1 Following the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war, this French painter took refuge in England where he studied the works of Constable and JMW Turner. At the beginning of the 20th century, he painted the Houses of Parliament series. Which painter?
2 The 1648 painting “Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba” (picture) can be seen at the London National Gallery. This and similar works by Claude Lorrain inspired which English romantic painter (1775-1856) to paint works such as “Dido Building Carthage” and “The Decline of the Carthaginian Empire”?
3 The battle of Waterloo was fought on the 18th of June of which year?
Bonus: What is this named time period encompassing Napoleon’s return from Elba until his defeat at Waterloo?
4 Which king (c. 466 – 511) was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler and subsequently became the first catholic King to rule over France?
5 Taking place in the north of France, which important battle of Hundred Years' War took place on 26 August 1346 and saw a decisive English victory? Anglo-Welsh army of around 10000 commanded by Edward III of England was heavily outnumbered by Philip VI of France's force.
6 This French military officer (1757-1834) served as a general during the American Revolutionary War. He was the first person granted honorary US citizenship. Who was this general?
7 In September 1911, surrealist poet Guillaume Apollinaire, who died during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918, was arrested and jailed for the theft of which famous painting?
8 This building in the 5th arrondissement of Paris was built during the 18th century according to the design of Jacques-Germain Soufflot. Originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve and her relics, by what name is this building better known? The first person to be buried in the building was the Comte of Mirabeau.
9 Originally known as the banner of the Abbey of St. Denis which name meaning golden flame in Latin is given to the battle standard of the King of France?
10 French philosopher Auguste Comte's motto of positivism: L'amour pour principe et l'ordre pour base; le progrès pour but ("Love as a principle and order as the basis; Progress as the goal") appears on the flag of which country?
11 A famous love interest to Jean Paul Sartre, this philosopher used to be nicknamed Castor or Beaver, which female philosopher wrote the Mandarins and The Second Sex?
Bonus: “Les Temps Modernes”, an important cultural review of the period after World War II, was founded by Jean Paul Sartre. The current editor in chief is which French filmmaker renowned for his nine-and-a-half hour documentary film “Shoah” (1985), which is an oral history of the Holocaust?
12 An UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, this complex of caves in south-western France famous for its Palaeolithic cave paintings is located near Montignac in Dordorgne. Discovered by four teenagers and their dog in 1940, the paintings were first damaged by CO2 produced by the visitors and later by fungus. Which caves?
13 A great supporter of the impressionist movement, which French physician is famous for treating the painter Vincent van Gogh during his last weeks in Auvers-sur-Oise? He also was the subject of two Van Gogh’s paintings.
14 The battle of Fontenoy took place in 1745 and saw the defeat of Duke of Cumberland by the force of the French army under Maurice de Saxe. The battle of Fontenoy was a decisive battle of which war (1740–48)?
15 Established by Napoleon in 1802, which order is the highest decoration in France and is divided into five degrees: Chevalier (Knight), Officier (Officer), Commandeur (Commander), Grand Officier (Grand Officer) and Grand Croix (Grand Cross)?
16 This French politician was named Time Person of the Year in 1931 and later became the head of government of Vichy’s France. Which politician embodied the collaboration process with Marechal Petain under the occupation?
Bonus: This town in southern Germany is renowned for its castle which was the seat of the Vichy government-in-exile during the closing months of the Second World War (Sept 1944 to April 1945). Which town or castle described in one of Celine’s novel?
17 This sculpture is one of the most famous sculpture made by Auguste Rodin and can be seen in Calais. What sculpture?
18 Louis XIV was known by which celestial nickname?
Bonus: Which Paris landmark located in the 20th arrondissement is named after the confessor of Louis XIV?
19 Although not as iconic as Alfred Eisenstaedt’s the sailor kiss on the V-E Day, which French photographer is renowned for “The Kiss by the Hôtel de Ville,” taken on a Parisian street in 1950? It is considered one of the most romantic and popular photos ever taken.
20 When Eric Cantona mentioned this French poet, the British press thought he was talking about a character played by Sylvester Stallone. Which 19th century French poet had an influence on modern literature and art but he is best remembered for his tumultuous relationship with French poet Paul Verlaine?
Bonus: This 19th century French poet was a pioneer in the translation of the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Which poet published in 1857 his first and most famous volume of poems, Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil)?
Civilisation
1 As April 2012, which politician (1916-1996) was the longest serving President of France (1981-1995)?
2 Chateau Margaux and Chateau Mouton Rothschild are wines from which French region?
3 Egyptologist JF Champolion deciphered the hieroglyphs of which artifact discovered in 1799? The artifact displays three different scripts written in hieroglyphs, Demotic and ancient Greek?
4 Used in the same way as Downing Street to describe the Prime Minister and his officials, what is the official residence of the French Prime Minister?
5 Named after the wife of a French navigator Jules Dumont d'Urville, what name is given to the territory claimed by France in south Antarctica?
6 Part of one of the six super major oil companies in the world, this company was created in 1924 as “La Compagnie Française des Pétroles”. Which company merged with Elf Aquitaine in 2003?
7 Not to be confused with a French philosopher, this French lawyer and politician, served as Minister of Health in the 1970s, is responsible for legalizing abortion. Which politician is a survivor from the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp?
8 Probably involved in the capture and execution of Che Gueverra, this Nazi criminal was arrested in Bolivia in 1983, extradited to France, put on trial and sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity. Which war criminal was nicknamed the Butcher of Lyon?
Bonus: Escaping justice for years thanks to the help of the Catholic Church, this French Nazi collaborator was arrested in 1989 and died in 1996 of prostate cancer at Fresnes prison. Which Frenchman was the first Frenchman convicted of crimes against humanity for his actions in Vichy France?
9 Which French car manufacturer has series of cars named after the painter Pablo Picasso?
10 Named after French explorer Louis de Bougainville, Bougainville Island is geographically part of the Solomon Islands archipelago but is the main island of an autonomous region of which country (not France)?
11 Built between the two World Wars, this line of concrete fortifications was located along the frontier with Germany in order to avoid any invasions. Which fortifications named after a Minister of War was found to be useless in 1939?
12 Following protests about nuclear testing in the Pacific ocean, which Greenpeace ship was sunk by French intelligence operatives in New Zealand in 1987?
Bonus: Which atoll part of French Polynesia was the site of nuclear testing from 1966 to 1996?
13 In July 2011, Christine Lagarde replaced DSK as managing director of which international organisation?
14 Which Anglo French project underwent its first significant test in March 1969?
Bonus: Launched from the Centre Spatial located in Kourou, French Guyana, which name is given to a series of a civilian expandable rockets for space launch use?
15 Which Canadian province is the only constitutionally bilingual French-English province?
Bonus: Born in the province of Quebec, which Canadian politician was the first francophone Prime Minister (1896-1911)?
16 Which French King born in April 742 was crowned Emperor in 800 at Aix la Chapelle?
17 The most populous country in the world where French is the official language is not France. Which African country?
18 This free-reed musical instrument resembling a saxophone is often referred as a goofus or queenophone. It is also named after the French manufacturer who was awarded the patent. What name?
19 This newspaper was created as a weekly satirical journal in 1826. Being considered the oldest newspaper in France which daily newspaper is owned by Dassault Group?
20 While campaigning for the Colombian presidency as a Green candidate, which female Colombian politician with French citizenship was kidnapped by the FARC and held captive for six and half years before being rescued in 2008 during Operation Jaque?
Entertainment
1 Vanessa Paradis recorded this song while she was 14 years old. The song performed very well in the charts through Europe. Which song reached number 3 in the UK charts in 1988?
2 Which 1967 hit by the Beatles begins with a clip from the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise," written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg on April 25, 1792?
3 Best known for the 1960 recording by Edith Piaf, “Non, Je ne Regrette Rien” was dedicated to which wing of French Army?
Bonus: which French actress won an Academy Award for playing Edith Piaf in the 2007 movie “La Vie en Rose”?
4 Which French controversial singer burnt a 500 francs note on television to protest against heavy taxation and also on live television said "I want to fuck her" while speaking about Whitney Houston?
5 Which Italian poet winner a Literature Nobel Prize shared the same name as a character from a French novel published in 1831?
6 Released in 1986, “The Queen is Dead” is the third album of which English band? The album cover designed by the lead singer Morrissey features a picture of French actor Alain Delon from the 1964 film L'Insoumis.
Bonus: Alain Delon appeared in the classic French movie “Le Samourai” where he played a perfectionist hitman. The movie was directed by which legendary French director born Jean-Pierre Grumbach? This French director stage name was created in honour of famous American writer.
7 On collecting his BAFTA award for The Artist, which French actor said: “I’m shocked to receive this award from the country of Laurence Olivier, William Webb Ellis, and Benny Hill”?
8 Which title is given to the autobiographical novel by Marguerite Duras, published in 1984? The novel has been translated to 43 languages and was awarded the 1984 Prix Goncourt. It was later adapted to a film in 1992.
9 In 2004, French director Michel Gondry directed a movie starring Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey. The film became a critical and commercial success, developing a cult following and, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Which movie whose title is taken from the poem Eloisa to Abelard by Alexander Pope?
10 Between 1965 and 1972 French actress Catherine Deneuve was married to which British photographer whose works included the Box of Pin-Ups (1964): a box of poster-prints of 1960s celebrities and socialites? Bonus: The sister of Catherine Deneuve was also an actress appearing in movies such as Genghis Khan, Where the Spies Are and Billion Dollar Brain. The movie “Billion Dollar Brain” was her last movie before being killed in a car accident. What was her name?
11 Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo created a comic strip character which appeared in the magazine Pilote on October 29, 1959. His first visit in Britain was published in 1966. Which character?
12 French actress Claudine Auger (born 1941) was the first runner-up in the 1958 Miss World contest. She is best known for her role as Bond girl Dominique "Domino" Derval in which James Bond movie?
13 This movie could easily be mistaken for a sequel of Casablanca. Also directed by Michael Curtiz, this 1944 war movie reunited much of the Casablanca cast (Humphrey Bogart, Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre) with French actress Michelle Morgan replacing Ingrid Bergman. Which movie uses a flashback within a flashback within a flashback?
14 Italian virtuoso Niccola Paganini commissioned the composition of the symphony “Harold in Italie” to which 19thcentury French composer married to an English actress? Paganini was so overwhelmed by the work that he sent a letter of congratulations, enclosing a bank draft for 20,000 francs.
15 Recorded in 1976 in a makeshift studio at his home, the album “Oxygene” sold 12 million copies. Which composer of electronic music whose father won three Academy Awards winner?
Bonus: Between 1978 and 1998, he was married to which English actress?
16 The script of this 1947 movie was written by Charlie Chaplin following an idea of Orson Welles This movie deals with the life of an unemployed banker who marries rich widows and murders them. Which movie based on the case of French serial killer Henri Landru?
17 Between 1986 and 1988, her hit single "Voyage Voyage" made it to number one in many European and Asian single charts and sold over five million copies. Which French singer with an androgenic look was born on Christmas day 1952?
18 In 1997, French movie director JP Jeunet directed the fourth installment of which movie franchise?
19 Making his name in the nightclubs during the 80s and 90s, this French DJ released “Turn Me On” from his 5th album “Nothing But The Beat”. The song features Nicki Minaj for the vocals. Which DJ?
20 This French actress and dancer appeared in movies such as “Gigi” and “An American in Paris“. She had the unique privilege to dance with the greatest dancers such as Nureyev, Baryshnikov, Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Which actress?
Lifestyle
1 Often associated with a chemical process, which name is given to the removal of sediments in a wine by a gentle transfer between two containers?
2 First created privately by Givenchy for Audrey Hepburn in 1957, which perfume whose name means “forbidden”?
3 This sect created by Joseph Di Mambro and Luc Jouret in 1984 in Geneva was based on the myth of the Knights Templar. The sect appeared in the news in 1994 when 48 members were found dead in Switzerland and Canada. In 1995, 16 more members were found dead in France. Which sect?
4 What kind of products is manufactured by Laguiole and Opinel?
5 Named after two French physicians, who described it in 1916, this polyneuropathy is sometimes called French polio. Which disease instead of poliomyelitis had affected FDR?
6 Which name is shared between a clothing company created in 1972 by Stephen Marks, a 1971 movie and cocktail made of Cognac and amaretto?
7 This French chef from Lyon is associated with the term Nouvelle Cuisine and gives his name to the most prestigious award for chefs in the world. Which name?
8 Created by Eugene Schueller in the 1900s, which large cosmetics company is known for its slogan: “Because you’re worth it”?
Bonus: This French model was one of the Victoria' Secret Angels from 1998 to 2000. She also was the official face of Dior, and Chanel. She made some forays in the cinema industry starring as Brigitte Bardot in “Serge Gainsbourg, vie héroïque” (2010). Which top model?
9 The five brothers of the Guillemot family founded this major French video game publisher and developer. Which company published the Assassin Creed franchise?
10 One of the oldest brandy produces in France, which brandy made with grapes such as Ugni blanc and Colombard is named after a region of Gascony?
11 Which French or Parisian small type of restaurant gets its name from the Russian word for quickly?
12 Which company manufacturing anise-flavoured liqueurs
was founded in Franche-Comte as a distillery of absinthe in 1805 and merged with Ricard in 1975?
Bonus: The creation of this cocktail is often attributed to Toulouse-Lautrec. Which cocktail is made of 50% cognac and 50% absinthe?
13 This recreation resort opened its doors in 1992. Which amusement park is located at Marne La Vallee next to Paris?
14 This combination of three vegetables (carrots, onion and celery) is known in Italian as soffrito. In French cuisine this mixture is named after a Duke who, according to the Oxford Companion to Food, was an incompetent and mediocre individual owing his fortune to the affection Louis XV felt toward his wife. Which name?
15 This town located on the shores of Lake Geneva in Haute-Savoie department is often considered as an elite resort welcoming Royal family but the town is better known for his spa and mineral water. Which town?
16 This crystal glassworks company was founded after Louis XV gave his permission in 1734. Located in a town of Meurthe et Moselle (Lorraine) that shares the same of the company, the company built a worldwide reputation for making quality stemware, chandeliers, barware, and perfume bottles. Which company?
17 Created in 1971 following the aftermath of the Biafra War, this aid humanitarian organization was co-founded by French politician and doctor Bernard Kouchner. Which organization?
18 On February 1947, Christian Dior launched his first fashion collection for Spring-Summer 1947. Originally, the two collection lines were named as "Corolle" and "Huit. However, the new collection went down in fashion history by which name given by the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar Carmel Snow?
19 This worldwide French magazine focused on women’s fashion was created in 1945 by Pierre Lazareff and his wife. Jean-Dominique Bauby, who wrote the book “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” by blinking after suffering of a stroke, was once editor and journalist of this magazine. Which magazine?
20 This French fashion designer and perfumer collaborated with the Cirque Du Soleil for the creation of the costumes for the show Zumanity. Coinciding with the release of the 2006 movie “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” (an adaptation of Patrick Suskind’s novel) he released a 15-piece perfume coffret titled "The Perfumes of Perfume”. Which designer?
Physical World/Science
1 Named after a French microbiologist and chemist, what name is given to the process of heating a food (usually a liquid) to a specific temperature for a definite length of time and then cooling it immediately?
2 In the CGS system of units, the poise is the physical unit of which physical property?
3 Named after French physician and 1903 Physics Nobel Prize Winner, at which temperature a ferromagnetic material becomes paramagnetic on heating. Which name is given to this temperature?
4 Discovered in 1907 by French scientist Georges Urbain, Austrian mineralogist Baron Carl Auer von Welsbach, and American chemist Charles James, which element has the atomic number 71 and is named after the Latin name for Paris?
5 19th century French engineers Benoit Fourneyron and Denis Burdin made significant contributions to the development of which rotary mechanical device whose early examples are associated with windmills and water wheels?
6 The French psychologist Alfred Binet invented the first usable intelligence test or also known as IQ test. A further refinement was published in 1916 by Lewis M. Terman. The revised examination became known by which name referring to a famous American University?
7 Located in the Lesser Antilles the islands of Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the Îles des Saintes belong to which French overseas department?
8 Benoit Mandelbrot the author of “How Long Is the Coast of Britain? ” coined the term for these figures which have a Hausdorff dimension larger than their topological dimension. Which figure can also be exemplified by the Koch snowflake and Sierpinski triangle?
9 This layer of the Earth atmosphere was discovered in 1913 by the French physicists Charles Fabry and Henri Buisson. Its properties were explored in detail by the British meteorologist G. M. B. Dobson, by using a spectrophotometer. Which layer of the atmosphere is located in the stratosphere?
10 The team led by American medical researcher Robert Gallo and the team led by the virologist Luc Montagnier co-discovered which virus in 1983?
11 Given its name to three different French departments, which river rises in the Cevennes and is the longest river in France?
Bonus: Which river rising in the Vosges joins river Rhone in Lyon?
12 This 16th century French surgeon was the official royal surgeon for four French kings. In 1567 he described in experiment to test the properties of the Bezoar Stone in order to prove that the bezoar stone could not cure all poisons. Which surgeon introduced the ligature of arteries instead of cauterization during amputation for treating gun wounds?
13 Proposed by French ophthalmologist Ferdinand Monoyer in 1872, which name is given to the non SI unit of measurement of the optical power of a lens or curved mirror?
14 This programming language was developed by Niklaus Wirth in the late 1960s and based on the ALGOL programming language. Which language named after French mathematician?
15 Patients suffering of Expressive aphasia are individuals who know "what they want to say, they just cannot get it out." This disorder is caused by damage to the anterior regions of the brain, including the area with functions linked to speech production. This area is named after which French physician who also gives its name to the Expressive aphasia?
16 This French physicist (1872-1946) was a student of Pierre Curie and also the lover of Marie Curie after the death of her husband. Highly involved against the rise of the far-right in the 1930s, which scientist filed two US patents in 1916 and 1917 regarding a systematic ultrasonic submarine detection?
17 Given its name to a geological period, which mountains are located on the French-Swiss-German border?
18 Thanks to his achievements, this French mathematician, music theorist and monk had made himself the centre of the world of science and mathematics during the first half of the 1600s. In his book “L’Harmonie Universelle (1637)”, his eponymous law describe the frequency of oscillation of a stretched string. Which mathematician has a set of prime number named after him like Fermat?
19 Known as early as the 14th century, this breed of dog is one of the most ancient French breed. Which city in the Southwest of France in the Aquitaine region lends its name to this dog?
20 La Manche is a French department that is part of the Cotentin Peninsula. La Manche (The sleeve) is the French name for which arm of the Atlantic Ocean?
Sports and leisure
1 Which French football manager appeared in the final of each European Cups (UEFA Cup, Winner’s Cup and Champions League) and lost all of them?
2 This French football club was created in 1919 and shares with Marseille the highest number of wins for the French Championship with ten. They were runners-up in the 1976 European Cup losing against Bayern Munich. Which team also gives its name to an English electronic music band from London, formed in 1990and consisting of Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs?
Bonus:
Probably the most famous alumni from my school, this former French football international played for famous clubs such as Olympique Lyonnais, Paris St Germain and Milan AC. One of his career’s highlights was to be named Bolton Wanderers Player of the Year in 2005. Which French international?
3 Which French racing driver (born in 1955) is a four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion (1985, 1986, 1989, 1993)?
4 The Award-winning film director Albert Lamorisse invented a famous strategic board game in 1957. Which board game was originally called “The Conquest of the World”?
5 Known as the Morrocan Bomber, this world champion boxer is mainly remembered for his affair with Edith Piaf and his tragic death in a plane crash in 1949. Which boxer?
6 Specialized in 100m and 200m, which sprinter is the current European title holder for both disciplines?
7 Which French commune and ski resort was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics?
Bonus: At the 1924 Summer Olympics games in Paris, which American swimmer won three gold medals and became later a famous Hollywood actor?
8 This British cyclist was Britain's first men's road race World Champion in 1965. He famously died of exhaustion in 1967 on the slopes of Mt Ventoux during a stage of the Tour de France. He was later discovered that he had taken amphetamine and alcohol. Which cyclist?
9 Created by Philippe Jeantot in 1989, which round-the-world single-handed yacht race, sailed non-stop and without assistance takes place every four years since 1992?
10 Designed by former French international rugby union player and professional sculptor Jean-Pierre Rives, this trophy was first awarded in 2007. Which trophy named after an Italian historical figure is awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship (rugby union) match between France and Italy?
11 Laura Flessel-Colovic is currently number one on the all-time list of French female Winter or Summer Olympic medal winners with five medals. She was a top performer in which combat sport divided in three weapons?
12 The 1982 Formula one season was won by Finnish driver Keke Rosberg. Up to mid-season, the championship was led by a French driver who had a massive accident at the German GP, the accident put to an end to his F1 career. Despite the fact, he only competed in 60% of the GPs, he finished second in the final standings. Which driver was killed in 1986 in an accident during an Offshore powerboat race?
13 This French tennis player was the last French male player to win a Grand-slam tournament in 1983 by winning the French Open. Which former player is also known for his musical career and for his son who plays professional basketball in NBA?
14 At the 1964 Winter Olympics Games, the Giant Slalom and the Slalom in Alpine Skiing were respectively won by two sisters Marielle for Giant Slalom (Christine won the silver) and Christine for Slalom (Marielle won Silver). Which surname?
15 In January 1986, Thierry Sabine died in a helicopter crash while supervising the annual rally raid type of off-road race he founded in 1979.Which race?
16 This female French tennis player admitted sipping cognac between sets to prevent fatigue. Known as the Divine One, she won Grand Slams tournaments in single, women double and mixte-double without losing a final. Which woman tennis player died of illness in 1938 only aged 39?
17 Following a depression, former athlete Pierre Quinon committed suicide in August 2011. His moment of fame came at 1984 Olympics games where he won a Gold medal in which discipline profiting of the boycott by Sergei Bubka?
18 French basketball player Tony Parker was once married to actress Eva Longoria but he is now divorced. He played professional basketball for which NBA franchise located in Texas?
Bonus: This French town in the Limousin region is more famous for its medieval enamels than its basketball team. In 1993, it was the first French club team to become European champion in a collective sport by winning the Euroleague. Which town or team?
19 Not really considered as a sport, this game takes its name from an Occitan word meaning “feet anchored”. Which game is played with metal balls and a small wooden ball called a “cochonnet” or piglet in English?
20 Currently playing for Chelsea FC, these two football players played together in 2002-2003 for the French team Guingamp. Which players whose pictures are shown below?
