Fifteen Minutes and "Count"ing Quiz

Answer: Dirigibles

Count Zeppelin was one of the first manufacturers of dirigibles and airplanes. Early dirigibles were known as "zeppelins". He retired from the German Army in 1891, at the age of 52. At this time, he started to put forth all his efforts into creating a guidable balloon.

His first successful flight with his airship occurred on July 2, 1900 but crashed upon landing. This sparked enough public interest that subsequent designs were funded by private donations and raffles. He also helped with early airplane designs. Count Zeppelin died just before the outbreak of World War I and never witnessed the change in warfare and transportation that his creations sparked.

Answer: Alexandre Dumas

"The Count of Monte Cristo" was one of Alexandre Dumas' most popular works. The story takes place in Italy, France, and other countries that share the Mediterranean Sea. It is an adventure novel with underlying themes of hope, redemption, mercy, and forgiveness in 19th century Europe. Montecristo itself, is a volcanic island located halfway between Corsica and mainland Italy.

It is run by the Italian government as a hunting preserve and is accessible only by special permit. The ruins of the old monastery of San Mamiliano can still be seen on the island and give the island its name which means "the mountain of Christ".

It was not accurately depicted in Dumas' book.

Answer: The Pope

Membership into "The Order of the Golden Spur" is an honor that can be bestowed by Papal privilege only. This practice largely died out during the Papacy of Paul VI (1963-1978). Among the very last two people to be honored in this way were Papal Countess Rose Kennedy, the mother of President John F. Kennedy, and Papal Count John McCormack, a world famous Irish tenor known for his breath control and diction.

Answer: Jazz

Count Basie was a premiere Jazz musician whose career spanned over 50 years. He played background for some of the famous vocalists of the 1950's and 60's which helped keep the Big Band sound alive in an era that was being radically changed by rock and roll music. He played with such stars as Tony Bennett, Bing Crosby, and Sarah Vaughan.

Answer: Companion of the Emperor

Comitem originally meant companion or more specifically companion of the Emperor. The Italian word for this title is "Comte" and in German it is "Graf".

Answer: Masters of the Universe

Count Marzo is a sorcerer that is the enemy of He-man in the Masters of the Universe comic series. He has a sidekick name Chimera. In July 2010, Mattel Toy company released a figurine of this character which quickly sold out. Count Marzo is a powerful figure but he is defeated in the end by He-Man.

Answer: Otto Von Bismarck

Count Otto Von Bismarck played an vital role in world affairs as well as German affairs during the late 19th century. He was important in the unification of Germany with Prussia and was known during his rule as "The Iron Chancellor". His coalesced dozens of principalities, duchies, and other city-states into the mighty country of Germany that would later play such a vital role in world history in the 20th century.

Answer: He was a Triple-Crown winning race horse

Count Fleet won the Triple-Crown in 1943. He won 16 of his 21 races and went on to sire multiple championship caliber foals.

Answer: Count Chocula

Count Chocula, as the name implies, is a chocolate flavored breakfast cereal produced and sold by General Mills. He has two good friends with their own cereals, Franken Berry (strawberry flavored) and Boo Berry (blueberry flavored).

Answer: "Battlestar Galactica"

Portrayed by Canadian actor John Colicos, Count Baltar was one of the main enemies in the television show "Battlestar Galactica". Count Baltar betrays the human race to their enemies, a race of robots called "Cylons". In the end they tell the Count all humans must be eradicated and then proceed to behead him.

Answer: "Sesame Street"

Count Von Count is a Muppet character seen on the childrens television show "Sesame Street" which started in 1969. Count Von Count is interested in, what else, counting! He loves numbers and attempts to get his viewers interested in counting and numbers too. He bears a striking resemblance to Bela Lugosi's portrayal of Dracula.

Answer: Leo Tolstoy

Count Lyev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was born in 1828 to a family of old Russian nobility. He wrote both "Anna Karenina" and the epic novel "War and Peace". He was highly praised by his fellow authors and was an iconic figurehead to the common people. He is usually judged to be one of the greatest authors to come out of Russia.

Answer: Hungary

Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Bathory is known today for her reputed status as one of histories most prolific female serial killers. While her actual deeds are hotly debated among historians, the accusations made against her were enough to ensure her place in history and in modern folklore.

Answer: Dracula

Playing Count Dracula put Bela Lugosi in the limelight. When the movie opened, the public found it so frightening that women fainted while watching the movie. Many horror movies of this age added a touch of comedy, but "Dracula" was a true horror movie designed to scare the audience. Bela Lugosi's thick Hungarian accent added to the realism.

He is so iconic that Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London has a figure of Bela Lugosi dressed as the Count.

Answer: A large pear-shaped diamond

Countess Szechenyi is the name given to a 59 carat diamond that was presented to Gladys Moore Vanderbilt upon her marriage to Hungarian Count Laslo Szechenyi in 1908. The diamond was sold to the famous gem collector Harry Winston in 1959, six years before the death of Countess Gladys Vanderbilt Szechenyi.

It was then mounted in a necklace and sold to an unnamed American buyer. Its whereabouts remain a mystery.