Historical Figures Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 239
Who published his phonetic system of shorthand, known as 'Stenographic Soundhand', in 1837?
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isaac pitman
Who was married to Mary Todhunter Clark and Margaretta 'Happy' Murphy?
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nelson rockefeller
Who was the great chief that died in 1618, one year after his daughter Pocahontas?
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powhatan
Who was the Nazi leader whose skeleton, found in 1972, confirmed his death despite rumors of him being alive in South America?
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martin bormann
In Plutarch's 'Parallel Lives,' who is the famous lawgiver compared to Poplicola?
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solon
Who became U.S. Secretary of Commerce in April 1996, having previously served as a trade negotiator?
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mickey kantor
Who served as the mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932 and was famously known for the catchphrase 'dyn-o-mite'?
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jimmy walker
At age 16, which future inventor became a telegrapher at Stratford Junction, Canada, in 1863?
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thomas edison
Who made the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List in 1970 for her involvement in the 'Soledad Brothers' case?
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angela davis
Which president emeritus of the United Mine Workers passed away in June 1969?
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john l. lewis
Who was the young royal, nicknamed the 'Nine Days' Queen,' who was executed at the age of 16 on Tower Green in 1554?
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lady jane grey
Who was born on July 5, 1853, in Hertfordshire and later founded the De Beers mining company?
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cecil rhodes
In which city did Charles Bulfinch serve on the Board of Selectmen from 1791 to 1817?
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boston
Who is the central figure whose writings are contained in the ancient Persian holy book called the 'Avesta'?
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zoroaster
Who was the King of Sparta that brought his wife, Helen, back home again after the Trojan War?
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menelaus
Which Democratic president officially dedicated the Panama Canal on July 12, 1920?
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woodrow wilson
Who was the emperor whose 1553 execution by Pizarro's men marked the end of the Inca civilization?
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atahualpa
Which Kurdish general recaptured Jerusalem from the crusaders in 1187?
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saladin
Which future First Lady urged her husband John in 1776 to 'remember the ladies,' or else?
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abigail adams
Which American was given a gold sword and made a chevalier of France by King Louis XVI?
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john paul jones
Who served as James Buchanan's Vice President and later became a Confederate general in 1861?
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john c. breckinridge
Who was appointed as a colonel in the 21st Illinois Volunteers in 1861?
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ulysses s. grant
In ancient religion, whom did Elijah defeat when he bested 450 prophets of this Canaanite weather god?
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baal
Who was the ex-slave who served as an advisor to Lincoln and became U.S. minister to Haiti at the age of 72?
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frederick douglass
Who was the man that, after purchasing Manhattan for the Dutch, assisted the Swedes in buying land in present-day Delaware?
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peter minuit
Which German archaeologist, in 1876, told the King of Greece, 'I have gazed on the face of Agamemnon'?
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heinrich schliemann
Who was the first Vice President under Franklin D. Roosevelt and lived to be nearly 99 years old, making him the longest-lived holder of the office?
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john nance garner
Which individual, born near Stavropol and who became the Communist party secretary of that city in 1970, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990?
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mikhail gorbachev
Who was the first elected black governor in the USA and a Bronze Star recipient for bravery in Korea?
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douglas wilder
Which district was overseen by Robin Hood's nemesis, the sheriff?
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nottingham
Who wrote 'The New Colossus' in 1883 to help raise funds for the Statue of Liberty?
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emma lazarus
Who became the U.S. minister to Haiti in 1889 and was also a great orator and former slave?
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frederick douglass
Which general took control of Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great, a fact 'ptold' by a little birdie?
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ptolemy
Which First Lady, who assumed the role in 1945, got angry if her old friends treated her differently after she became First Lady?
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bess truman
In which city was Casanova imprisoned under the roof of the Doge's palace in 1755 after being denounced as a magician?
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venice
Who escaped to the North in 1849 and later settled in Auburn, New York, where her name is now preserved?
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harriet tubman
Who was the hero of Manila Bay and president of the General Board of the Navy who died in 1917?
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george dewey
Which 19th century German is famous for having their name become synonymous with a guidebook?
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baedeker
Who was appointed special counsel on ethics by the Texas governor in 1991, after serving as a Congresswoman?
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barbara jordan
Who was the USA's leading air ace in World War I, credited with shooting down 22 enemy planes and 4 balloons?
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eddie rickenbacker
Who served as premier of France during WWI after teaching French at a Connecticut girls' school?
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georges clemenceau
Which Oxford clergyman translated the Bible from Latin into English around the year 1380?
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john wycliffe
Who was the lone inmate of Spandau Prison from 1966 to 1987?
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rudolf hess
Who was the Whig candidate in the 1852 presidential election who held the rank of general in three wars?
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winfield scott
Which financier and advisor to presidents coined the expression 'cold war' in 1947?
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bernard baruch
Who was the 15-year-old girl whose reign as queen of England lasted only 9 days?
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lady jane grey
Which French Protestant reformer caused unrest among 16th century Genevans by implementing strict religious laws?
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john calvin
Who was the first woman appointed by Ronald Reagan to head the U.S. delegation to the United Nations?
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jeane kirkpatrick
Who published the first issue of The Liberator on January 1, 1831, and continued to release it weekly until 1865?
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william lloyd garrison
Who is known as the son of Pepin and the king of the Franks, often called the Father of Europe?
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charlemagne
Who was the first senator from Maine to denounce Senator McCarthy on the Senate floor?
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margaret chase smith
After relocating to England, which Confederate spy married her former captor, lieutenant Sam Hardinge?
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belle boyd
Which cardinal, a dominant force during Henry VIII's reign, founded Oxford's Christ Church College?
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thomas wolsey
Who won the U.S. Presidential election by a margin of only 9,464 votes, was inaugurated on March 4, 1881, and was assassinated later that year?
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garfield
Which great Apache chief is said to have escaped from U.S. troops in 1861 with three bullets in his body?
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cochise
Who was the American steel king born in a weaver's cottage that is now part of a museum in Dunfermline, Scotland?
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andrew carnegie
Who is the Danish astronomer whose father served as the governor of Halsingborg Castle?
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tycho brahe
During which war did Socrates serve as a hoplite, or infantryman?
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peloponnesian war
Which actress, known for her role in 'Rear Window', was reported by Guinness to be Eisenhower's favorite?
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grace kelly
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