred to by FDR as the 'Day that will live in infamy'.

Midway

A pivotal naval battle in 1942 marking a turning point in the Pacific campaign of WWII.

Coral Sea

The first battle fought exclusively with carrier-based airplanes, taking place in 1942.

Stalingrad

A crucial Soviet victory and turning point on the Eastern Front during WWII.

Bulge

A 1945 battle where the Allies achieved victory against the Germans in the Ardennes Mountains. Last major offensive from Hitler.

Iwo Jima

Famous for the iconic photograph of Marines raising the American flag on Mt. Suribachi in 1945.

First Bull Run

The first major battle of the Civil War in 1861, where 'Stonewall' Jackson earned his nickname.

Henry VIII

Tudor monarch known for his six marriages and establishment of the Church of England.

Elizabeth I

The 'Virgin Queen' and daughter of Henry VIII, known for her attempts to restore Protestantism in England.

George III

The British monarch during the American Revolutionary War, noted for losing the American colonies.

Victoria

The 2nd longest-reigning British monarch, known for her influence during the Victorian era.

William the Conqueror / William I

Duke of Normandy who became king of England after his victory at Hastings in 1066.

Charles I

The last absolute monarch of England, executed after the English Civil War.

James I

Scottish king who succeeded Elizabeth I, known for his belief in absolutism and the Gunpowder Plot.

Richard III

York king known for his tyrannical rule and the mystery surrounding his death at Bosworth Field.

Elizabeth II

The modern ceremonial monarch of Britain, known for her long reign and representation of British interests.

John Lackland

King known for signing the Magna Carta, marking the beginning of constitutional development in Britain.

Charles II

The king restored to the throne after Cromwell's Commonwealth; known as the 'Merry Monarch'.

James II

The Catholic king deposed during the Glorious Revolution due to favoritism towards Catholics.

Henry II

Plantagenet king and Duke of Normandy known for developing English Common Law and for his conflict with Thomas Becket.

Richard I

Crusader king famous for his battles in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade.

Alfred the Great

Saxon king who defended against Viking invasions and encouraged literacy among his bishops.

George Washington

First President of the U.S., known for leading the nation during the American Revolutionary War and his Farewell Address.

John Adams

Second President who faced foreign challenges and supported the Alien and Sedition Acts.

Thomas Jefferson

Third President who initiated the Lewis and Clark expedition and wrote the Declaration of Independence.

James Madison

Fourth President known as the 'Father of the Constitution' and for leading the U.S. during the War of 1812.

James Monroe

Fifth President known for the Monroe Doctrine and the 'Era of Good Feelings'.

John Quincy Adams

Sixth President who faced controversy over the 'Corrupt Bargain'.

Andrew Jackson

Seventh President, known for his populist approach and the Indian Removal Act.

Martin Van Buren

Eighth President, known as the first president born after the American Revolution.

William Henry Harrison

Ninth President, known for his brief presidency and victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe.

John Tyler

Tenth President, who faced challenges within his own party.

James Polk

11th President known for territorial expansion and the Mexican-American War.

Zachary Taylor

12th President and hero of the Mexican-American War, who died in office.

Millard Fillmore

13th President, known for the Compromise of 1850.

Franklin Pierce

14th President, known for his support of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

James Buchanan

15th President, whose term was marked by the lead-up to the Civil War.

Abraham Lincoln

16th President, known for the Emancipation Proclamation and leading the country during the Civil War.

Andrew Johnson

17th President, who was impeached after violating the Tenure of Office Act.

Ulysses Grant

18th President known for his leadership during the Civil War and his presidency marked by scandals.

Rutherford B. Hayes

19th President who ended Reconstruction and was known for his controversial election.

James Garfield

20th President, assassinated shortly after taking office.

Chester Alan Arthur

21st President, known for civil service reform.

Grover Cleveland

22nd and 24th President, known for his non-consecutive terms and economic policies.

Benjamin Harrison

23rd President, known for his administration's support of spending increases.

William McKinley

25th President, known for his foreign policy and assassination.

Theodore Roosevelt

26th President, known for his progressive policies and conservation efforts.

William Howard Taft

27th President, known for his trust-busting and later as Chief Justice.

Woodrow Wilson

28th President, led the U.S. during WWI and proposed the Fourteen Points.

Warren G. Harding

29th President known for the Ohio Gang and the Teapot Dome Scandal.

Calvin Coolidge

30th President, known for his “laissez-faire” and “fiscal conservatism” economic policies. Dealt with the Boston Police Strike of 1919. Former lawyer and governor of Massachusetts. Advocate for racial equality. Called “Silent Cal.”

Herbert Hoover

31st President, whose term coincided with the beginning of the Great Depression.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

32nd President, known for the New Deal and serving four terms.

Harry Truman

33rd President, known for his decision to use atomic bombs in WWII.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

34th President, overseeing the time of Cold War tensions and the creation of the Interstate System.

John F. Kennedy

35th President, known for his New Frontier programs and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Lyndon B. Johnson

36th President, known for the Great Society programs aimed at social reforms.

Richard Nixon

37th President who resigned due to the Watergate scandal.

Gerald Ford

38th President, who pardoned Nixon and faced economic challenges.

Jimmy Carter

39th President known for his emphasis on human rights and the Camp David Accords.

Ronald Reagan

40th President, known for his conservative policies and the ending of the Cold War.

George H. W. Bush

41st President, known for his foreign policy during the Gulf War.

Bill Clinton

42nd President, known for his economic policies and impeachment.

George W. Bush

43rd President known for his response to 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Barack Obama

44th President, known for the Affordable Care Act and being the first African American president.

Versailles

The treaty that officially ended World War I, noted for the 'Big Four' negotiations.

Peace of Utrecht

Series of treaties that ended the War of the Spanish Succession, confirming Bourbon rule in Spain.

Treaty of Ghent

Treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the U.S. and Britain.