Weekly History Quiz No.307

A series of undeclared Soviet–Japanese border conflicts, these battles saw tens of thousands of soldiers deployed by each side, alongside tanks and aircraft. After initial Japanese successes, Soviet forces under Georgy Zhukov launched a successful counterattack, leading to a Soviet victory, although with high casualties.

Dezhnev was born in Vologda Oblast, Russia, in 1605. He led expeditions exploring Siberia and in 1648 became the first European to sail through the Bering Strait, sailing from the Kolyma River on the Arctic Ocean to the Anadyr River on the Pacific. This was 80 years before Vitus Bering visited the region. As  Dezhnev's expedition was not well known Bering has often been given credit for discovering the strait that bears his name.

The earliest archaeological evidence of potato farming is in Ancón, Peru, dating to 2500 BCE. They were first brought to Europe around 1530.

Benazir's father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was president from 1971 to 1973, and prime minister from 1973 to 1977. Following Benazir's murder in 2007, Benazir's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, became president, serving from 2008 to 2013, then again since 2024.

The Renville Agreement was an attempt at a ceasefire in January 1948, brokered by the UN Security Council, between the Netherlands, which was seeking to reoccupy the Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia) and Indonesian Republicans who were fighting for independence. However, fighting resumed in February 1948, eventually leading to the transfer of the Netherlands East Indies to the Indonesian Republicans, led by President Sukarno. The negotiations took place in Jakarta Bay on a US Navy ship, the USS Renville.

The plot follows a group of British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and their descent into savagery. Golding was a philosophy teacher before commanding a landing craft during the WWII Normandy landings. These experiences shaped the world he constructed in the novel.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)’s famous hearings targeted writers, actors, and directors. The Church Committee focused on intelligence agencies in the 1970s.

France feared encirclement and declining status. The French public clamoured for war to restore French prestige, and the government was overconfident about the strength of their military. The war was a disaster for France, with the six month long conflict seeing a series of defeats ending in the capture of Paris. Alsace-Lorraine became an issue after defeat, as it was ceded to Germany in the peace negotiations.

Organised George Harrison and Ravi Shankar in 1971 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It aimed to raise international awareness of, and fund relief for refugees from what was then East Pakistan, following the Bangladesh Liberation War and the 1970 Bhola cyclone. It was an overwhelming success, with Shankar saying "In one day, the whole world knew the name of Bangladesh." The concert was not without its challenges. Eric Clapton suffered severe heroin withdrawal symptoms, and was only able to perform after a cameraman gave him some methadone.

Spanish royal support enabled Columbus’s expedition, which aimed to reach Asia to obtain spices and gold, as well as spreading Christianity.