dějepisná olympiáda

What major institutional reforms is Maria Theresa (1717–1780) credited with during her 40-year reign?

She modernized Austria's military, overhauled the education system, and reformed the economy.

Why is Maria Theresa historically notable within the Habsburg Empire?

She is the only woman to rule the Habsburg Empire in her own right.

How did Maria Theresa's family life intersect with European political history?

She had 16 children, one of whom was Marie Antoinette, linking her dynasty to later French history.

What literary contribution makes Božena Němcová (1820–1862) important to Czech culture?

She is considered the founder of modern Czech prose and wrote the novel Grandmother, a Czech literary classic.

How did Božena Němcová's personal life influence her public symbolic status in Czech history?

Her experience of a difficult, abusive marriage and resilience made her a symbol of Czech national revival.

List three major challenges Elizabeth I (1533–1603) overcame before and during her reign.

She was declared illegitimate, imprisoned by her sister Mary I, and faced multiple assassination plots and external threats such as the Spanish Armada.

What nickname did Elizabeth I earn and what was notable about her marital status?

She was called the 'Virgin Queen' and never married during her 45-year reign.

How did Elizabeth I's public image include a hazardous cosmetic practice?

She wore elaborate makeup containing white lead, a toxic cosmetic material.

What role did Elizabeth I play in the conflict with Spain in the 1580s?

She orchestrated the defeat of the Spanish Armada, a key event of her reign.

Who was Eliška Přemyslovna (Elizabeth of Bohemia, 1292–1330) and what was she known for?

She was a Czech queen who briefly ruled Bohemia and was known for her intelligence and political influence during a turbulent period.

Why is Milada Horáková (1901–1950) remembered in Czech history?

She was a Czech politician and human rights activist executed by the communist regime after a show trial; she refused exile to stay and fight for democracy.

What emotional primary source from Milada Horáková is often highlighted for its impact?

Her last letter to her daughter, which is widely regarded as heartbreaking and powerful.

What historic Nobel achievements distinguish Marie Curie (1867–1934)?

She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win TWO Nobel Prizes in different sciences (physics and chemistry).

Which elements did Marie Curie discover and how were they connected to her identity?

She discovered radium and polonium; polonium was named after her homeland, Poland.

What academic milestone did Marie Curie achieve in France?

She became the first female professor at the University of Paris.

What lasting safety/historical oddity is associated with Marie Curie's research materials?

Her scientific notebooks remain radioactive today due to prolonged handling of radioactive materials.

What motivated Rosa Parks's refusal to give up her bus seat in 1955, and what was the immediate political effect?

She was a trained civil rights activist who intentionally refused to give up her seat; her action sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Why is Ada Lovelace (1815–1852) considered foundational to computing history?

She wrote what is regarded as the first computer algorithm in the 1840s, making her often called the world's first computer programmer.

What was Rosalind Franklin's key contribution to molecular biology, and how did recognition of that work play out?

Her X‑ray crystallography work was crucial to discovering DNA's double helix structure, but Watson and Crick received most of the public credit and the Nobel Prize after her death.

Beyond DNA, in what other research area did Rosalind Franklin make significant contributions?

She did groundbreaking work on viruses.

List three political or diplomatic strategies Cleopatra (69–30 BCE) used to preserve Egypt's independence.

She formed alliances with powerful Roman leaders such as Julius Caesar and Marc Antony and used diplomacy and strategic intelligence to navigate Roman power.

What common misconception about Cleopatra does the text correct?

Contrary to popular portrayals, Cleopatra is better known historically for her intelligence, language skills (she spoke nine languages), and strategy than for her physical appearance.

Why is Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) significant to modern literature?

She was a leading modernist writer and pioneer of stream-of-consciousness technique, author of Mrs. Dalloway and A Room of One's Own, and a central figure in the Bloomsbury Group.

How did mental health affect Virginia Woolf's life and work?

She struggled with recurring mental illness throughout her life, which influenced both her creative output and personal life.

What makes Anne Frank's diary historically important?

It is one of the most important firsthand testimonies of life in hiding during the Holocaust, documenting two years in Amsterdam before she died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

What controversy or critique is associated with Mother Teresa (1910–1997) despite her global reputation?

While widely revered for working with the poorest in Calcutta and winning the Nobel Peace Prize, her work has been debated for medical care standards and concerns about conversions.

What are two major accomplishments of Helen Keller (1880–1968)?

She became the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor's degree and authored 12 books while also working as a political activist.

What teaching breakthrough is Anne Sullivan known for in Helen Keller's education?

Anne Sullivan achieved a breakthrough in teaching Keller language, enabling Keller to communicate, learn, and eventually earn a degree.

Summarize Joan of Arc's (1412–1431) rise and fate in three points.

She claimed divine visions, led French armies to notable victories at age 17 wearing men's armor, and was captured, tried for heresy, and burned at the stake at 19; she was later canonized as a saint.

How did the partnership of Marie and Pierre Curie influence Marie Curie's later achievements?

They discovered radium together as a scientific couple; after Pierre's death in 1906, Marie continued the work alone and later won a second Nobel Prize by herself.

Describe the political partnership and personal mourning behavior of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Queen Victoria ruled Britain for 63 years with Prince Albert as her political partner; after his death at 42, Victoria wore black for the remaining 40 years of her life as a sign of mourning.

How did social class and recognition shape the historical legacies of Charles Darwin and Mary Anning?

Mary Anning, a working-class fossil collector, made major paleontological discoveries but received limited recognition in her time; Charles Darwin achieved wide fame for evolutionary theory and operated in different social circles with greater institutional visibility.

What was notable about Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre's personal and intellectual relationship?

They had an open relationship for 51 years, never married, deeply influenced each other's philosophical work, and de Beauvoir wrote The Second Sex, a foundational feminist text, though she was often overshadowed by Sartre.

Identify three key reasons Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots clashed politically.

They clashed over religion (Elizabeth Protestant vs Mary Catholic), legitimacy (Catholics considered Mary the rightful English monarch), and politics (Mary's claim spurred Catholic plots and a persistent threat to Elizabeth's rule).

Outline the sequence and ironies in Elizabeth I's handling of Mary Queen of Scots from 1568 to 1587.

Mary fled to England in 1568 seeking protection, Elizabeth imprisoned her for 19 years amid plots, signed Mary's death warrant in 1587 (reportedly with tears), and ironically Mary's son James VI later succeeded Elizabeth as James I of England.

What surprising fact about Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots underscores the intensity of their rivalry?

Despite living in the same country during Mary's 19 years of imprisonment, Elizabeth and Mary never met in person.