Wonders of the World Quiz

Question: Which wonder of the ancient world is believed to have been the tallest structure on Earth for roughly 4,000 years?

Answer: The tallest of the Great Pyramids (called Khufu, the name of the ruler it entombs) was completed about 2560 BCE and was originally about 482 feet tall. It is believed to have been the tallest structure on Earth until European cathedrals sprang up in the late Middle Ages. The pyramids are the only ancient wonder still standing.

Question: True or false: The Great Wall of China, a new wonder of the world, is the only man-made object visible from space.

Answer: Astronauts have been able to discern many man-made objects from low Earth orbit, such as major roadways, airports, and dams, because they tend to contrast with the ground around them. The Great Wall of China’s building material causes it to blend in with the surrounding area, making it tough to spot from 100 miles up.

Question: Tenzing Norgay made history by being among the first two people to…

Answer: On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first recorded people to reach the summit of Mount Everest. The two ate sweets on top of the world for 15 minutes before heading back down.

Question: Most of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are located around what body of water?

Answer: The original Seven Wonders of the World list was compiled during or before the 2nd century BCE by travelers of the Hellenistic world, choosing architectural accomplishments around the Mediterranean and in the Middle East.

Question: Mexico’s Paricutín volcano is unusual for a natural wonder because it is…

Answer: In February 1943 a cornfield in Paricutín, Mexico, began erupting. Within a year the volcanic cone had risen 1,475 feet.

Question: Although its exact location is still unknown, which wonder of the ancient world is thought to have existed in Iraq?

Answer: Some historians believe the “Hanging Gardens” did not hang at all but instead were layers of lush greenery that covered each tier of a ziggurat, irrigated by water pumped in from the Euphrates River.

Question: Which wonder of the ancient world was built at the site of the ancient Olympic Games?

Answer: The ancient Olympic Games were held as part of a festival dedicated to Zeus in the Greek city of Olympia. Built about 430 BCE, the 40-foot-tall gold-and-ivory-plated statue is thought to have been destroyed in the 5th century CE, after Christian Roman emperors banned the pagan games.

Question: Which of the following words was coined to describe a wonder of the ancient world?

Answer: Mausoleum, used to describe any large tomb, originated with the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Mausolus was the ruler of an area called Caria (located in present-day Turkey) when he died about 353 BCE. His wife (who was also his sister) built for him a monumental tomb in the capital Halicarnassus.

Question: The wonder of the ancient world that once stood in Alexandria was what type of structure?

Answer: The lighthouse of Alexandria was said to be more than 350 feet tall. It was a technological marvel when it was completed about 280 BCE and became the archetype for subsequent lighthouses. It is thought to have been destroyed by earthquakes in the 1300s.

Question: Which of the following is the only natural wonder entirely inside the United States?

Answer: The Grand Canyon is so massive it can influence the weather. On rare occasions, the temperature difference between the bowl and the rim causes the canyon to fill with thick white clouds while the air above remains clear. This phenomenon is called “total cloud inversion.”

Question: One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the northern lights (aurora borealis) is caused by…

Answer: Released during events like solar flares, electrons and other charged particles are hurled toward Earth via solar winds. They get caught in Earth’s magnetosphere and emit radiation that gives the aurora its magnificent colors.

Question: Which natural wonder covers more square miles: the Grand Canyon or the Great Barrier Reef?

Answer: Grand Canyon National Park covers a staggering 1,904 square miles (for comparison, the state of Rhode Island is 1,212 square miles). However, even that vast area pales in comparison with Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, which has an area of roughly 135,000 square miles.

Question: Locals called what natural wonder Mosi-oa-Tunya (“The Smoke That Thunders”) before it was renamed by a Scottish missionary?

Answer: The Kalolo-Lozi people of Africa gave the powerful waterfall its apt name based on its veil of mist and its loud roar. Later, Scottish missionary David Livingstone named the natural wonder after the reigning British monarch. Today, either name is used.

Question: Which of these ancient Greek cities was home to a colossal 105-foot-tall statue of Helios, the sun god?

Answer: The Colossus of Rhodes was erected to celebrate the end of a long siege. Finished about 282 BCE, the massive statue toppled over less than 60 years later. The heavy statue lay where it fell until Arabian forces captured Rhodes in 654 CE; the Colossus was broken up and hauled away as scrap. The task is said to have required more than 900 camel loads.

Question: Which of these statues is among the New Seven Wonders of the World?

Answer: Overlooking Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, Christ the Redeemer is 98 feet tall (not counting its 26-foot-tall pedestal) with a wingspan of 92 feet.

Question: One of the New Wonders of the World, the ancient city of Petra was purportedly the site of what event?

Answer: Nestled in the desert canyons of Jordan, the ancient city of Petra is said to have been “half as old as Time.” In addition to supposedly hosting Moses’ miracle, Petra has stunning facades carved into the canyon walls, which can be seen during the climax of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Question: Which of these New Wonders of the World was used to host mock naval battles?

Answer: The roughly 50,000-seat Colosseum exhibited countless hand-to-hand gladiator fights and animal hunts free to the public; an estimated half million people and one million animals were killed during these events. Water was sometimes piped in to flood the arena floor, facilitating mock naval battles.

Question: Which of these New Wonders of the World was constructed as a mausoleum for a ruler’s wife?

Answer: The Mughal emperor Shah Jahān built the Taj Mahal to memorialize his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who had died during childbirth in 1631. Construction of the mausoleum lasted almost 10 years and required about 20,000 workers from across India, Persia, the Ottoman Empire, and Europe.

Question: At certain times of the year, a snake pattern appears on the pyramid of Chichén Itzá, formed by what?

Answer: During the spring and autumnal equinoxes, a snakelike shadow appears to slither down the northern steps of the pyramid at Chichén Itzá.

Question: At 7,710 feet, what New Wonder of the World is located at the highest elevation?

Answer: The Incan ruins called Machu Picchu are situated on a narrow saddle between two peaks of the Andes mountain range in Peru. The site escaped detection by Spanish explorers and did not become widely known until its “discovery” in 1911.