Historical Figures Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 1307
Who was named 'the aviatrix of the decade' in 1950 and became the first woman to break the sound barrier in 1953?
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jacqueline cochran
In which country did Theodoros Pangalos declare himself dictator in January of 1926 before being deposed in August?
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greece
Which labor leader, born in 1850, joined the cigarmakers' union at the age of 14?
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samuel gompers
Which British prime minister, who served from 1830 to 1834, has a type of tea named after him?
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earl grey
Who was suspended by the AEC as a possible security risk on April 12, 1954, and is known as the 'Father of the Atomic Bomb'?
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j. robert oppenheimer
Who spent part of 1869 in Indianapolis getting a divorce while awaiting a permit to look for Troy?
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heinrich schliemann
Which 'Venerable' monk authored 'Ecclesiastical History' that narrates English history before the 8th century?
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bede
Who founded the New York Evening Post as a Federalist newspaper in 1801?
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alexander hamilton
Who became the first lawmaker in space in 1985 and is from Utah?
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jake garn
Which Danish astronomer was abducted by his uncle as a child and raised in a castle during the 16th century?
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tycho brahe
Which 20th-century tenor vowed never to sing in Naples again after a poor reception there in 1901 and kept his promise?
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enrico caruso
Who was the son of an Irish immigrant that resigned as Chile's supreme director in January 1823?
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bernardo o'higgins
Who was the woman that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and later worked as a congressional assistant?
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rosa parks
Who was married to Adolf Hitler in a Berlin air raid shelter on April 29, 1945, and committed suicide the next day?
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eva braun
Which religious dissenter is honored with a national memorial at the site in Rhode Island where he settled in the 17th century?
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roger williams
Who sent General Harrison the message 'We have met the enemy, and they are ours' in September 1813?
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oliver hazard perry
What was the name of the Communist leader, originally named Lev Davidovich Bronstein, who was banished from Russia in 1929?
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leon trotsky
Who became Cleveland's first black mayor after initially dropping out of high school and then returning to school after WWII?
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carl stokes
Which cartoonist created the GIs Willie & Joe during World War II?
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bill mauldin
Who was the abolitionist and founder of 'The Liberator' who was once jailed for libeling a slave trader?
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william lloyd garrison
Which American gave up baseball in 1891 to become a YMCA worker and began conducting religious revivals five years later?
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billy sunday
Which French explorer did not find the Northwest Passage but established France's claim to Canada?
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jacques cartier
Who became the first honorary president of the Girl Scouts in 1917?
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edith wilson
Who was the first African American elected as mayor of a major U.S. city, serving as mayor of Cleveland and passing away in 1996?
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carl stokes
Which medieval Muslim sultan of Egypt is symbolized by the eagle on Egypt's flag and coat-of-arms?
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saladin
Which former first lady was declared insane by a jury in 1875 and declared sane by another jury in 1876?
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mary todd lincoln
Which 19th-century female author, known for smoking cigars and wearing men's clothes, was suggested by a French newspaper in 1848 to run for office?
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george sand
Which female activist, who was one of the FBI's 'Ten Most Wanted' in 1970, was acquitted of all charges in 1972?
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angela davis
Which historical figure requested to be buried next to Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood, South Dakota?
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calamity jane
Who was famous for his 1942 raid on Tokyo and was named Aviator of the Decade in 1950?
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jimmy doolittle
Which former Chilean leader was arrested in London in 1998 in connection with human rights abuses?
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augusto pinochet
Who referred to the Gunpowder Plot by stating, 'A desperate disease requires a dangerous remedy'?
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guy fawkes
Who is the network anchorwoman, who passed away in 1983, and is the subject of the biography 'Golden Girl'?
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jessica savitch
Who was the woman who acted as copilot and navigator on many of Charles A. Lindbergh's flights?
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anne morrow lindbergh
Who was the first woman to run for president and was known for advocating both free love and suffrage?
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victoria woodhull
Who was the British lexicographer that apologized in the preface to his 1747 dictionary for potentially missing any words?
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samuel johnson
What was the nickname of Walter Tyler, who led a rebellion in 1381 in England?
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wat tyler
Who was the most widely read astrologer of the Renaissance, known for his prophecies that are still read today?
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nostradamus
Which political figure wrote the personal account 'Years of Upheaval' about foreign affairs during President Nixon's second term?
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henry kissinger
Who had his sentence commuted to 8 years by Jimmy Carter in April 1977, allowing for his parole later that year?
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g. gordon liddy
Which legendary highwayman was hanged in York in 1739 for horse theft?
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dick turpin
Which historical figure, after her famous ride, founded the Benedictine abbey around which Coventry grew with her husband?
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lady godiva
Which American woman earned a degree in geology in 1898 and later became a First Lady?
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lou henry hoover
Which poet, renowned for his quatrains, served as the Astronomer Royal to the Seljuk Sultan Malik Shah?
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omar khayyam
Who was tried as Widow Capet by French revolutionaries and executed 9 months after her husband?
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marie antoinette
Who was the second lord protector of England, known for his timidity and nicknamed 'Queen Dick'?
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richard cromwell
Who organized the Boston Tea Party and is nicknamed 'The Father of the American Revolution'?
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samuel adams
Which notable figure wrote the pamphlet 'On Monastic Vows' in 1521 while hiding at Wartburg Castle?
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martin luther
Which empire did Theodora become empress of through her marriage to Justinian I?
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byzantine empire
In THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BEN FRANKLIN, which fun-loving 'club' was Sir Francis Dashwood a member of during Franklin's younger days?
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hellfire club
Who is the man, killed on March 5, 1770, whose statue stands in the Boston Common?
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crispus attucks
Who became synonymous with 'traitor' after Churchill mentioned him in a 1941 speech?
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vidkun quisling
Who lived her last 45 years in Chicago's Hull House?
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jane addams
In early 1989, which woman's hairstyle was described by Time as featuring the 'trademark Mary Tyler Moore flip'?
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marilyn quayle
Which emperor, who ruled for 62 years, died at age 87 on January 7, 1989?
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hirohito
Who wrote in her 1903 autobiography, 'Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence'?
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helen keller
Which missionary, considered the greatest Catholic missionary of modern times, introduced Christianity to Japan in 1549?
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francis xavier
What man, who played a significant role in the battle against yellow fever, has a medical center in Washington, D.C. named after him?
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walter reed
In which state, also known as the 'Granite State,' did American author Winston Churchill serve in the legislature from 1903 to 1905?
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new hampshire
Who was arrested over 30 times and paid her fines by selling souvenir hatchets with her name on them?
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carrie nation