General Knowledge MCQs
Topic Notes: General Knowledge
MCQs and preparation resources for competitive exams, covering important concepts, past papers, and detailed explanations.
Plato
- Biography: Ancient Greek philosopher (427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, founder of the Academy in Athens.
- Important Ideas:
- Theory of Forms
- Philosopher-King
- Ideal State
1741
In which year did the Western Roman Empire officially fall?
Answer:
476 AD
The fall of the Western Roman Empire is traditionally dated to 476 AD, when Odoacer deposed Romulus Augustulus.
1742
Which calendar reform shortened the year from 365.25 days to 365.2425 days?
Answer:
Gregorian Reform
The Gregorian reform refined the leap year rule (skipping century years not divisible by 400) to approximate the solar year more accurately.
1743
The 'Regnal year' system dates years based on:
Answer:
The reign of a monarch
Regnal years count the years a monarch has been on the throne (e.g., 'In the 5th year of the reign of King George').
1744
Which of these is a lunisolar calendar?
Answer:
Hebrew Calendar
The Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, meaning it tracks lunar months but adds leap months to stay synchronized with the solar year.
1745
The 'Yuga' cycle in Hindu cosmology consists of how many Yugas?
Answer:
4
The four Yugas are Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali.
1746
The 'Nanakshahi' calendar is used by followers of which religion?
Answer:
Sikhism
The Nanakshahi calendar is a solar calendar used by Sikhs, dating from the birth of Guru Nanak in 1469.
1747
What event marks the beginning of the 'Seleucid Era'?
Answer:
The retaking of Babylon by Seleucus I Nicator
The era dates from 312 BC, when Seleucus I Nicator established his dominance in Babylon.
1748
In the Julian date system (used in astronomy), dates are expressed as:
Answer:
A continuous count of days
Julian Day Number (JDN) is a continuous count of days from the beginning of the Julian Period (4713 BC).
1749
The 'Sexagenary cycle' is a 60-year cycle used in which region's calendar?
Answer:
East Asia (China, Japan, Korea)
The cycle combines 10 heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches to create a 60-year counting system.
1750
The 'Holocene Calendar' adds how many years to the current AD year?
Answer:
10,000
The Holocene Era (HE) adds 10,000 years to the current CE year to better encompass human history (e.g., 2025 CE = 12025 HE).