History of the International Academic Competitions European Championships

International Academic Competitions has held its European Championships each spring since its inaugural competition year in 2011-2012. From its modest beginnings with six International History Bowl teams and eleven International History Bee students, the IAC European Championships has grown to become the largest academic quiz tournament in Europe. Each spring, the IAC European Championships is held at a different host school in Europe. Future IAC Championships will likely be held in Berlin, Paris, and Brussels through 2028.

In most years, the European Championships has also included an on-site tournament at a site of historic importance with questions on a topically appropriate theme. These have included the Roman History Bee in the Coliseum (2014), the German History Bee on the steps of the Reichstag (2016), the History Bee of Vatican City (on the History of Christianity) in St. Peter’s Square (2017), the History Bee of Bohemia in Old Town Square and the Charles Bridge in Prague (2018), the History Bee of Versailles (on French History) in the gardens of Versailles (2019), the Trinational Bee, with one round on French history played in France, one round on German history in Germany, and one round on Swiss history in Switzerland (2022), the British History Bee at the Tower of London (2024), and the Austro-Hungarian History Bee in the gardens of Schloss Schönbrunn (2025).

The table below shows the number of competing teams and students each year for each of the main events at the International Academic Competitions European Championships.