Current Affairs MCQs – Page 72 (Q711-720)

Laika, a stray dog from the streets of Moscow, became the first living creature to orbit the Earth, launched aboard the Soviet Sputnik 2 spacecraft in November 1957, just a month after the Soviet Union's groundbreaking Sputnik 1 satellite launch. Laika tragically died within hours of launch due to overheating, as the technology to safely return her to Earth did not yet exist. A monkey named Albert, a mouse named Mus and a chimpanzee named Ham are tempting distractors, with Albert and Ham representing separate, later American space animal test subjects. Laika's flight was a major milestone in the early Space Race, though it also sparked international debate over animal welfare in space research.

Christiaan Barnard, a South African cardiac surgeon, performed the world's first human-to-human heart transplant in December 1967 in Cape Town, successfully transplanting a heart from a deceased donor into patient Louis Washkansky, who survived for 18 days following the pioneering operation. The historic surgery brought Barnard sudden international fame and marked a major turning point in cardiac medicine. Michael DeBakey, Denton Cooley and Norman Shumway are tempting distractors, as each was another significant pioneering figure in cardiac surgery, with Shumway in particular having conducted crucial earlier research that helped make Barnard's operation possible. Heart transplantation has since become a well-established, life-saving procedure performed worldwide.

The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, in April 2001, granting same-sex couples the same full legal marriage rights as opposite-sex couples. This landmark reform positioned the Netherlands at the forefront of a broader global movement toward marriage equality that gained momentum over the following decades. Belgium, Canada and Spain are tempting distractors, as each became an early adopter of same-sex marriage shortly afterward, with Belgium following in 2003 and Canada and Spain both in 2005. Many more countries around the world have since legalized same-sex marriage, though it remains restricted or criminalized in numerous other nations.

Chuck Yeager, an American test pilot, became the first person to officially break the sound barrier in level flight, piloting the experimental Bell X-1 aircraft on October 14, 1947, reaching a speed faster than the speed of sound. His historic flight opened the door to the development of supersonic aircraft in the decades that followed. Jimmy Doolittle, Scott Crossfield and Neil Armstrong are tempting distractors, with Crossfield later becoming the first pilot to fly at twice the speed of sound and Armstrong achieving later fame as the first person to walk on the Moon. Yeager's remarkable career as a test pilot continued for decades, and he remained an influential figure in American aviation history.

Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight in May 1927, piloting his custom-built aircraft, the Spirit of St. Louis, from New York to Paris in approximately 33.5 hours, a feat that made him an instant international celebrity. His achievement won him the Orteig Prize, a substantial cash reward offered for the first such successful flight. Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes and Wiley Post are tempting distractors, with Earhart later becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932, five years after Lindbergh's historic flight. Lindbergh's later life was also marked by tragedy, including the highly publicized kidnapping and murder of his infant son in 1932.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the world's first female Prime Minister when she took office in Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon, in 1960, following the assassination of her husband, former Prime Minister Solomon Bandaranaike. She went on to serve multiple terms as Prime Minister across several decades of Sri Lankan politics. Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher and Indira Gandhi are tempting distractors, as each was another notable female head of government, with Meir later becoming Israel's Prime Minister in 1969 and Thatcher and Gandhi rising to lead the UK and India respectively in the years that followed. Bandaranaike's daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, later also served as Sri Lanka's president, continuing the family's prominent political legacy.

The Gutenberg Bible, printed around 1455 by Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany, was the first major book printed in Europe using movable metal type, marking a revolutionary turning point in the mass production and spread of written knowledge. Approximately 180 copies were originally printed, of which fewer than 50 survive today, many housed in major libraries and museums worldwide. The Nuremberg Chronicle, The Canterbury Tales and The King James Bible are tempting distractors, as each is a significant later printed or handwritten work, but none was the pioneering first major movable-type printed book. Gutenberg's printing press innovation is widely credited as one of the most transformative inventions in human history.

The United States is credited with adopting the first modern written national constitution, ratified in 1787 and taking effect in 1789, establishing the fundamental framework of federal government still in use today. It served as a model that influenced the drafting of numerous later national constitutions around the world. Poland, France and the United Kingdom are tempting distractors, with Poland's 1791 constitution often cited as the first in Europe, following shortly after the American example, and the United Kingdom notably lacking a single written constitutional document at all. The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since its original ratification, most recently in 1992.

The first successful permanent transatlantic telegraph cable was completed in 1866, following an earlier, short-lived attempt in 1858 that failed after only a few weeks of operation due to insulation problems. The 1866 cable, laid by the steamship Great Eastern, dramatically transformed international communication, reducing message transmission times from weeks to mere minutes. 1858, 1851 and 1876 are tempting distractors, with 1858 corresponding to that earlier, ultimately unsuccessful first attempt at a transatlantic cable connection. The successful cable's completion is considered one of the most significant technological achievements of the 19th century, effectively shrinking the world through instant communication.

London became the first city in the world to host the Summer Olympic Games three separate times, having done so in 1908, 1948 and again in 2012, a distinction that remained unmatched until Paris and Los Angeles more recently reached or approached similar milestones. Each of London's Olympic Games reflected a different era, from the early 20th century through post-World War II austerity to the modern global spectacle of the 21st century. Los Angeles, Athens and Paris are tempting distractors, with Los Angeles set to become the third city to host three Summer Olympics when it hosts again in 2028. London's 2012 Games were widely praised for their organization, legacy planning and vibrant opening ceremony.