History · 2
The Norse settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada, is the only confirmed pre-Columbian European site in the Americas. In which century was it established?
Answer
11th century (around 1000 CE)
L'Anse aux Meadows was established around 1000 CE, placing it in the 11th century. Discovered in 1960 by Helge and Anne Stine Ingstad, the site provided conclusive archaeological proof that Norse explorers, likely led by Leif Erikson, reached North America centuries before Columbus.
💡 Did you know?
Viking explorer Leif Erikson reached North America around 1000 AD—500 years before Columbus—yet left no lasting settlements or written records.
Other options people guess
- 9th century (around 850 CE)
- 12th century (around 1100 CE)
- 10th century (around 950 CE)
Topics
- vikings
- norse
- archaeology
- north-america
- medieval
Know your history trivia?
Play a free History quiz and see how many you get right — no signup needed to start.
More History facts
History
Which Norse explorer is credited with reaching North America around 1000 CE, approximately 500 years before Columbus's 1492 voyage?
Viking explorer Leif Erikson reached North America around 1000 AD—500 years before Columbus—yet left no lasting settlements or written records.
History
Which ancient Persian king ordered the construction of Persepolis as a ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire around 518 BCE?
Persepolis was burned to the ground by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE — ancient sources claim it took 20,000 mules and 5,000 camels just to carry away the looted treasure.
History
Richard I of England was captured and held prisoner abroad for over a year during his reign. In which modern-day country was he primarily held captive?
King Richard the Lionheart spent only six months of his 10-year reign in England, spending most time crusading and imprisoned abroad.
History
What was the name of the French Caribbean colony that enslaved rebels transformed into Haiti through their 1791–1804 revolution?
Haiti's enslaved people defeated Napoleon's armies and abolished slavery in 1804, making it the world's first successful slave revolution and only Black-led republic.
History
What was the primary building material in 1666 London that let the Great Fire spread so quickly that most residents managed to flee?
The Great Fire of London in 1666 killed remarkably few people because most buildings were wooden and burned so fast residents escaped.
History
Which Roman general crossed the Rubicon river with his army in 49 BCE, triggering a civil war that ultimately ended the Roman Republic?
Crossing the Rubicon was so momentous that the phrase 'crossing the Rubicon' became a permanent idiom meaning to pass a point of no return — still in everyday use over 2,000 years later.