About this Study Set
This study set covers Modern History through
18 practice questions.
A challenging collection of questions regarding groundbreaking technological, scientific, and societal firsts in modern history. Every question includes the correct answer so you can learn as you go — pick any format above to get started.
Questions & Answers
Browse all 18 questions from the
Milestones of Modern History study set below.
Each question shows the correct answer — select a study format above to practice interactively.
1
Which chemist is credited with the first successful synthesis of urea in 1828, effectively dismantling the theory of vitalism?
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A
Friedrich Wöhler
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B
Justus von Liebig
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C
Dmitri Mendeleev
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D
August Kekulé
2
In 1903, the Wright brothers achieved the first controlled, powered flight. What was the name of the airfield where this occurred?
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A
Kitty Hawk
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B
Kill Devil Hills
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C
Huffman Prairie
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D
Dayton Airfield
3
Who was the first person to successfully transmit a radio signal across the Atlantic Ocean in 1901?
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A
Nikola Tesla
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B
Guglielmo Marconi
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C
Reginald Fessenden
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D
Alexander Graham Bell
4
What was the first artificial satellite to successfully orbit the Earth, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957?
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A
Sputnik 2
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B
Explorer 1
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C
Sputnik 1
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D
Vostok 1
5
Which scientist is credited with the discovery of the structure of DNA via X-ray diffraction in 1952, a discovery often overshadowed by her colleagues?
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A
Rosalind Franklin
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B
Barbara McClintock
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C
Dorothy Hodgkin
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D
Gerty Cori
6
The first programmable, electronic, general-purpose digital computer was completed in 1945. What was its name?
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A
UNIVAC
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B
EDVAC
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C
ENIAC
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D
Colossus
7
In 1967, Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful human-to-human heart transplant. In which city did this procedure take place?
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A
Cape Town
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B
London
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C
Houston
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D
Paris
8
The first successful polio vaccine, developed by Jonas Salk, was declared safe and effective in what year?
-
A
1952
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B
1953
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C
1955
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D
1957
9
Which company released the first commercially available portable cellular phone, the DynaTAC 8000X, in 1983?
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A
Nokia
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B
Motorola
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C
Ericsson
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D
Siemens
10
What was the first feature-length motion picture to incorporate synchronized sound, released in 1927?
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A
The Jazz Singer
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B
Metropolis
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C
Wings
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D
Steamboat Willie
11
Who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932?
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A
Beryl Markham
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B
Amy Johnson
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C
Amelia Earhart
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D
Jacqueline Cochran
12
In 1942, Enrico Fermi led the team that created the first controlled nuclear chain reaction. What was the name of the reactor?
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A
Chicago Pile-1
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B
Hanford B
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C
X-10 Graphite Reactor
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D
Trinity
13
What was the first photograph of the Earth taken from the Moon's orbit, captured during the Lunar Orbiter 1 mission in 1966?
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A
Earthrise
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B
Blue Marble
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C
Pale Blue Dot
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D
The Whole Earth
14
The first web browser, originally called WorldWideWeb, was created by Tim Berners-Lee in what year?
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A
1989
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B
1990
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C
1991
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D
1993
15
Which vessel was the first nuclear-powered submarine, commissioned by the United States Navy in 1954?
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A
USS Nautilus
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B
USS Skate
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C
USS Triton
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D
USS George Washington
16
The first Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded in 1901 to which scientist for his discovery of X-rays?
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A
Henri Becquerel
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B
Marie Curie
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C
Wilhelm Röntgen
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D
Max Planck
17
What was the first synthetic plastic, invented by Alexander Parkes in 1856?
-
A
Bakelite
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B
Parkesine
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C
Celluloid
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D
Polyethylene
18
In 1971, the first microprocessor, the 4004, was released by which company?
-
A
Intel
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B
AMD
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C
Texas Instruments
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D
IBM
