Historical Figures Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 264
Who was the author of popular stories about a 'Bad Boy' and later became the governor of Wisconsin in 1891?
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george wilbur peck
Which strong demi-god did Antony try to emulate by wearing his tunic low on his hips, as mentioned in Plutarch's Lives?
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hercules
Who served as George Washington's private secretary for four years during the American Revolution before becoming a future Treasury Secretary?
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alexander hamilton
Who remarked about a famous 1955 incident, saying, 'All I was doing was trying to get home from work'?
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rosa parks
Who is the woman who earned the nickname 'The Miracle Worker' for teaching Helen Keller to communicate?
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anne sullivan
Which sport led to Teddy Roosevelt being virtually blinded in his left eye during a match?
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boxing
Who received the Distinguished Service Medal for her work directing the Salvation Army effort in World War I?
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evangeline booth
Who served as the mayor of West Berlin from 1957 to 1966?
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willy brandt
During the reign of which Mongol leader did Marco Polo visit China?
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kublai khan
Which great Frankish king was represented by the king of hearts in many early decks of cards?
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charlemagne
Who served as the governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and again from 1784 to 1786?
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patrick henry
What is the middle name of Aristotle Onassis, which is also the name of a famous Greek philosopher?
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socrates
Who persuaded Pope Adrian I to crown his sons Pepin and Louis as kings of Italy and Aquitaine in 781?
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charlemagne
Who is recorded to have opened a brewery at St. James Gate in 1759?
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arthur guinness
Who was the daughter of a Quaker abolitionist and known as the champion of women's rights?
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susan b. anthony
In 1952, which Maine senator was named the most charming woman in government?
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margaret chase smith
Which 1988 nominee honored his immigrant father's 'Abiding faith in the promise of America'?
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michael dukakis
Who was Alfonso of Aragon's wife, whose brother Cesare ordered his murder in 1500?
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lucrezia borgia
Which lesser-known ancient Roman was notoriously difficult to understand due to constant jaw muscle lock-ups?
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tetanus
Who is commemorated during National Hospital Week in the week of May 12 for her 1820 birth in Italy?
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florence nightingale
Which heroine of the Battle of Monmouth has a life-size statue marking her grave in Carlisle, Pennsylvania?
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molly pitcher
Which reformer, who passed away before the 19th Amendment was enacted, is the namesake of its popular nickname?
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susan b. anthony
Who became the prince regent of Japan on November 25, 1921?
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hirohito
Who is the highest ranking woman in President Clinton's cabinet?
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madeleine albright
After leaving school to foment unrest, Castro returned to get a degree in what field?
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law
Who was the Apache warrior that became a popular celebrity at many U.S. fairs in his later years?
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geronimo
Which historical figure was assassinated with an ax on August 20, 1940, in Mexico?
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leon trotsky
Which famous woman joined the Sisters of Loreto in 1928 and later founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1948?
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mother teresa
Who was the editor of the New York Tribune that suggested Lincoln should negotiate a peace with the Confederacy?
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horace greeley
Who succeeded Hamilcar Barca's successor, Hasdrubal, as the commander in Spain?
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hannibal
Which 1960s Russian premier once said, 'Without Spam, we wouldn't have been able to feed our army during WWII'?
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nikita khrushchev
Who took 37% of the vote in the 1992 New Hampshire GOP primary while co-hosting CNN's 'Crossfire'?
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pat buchanan
Which English explorer is known to have claimed an unspecified area in North America in 1497?
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john cabot
In 1765, who was the man Boswell recorded as receiving an honorary doctorate from Trinity College?
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samuel johnson
Which ancient Greek philosopher's works, including 'Physics', were popularized by Albertus Magnus during the Middle Ages?
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aristotle
Who was freed in 1857, two months after the Supreme Court made its famous decision?
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dred scott
Which political science educator was appointed U.N. Ambassador by President Reagan?
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jeane kirkpatrick
Which Underground Railroad conductor had rewards totaling $40,000 offered for her capture during the Civil War?
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harriet tubman
To which branch of the U.S. military did Lee Harvey Oswald belong?
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marines
In which country was Boutros Ghali, the Coptic Christian Premier, assassinated in 1910?
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egypt
Whose body was moved from St. Helena to Paris in 1840 and entombed in the Church of the Dome?
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napoleon
Which former Secretary of Defense has been appointed publisher of Forbes Magazine?
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caspar weinberger
What is the name of the woman who dressed like a man and may have served as a scout for Custer?
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calamity jane
What was the name of the beloved horse tamed by Alexander the Great, in whose honor he built a city after its death?
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bucephalus
Which Austrian monk, known for his experiments between 1856 and 1863, tested at least 5,000 pea plants?
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gregor mendel
Who was Chicago's first woman mayor, elected four years before Harold Washington became the city's first black mayor?
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jane byrne
William Clark of the Lewis & Clark Expedition served as a lieutenant under which general known as 'Mad'?
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anthony wayne
Who was the leader of the People's Temple responsible for the deaths of more than 900 followers in 1978?
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jim jones
Which world-famous aviatrix was a social worker in Boston in the 1920s?
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amelia earhart
Which feminist, who edited a journal called the Lily, is most famously associated with baggy trousers?
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amelia bloomer
Who received an 11-year prison sentence for income tax evasion in October 1931, the stiffest sentence ever for such a crime at the time?
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al capone
Who was the U.S. Army surgeon that wrote the report 'The Prevention of Yellow Fever' in 1901?
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walter reed
Who did Antonia Novello succeed in 1990 to become the first female Surgeon General?
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c. everett koop
Who sent a telegram to FDR in 1944 reading, 'Isolationism is dead' after their victory on Election Day?
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harry s. truman
Which queen of Egypt likely fell out of favor with her husband, Akhenaton, during the 12th or 14th year of his reign?
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nefertiti
What nickname was given to Black Panther Elmer Pratt, who was released in 1997 after evidence was suppressed at his 1972 trial?
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geronimo
Who was the Lord Chancellor of England in the 16th century who was canonized in 1935?
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thomas more
Who was the first Greek historian known for attempting to write a history of the world up to his own time?
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herodotus
Which famous female author was married to Samuel Gridley Howe, who clandestinely supported John Brown's Harpers Ferry raid?
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julia ward howe
Who is the author of the 1922 book 'Women, Morality And Birth Control'?
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margaret sanger
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