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Quiz about Forgotten Inventors
Quiz about Forgotten Inventors

Forgotten Inventors Trivia Quiz


There are famous inventors that we all learn about in school. But what about those inventors who have been overlooked or forgotten? This quiz is dedicated to them.

A multiple-choice quiz by nmerr. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
nmerr
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
344,583
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
505
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
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Question 1 of 10
1. Pass the hot sauce ... but not just any hot sauce. If you're a hot sauce connoisseur or you just like your food to have that extra kick, may I suggest Edmund McIlhenny's uniquely flavored food enhancer. Developed by McIlhenny during the American Civil War, what hot sauce did he produce? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The name Christopher Sholes may not ring any bells for you. However, if you were told that Sholes, a printer by trade, designed something in 1874 that is still being used by millions of people every day, sometimes all day long, would you be able to guess what it is he invented? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The next time you recycle your plastic bottles or substitute plastic grocery bags for reusable ones, thank John McConnell. McConnell was concerned about the environment even as he worked in a plastics factory. In 1970 he did something about it. A special day of the year, which he founded, has been set aside to celebrate our planet. What is it called? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. If you're old enough to remember a world without Playstation, XBox, or Nintendo, then you might remember Pong, an early video game. Ralph Baer, a German-born electrical engineer, pioneered the first video game machine. What was it called? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Inventors, like the products they create, come in all shapes and sizes. Add age to that. The young daughter of a Salvadoran immigrant helped to design toys when she was only four years old. She now is an executive at Catco Toys. What is her name? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. This meat product has gotten a bad rap over the years. It has actually helped many people through tough times. It comes in a can, is pinkish in color and has, shall we say, a pungent "aroma". What is it? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In the late 1940s Robert Probst, a Fines Arts professor, used his brainstorming techniques to come up with ways to improve life. One office invention was actually the result of a previously failed concept. In 1960 what did Probst create for the workplace that has since become ubiquitous? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. When it's hot and humid outside, what could be more refreshing than a popsicle? It's sweet and cold and a favorite summer treat for children. Who invented it? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Back in 1963 Harvey Ball, a commercial artist, created the first of these for an insurance company. For a while, in the 1960s and 1970s, this yellow icon seemed to show up everywhere. What exactly did Harvey create? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. In 1926, a college student developed the prototype for a better foot-measuring device. His device could measure the width, length and arch of the foot. Prior to this, the Ritz Stick was used to measure just the width and length of the foot, not the arc. Name the man who created this device which bears his name. Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Pass the hot sauce ... but not just any hot sauce. If you're a hot sauce connoisseur or you just like your food to have that extra kick, may I suggest Edmund McIlhenny's uniquely flavored food enhancer. Developed by McIlhenny during the American Civil War, what hot sauce did he produce?

Answer: Tabasco

Combining a whole lot of pepper seeds from Mexico and salt from Avery Island, Louisiana, McIlhenny, a New Orleans banker, came up with his winning combination. And if you think Tabasco sauce is only good for spicing up food, think again. It has also been used for polishing brass on Navy ships.
2. The name Christopher Sholes may not ring any bells for you. However, if you were told that Sholes, a printer by trade, designed something in 1874 that is still being used by millions of people every day, sometimes all day long, would you be able to guess what it is he invented?

Answer: Qwerty keyboard

Sholes designed his keyboard for typewriters. He experimented with different models, changing the layout of the keyboards each time. He found that he had to spread certain letters out so they wouldn't jam the typewriter keys when pressed one after the other. The result was the keyboard we still use today, or the Qwerty, named for the first six letters on the top row.
3. The next time you recycle your plastic bottles or substitute plastic grocery bags for reusable ones, thank John McConnell. McConnell was concerned about the environment even as he worked in a plastics factory. In 1970 he did something about it. A special day of the year, which he founded, has been set aside to celebrate our planet. What is it called?

Answer: Earth Day

John McConnell was interested in a number of causes before he actually founded Earth Day. In 1957, during the Cold War, he proposed naming a joint U.S.-Soviet satellite "Star of Hope" to encourage cooperation between the two countries. In 1962 he developed a program to help feed thousands of Hong Kong refugees. On December 23, 1963 radios and TVs across America observed a moment of silence as an end to the period of mourning following the death of President John F. Kennedy. McConnell named it "Minute for Peace."
4. If you're old enough to remember a world without Playstation, XBox, or Nintendo, then you might remember Pong, an early video game. Ralph Baer, a German-born electrical engineer, pioneered the first video game machine. What was it called?

Answer: Magnavox Odyssey

Ralph Bear has been referred to as "The Father of Video Games." Bear designed the Odyssey in 1966 but the console wasn't released until 1972. The great thing about the Odyssey, or at least for that time, was the fact that it could play several games on any TV. Baer, by the way, also invented the video-game light gun.
5. Inventors, like the products they create, come in all shapes and sizes. Add age to that. The young daughter of a Salvadoran immigrant helped to design toys when she was only four years old. She now is an executive at Catco Toys. What is her name?

Answer: Mary Rodas

Mary and her father happened to live in the same apartment building as Don Spector, a toymaker. Don asked Mary for her opinions about his new toys. Even at the tender age of four, Mary had a keen eye for which toys would work and which would not. When Mary finished elementary school, Don Spector made her the vice-president of his toy company, Catco Toys. Mary was a mere fourteen years old when she invented the Balzac Balloon Ball, earning the company millions.
6. This meat product has gotten a bad rap over the years. It has actually helped many people through tough times. It comes in a can, is pinkish in color and has, shall we say, a pungent "aroma". What is it?

Answer: Spam

In 1937, during the Great Depression, Jay Hormel came up with a pork product that would last indefinitely. Keep in mind times were extremely tough for most Americans at that time. Not only does spam last a long time in the can, it can feed many people cheaply. Spam is a mixture of pork, ham, salt, sugar, and other flavorings. During World War 2, American and Russian soldiers ate Spam to keep from going hungry.
7. In the late 1940s Robert Probst, a Fines Arts professor, used his brainstorming techniques to come up with ways to improve life. One office invention was actually the result of a previously failed concept. In 1960 what did Probst create for the workplace that has since become ubiquitous?

Answer: Office cubicle

Before ergonomics became part of the American business vernacular, Probst came up with an idea for office furniture that could be taken apart and reassembled according to the needs of the office worker. Probst had high hopes his invention would improve health and increase productivity.

It did neither. But the office cubicle, the result of the failed portable walled furniture, has remained a part of office life.
8. When it's hot and humid outside, what could be more refreshing than a popsicle? It's sweet and cold and a favorite summer treat for children. Who invented it?

Answer: Frank Epperson

Frank discovered his "epsicle" by accident. He left a cup of soda, including the stirring stick, outside in the cold. The result was a frozen treat. Frank didn't try to sell his product until seventeen years later when he sold his "epsicles" at amusement parks and concession stands all around California. Since children kept calling it "pop's sicles" he eventually gave in and changed the name to Popsicle. Frank also helped to create the Fudgsicle, Creamsicle, and the Dreamsicle.
9. Back in 1963 Harvey Ball, a commercial artist, created the first of these for an insurance company. For a while, in the 1960s and 1970s, this yellow icon seemed to show up everywhere. What exactly did Harvey create?

Answer: Smiley face

The purpose of those smiley faces, which were made into posters and pins, was to lift employee spirits and remind them to smile at their customers. By 1971 more than 50 million smiley buttons had been sold. Entrepreneurs like Bernard and Murray Spain added the phrase "have a nice day" to the smiley in the early 1970s. What about Harvey Ball? He was paid a grand total of $45.00 for his invention.
10. In 1926, a college student developed the prototype for a better foot-measuring device. His device could measure the width, length and arch of the foot. Prior to this, the Ritz Stick was used to measure just the width and length of the foot, not the arc. Name the man who created this device which bears his name.

Answer: Charles Brannock

When the U.S. Navy began using the Brannock Device in the early 1930s, the chronic foot problems of sailors seemed to magically disappear. Why? They had been wearing the wrong-size shoes. By World War II, the whole military was using the Brannock Device and the device is still in use today.
Source: Author nmerr

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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