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Everyday Origins
Where ordinary words and objects actually came from.
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The English word "salary" comes from the Latin word for which substance?
Firsts, and Who Actually Got There
Credit for a first is awarded by history rather than by evidence, and the two often disagree.
About this topic
Being first is rarely a clean fact. Inventions arrive in pieces, several people reach the same idea within a few years of one another, and the person remembered is often the one who commercialised it, publicised it or simply outlived the competition. This quiz covers a set of genuine firsts alongside a few where the popular answer is wrong. In each case the explanation says what actually happened, including where the credit is genuinely contested rather than simply misremembered.
Questions & answers
Firsts, and Who Actually Got There: all 10 questions and answers
Every question in this quiz is listed below with its correct answer and the reasoning behind it. Play first if you would rather not see the answers — or read through as a study sheet.
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1The first successful vaccine was developed against which disease?
- A Measles
- B Smallpox Correct
- C Polio
- D Rabies
Answer: B. Smallpox
Why: Edward Jenner demonstrated it in 1796 using cowpox. Smallpox went on to become the only human disease ever eradicated.
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2What was the first item sold over the internet?
- A It is disputed, with several competing claims Correct
- B A book from Amazon
- C A pizza
- D A Sting CD
Answer: A. It is disputed, with several competing claims
Why: Rival claims include a Sting CD in 1994 and, earlier, a marijuana sale between university students. No single transaction is settled as the first.
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3Who is generally credited with taking the first permanent photograph?
- A Louis Daguerre
- B William Henry Fox Talbot
- C George Eastman
- D Joseph Nicéphore Niépce Correct
Answer: D. Joseph Nicéphore Niépce
Why: His view from a window, made around 1826, required an exposure of many hours. Daguerre, his later collaborator, is more widely remembered.
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4The first artificial satellite to orbit Earth was what?
- A Vostok 1
- B Telstar
- C Sputnik 1 Correct
- D Explorer 1
Answer: C. Sputnik 1
Why: Launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, it carried little more than a radio transmitter. Its beeping signal could be picked up by amateur radio operators worldwide.
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5The first commercially successful ballpoint pen is associated with whom?
- A George Parker
- B László Bíró Correct
- C Lewis Waterman
- D John Loud
Answer: B. László Bíró
Why: A Hungarian journalist, he patented a workable design in 1938. John Loud had patented an earlier version in 1888 that never worked well on paper.
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6Which country granted women the right to vote in national elections first?
- A New Zealand Correct
- B United States
- C United Kingdom
- D Finland
Answer: A. New Zealand
Why: New Zealand did so in 1893, though women could not stand for parliament there until 1919. Finland was the first to grant both together.
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7The first person to reach the summit of Everest alongside Tenzing Norgay was who?
- A George Mallory
- B Chris Bonington
- C Reinhold Messner
- D Edmund Hillary Correct
Answer: D. Edmund Hillary
Why: They reached it in 1953 and always declined to say who stepped up first, treating it as a joint achievement.
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8The first message sent on ARPANET, the internet's predecessor, was what?
- A A photograph
- B A military dispatch
- C An attempt to type "login" that crashed after two letters Correct
- D A weather report
Answer: C. An attempt to type "login" that crashed after two letters
Why: The system failed after "lo" in 1969, and the full word arrived about an hour later.
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9The first heart transplant on a human was performed in which country?
- A France
- B South Africa Correct
- C United States
- D Soviet Union
Answer: B. South Africa
Why: Christiaan Barnard performed it in Cape Town in 1967. The patient survived eighteen days before dying of pneumonia.
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10Who is generally credited with the first powered, controlled aeroplane flight?
- A The Wright brothers Correct
- B Louis Blériot
- C Otto Lilienthal
- D Alberto Santos-Dumont
Answer: A. The Wright brothers
Why: Their 1903 flight lasted twelve seconds. Santos-Dumont is widely credited in Brazil, because his 1906 flight took off unaided rather than using a rail.
Frequently asked questions about Firsts, and Who Actually Got There
How many questions are in Firsts, and Who Actually Got There?
Firsts, and Who Actually Got There has 10 questions and takes about 7 minutes to finish. It is rated Medium and sits in our General Knowledge category.
How is Firsts, and Who Actually Got There scored?
Each of the 10 correct answers adds 10 XP, up to 100 XP for a clean run. Wrong answers cost you nothing, and your full question-by-question review is shown at the end.
Are the answers to Firsts, and Who Actually Got There explained?
Yes. All 10 questions carry a written explanation of why the correct answer is right, so the quiz works as a study sheet as well as a test.
Can I replay Firsts, and Who Actually Got There?
Yes, as often as you like. The questions and the answer options are reshuffled on each run, and you can use Practice Mistakes afterwards to retry only the ones you missed. No account is needed to play.
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