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Subjects · Leaving Cert History

Leaving Cert History: USA & the world 1945–89

How often USA & the world 1945–89 comes up on the History papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 10 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

OL Asked on 10 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

USA & the world 1945–89, Higher Level(6 marks)

Quick ones on USA & the world 1945–89.

(a)In which year did the USSR test its first atomic bomb?
  1. 1945
  2. 1949
  3. 1953
(b)In which year were Julius and Ethel Rosenberg executed for atomic spying?
  1. 1957
  2. 1950
  3. 1953
(c)Which congressional committee investigated Hollywood in 1947?
  1. HUAC
  2. The Church Committee
  3. The Warren Commission
Show the answers

(a) 1949

(b) 1953

(c) HUAC

Your turn: Higher Level questions on USA & the world 1945–89.

Higher Level

Asked on 10 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Europe Topic 6
2025Europe Topic 6
2024Europe Topic 6
2023Europe Topic 6
2022Europe Topic 6
2021Europe Topic 6 (DBQ)
2019Europe Topic 6
2018Europe Topic 6
2017Europe Topic 6
2016Europe Topic 6

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More USA & the world 1945–89 questions

USA & the world 1945–89, 2 marks

Who was the first American to orbit the Earth, in 1962?

  1. Alan Shepard
  2. Neil Armstrong
  3. John Glenn
Show the answer

John Glenn

Glenn orbited the Earth three times in February 1962, less than a year after the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in orbit.

USA & the world 1945–89, 2 marks

When were the Paris Peace Accords on Vietnam signed?

  1. August 1964
  2. January 1973
  3. April 1975
Show the answer

January 1973

The Accords ended direct US military involvement in Vietnam. North Vietnam captured Saigon in April 1975.

USA & the world 1945–89, 2 marks

Which President faced the Iran hostage crisis of 1979–81?

  1. Jimmy Carter
  2. Gerald Ford
  3. Ronald Reagan
Show the answer

Jimmy Carter

Iranian students held 52 Americans for 444 days. The crisis hurt Carter's re-election bid, and the hostages were freed minutes after Reagan took office.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 10 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Europe Topic 6
2025Europe Topic 6
2024Europe Topic 6
2023Europe Topic 6
2022Europe Topic 6
2021Europe Topic 6 (DBQ)
2019Europe Topic 6
2018Europe Topic 6
2017Europe Topic 6
2016Europe Topic 6

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More USA & the world 1945–89 questions

USA & the world 1945–89, 3 marks

In which years was the Korean War fought?

  1. 1945 to 1948
  2. 1955 to 1959
  3. 1950 to 1953
Show the answer

1950 to 1953

North Korea invaded the South in 1950. A United Nations force led by the USA pushed them back, and the fighting ended in stalemate at the 38th parallel.

USA & the world 1945–89, 2 marks

Which US senator led the hunt for communists in the early 1950s?

  1. Robert Kennedy
  2. Joseph McCarthy
  3. Richard Nixon
Show the answer

Joseph McCarthy

McCarthy accused officials, teachers and film-makers of disloyalty, often without evidence. The Senate censured him in 1954.

USA & the world 1945–89, 3 marks

Which 1954 Supreme Court case ruled segregated schools unconstitutional?

  1. Brown v. Board of Education
  2. Plessy v. Ferguson
  3. Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Show the answer

Brown v. Board of Education

The court held that separate schools could never be equal. Many southern states resisted, and troops were needed at Little Rock in 1957.

Other History topics

All of Leaving Cert History