Question 1

True or false: Over 100,000 people died during the Great Plague of London in 1665-1666.

Accepted Answer

True. Estimates suggest about 100,000 deaths, roughly a quarter of London's population at the time.

Question 2

True or false: The Great Plague of London was caused by a virus, not bacteria.

Accepted Answer

False. It was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, spread by fleas on rats, not a virus.

Question 3

True or false: King Charles II and his court fled London for Oxford during the plague outbreak.

Accepted Answer

True. Charles II left London in July 1665, relocating his court to Oxford to avoid infection.

Question 4

True or false: Doctors during the plague wore beaked masks filled with herbs to filter out 'bad air.'

Accepted Answer

False. That outfit was popularized later during plagues in Europe, but not specifically documented in the 1665 London outbreak.

Question 5

True or false: The plague killed more people in London than any single outbreak before or since.

Accepted Answer

True. With about 100,000 dead, it was the deadliest plague in London's history, surpassing the Black Death's local toll.

Question 6

True or false: The Great Fire of London in 1666 helped end the plague by destroying rat habitats.

Accepted Answer

False. The fire burned mostly the inner city, but the plague had already declined due to colder weather and quarantine measures.

Question 7

True or false: Many villages used 'plague stones' filled with vinegar to accept money for goods without contact.

Accepted Answer

True. Plague stones had a hollow filled with vinegar to disinfect coins, reducing transmission between traders.

Question 8

True or false: Cats and dogs were blamed for spreading the plague, leading to mass culls that worsened it.

Accepted Answer

True. Authorities ordered the killing of pets, but this eliminated predators of rats, which actually increased flea-carrying rat populations.

Great Plague of London Trivia Questions