Historical Figures Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 1307
Which 19th-century American photographer compiled an 1850 volume of his photographic portraits titled 'A Gallery of Illustrious Americans'?
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mathew brady
In Ancient Greece, who was Xanthippe's husband known for a method of questioning?
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socrates
Which historical figure did Longfellow describe in a poem, stating 'The fate of a nation was riding that night'?
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paul revere
Who, in a pamphlet, stated, 'The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind'?
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thomas paine
Who is the sister of Lee Radziwill, as described in the biography 'In Her Sister's Shadow'?
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jacqueline kennedy onassis
Which silversmith made a thimble for his daughter Maria that is now replicated and sold by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston?
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paul revere
Who suspended the constitution and began to rule by decree in Peru in 1992?
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alberto fujimori
What position did William Laud hold before he was beheaded on Tower Hill in 1645 for opposing the Puritans?
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canterbury
Which country considers Saint Hyacinth, whose uncle was the bishop of Krakow, as its apostle?
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poland
Which female sharpshooter joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in 1885?
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annie oakley
Who was elected president of the Russian Federation on the third round of balloting on May 29, 1990?
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boris yeltsin
Who is the man credited with much of President Bush's anti-drug program as his drug czar?
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william bennett
Which influential African American leader, originally named Malcolm Little and later known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was assassinated in 1965?
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malcolm x
Brooke Shields may say nothing comes between her and which early Protestant born in Noyon, France in 1509?
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john calvin
Which 'Most serene majesty, crowned by God, emperor great and pacific' died in Aachen on January 28, 814?
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charlemagne
While trying to secure the release of his friend William Beanes, who witnessed the shelling of Fort McHenry?
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francis scott key
Which former first lady announced her candidacy for president of the Philippines in January 1992?
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imelda marcos
Which Michigan industrialist chartered a 'peace ship' in 1915 in an attempt to stop WWI?
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henry ford
What lower military rank is Napoleon referred to as 'The Little'?
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corporal
Whose grandson, Batu Khan, founded the state of the Golden Horde around 1240?
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genghis khan
Which future U.S. president, as head of the Union Army, accepted Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox?
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ulysses s. grant
Messalina, an empress known for her promiscuity, was executed by her husband Claudius in which ancient empire?
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rome
Which American traitor moved to London in 1781 at age 40 but was denied military service?
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benedict arnold
Who was the showman for whom Chief Two Bears, until his death in 1958, served as the last Choctaw Indian scout?
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buffalo bill
Which former first lady was released in 1875 into the custody of her sister in Springfield, Illinois after spending 3 months in a mental institution?
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mary todd lincoln
Which gladiator led a slave revolt that was defeated in 71 B.C. when he was killed in battle against Marcus Licinius Crassus?
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spartacus
Who ruled Egypt after their sister Berenice IV from 58-55 B.C., and was later executed by their father?
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cleopatra
Which teenager was hidden by Miep Gies during WWII and is famously associated with a diary?
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anne frank
During World War II, Constantine I's son George II fled which country, only to return in 1946 to rule again?
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greece
Where was Oscar Wilde forced to spend the years between 1895-97?
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prison
Who was the orator born in 1817 in Tuckahoe, Maryland, the son of slave Harriet Bailey?
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frederick douglass
Which famous nurse, known as the 'Lady With The Lamp,' was blind and an invalid during the last decade of her life?
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florence nightingale
Which founder of a Washington, D.C. institution was descended from King Henry VII?
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james smithson
Who was the officer that led the mutiny on the Bounty?
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fletcher christian
Who was the American woman that campaigned against alcohol with a hatchet in the 1890s and toured vaudeville to promote her cause?
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carrie nation
Which American inventor had one-fourth of the exhibit space at the 1889 Paris Centennial Exposition dedicated to his inventions?
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thomas edison
Which patriot cast the bell for the Unitarian Church in Burlington, Vermont?
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paul revere
Who is known as 'Karl der Gro�e' in German and 'Carolus Magnus' in Latin?
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charlemagne
Who, when crowned in 1804, told the Pope, 'I am the successor of Louis XIV, not Charlemagne'?
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napoleon
Which monarch declared, during the Boer War, 'We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat; they do not exist'?
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queen victoria
Which U.S. President was associated with La Casa Pacifica?
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richard nixon
Which Roman emperor sent Poppaea Sabina's husband to Iberia in order to be with her?
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nero
Which abolitionist purchased her home in New York from William H. Seward?
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harriet tubman
Who was the man whose several wives once lived in Lion House, now a social center in Salt Lake City?
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brigham young
Who told the people of Springfield in 1861, 'I now leave not knowing when or whether ever I may return'?
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abraham lincoln
Who reportedly described Aaron Burr as 'A dangerous man' and 'Not to be trusted'?
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alexander hamilton
Which historical figure is known for being a patriot before becoming a traitor during the American Revolutionary War?
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benedict arnold
Which famous lawman had brothers named Virgil and Morgan who were with him at the O.K. Corral?
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wyatt earp
Which ruler, born Tafari Makonnen in 1892, adopted a name that means 'power of the Trinity'?
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haile selassie
Who was living a bountiful life as Queen of France while Bligh was involved in a mutiny on the Bounty?
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marie antoinette
Who was the Green Mountain Boy captured by the British on September 25, 1775, and held for over 2 1/2 years?
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ethan allen
Who was awarded the American Heart Association's Heart-of-the-Year Award in 1960 while serving as the First Lady?
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mamie eisenhower
Which late emperor of Japan is rarely discussed in relation to WWII due to Japan's chrysanthemum taboo?
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hirohito
Who set sail in 1854 with 38 nurses to assist wounded soldiers during the Crimean War?
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florence nightingale
Who did Dan Quayle marry in 1972 and later set up a law practice with in 1974?
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marilyn quayle
Who co-ruled Egypt with Ptolemy XV and was his mother?
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cleopatra
Who founded a nursing school at London's St. Thomas's Hospital in 1860 with funds raised by the public?
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florence nightingale
To which country did the infamous spy Kim Philby flee in 1963, where he also passed away in 1988?
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soviet union
In which organization did Louisiana politician David Duke serve as a former grand wizard?
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ku klux klan
Who did Sister Nirmala succeed as head of the Missionaries of Charity in 1997, a Nobel Prize winner?
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mother teresa