Trivia Quiz on 19th Century Technology
Updated: Tuesday, November 25, 2025
A ready-made history and technology-computers quiz that you can use in virtual and in-person events (Zoom, Teams, YouTube Live, Twitch, conferences, meetings, classrooms, etc.)
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Test your knowledge of the breakthroughs that powered the 1800s—from telegraphs and lightbulbs to gramophones and bicycles. Perfect for history buffs and tech enthusiasts who love classic inventions and surprising firsts.
Step into the age of steam, sparks, and invention with this group trivia session celebrating the most fascinating breakthroughs of the 19th century. From transatlantic cables and early lightbulbs to gramophones and pioneering transportation, your team will race through bite‑sized questions that reward sharp recall and clever collaboration. It’s ideal for live meetings, team socials, classrooms, offsites, or community streams—play it together over Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, YouTube Live, Twitch, Kick, and more. Split into teams, keep score, and enjoy friendly competition as you uncover the stories behind iconic inventions and the innovators who changed the world.
1. When was the magnetic telegraph invented
A) 1832
B) 1835
C) 1840
D) 1837
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2. What did people use before the hearing aid was invented?
A) Ear horn
B) Speaking tube
C) Ear trumpet
D) Megaphone
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3. In 1877, Edison demonstrated his first gramophone with a recording of himself reciting which nursery rhyme
A) Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
B) London Bridge is Falling Down
C) Mary had a little lamb
D) Humpty Dumpty
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4. To send transatlantic telegraph messages, 3,000 miles of cable were laid under the Atlantic in what year
A) 1865
B) 1886
C) 1874
D) 1890
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5. What was invented by Dr Albert Southwick in 1881
A) The Phonograph
B) The Electric Fan
C) The Safety Elevator
D) Electric chair
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6. Who invented the gatling gun
A) Richard Gatling
B) Hiram Maxim
C) John Browning
D) Samuel Colt
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7. Of what was the first lightbulb filament made
A) Cotton
B) Silk
C) Bamboo
D) Platinum
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8. What country designed and developed the bayonet
A) France
B) United Kingdom
C) Germany
D) Russia
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9. Edwin Drake sank the first of them in 1859 - what were they
A) Oil derricks
B) Oil rigs
C) Gas wells
D) Oil Wells
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10. The penny-farthing was an early form of what transportation
A) Steam locomotive
B) Hot air balloon
C) Bicycle
D) Horse-drawn carriage
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11. In 1813 Rubber is
A) Unpatented
B) Expensive and scarce
C) Widely used
D) Patented
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12. Who invented the phonograph
A) Thomas Edison
B) Alexander Graham Bell
C) Nikola Tesla
D) Elisha Gray
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13. What was the first manufactured item to be sold on Hire Purchase
A) Singer sewing machine in 1850s
B) Piano
C) Washing machine
D) Typewriter
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14. In what country was the espresso machine invented in 1822
A) Italy
B) Spain
C) France
D) Germany
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15. In What Year Was The First Propeller Driven Atlantic Crossing
A) 1832
B) 1840
C) 1845
D) 1849
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16. Who Invented The Gramophone
A) Emile Berliner
B) Thomas Edison
C) Alexander Graham Bell
D) Guglielmo Marconi
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17. Which Nationality Was The Man Who Built The First Bicycle Propelled By Pedals
A) Scottish Kirkpatrick Macmillan 1840
B) English James Starley 1840
C) French Pierre Michaux 1860
D) German Karl Drais 1817
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18. What Did Alfred Nobel Invent Before Initiating His Nobel Peace Prize Award Scheme
A) TNT
B) Guncotton
C) Dynamite
D) Nitroglycerin
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19. He was the American inventor of the Cotton Gin.
A) James Watt
B) Cyrus McCormick
C) Whitney
D) Benjamin Franklin
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