Beyond the answers - interesting background to this quiz

A war that redrew the map of Europe

World War I began in 1914, after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo set off a chain of alliances and mobilisations. The conflict lasted four years and reshaped the borders of Europe, ending several empires along the way. It is often called the "Great War" precisely because nothing on that scale had been seen before.

A capital built from scratch

Naypyidaw became Myanmar's capital in 2005, replacing Yangon. The new city was constructed largely from empty land in the centre of the country, and it is known for its unusually wide roads and sparse traffic. Yangon remains the country's largest city and commercial hub, which is why many people still assume it is the capital.

The river that shaped a continent

The Nile flows through northeastern Africa, passing through countries including Uganda, Sudan and Egypt before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. For thousands of years it has supported farming and settlement along its banks, and ancient Egyptian civilisation grew up around its annual floods. It is one of the longest rivers in the world, though the exact ranking depends on how you measure it.

A festival that defined a generation

The Woodstock music festival took place in August 1969 on a dairy farm in Bethel, New York. Organisers expected around 100,000 people, but far more arrived, turning the event into a symbol of the counterculture era. Performers included Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, and the festival's image has lasted far longer than its three days.

The planet with the strangest path

Mercury has the most eccentric orbit of any planet in our solar system, meaning its distance from the Sun varies more than any other planet's. Its orbit is also the most tilted relative to Earth's. Because it moves so close to the Sun, temperatures on Mercury swing between extreme heat and deep cold, making it a world of contrasts.