Which Country Is Responsible for These Great Inventions?

By: Jacqueline Samaroo
Estimated Completion Time
2 min
Which Country Is Responsible for These Great Inventions?
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Can you figure out these questions and invent some solutions?

Ever wonder where the microwave oven came from? Do you know where the motorcycle was invented? In today's modern society we take so many of the everyday things that we interact with on a day to day basis for granted. From things in our bathrooms, like toilets and shampoo, to the glasses that we wear and the paper that we write on; so many things that seem simple or mundane now were instrumental achievements when they were first conceived.

One of the most interesting things about the various notable inventions throughout history is the fact that they were not just concentrated in one location. Instead, the great inventions and breakthroughs throughout history were spread out all across the world. This quiz takes a look at 40 important inventions -- some of them very iconic, while others are not quite as well known. This gives this inventions quiz a reasonable level of difficulty that with put your knowledge of the world to the test. So, are you ready to invent and patent a few answers for this quiz? Then grab your wrench and screwdriver and start to tinker away at these 40 challenging questions!

Helicopter
Youtube
Which country did this invention come from?
France
The first manned helicopter was developed in France. French engineer Paul Cornu designed and piloted it himself at Normandy, France, on November 13, 1907.
Sweden
Egypt
Italy

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Airplane
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Netherlands
China
United States of America
The first successful airplane was invented in the United States of America. The Wright brothers (Orville and Wilbur) are credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first successful airplane.
Belgium

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parachute
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Australia
France
The modern parachute was invented in France. French inventor, chemist, and physicist, Louis-Sébastien Lenormand made the first recorded public jump in 1783.

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Paper
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
United Kingdom
Germany
China
Paper was first developed in China. While the exact origins are unknown, Cai Lun, a eunuch, inventor, and politician, is oftentimes credited as the inventor of paper.
Ukraine

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kerosene lamp
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
India
Poland
The kerosene lamp was first developed in Poland. Polish pharmacist Ignacy Łukasiewicz invented the kerosene lamp in 1953.
Scotland
Italy

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Walkie-Talkie
Youtube
Which country did this invention come from?
Ireland
Mexico
Brazil
Canada
The walkie-talkie was invented in Canada. Inventor Donald Higgs and engineer Alfred J. Gross are both oftentimes credited with the creation of the walkie-talkie during the Second World War.

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hook and loop fastener/ velcro
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Belgium
Switzerland
The hook-and-loop fastener was invented in Switzerland. This invention is commonly referred to by the genericized trademark, "Velcro,” and it was invented in ​1941 by Swiss engineer George de Mestral.
Turkey
India

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Sherry
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Spain
Sherry was created in Spain. Sherry is notable for the fact that it has what is known as “protected designation of origin status.” This means that all wine labeled​ as "Sherry" must legally come from the Sherry Triangle in Spain.
Bangladesh
Russia
Germany

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white chocolate
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Australia
Switzerland
White chocolate was first conceived in Switzerland. Swiss company Nestle launched the first white chocolate product in 1930, known as the Milkybar.
United Kingdom
Russia

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Senet board game
Wiki Commons
Which country did this invention come from?
France
Scotland
Netherlands
Egypt
Historically, the oldest board game was found in Egypt. This board game, Senet, dates back to around 3100 BC, and all of the original rules are still not fully understood.

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Toaster
n/a
Which country did this invention come from?
Sweden
Scotland
The toaster was created and introduced in Scotland. Alan MacMasters from Edinburgh, Scotland, is credited with being the inventor of the very first electric bread toaster in 1893.
France
Ukraine

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Laptop
shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Japan
The laptop was first conceived in Japan. Although several portable computer prototypes had been attempted earlier, the first successful laptop-sized​ computer was the Epson HX-20 that was introduced by the Seiko Epson Corporation.
United States of America
Sweden
Russia

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microwave oven
Wiki Commons By Apoltix
Which country did this invention come from?
New Zealand
Czech Republic
United States of America
The microwave oven was developed in the United States of America. The invention of the modern microwave oven was​ pioneered in the U.S., with the first one made commercially available in 1947.
South Korea

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Radio
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
China
Italy
Radio was formally established in Italy. While there were many brilliant minds working on the subject of radio transmission (both practically and theoretically), Italian inventor and electrical engineer Guglielmo Marconi is credited as the inventor of the ​radio.
United States of America
Russia

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saw_mill
Parvathisri via Wiki Commons
Which country did this invention come from?
Poland
United Kingdom
Turkey
The sawmill was invented in Hierapolis in the Roman Empire (now located in modern day Turkey). The oldest example of a sawmill dates back to the second half of the 3rd century.
China

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molotov cocktail
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Canada
Scotland
India
Spain
The Molotov cocktail was first created and used in Spain. While simple in its inception, the Molotov cocktail is a deadly weapon and it was used for the first time in the Spanish Civil War.

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Laser
Youtube
Which country did this invention come from?
North Korea
Burkina Faso
United States of America
The laser was first developed in the United States of America. The very first laser was invented in 1960 by Theodore H. Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories.
Sri Lanka

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Flushing toilet
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
India
The flush toilet was first developed and introduced in India. Ancient civilization in the Indus Valley from as far back as approximately 2000 BC have been found to have utilized flush toilets and substantial sewage systems in some significant capacity.
United States of America
Spain
Belgium

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dynamite
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
France
Japan
China
Sweden
Dynamite was created in Sweden. The brilliant and renowned Swedish inventor, chemist, and engineer Alfred Nobel patented dynamite in 1867.

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hive frame
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Ukraine
The hive frame was first conceived and implemented in Ukraine. Petro Prokopovych, the inventor of the hive frame, is oftentimes also referred to as the founder of commercial beekeeping and he is notable for having owned almost 600 beehives.
Egypt
Turkey
Ecuador

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Bowling Ball
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Ukraine
Italy
Canada
Egypt
Bowling was invented and first played in Egypt in 3200 BC. Archeologists and historians have even discovered bowling balls that were made using the husks of grains, leather, and string.

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gunpowder
Hustvedt via Wiki Commons
Which country did this invention come from?
Switzerland
China
Gunpowder was invented and first utilized in China. Although there is some debate around the exact origins of gunpowder, some texts state that Chinese alchemists discovered gunpowder accidentally while trying to create elixir of life.
Belgium
Sweden

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Elvis
YouTube
Which country did this invention come from?
Switzerland
Ukraine
Spain
United Kingdom
The postage stamp was first created and used in the United Kingdom. While there were previously many other ways that people could indicate that postage had been paid, English merchant William Dockwra developed the first postage stamp in 1680.

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postal code
Michael Romanov via Wiki Commons
Which country did this invention come from?
France
Ukraine
The postal code was first introduced in Ukraine (at that time the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic). This system was introduced in 1932 but was abandoned shortly after in 1939. However, other countries, like Germany, Argentina, and the United States, followed with similar systems in the following years.
Australia
United States of America

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shampoo
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
India
Shampoo was first created and used in India. A variety of herbs and extracts have been used as shampoos since ancient times in India and in the colonial era this was subsequently introduced to Europe.
Egypt
Scotland
Spain

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Which Firearm suits you? 2
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
France
Nepal
China
The firearm was first conceived in China. Known as a “fire lance,” the first firearm was a metal or bamboo tube that was invented around 1250 AD.
Turkey

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monorail
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
United States of America
Netherlands
Russia
The monorail was first introduced in Russia. Ivan Elmanov, a Russian inventor, is responsible for creating the very first successful monorail prototype.
Italy

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Connecting Rod
By Nimbus227derivative work: Nimbus227 via Wikimedia Commons
Which country did this invention come from?
United Kingdom
Turkey
The connecting rod was first utilized in Roman Asia (modern day Turkey). This implement was utilized as an integral part of the Hierapolis sawmill in the late 3rd century.
India
United States of America

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jet pack
Steve Jurvetson via Wiki Commons
Which country did this invention come from?
Russia
The jet pack was first conceived in Russia. Aleksandr Fyodorovich Andreyev, a Russian inventor, developed the first functioning jetpack in 1919.
China
India
Japan

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bluetooth
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Poland
Germany
Sweden
Bluetooth was developed at Ericsson Mobile in Lund, Sweden. This advancement was spearheaded by Nils Rydbeck (the CTO at Ericsson Mobile) in 1989.
Scotland

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telescope
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Ukraine
Netherlands
The telescope was first invented in the Netherlands. The oldest existing record of any telescope is a patent that was submitted in 1608 by Hans Lippershey, a spectacle maker.
Russia
Egypt

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Fire Extinguisher
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
France
Russia
Sweden
United Kingdom
The fire extinguisher was first invented in the United Kingdom. This initial fire extinguisher was patented in England in 1723 by a then renowned chemist, Ambrose Godfrey.

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Motorcycle
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Switzerland
Sweden
Germany
The motorcycle created and was first introduced in Germany. Introduced in 1894, the first series production motorcycle was the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller.
Spain

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Chess Games
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Switzerland
Turkey
United States of America
India
Chess was invented and subsequently developed in Eastern India. Chess is estimated to have been invented somewhere between 200 AD and 550 AD, and it was linked to the four divisions of the Indian military: infantry (pawn), cavalry (knight), elephants (bishop), and chariotry (rook).

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adding machine
Wiki Commons
Which country did this invention come from?
Canada
France
The adding machine was invented in France. Blaise Pascal, an accomplished French mathematician, physicist, inventor, and writer, is credited with the invention of the adding machine in 1642. However, French inventor and entrepreneur Charles Xavier Thomas​ introduced the first commercially successful mechanical calculator.
Spain
China

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vacuum flask
Vera de Kok via Wiki Commons
Which country did this invention come from?
Turkey
Poland
India
Scotland
The vacuum flask was designed and invented in Scotland. Sir James Dewar, a Scottish chemist and physicist, is credited with the creation of the vacuum flask in 1892.

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boomerang
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Australia
The boomerang was invented in Australia thousands of years ago. The boomerang is a hunting and recreational tool that is thought to be tens of thousands of years old, with the oldest recovered one dating to around 10,000 BC.
Italy
Ukraine
China

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queen excluder
Shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Haiti
United States of America
Ukraine
The queen excluder was developed and created Ukraine. Petro Prokopovych invented the first queen excluder along with the first hive frame. However, the use of queen excluders is still heavily debated (as it relates to hive efficiency) to this day.
Argentina

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Saxophone
shutterstock
Which country did this invention come from?
Belgium
The saxophone was developed and created in Belgium. Adolphe Sax, a Belgian instrument maker, created the saxophone in 1840.
Japan
China
North Korea

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cat-eye glasses
Youtube
Which country did this invention come from?
Egypt
France
Italy
Glasses were initially conceived and invented in Italy. The exact date of the invention of glasses is debatable but it is approximately 1290 AD and by 1301, there were already guild regulations in Venice governing the sale of eyeglasses.
Scotland

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You Got:
/40
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