History and Politics (Philippines)

Colonial Era and Revolution

60 practice questions, each with the answer and an explanation.

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Random questions from this topic, one at a time. You see the answer and the explanation straight after each one.

All 60 questions

  1. Which navigator, sailing for Spain, reached the Philippine archipelago in 1521?
  2. Who founded the first lasting Spanish settlement in the Philippines, at Cebu in 1565?
  3. In which year did the Spanish make Manila the capital of their colony in the Philippines?
  4. Who wrote the novel Noli Me Tangere, published in 1887?
  5. Who founded the secret revolutionary society called the Katipunan in 1892?
  6. Where did Emilio Aguinaldo proclaim independence from Spain on 12 June 1898?
  7. Which treaty of December 1898 ended the Spanish-American War and handed the Philippines to the United States?
  8. How much did the United States pay Spain for the Philippines under the 1898 Treaty of Paris?
  9. Which three priests, executed in 1872, became symbols for later Filipino nationalists?
  10. Which reformist newspaper, run by Filipinos in Spain from 1889, campaigned for changes in the colony?
  11. Where was Jose Rizal executed on 30 December 1896?
  12. What was the main task of the Malolos Congress of 1898 and 1899?
  13. In which town in Isabela was Emilio Aguinaldo captured by American forces on 23 March 1901?
  14. Who became the first president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935?
  15. How many years of transition did the 1934 Tydings-McDuffie Act set before Philippine independence?
  16. In which year did Bataan fall to Japanese forces, followed by the forced Death March of prisoners?
  17. Why does the Republic of the Philippines trace its recognised independence from the United States to 4 July 1946?
  18. Which proclamation did Ferdinand Marcos use to place the country under martial law on 21 September 1972?
  19. Along which main avenue in Metro Manila did crowds gather in the February 1986 People Power Revolution?
  20. At which airport was opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. assassinated in August 1983?
  21. Which war led to a British occupation of Manila from 1762 to 1764?
  22. Where were Rizal's two novels first printed?
  23. How many years passed between Legazpi's arrival in Cebu in 1565 and the Spanish founding of Manila as capital in 1571?
  24. The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1898 and independence was recognised in 1946. How long did American sovereignty formally last?
  25. What did Aguinaldo accept under the 1897 Pact of Biak-na-Bato?
  26. Who became the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal, in weightlifting at the 2020 Summer Olympics?
  27. Which island is the second-largest in the Philippines, after Luzon?
  28. Which Philippine city was selected by the American authorities to become the summer capital?
  29. Which airline is the flag carrier of the Philippines?
  30. Which revolutionary, known as the 'Sublime Paralytic', was called the 'Brains of the Revolution'?
  31. In which city is Magellan's Cross Pavilion, a stone kiosk, located?
  32. In which walled city of Manila is Fort Santiago located?
  33. Which vice president assumed the presidency in 1948 upon the death of Manuel Roxas?
  34. Which city is popularly called the Queen City of the South?
  35. Which Philippine city is the largest in terms of land area?
  36. What name did the Spaniards give to Siquijor, meaning Island of Fire?
  37. Which Filipina originated the role of Kim in the West End production of Miss Saigon?
  38. Which Filipino boxer, nicknamed PacMan, is the only eight-division world champion in boxing history?
  39. Which natural harbor serves the Port of Manila?
  40. Who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022?
  41. Which fortified island historically defended the entrance of Manila Bay?
  42. In which province is Boracay, which lies under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Malay?
  43. Which city was the capital of the Philippines from 1948 until 1976?
  44. Which event marked the beginning of the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire?
  45. In which province is the municipality of Puerto Galera?
  46. Which lake does the city of Tagaytay overlook?
  47. Which league is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines made up of company-branded franchise teams?
  48. In which part of Manila was Andres Bonifacio born in 1863?
  49. In which town of Laguna was Jose Rizal born in 1861?
  50. In which Philippine region is the landlocked province of Tarlac?
  51. Which two provinces does Mount Kanlaon straddle?
  52. Which province is known as the Philippines' Last Frontier?
  53. Which Philippine city has the nickname 'The City of Smiles' and is known for the MassKara Festival?
  54. Which city is known as the 'Shoe Capital of the Philippines' because of its famous shoe industry?
  55. Which Pangasinan city is the bangus (milkfish) capital of the country?
  56. Which city is the capital of the province of Ilocos Norte?
  57. In which Philippine city is the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, the second busiest airport in the country, located?
  58. Which city is the regional center of Eastern Visayas and the capital of Leyte?
  59. Which city in Palawan is the westernmost city in the Philippines?
  60. Which city in the Bicol Region is known as the Pilgrim City?

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