Regional History Bowl Study Guide

Jomo Kenyatta

First President of Kenya (1964-1978), led Kenya to independence, wrote Facing Mount Kenya.

Second Boer War

Conflict (1899-1902) between British and Boer Republics leading to British control of South Africa.

Nubian Language

The “Old” version of this language was written with a slanted uncial variety of the Coptic alphabet, with the addition of characters derived from Meroitic. A language spoken in Sudan and Egypt, linked to the ancient Kingdom of Kush.

First Punic War

Conflict (264-241 BC) between Rome and Carthage, resulting in Roman control of Sicily.

Battle of Marathon

Fought between the citizens of Athens aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. A Greek victory over Persia in 490 BC, part of the Greco-Persian Wars.

Jade

Can be nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group of minerals), or a namesake classification (a silicate of sodium and aluminum in the pyroxene group of minerals). This was a highly valued material in Chinese culture, symbolizing purity and moral integrity.

Kim Il Sung

First Supreme Leader of North Korea (1948-1994) who initiated the Korean War.

Mauritius

Arab sailors first discovered this uninhabited island around 975, naming it Dina Arobi. The Treaty of Tordesillas, designed to prevent conflict between Portugal and Spain, gave this island to the Kingdom of Portugal. An island nation in the Indian Ocean, colonized by the Dutch, French, and British.

Indira Gandhi

First female Prime Minister of India, known for her leadership during the Emergency.

Pol Pot

Leader of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, responsible for the Cambodian genocide.

Forbidden City

An imperial palace complex in Beijing, housing Chinese emperors for over 500 years.

Sri Lanka Civil War

Conflict (1983-2009) between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers.

Shang Dynasty

The first recorded Chinese dynasty, known for developing Chinese writing.

Rothschild Family

A wealthy European banking family influential in global finance.

Baltic States Independence

Preced by public manifestations against Soviet Rule, including the most significant one: ‘The Baltic Way’ which took place on 23rd August 1989.The declaration of independence by Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia from the Soviet Union.

Roald Amundsen

Norwegian explorer who was the first to reach the South Pole in 1911.

Battle of Waterloo

Final defeat of Napoleon in 1815 by Duke of Wellington and Prussian forces.

Warsaw Pact

A Soviet-led military alliance formed in response to NATO, existing from 1955-1991.

Claude Debussy

French composer known for works such as Clair de Lune.

Benjamin Disraeli

A British Prime Minister known for promoting imperialism and rivalry with Gladstone.

Nikita Khrushchev

Soviet leader after Stalin, known for de-Stalinization and involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Vladimir Putin

Current Russian President, noted for the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Margaret Thatcher

UK Prime Minister known for her leadership during the Falklands War.

Catherine of Aragon

First wife of Henry VIII, whose annulment led to the English Reformation.

Hanseatic League

A medieval trade confederation in Northern Europe that dominated Baltic trade.

Fyodor Dostoevsky

Russian novelist famous for works such as Crime and Punishment.

Karl Dönitz

German admiral, last leader of Nazi Germany after Hitler's death.

Notre-Dame Cathedral

Gothic cathedral in Paris, known as the site of Napoleon's coronation.

Joan of Arc

Led French forces in the Hundred Years' War, known for key battles like the Siege of Orléans.

The Anarchy

Precipitated by the death of William Adelin (the only legitimate son of Henry I). An English civil war (1135-1153) over succession between Stephen of Blois and Empress Matilda. War between England and Normandy.

Oliver Cromwell

Elected member of parliament for Huntingdon. Came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Leader of Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War.

Reichstag Fire

A fire at the German Parliament in 1933, used by Nazis to justify crackdowns.

Catherine the Great

Empress of Russia (1762-1796) known for expanding Russian territory.

Inca Empire

Andean civilization with capital at Cusco, conquered by Francisco Pizarro.

Augusto Pinochet

Chilean dictator (1973-1990) known for leading a coup against Salvador Allende.

Simón Bolívar

Leader of South American liberation, known for key battles like Battle of Boyacá.

Benito Juárez

Supported McLane–Ocampo Treaty, which would have granted the United States perpetual extraterritorial rights across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Born in Oaxaca to a poor rural Indigenous family and orphaned as a child. First indigenous President of Mexico, known for fighting against French occupation. First democratically elected Indigenous president in the postcolonial Americas.

Patagonia

Region in southern Argentina and Chile, notable for the Strait of Magellan.

Battle of Bunker Hill

An early battle of the American Revolution, actually fought at Breed’s Hill.

Americans with Disabilities Act

1990 law prohibiting discrimination against disabled individuals.

John Marshall

Chief Justice known for establishing judicial review in Marbury v. Madison.

Wounded Knee Massacre

A 1890 incident where U.S. Army killed over 250 Lakota Sioux.

First Battle of Bull Run

Union led by General General Irvin McDowell. Confederacy led by P. G. T. Beauregard. First major battle of the Civil War, resulting in a Confederate victory.

John Brown

Led a raid on Harper’s Ferry and was hanged for treason.

Harriet Tubman

Nicknamed “Moses”. Led slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad.

Herman Melville

Author of the famous novel Moby-Dick.

Teapot Dome Scandal

A U.S. oil scandal in the 1920s that damaged President Harding's reputation.

Calvin Coolidge

30th U.S. President known as 'Silent Cal'.

Roe v. Wade

1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.

Battle of the Bulge

The last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during WWII.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Laws under John Adams that restricted speech and immigration.