FunTrivia History Mix: Vol 19 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Arca Real

The Santa Maria was the largest of the three ships. The Pinta was the fastest and the Nina was Columbus' favorite. They were built to sail in the Mediterranean and not in the ocean, but all three made it across the Atlantic. Arca Real is Ark Royal in Spanish, the galleon of Sir Walter Raleigh.

It was named Ark Raleigh, launched in 1587, even participated in the naval encounter with the Spanish Armada. After the English Crown purchased it, it was renamed Ark Royal. Later, several ships were named like that in its honor.

Question by player Babilonia

Answer: Napoleon Bonaparte

"Able was I ere I saw Elba" is a famous palindrome that some attribute to Napoleon Bonaparte. If it did not originate with him, it certainly relates to him. During his reign, Napoleon was exiled twice. The first time, he was exiled to Elba in 1814 and escaped from there in 1815. Elba is an island in the Mediterranean sea, off the coast of Tuscany in Italy.

The second time, he was exiled to St Helena, a remote island in the South Atlantic, where he died in 1821. Though some attribute the palindrome to Napoleon, it is unlikely he wrote or uttered those words. Logic would indicate that, if he had, he would have used one of the languages he was fluent in (Corsican, Italian or French) and the result would not be an English palindrome. History tells us that Napoleon did not begin to study English until his second exile to St Helena in 1815.

In addition, the earliest known record of this palindrome was not until 1848, 27 years after his death, when it was printed in a US newspaper.

Question by player MotherGoose

Answer: San Francisco

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck two miles offshore from San Fransisco on April 18, 1906, but shaking was felt all the way in Oregon, Los Angeles, and Nevada. It was one of the worst natural disasters in US history, with the earthquake and its resultant fires claiming an estimated 3,000 lives.

Question by player pu2-ke-qi-ri

Answer: Roman

Caligula and Nero were rulers under the Julio-Claudian Dynasty while Titus was part of the Flavian Dynasty. Caligula ruled from AD37 to 41 when he was killed by soldiers. Nero was leader from AD54 to 68 and will forever be associated with the great fire of AD64. Titus was Roman emperor from AD79 to 81.

Question by player leith90

Answer: Athanor

From the Arabic "al-tannoor ("the oven", found in the Koran and derived from the Sumerian "tinur"), an athanor was a towerlike furnace that gave a constant and durable temperature. Also called philosopher's oven because it was used to produce the philosopher's stone (lapis philosophorum, the legendary substance they believed could turn metals into gold), an athanor could reach 1,500 degrees Celsius.

In order to produce a nuclear reaction, temperatures of millions and even billions of degrees must be reached, well outside of the possibilities of an athanor.

Question by player chabenao1

Answer: paterfamilias

The paterfamilias was a powerful figure in Roman families, and he controlled nearly every aspect of life for family members. He could decide marriages, control his wife's behavior, and even sell his children into slavery. Roman law gave the paterfamilias many rights, but also some responsibilities as well, such as being the religious leader of the household.

Question by player trident

Answer: To relieve yourself

While a "garderobe" can mean a small chamber for storing clothes or valuables, the more common use is to describe the primitive toilet facilities in a medieval castle. These consisted of a stone or wooden bench with one or more holes, often enclosed in a small chamber built into the castle walls.

The waste would fall into a cesspit, or sometimes directly into the castle's moat, which must have smelled just awful during the summer months. Since there were no seats, they would have been quite uncomfortable to use during the winter.

Question by player daver852

Answer: Slave trade

In the 16th century, this island was named "Goedereede", meaning "good roadstead", by the Dutch. Together with Saint-Louis (Senegal) and the Gambia, it became an important center for the slave trade to the Americas. This car-free UNESCO World Heritage Site holds a museum called House of Slaves (in French, Maison des esclaves).

Question by player chabenao1

Answer: Falklands Radio

Despite having a gun held to his head by a soldier in the invasion force, the DJ< Patrick watts, continued to broadcast until all his broadcasting equipment had been utterly trashed. The date was 2nd April 1982.

Question by player Quelquechose

Answer: The Virginia Dynasty

However, John Adams, who succeeded George Washington, was from Massachusetts.

Question by player Lush44