Estonian history quiz: 12 questions

Trivia 12 questions 4 min

Estonian history quiz: 12 questions

1. In which year did the Danish army of King Valdemar II defeat the Estonians at Lyndanisse (today's Tallinn), the battle the Dannebrog legend is tied to?
2. In which year did the St George's Night Uprising against the German and Danish rulers begin?
3. Which treaty ended the Great Northern War in 1721 and transferred Estonia from Sweden to Russia?
4. In which year was serfdom abolished in the Governorate of Estonia (Estland, the northern part of today's Estonia)?
5. In which city was the first all-Estonian Song Festival held in 1869?
6. On which date was Estonian independence proclaimed in 1918?
7. In which year was the Tartu Peace Treaty between Estonia and Soviet Russia signed?
8. In which year did the Soviet Union first occupy Estonia?
9. When did the largest Soviet mass deportation from Estonia, with more than 20,000 people taken, begin?
10. The Baltic Way human chain of 23 August 1989 marked the 50th anniversary of which event?
11. In which year did Estonia join both NATO and the European Union?
12. Who was the first person to hold the office of President of the Republic of Estonia?

Answer every question, then press the button.

Twelve questions on Estonian history, from the Danish landing at Lyndanisse in 1219 to NATO and EU accession in 2004. It takes about four minutes.

Most of it is school-level. A few questions are built to catch people who know the story but not the exact year or place. You see the correct answer right after each question, and a summary at the end.

Possible results

  • PupilYou remember Estonian history the way most of us remember school: the big picture, not the dates.
  • CitizenYou know the main line of Estonian history and most of the dates that go with it.
  • HistorianYou know Estonian history down to the dates and the exceptions.

How this quiz works

The twelve questions were written by the Kahur Quiz editors, and every date and name was checked against the Estonian Encyclopaedia, the Estonica reference site of the Estonian Institute, and official sources such as the Estonian Government, the Riigikogu and the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory. Where sources use different calendars or disagree on a day, the quiz uses the date taught in Estonian schools and marked in the national calendar: for example 24 February 1918 for the proclamation of independence and 25 March 1949 for the start of the March deportation.

Scoring is simple: each correct answer is one point, so the maximum is 12. A score of 0 to 4 gives the Pupil result, 5 to 9 Citizen, and 10 to 12 Historian. The quiz tests recall of dates, places and names. It does not measure how well you understand why those events happened.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the Tartu Peace Treaty dated 1920 and not 1918?

Independence was proclaimed on 24 February 1918, but the War of Independence followed and lasted until a ceasefire in January 1920. The peace treaty with Soviet Russia was signed in Tartu on 2 February 1920, which is why 1920 is the correct answer.

Was 1918 or 1991 the real independence?

Both dates matter, but they are different events. The Republic of Estonia was founded on 24 February 1918. On 20 August 1991 the same state restored its independence after the Soviet occupation. Estonia considers itself legally continuous with the 1918 republic, so 1991 is a restoration, not a second founding.

Why does the Danish flag legend matter for Estonian history?

According to legend, the Dannebrog fell from the sky during the Battle of Lyndanisse on 15 June 1219, where the army of King Valdemar II defeated the Estonians. The battle opened more than two centuries of Danish and German rule in northern Estonia, and the name Tallinn is often explained as 'Danish town'. For Denmark it is a national legend; for Estonia the battle is a turning point.

Is my result stored?

Your answers stay in your browser. We keep only anonymous aggregate statistics to show how others answered.

Will more questions be added?

Yes, the question set is updated over time. If you spot an error in a date or name, let us know via the contact in the footer.

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