Historical Figures Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 264
Who became the first woman elected governor of New Jersey on November 2, 1993?
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christine todd whitman
What is the shortened name of the 11th-century Spanish hero whose full nickname ends in 'Campeador'?
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el cid
Who was the Salem-born assistant Alexander Graham Bell famously called for in 1876?
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thomas a. watson
Who founded the Massachusetts Metaphysical College in 1881 and was a leader in Christian Science?
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mary baker eddy
Which Supreme Court justice began practicing law in 1933 after graduating from Howard University?
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thurgood marshall
Who was the famous general associated with the horse named Traveller?
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robert e. lee
In which northern Egyptian city was Saint Athanasius born and later became a bishop?
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alexandria
Which revolutionary, known for writing 'Common Sense', left school at age 13 after refusing to learn Latin?
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thomas paine
Which commodore, not Lionel Richie, had a Nashville university named after him?
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cornelius vanderbilt
In 1778, which smallpox vaccine developer wrote a paper on the murderous habits of the young cuckoo bird?
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edward jenner
Who was the Civil War general known for saying 'War is Hell' who served as president of the seminary and military academy that became LSU?
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william tecumseh sherman
In 1776, at the age of 70, Benjamin Franklin was one of three Congressional Commissioners to which nation?
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france
Which Soviet leader gave the Kennedys a dog named Pushinka, a pup of Strelka, the first Soviet dog in space?
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nikita khrushchev
Which American-born dancer aided the French resistance during World War II?
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josephine baker
On which island did Napoleon rule as a principality during 1814 and 1815?
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elba
Who was the advisor to Burma's first premier, U Nu, who later became a U.N. Secretary-General?
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u thant
Which famous nurse worked as an obstetrical nurse in Manhattan before founding the first birth control clinic?
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margaret sanger
Which former New York governor, who was born to Italian immigrant parents and struggled with English when he started school?
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mario cuomo
What surname, which was also that of his friend the noted playwright, did Lawrence of Arabia use as an alias after 1923?
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george bernard shaw
Who became New York City's first black mayor in 1990?
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david dinkins
Which southern state had Edmund Randolph as its first attorney general before he became the first attorney general of the USA?
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virginia
Which Mongol conqueror had a father named Yesugei who was poisoned when he was a boy?
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genghis khan
Who is the American activist known for shaking up society in the 1960s and authoring 'Revolution for the Hell of It' and 'Steal This Book'?
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abbie hoffman
Who was the Ethiopian emperor whose wife, Wayzaro Menen, was a great-granddaughter of Menelik II?
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haile selassie
What country did Andreas Vesalius serve as physician to King Philip II?
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spain
Who was the woman for whom Polly Thomson served as companion and interpreter until her death in 1960?
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helen keller
Who was the 76-year-old Red Cross 'angel' who distributed supplies in Cuba during the Spanish-American War?
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clara barton
Who was instrumental in founding both the British South Africa Company and the De Beers Diamond Company in the 1880s?
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cecil rhodes
Who was the former Panamanian strongman who published the memoir 'America's Prisoner'?
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manuel noriega
Who was the first Japanese crown prince to travel abroad in 1921?
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hirohito
Who was the Spanish warrior who captured Valencia from the Moors in 1094?
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el cid
Which unfortunate young noblewoman was only 15 years old when she began her 9-day reign over England in 1553?
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lady jane grey
Which 18th-century bishop, after whom a California university city is named, wrote 'Westward the course of empire takes its way'?
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george berkeley
What is the middle name of General Sherman that honors a great Shawnee chief?
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tecumseh
Which 19th century Boston Unitarian minister was the grandnephew of Nathan Hale?
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edward everett hale
Who became director of Research in Contemporary Cultures at Columbia University in 1948?
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margaret mead
Which former leader was denounced as 'a tyrant' by Khrushchev at a February 1956 Communist Party Congress?
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joseph stalin
Which American general's defeat at Paoli led to the evacuation of Philadelphia during the American Revolution, earning him the nickname 'Mad'?
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anthony wayne
What name did the Inuit of Greenland give to the associate of Robert Peary known for being 'kind little Matthew'?
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matthew henson
Who was Rome's greatest orator, also known by the name Tully?
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cicero
Which First Lady visited the leaders of seven nations in the Caribbean and Latin America in May and June of 1977?
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rosalynn carter
Who bequeathed a friend a copy of her husband's inaugural address that was signed by Robert Frost?
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jacqueline kennedy onassis
Philip II, who attempted to invade England in the 16th century, was the ruler of which country?
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spain
What was the maiden name of the newspaper founder originally named Mary Morse Baker?
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mary baker eddy
Who mentioned 'educational relations make the strongest tie' in his will while establishing scholarships?
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cecil rhodes
Which ruler, besides commissioning the famous tomb for his wife, also constructed the Khass Mahal in his palace?
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shah jahan
Which Israeli prime minister was the first to sign a peace treaty between Israel and an Arab country?
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menachem begin
Who, born on December 23, 1933, was the fifth child of Emperor Hirohito?
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akihito
Which famous missionary and medical doctor, known for his work in Gabon, was also an accomplished Bach-playing organist?
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albert schweitzer
Which character did Scottish scientist John Arbuthnot popularize in 1712 to satirize British politics?
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john bull
Who was the last ruler of Egypt from the Ptolemaic dynasty?
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cleopatra
What is the Latinized first name of a famous figure associated with the meaning 'God's gift' and known for riding naked through the streets?
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lady godiva
Who took over as editor of the transcendentalist journal The Dial from Margaret Fuller in 1842?
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ralph waldo emerson
Which English scientist & philosopher, also known as Friar Roger, foresaw the invention of the airplane?
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roger bacon
Who was the notorious outlaw identified by 1995 DNA tests from a body exhumed in Missouri?
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jesse james
In 1192, Enrico Dandalo, who was in his 80s, was elected Doge of which city?
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venice
Which American Revolution figure denounced the Stamp Act before the House of Burgesses by declaring, 'If this be treason, make the most of it'?
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patrick henry
Who was convicted in 1953 for leading the Mau Mau movement in Kenya and later became its president?
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jomo kenyatta
Which Norse explorer was honored in the U.S. on October 9, 1977, as per the official proclamation?
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leif erikson
What is the first name shared by the notable 18th century potters Spode and Wedgewood?
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josiah