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About This Quiz
When we think about world-historical figures, we usually think about world leaders. However, many people who did not enter politics in their home country had a massive influence on the world. Some of these people are known for their charity work. Others advanced their chosen field of study or became well-known as entertainment figures.
For every Winston Churchill, there is also an Elvis Presley. The two men may have influenced different aspects of world cultu. However, they are both remembered and admired today. For every Clara Barton who saves lives, there is a Marilyn Monroe who makes waves in Hollywood and changes how women are perceived. Then, there are the religious leaders, such as the Pope and Mother Teresa, who have implemented change through helping the poor or inspiring their congregation to improve the world.
While politics has an undeniable influence on the world, this quiz intersperses questions about American presidents, British prime ministers and European dictators with questions about Hollywood stars with an enduring influence, inventors and even CEOs of world-changing companies. If you think you're up for the challenge of guessing this diverse collection of famous figures, test yourself with this quiz!
A civil rights leader wrote the "I Have a Dream" speech and "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." What was his name?
Malcolm X
Al Sharpton
Bayard Rustin
Martin Luther King Jr.
In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. helped organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott. His efforts for civil rights led to the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a federal holiday in 1986.
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This American aviator was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. What was her name?
Amelia Earhart
On July 24, 1897, Amelia Earhart was born in Atchinson, Kansas. In December 1920, she took her first airplane ride with Frank Hawks, who was a pilot in World War I. The following month, she began flying lessons with Neta Snook, a female flight instructor.
Sally Ride
Rhea Woltman
Jean Hixson
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His hits include "Heartbreak Hotel," "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock" and "Blue Christmas." Which singer has those credits?
Johnny Cash
Elvis Presley
On March 25, 1957, Elvis bought Graceland for $102,500. The building was 10,255 square feet but has been expanded to 17,522 square feet. Elvis also purchased the 13.8 acres around Graceland.
Roy Orbison
Chubby Checker
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This biologist visited the Galapagos Islands and is known for his contributions to the theory of evolution. What is this biologist's name?
Russell Wallace
Galileo
Aristotle
Charles Darwin
In the late 1830s, Charles Darwin developed the theory of evolution by natural selection. However, he would not publish his finding until 1859, the year "On the Origin of Species" was published.
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She was a nun who worked among the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Which woman dedicated her life to helping the poor?
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in present-day Macedonia. She founded the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, which is a group of women dedicated to helping the poor.
Helen Keller
Clara Barton
Florence Nightingale
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This Indian religious leader practiced non-violent civil disobedience. Who was him?
Pope John Paul II
Martin Luther
Confucius
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahondas Gandhi was born in India and educated in England. In 1983, he went to South Africa to practice law for a year. While there, he faced discrimination due to laws restricting the rights of Indian laborers, which led to his fight against injustice.
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In his first speech as prime minister, this man said, "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." Who was he?
Benjamin Disraeli
Neville Chamberlain
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill's mother was born Jennie Jerome in Brooklyn, New York. On April 15, 1874, she married Lord Randolph Churchill, who would father Winston Churchill. After Lord Churchill's death, the future prime minister's mother married George Cornwallis-West.
John Major
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Despite his reputation for being short, this French leader was approximately 5 1/2 feet tall. Who is he?
Louis XVIII
Napoleon Bonaparte
The confusion over Napoleon's height comes from the fact that a physician's note says that Napoleon was 5'2" "from the top of the head to the heels," which is true in French measurements. In English measurements, that is 5'6", which was average height for a man at the time.
Emmanuel Macron
Charles de Gaulle
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This scientist studied radioactivity and became the first woman to receive a PhD from a French university. What was this scientist's name?
Marie Curie
In 1903, Marie Curie, her husband Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Eight years later, Marie Curie would earn the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work in radioactivity.
Rosalind Franklin
Jane Goodall
Hedy Lamarr
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Born in Brookline, Massachusetts, this president graduated from Harvard, served in the navy, and became a Democratic Senator from his home state. What was his name?
Dwight Eisenhower
Richard Nixon
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy served as the 35th president of the United States. He was in office from 1961 to 1963. Kennedy was the youngest man elected as president of the United States and also the youngest president to die in office.
Harry Truman
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On Christmas night in 1776, this general crossed the Delaware River. Which future president was it?
James Monroe
Thomas Jefferson
John Adams
George Washington
George Washington and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River to attack Hessian troops in the Trenton, New Jersey area. The width of the Delaware River at the point where Washington and his troops crossed is less than 300 yards.
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The Iron Lady was the first female elected leader of the United Kingdom. Who is she?
Theresa May
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher is Britain's longest continuously serving prime minister since 1827. She is also the only British prime minister to win three consecutive terms in the 20th century.
Kim Campbell
Angela Merkel
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He was a member of the Beatles and Wings and is known as a solo artist. What is the name of this Beatle?
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
In 1971, the Beatles' "Let it Be" won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. As a member of Wings, McCartney was nominated for Best Original Song for "Live and Let Die." His most recent nomination was for "Vanilla Sky" in the Best Original song category.
George Harrison
Ring Starr
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This Italian explorer crossed the Atlantic Ocean with the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. What is the explorer's name?
Christopher Columbus
As a teenager, Columbus went on several trading trips in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. However, French privateers attacked Columbus' first voyage in the Atlantic. Columbus survived by swimming to shore.
Hernan Cortes
Henry Hudson
Juan Ponce de Leon
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A baseball player became the first African-American player in the 20th century to play Major League Baseball. Who is he?
Jackie Robinson
On Apr. 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson joined the Montreal Royals, which was a farm team for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Previously, Robinson played for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues.
Willie Mays
Yogi Berra
Joe DiMaggio
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A former South African president spent 27 years in jail and fought for democracy. Who is he?
Desmond Tutu
César Chávez
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela served as president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. In 1993, Mandela and F.W. de Klerk, the South African president, were awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace for their role in ending apartheid.
José Ramos-Horta
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She was married to baseball player Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller. Which blonde bombshell was she?
Jayne Mansfield
Sophia Loren
Elizabeth Taylor
Marilyn Monroe
On June 1, 1926, Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson. In 1946, Monroe signed her first film contract, changed her name and dyed her hair blonde. At 36 years old, she would die from a drug overdose.
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This Cuban leader was celebrated in the United States for overthrowing an authoritarian regime but would become reviled when he declared himself a Marxist. Who is he?
Ramón Grau
Fulgencio Batista
Che Guevera
Fidel Castro
In 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew Fulgencio Batista's military dictatorship of Cuba. For the next 49 years, Castro would rule Cuba. When he stepped down, Castro's successor was his younger brother Raul.
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During his lifetime, this man founded a production company with his brother and won 22 Academy Awards. Which animator is he?
John Lasseter
Walt Disney
Before "Steamboat Willie," there were two animated shorts featuring Mickey Mouse. They were called "Olane Crazy" and "The Gallopin' Gaucho." Neither film was able to find distribution.
Seth MacFarlane
Time Burton
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This notable Nazi leader served five years in prison, where he wrote "Mein Kampf." Who was it?
Hermann Göring
Joseph Goebbels
Adolf Hitler
In January 1933, Paul von Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler chancellor of Germany. Initially, Hindenburg did not want to appoint Hitler because he did not want to give legitimacy to the Nazi ideology.
Josef Mengele
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Her best-known books feature a boy wizard, but she has also written crime fiction novels under the name Robert Galbraith. What is this author's name?
Judy Blume
E.L. James
Stephenie Meyer
J.K. Rowling
J.K. Rowling wrote "Harry Potter and the Philosophers' Stone" in 1994. Three years later, the book was published in the United Kingdom. In 1998, the book was released in the United States as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."
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This naturalized American citizen served as Secretary of State under President Richard Nixon. What was his name?
Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger served as the United States' 56th Secretary of State. He held the position from 1973 to 1977. Before serving as Secretary of State, Kissinger worked at Harvard in the Department of Government and at the Center for International Affairs.
William P. Rogers
Alexander Haig
Edmund Muskie
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His name means "universal rule" and he is known for ruling the Mongol Empire. Who is he?
Charlemagne
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan was born around 1152 and was named Temujin. While historians have a general idea of what his life was like, there is no conclusive record of what Genghis Khan looked like because there are no portraits or sculptures of him from that period.
Confucius
Xi Jinping
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An American inventor held over 1,000 patents for inventions that included the telegraph, the incandescent light bulb and the Kinetograph. Which inventor is he?
Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison's first invention was the Universal Stock Pinter, which improved upon the stock ticker. He received $40,000 from The Gold and Stock Telegraph Company for it. The invention provided him with enough money to quit his job and devote his time to inventing.
Philo Farnsworth
Eli Whitney
Nikola Tesla
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She married Prince Rainier of Monaco in April 1956. Which American actress is she?
Vivien Leigh
Ava Gardner
Grace Kelly
Before she met Prince Rainier III, Grace Kelly was one of the highest paid actresses in the world. In 1955, she met Prince Rainier as she was filming Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief."
Sophia Loren
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El Caudillo rose to power during the Spanish Civil War with the help of Nazi Germany and ruled Spain from 1939 to his death. Who is El Caudillo?
Luis Carrero Blanco
Pedro Sánchez
Francisco Franco
In 1969, Francisco Franco appointed Prince Juan Carlos as his successor. The prince would become the leader of Spain after Franco's death in 1975. Once he became king, Juan Carlos began Spain's transition to democracy.
Francisco Gómez-Jordana
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A Russian leader became prominent during the Russian Revolution of 1917 and was head of the Bolshevik Party. Who was he?
Leonid Brezhnev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Konstantin Chernenko
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin was born Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. Before settling on "Lenin" as his pseudonym, Lenin tried "K. Tulin" and "Petrov" among others. He settled on the name he would be known for by 1902.
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Cassius and Brutus assassinated this Roman dictator. What is his name?
Mark Antony
Hadrian
Publius Vatinius
Julius Caesar
Cleopatra had a son with Julius Caesar. The child, Ptolemy Caesar, was known as Caesarion, which means little Caesar. He co-ruled Egypt with his mother. After Cleopatra's her death, he was killed by emperor Augustus.
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This rich man left his software business to focus on his charitable work. Which software pioneer is he?
Bill Gates
In 1999, Bill Gates' net worth was over $101 billion due to Microsoft's stock price. Fifteen years later, Gates would step down as Microsoft chairman to work with his wife at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Steve Jobs
Paul Allen
Steve Wozniak
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El Libertador was born in Venezuela, but would go on to rule Gran Colombia and Peru. What is the real name of El Liberatador?
Simon Bolivar
After his parents' deaths, Simon Bolivar moved to Spain, where he continued his education. Bolivar would not return to his home country of Venezuela until 1807. Once Joseph Bonaparte became King of Spain and its colonies, Bolivar joined the resistance.
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
José de San Martín
Toussaint Louverture
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This medical researcher invented the polio vaccine. What was his name?
Jonas Salk
In 1954, Jonas Salk's vaccine was tested on 1 million children. These children were between 6 and 9 years old and were known as the Polio Pioneers. On April 12, 1955, the vaccine was determined to be safe and effective.
Joseph Lister
Sigmund Freud
Benjamin Spock
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In 1978, this man became the first non-Italian leader of the Catholic church in over 400 years. What is his name?
Pope Francis
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Pius XII
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II was born in Wadowice, Poland on May 18, 1920. His birth name was Karol Józef Wojtyla. When he was 26 years old, the future Pope was ordained. In 1958, he became the bishop of Ombi.
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In 1990, this Soviet leader won the Nobel Peace prize. Who is he?
Vladimir Lenin
Josef Stalin
Vladimir Putin
Mikhail Gorbachev
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected as leader of the Soviet Union and immediately starting reforming communism. Gorbachev introduced "glasnost" and "perestroika," which mean openness and change, respectively.
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This astronomer is famous because he was the first person to look at the moon through a telescope. Who was he?
Galileo Galilei
When Galileo Galilei wrote about his belief in a heliocentric universe, the Catholic Church brought him to Rome to face charges from the Inquisition because, at that time, the Catholic Church believed Earth was at the center of the universe.
Nicolaus Copernicus
Johannes Kepler
Edwin Hubble
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After her father was executed, she became the leader of the Pakistan People's Party and eventually Prime Minister of Pakistan. Who is this Pakistani leader?
Queen Rania Al-Abdullah
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto studied at Harvard University and the University of Oxford. From 1979 to 1984, Bhutto was frequently under house arrest. From 1984 to 1986, she was exiled from her home country.
Malala Yousafzai
Massouda Jalal
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You Got:
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