Historical Figures Beginning With 'E' Quiz

Answer: Engineer

An American engineer, Eads may be best known for his triple-arch steel bridge over the Mississippi that can be crossed in St. Louis, Missouri. Though a Confederate general in the American Civil War, he attained a fortune through ship salvaging before that time and proceeded to become a reputed engineer after it.

The Eads Bridge, as it would come to be known, was the longest steel arch bridge made to date and it became the key landmark of St. Louis until the Gateway Arch was completed in the mid-1960s.

Answer: Lyricist

Part of the composer-lyricist duo of Kander & Ebb, Fred Ebb lived his life in Manhattan through the twentieth century writing some of the most enduring musicals, especially in the 1970s. Tied almost indelibly to Liza Minnelli, Ebb wrote the lyrics to the songs of the 1972 musical "Cabaret" and the 1975 production of "Chicago", the latter of which would go on to be adapted into a Best Picture-winning musical film in 2002. "Cabaret" would also be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture though it did win Best Director (for Bob Fosse) and Best Actress (for Minnelli). Ebb passed away in 2004.

Answer: Duke of Windsor

Also the King of England for a single year following the death of George V, Edward VIII kept the throne in the House of Windsor but abdicated quickly due to the controversy surrounding his marriage to Wallis Simpson. With his abdication, the throne subsequently went to his brother, crowned King George VI.

It was George VI who gave his brother the title of Duke of Windsor. During World War II, Edward became the Governor of the Bahamas before living in Paris until his death in 1972.

Answer: Nobel Prize winner

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1908, Paul Ehrlich was instrumental in founding the Paul Ehrlich Institute in Frankfurt in 1896 and pioneering several experimental methods for therapy and medicine that have revolutionized healthcare to this day. Of particular note, Ehrlich was instrumental in discovering the first effective treatment for syphilis, in turn leading to advances in what would become chemotherapy. Ehrlich passed away in 1915, leaving behind a scientific legacy.

Answer: Tudor monarch

The Queen of England for the latter half of the sixteenth century, Elizabeth I was best known as the Virgin Queen. Only ascending to the throne upon the death of her half-sister, Mary I of England (or Bloody Mary), the period surrounding her reign was one of great importance, especially for England's religious culture as it ushered in early Anglicanism (a deviation from the earlier period of Reformation).

She would be the last Tudor monarch, being succeeded by King James VI and the House of Stuart.

Answer: Explorer

An American explorer, engineer and scientist Ellsworth led the first trans-Arctic and trans-Antarctic air crossings. Born in Chicago in the late 19th century, Ellsworth came from money; his father, having made it rich in the coal industry, was responsible for funding his son's excursions (along with others).

It was during the 1920s that Ellsworth located the highest mountains in Antarctica and named them after himself. The Vinson Massif is amongst these peaks.

Answer: Playwright

Renaming herself to the mononymous initial 'V' in 2019, Eve Ensler is known for being the writer responsible for the one-woman show "The Vagina Monologues", written and performed in the mid-1990s and subsequently becoming a major HBO special. Though originally Ensler played all the roles, recounting personal stories from many points of view, later productions featured a handful of actresses. Quite the controversial piece, it was nonetheless a major work in feminist and gender-political circles. Ensler was highly-celebrated for the play and continued in the field for decades after.

Answer: Chef

The king of chefs and chef of kings, according to critics and contemporaries, Escoffier was a key figure in European cuisine throughout the late 19th century and early 20th, helping establish key techniques and recipes that would become synonymous with French and haute cuisine preparation, the idea of the five Mother Sauces amongst them. Living between London and Paris he spent his later years in Monaco, helping establish the World Association of Chefs' Societies before his death in 1935.

Answer: Model

One of the most famous models of a generation, Linda Evangelista has graced the cover of most fashion magazines in her lifetime. Discovered when she was sixteen, she signed on to Elite Model Management and started working for the biggest names in the industry in the mid-1980s, becoming a supermodel by the end of the decade and dating movie star Kyle MacLachlan (though the marriage would only last until the late 1990s.

Answer: Archaeologist

An English archaeologist specializing in civilizations of the Mediterranean, Evans excavated the ruins of the ancient city of Knossos in Crete, being responsible for uncovering evidence of a sophisticated Bronze Age civilization which he named 'Minoan' (as opposed to Mycenaean).

The clay tablets he found during his excavations (numbering in the thousands) are clear indications of pre-Greek written word. He would refer to them as Linear A and Linear B. Said discoveries would be massive for the British Museum at which he was a senior trustee.