- 1. Which city hosted the first meeting of the General Assembly in 1945–46?
A) London
B) Paris
C) Geneva
D) New York
- 2. Where did the Security Council hold its meetings in London during 1945–46?
A) Methodist Central Hall
B) Church House
C) Lehman College
D) Palais de Chaillot
- 3. In which building did the General Assembly meet during its first session in London?
A) New York City Building
B) Methodist Central Hall
C) Palais de Chaillot
D) Church House
- 4. In what city is the Palais de Chaillot located?
A) London
B) New York
C) Oslo
D) Paris
- 5. Which General Assembly sessions met in the Palais de Chaillot?
A) Third and sixth
B) Sixth and seventh
C) First and second
D) Fourth and fifth
- 6. In what years did the General Assembly meet in the Palais de Chaillot?
A) 1948 and 1951
B) 1946 and 1950
C) 1945 and 1946
D) 1950 and 1952
- 7. Prior to the completion of the current headquarters, what factory did the UN use for most of its operations?
A) American Bridge Company factory
B) Sperry Gyroscope Company factory
C) Slattery Contracting Company factory
D) George A. Fuller Company factory
- 8. In which New York location was the Sperry Gyroscope Company factory used by the UN situated?
A) Bronx
B) Lake Success
C) Flushing Meadows
D) Manhattan
- 9. Between which years did the UN use the Lake Success facility for operations like the Security Council?
A) 1946 and 1952
B) 1948 and 1951
C) 1950 and 1955
D) 1945 and 1948
- 10. On what campus did the Security Council hold sessions from March to August 1946?
A) Palais de Chaillot campus
B) Queens Museum campus
C) Bronx campus of Hunter College
D) Lehman College campus
- 11. What is the former site of Hunter College's Bronx campus now known as?
A) Church House
B) Queens Museum
C) Lehman College
D) Methodist Central Hall
- 12. Between 1946 and 1950, where did the General Assembly meet?
A) New York City Building
B) Sperry Gyroscope factory
C) Secretariat Building
D) Church House
- 13. For which event was the New York City Building originally built?
A) 1951 General Assembly
B) 1939 New York World's Fair
C) 1945 London Conference
D) 1946 UN Groundbreaking
- 14. What is the New York City Building now the site of?
A) Methodist Central Hall
B) Church House
C) Lehman College
D) Queens Museum
- 15. Which railway reopened a former World's Fair station as the United Nations station?
A) New York Central Railroad
B) Manhattan Transit Authority
C) Long Island Rail Road
D) Pennsylvania Railroad
- 16. Which US President requested an interest-free loan of $65 million for UN construction in April 1948?
A) Thomas E. Dewey
B) Franklin D. Roosevelt
C) Harry S. Truman
D) Dwight D. Eisenhower
- 17. On what date did the US Congress authorize the $65 million loan for the UN?
A) September 14, 1948
B) January 1, 1949
C) August 6, 1948
D) April 18, 1948
- 18. Over what period was the UN required to repay the $65 million US loan in twelve monthly instalments?
A) July 1951 and July 1952
B) March 1949 and March 1950
C) August 1948 and August 1949
D) January 1950 and January 1951
- 19. How much money was made available immediately from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation out of the $65 million loan?
A) $10 million
B) $65 million
C) $23.8 million
D) $25 million
- 20. Which two individuals were involved in the espionage case that caused the full loan to be initially withheld?
A) Harrison and George A. Fuller
B) Harry S. Truman and Thomas E. Dewey
C) Trygve Lie and Robert Moses
D) Valentin Gubitchev and Judith Coplon
- 21. When did the groundbreaking ceremony for the initial UN buildings occur?
A) August 6, 1948
B) September 14, 1948
C) April 10, 1949
D) October 24, 1949
- 22. Which building's basement construction was marked by the removal of a bucket of earth at the groundbreaking ceremony?
A) Secretariat Building
B) General Assembly Building
C) Palais de Chaillot
D) New York City Building
- 23. How many stories tall was the Secretariat Building originally designed to be before being downsized?
A) 58 stories
B) 48 stories
C) 39 stories
D) 42 stories
- 24. To how many stories was the Secretariat Building downsized to reduce construction costs?
A) 38 stories
B) 42 stories
C) 50 stories
D) 39 stories
- 25. Who requested in October 1948 that members and US states participate in designing conference room interiors?
A) Harry S. Truman
B) Harrison
C) Robert Moses
D) Trygve Lie
- 26. Who reported in November 1948 that UN construction was two months behind schedule?
A) Thomas E. Dewey
B) Harry S. Truman
C) Trygve Lie
D) Robert Moses
- 27. What percentage of the headquarters' site had been excavated by November 1948?
A) 40%
B) 60%
C) 75%
D) 90%
- 28. Which joint venture was selected in December 1948 to construct the Secretariat Building and remaining foundations?
A) American Bridge Company and Sperry Gyroscope
B) Reconstruction Finance Corporation and Tudor City Consortium
C) Methodist Central Hall and Church House Builders
D) George A. Fuller Company, Turner Construction, Walsh Construction Company, and Slattery Contracting Company
- 29. What was the amount of the formal contract awarded for the Secretariat Building in January 1949?
A) $2.28 million
B) $23.8 million
C) $25 million
D) $65 million
- 30. On what date was a prayer space for people of all religions announced for the UN?
A) October 24, 1949
B) September 14, 1948
C) January 1, 1949
D) April 18, 1949
- 31. How many tons of steel were announced to be eventually used in the Secretariat Building?
A) 25,000 tons
B) 13,000 tons
C) 11,000 tons
D) 10,000 tons
- 32. What was the approximate width and length of the Secretariat Building structure?
A) 72 by 287 feet
B) 30 by 100 feet
C) 100 by 300 feet
D) 50 by 200 feet
- 33. What flag was raised above the first erected steel beam of the Secretariat Building?
A) Flag of Norway
B) Flag of New York City
C) Flag of the United States
D) Flag of the United Nations
- 34. What was the minimum daily penalty the construction consortium had to pay if they exceeded the January 1, 1951 deadline?
A) $5,000 per day
B) $1,000 per day
C) $2,500 per day
D) $10,000 per day
- 35. Who delayed the original April 10, 1949 cornerstone-laying ceremony after learning Truman could not attend?
A) Trygve Lie
B) Thomas E. Dewey
C) Robert Moses
D) Harry S. Truman
- 36. On what date did the cornerstone-laying ceremony eventually take place?
A) October 24, 1949
B) January 1, 1951
C) April 10, 1949
D) September 14, 1948
- 37. Who laid the UN headquarters' cornerstone at the ceremony?
A) Harry S. Truman
B) Trygve Lie
C) Thomas E. Dewey
D) Robert Moses
- 38. Which company did UN officials write to in June 1949 expressing intent to buy 10,000 to 11,000 tons of steel?
A) American Bridge Company
B) George A. Fuller Company
C) Sperry Gyroscope Company
D) Turner Construction
- 39. What highway feature was a deck planned to be built over on the UN headquarters' eastern side?
A) 42nd Street
B) FDR Drive
C) Tudor City
D) First Avenue
- 40. What was the cost of the four-lane vehicular tunnel built under First Avenue?
A) $1.7 million
B) $2.28 million
C) $23.8 million
D) $65 million
- 41. On what date did construction start on the vehicular tunnel under First Avenue?
A) April 18, 1949
B) August 1, 1949
C) September 14, 1948
D) June 1, 1949
- 42. Inside which neighborhood was property acquired to widen two streets near the UN headquarters?
A) Lake Success
B) Tudor City
C) Bronx
D) Flushing Meadows
- 43. When was the Secretariat Building ceremonially topped out after its steel framework was completed?
A) February 1950
B) October 1949
C) January 1949
D) April 1950
- 44. In what month and year did the UN invite companies from 37 countries to bid on $2 million worth of furniture?
A) March 1949
B) April 1951
C) December 1948
D) February 1950
- 45. What type of donations did the UN announce it would accept starting in March 1950, reversing its previous policy?
A) Government loans from the US Congress
B) Private donations from citizens, entities, or organizations
C) Grants from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation
D) Steel contracts from the American Bridge Company
- 46. What was the amount of the steel contract awarded for the United Nations General Assembly Building in April 1950?
A) $65 million
B) $1.7 million
C) $2.28 million
D) $23.8 million
- 47. Which last structure to be built was delayed due to a steelworkers' strike?
A) Palais de Chaillot
B) Church House
C) Secretariat Building
D) United Nations General Assembly Building
- 48. Which country proposed to decorate and outfit the complex's Security Council chamber in June 1950?
A) Norway
B) France
C) Great Britain
D) United States
- 49. When did the playground at the UN headquarters officially open?
A) December 1949
B) April 1953
C) April 1951
D) January 1951
- 50. What were the dimensions of the playground built at the northeast corner of the headquarters site?
A) 50 by 100 feet
B) 200 by 300 feet
C) 72 by 287 feet
D) 100 by 140 feet
- 51. Where was the former complex that a powerful faction of delegates wanted to return to?
A) Geneva, Switzerland
B) New York City, USA
C) Paris, France
D) San Francisco, USA
- 52. Who was the Mayor of New York City who worked with boosters to assemble interim facilities?
A) William O'Dwyer
B) Robert Moses
C) John D. Rockefeller Jr.
D) Grover Whalen
- 53. Which city was favored by Australia, New Zealand, China, and the Philippines?
A) Philadelphia
B) New York City
C) Boston
D) San Francisco
- 54. In what year was the UN founded in San Francisco?
A) 1946
B) 1944
C) 1945
D) 1950
- 55. Which California location besides San Francisco was considered as a potential site?
A) San Diego
B) Los Angeles
C) Sacramento
D) Marin County
- 56. What was offered by the government of Philadelphia for the headquarters?
A) Land in several areas including Fairmount Park
B) An existing skyscraper in Center City
C) A fleet of ships on the high seas
D) Financial funding of $15 million
- 57. Which park in New York was considered as a potential site for the UN Headquarters?
A) Van Cortlandt Park
B) Prospect Park
C) Central Park
D) Flushing Meadows–Corona Park
- 58. Which country's border did Navy Island straddle?
A) US–Russia border
B) US–Canada border
C) US–Mexico border
D) US–Cuba border
- 59. In which neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan is the United Nations headquarters located?
A) Sutton Place
B) Hell's Kitchen
C) Beekman Place
D) Turtle Bay
- 60. Which avenue does the UN headquarters border to the west?
A) Lexington Avenue
B) Third Avenue
C) Second Avenue
D) First Avenue
- 61. Which street forms the northern border of the UN headquarters complex?
A) 49th Street
B) 42nd Street
C) 48th Street
D) 47th Street
- 62. Which water body borders the UN headquarters to the east?
A) East River
B) Harlem River
C) Atlantic Ocean
D) Hudson River
- 63. Which library is part of the UN headquarters structures?
A) New York Public Library
B) John D. Rockefeller Library
C) Dag Hammarskjöld Library
D) Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
- 64. In which city is the International Court of Justice seated?
A) Nairobi
B) Vienna
C) Geneva
D) The Hague
- 65. In what year was the UN regional headquarters in Vienna opened?
A) 1946
B) 1980
C) 1996
D) 1952
- 66. In what year was the UN regional headquarters in Nairobi opened?
A) 1996
B) 1980
C) 1952
D) 1946
- 67. Who purchased the option for Zeckendorf's waterfront land in Turtle Bay to donate to the UN?
A) William Zeckendorf Sr.
B) Nelson Rockefeller
C) George Dudley
D) Le Corbusier
- 68. Who funded the purchase of Zeckendorf's land for the UN?
A) John D. Rockefeller Jr.
B) Max Abramovitz
C) Wallace Harrison
D) N. D. Bassov
- 69. Which architect represented Brazil on the Board of Design Consultants?
A) Sven Markelius
B) Julio Vilamajó
C) Ernest Cormier
D) Oscar Niemeyer
- 70. Which architect represented France on the Board of Design Consultants?
A) N. D. Bassov
B) Howard Robertson
C) Le Corbusier
D) Gaston Brunfaut
- 71. What was the designation of the final developed project scheme combining ideas from Le Corbusier and Niemeyer?
A) X City
B) project 32
C) project 23
D) project 42G
- 72. What small plaza is located on the south side of 47th Street east of Second Avenue, stemming from earlier grand boulevard plans?
A) Turtle Bay Plaza
B) Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza
C) Rockefeller Plaza
D) First Avenue Plaza
- 73. Which autonomous subsidiary organ of the UN is based at the New York City headquarters?
A) World Health Organization
B) UNESCO
C) International Court of Justice
D) UNICEF
- 74. Which country did Board member Liang Seu-cheng represent?
A) Australia
B) Soviet Union
C) Canada
D) China
- 75. How many UN employees started working at the Secretariat Building on August 22, 1950?
A) 450
B) 3,500
C) 170,000
D) 3,300
- 76. How many employees occupied the Secretariat Building by January 8, 1951?
A) 3,500
B) 450
C) 140
D) 3,300
- 77. When did the UN completely move out of its Lake Success headquarters?
A) October
B) May
C) January
D) August
- 78. Where did the limestone for the General Assembly Building come from?
A) American quarries
B) British limestone quarries
C) French quarries
D) Canadian quarries
- 79. How many nations donated furnishings or offered to decorate the UN headquarters in 1953?
A) Fifty
B) Twenty-one
C) Five
D) Ten
- 80. When was the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Building officially dedicated?
A) October 1952
B) August 1950
C) November 1961
D) December 1964
- 81. When were the gardens at the United Nations headquarters made publicly accessible?
A) 1962
B) 1958
C) 1950
D) 1975
- 82. By what year did operations grow so much that the headquarters could not house all of them?
A) 1952
B) 1983
C) 1970
D) 1962
- 83. Who was speaking at the headquarters when a bazooka was fired at the building in December 1964?
A) Che Guevara
B) Wallace K. Harrison
C) Dag Hammarskjöld
D) Robert Moses
- 84. Which group's members fired a bazooka at the headquarters in December 1964?
A) New York City Housing Authority
B) East River-Turtle Bay Fund
C) Cuban Nationalist Association
D) United Nations Development Programme
- 85. When was a radical proposal for redeveloping the area around the UN headquarters presented?
A) 1968
B) 1983
C) 1978
D) 1952
- 86. When was the 1968 redevelopment proposal presented to the New York City government?
A) 1969
B) 1964
C) 1978
D) 1958
- 87. Between which years was the main headquarters expanded slightly, including a new cafeteria?
A) 1968 to 1969
B) 1978 to 1981
C) 1975 to 1983
D) 1950 to 1952
- 88. How many blocks west of the headquarters was the Chrysler East complex located?
A) Ten blocks
B) Three blocks
C) One block
D) Five blocks
- 89. When was One United Nations Plaza completed?
A) 1952
B) 1975
C) 1983
D) 1969
- 90. When was Two United Nations Plaza completed?
A) 1961
B) 1969
C) 1983
D) 1975
- 91. Why did the UN divert funding from its headquarters' maintenance fund in the 1980s?
A) Funding shortfalls
B) To purchase new art
C) To relocate to Brooklyn
D) To build a new tower
- 92. What status exempted the UN headquarters from various building regulations?
A) Diplomatic immunity
B) International waters
C) Extraterritorial territory
D) Federal exemption
- 93. By what year had the UN headquarters buildings become technologically dated?
A) 1998
B) 1980
C) 2005
D) 2002
- 94. Why did the UN have to manufacture its own replacement parts for its mechanical systems?
A) The manufacturer went bankrupt
B) City regulations forbade imports
C) The mechanical systems were outdated
D) Parts were too expensive to buy
- 95. Which engineering firm was commissioned by the UN to write a renovation report published in 2000?
A) Skanska
B) Louis Frederick Reuter IV
C) Ove Arup & Partners
D) Fumihiko Maki
- 96. How long did Ove Arup recommend the renovation of the UN headquarters should take?
A) Seven-year period
B) Six-year period
C) Ten-year period
D) Five-year period
- 97. Who was selected by the UN to design a building on the Robert Moses site?
A) Fumihiko Maki
B) Louis Frederick Reuter IV
C) Michael Adlerstein
D) Ove Arup
- 98. Besides Lake Success and Brooklyn, what other site was considered as an alternative for a temporary headquarters?
A) World Trade Center site
B) The Empire State Building
C) Central Park
D) Washington D.C.
- 99. Who originally designed the renovation before resigning in 2006?
A) Ove Arup
B) Michael Adlerstein
C) Fumihiko Maki
D) Louis Frederick Reuter IV
- 100. Who was hired as the new project architect after the 2006 resignation?
A) Fumihiko Maki
B) Michael Adlerstein
C) Ove Arup
D) Louis Frederick Reuter IV
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