Tricky Richards Trivia Quiz

Answer: Richard Lovelace

A Londonian poet who lived the four decades of his life in England, Lovelace was Oxford educated, achieving great scholarly renown during his time there before advancing into the political sphere, eventually being sent to prison during a time of great political strife. During his time in jail, the king was killed and he dedicated his career to writing, crafting numerous poems about love and war, the former being a collection written for his love, 'Lucasta', and the latter being based on his military experience in the Bishops' Wars.

His 'Lucasta' poems would be published as a collection two years after his death.

Answer: St. Richard of Chichester

Also known as Richard de Wych, St. Richard of Chichester was the Bishop of Chichester Cathedral in the mid-13th century and was eventually canonized as a highly regarded saint (and the patron saint of Sussex). On his deathbed, Richard is said to have recited the following prayer:

"Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ
For all the benefits Thou hast given me,
For all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother,
May I know Thee more clearly,
Love Thee more dearly,
Follow Thee more nearly."

The prayer has been re-translated time and time again (into and out of Old English and Latin most frequently).

Answer: Richard Burton

Welsh actor Richard Burton became a prominent Hollywood actor shortly after spending several bouts as a Shakespearean actor, a Broadway regular, and a general thespian. He quite naturally made the jump to movies and other media, getting nominated for several Oscars, Tony Awards, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs.

In 1963 he starred in "Cleopatra" alongside Elizabeth Taylor. Both of them were married at the time, but chose to divorce and marry each other the following year. The divorced in 1974, remarried in 1975, and divorced once again in 1976. Burton passed away in Switzerland in 1984.

Answer: Richard Rogers

Baron Rogers of Riverside, as he is also known, is an Italian-born British architect known for a his unique trademark 'inside-out architecture', often with the internal pipework on display. Besides perhaps his most distinctive building, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, Rogers was also responsible for London's Millennium Dome, the European Court of Human Rights building, and the Lloyd's building. Rogers passed away in 2021, leaving behind critical pieces of functionalist architecture.

Answer: Richard III

Richard III of England was a short-lived monarch, lasting on the throne between the years of 1483 and 1485. Notably, Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field, one of the final battles in the Wars of the Roses, marking the end of a period of considerable strife in the British monarchy.

He would be succeeded by Henry VII, ushering in the Tudor dynasty. Famously, Shakespeare wrote of the battle in his play "Richard III"; it was the site of the famous line "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!", moments before his death as a villain.

Answer: Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester

Born in 1944, Prince Richard (Alexander Walter George) was Queen Elizabeth II's cousin and, despite not being a direct descendant of the then-King, George VI, he was fifth in line for the throne in the event of succession. By the time of her death in 2022, he would be thirtieth in line. Though occasionally acting as a member of the royal family on diplomatic outings, Prince Richard trained as an architect, inheriting his title only when his older brother, Prince William of Gloucester, was killed in a plane crash in 1972.

Answer: Richard Fuller

Richard Buckminster Fuller, generally known as Buckminster Fuller, was best known as an inventor and an architect, but also helped popularize numerous unique terms over the course of the twentieth century which would support futurist thinking in an increasingly scientifically-minded world.

His geodesic domes are of particular note since the shell-like structures he created on a large scale, initially constructed to demonstrate his theories of tensegrity, became popular landmarks over the years; you can find one of them on Île Sainte-Hélène in Montreal and another in EPCOT Centre in Walt Disney World.

Answer: Richard Nixon

Nicknamed "Tricky Dick", President Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, would end his five and a half years in office in infamy once the Watergate scandal was brought to light. He would resign after facing risk of impeachment, handing the office over to his then-Vice President, Gerald Ford, for the remainder of his term.

Nixon's middle name, Milhous, was from his mother's side (it was her maiden name). It's a name that would be given to Bart Simpson's best friend, Milhouse Van Houten, because creator Matt Groening thought it was an unfortunate name for a child to habe.

Answer: Richard I

The King of England for ten years at the end of the twelfth century, Richard I of England would become known in history as Richard the Lionheart, acting as a powerful military leader during the Third Crusade and in battle against France. Historians have wavered between the success of his ruling, notably because his exploits across Europe and the Holy Lands could depict him as either a noble and chivalrous warrior or as a cruel menace to the medieval world.

He would be laid to rest in Fontevraud Abbey in 1199 AD.

Answer: Richard Strauss

German composer Richard Strauss brought classical music from the late Victorian Romantic Era into the twentieth century, finding great success in opera and symphonies. Amongst his greatest works are "Also sprach Zarathustra", the tone poem of "Don Quixote", the opera "Salome", and the original comic opera "Der Rosenkavalier" (or 'The Knight of the Rose'). Being the principal conductor for the Berlin State Opera and then the Vienna State Opera, he would continue his work through World War II, being a key cultural figure living through the horrors of Nazi Germany.

He passed away in 1949 leaving behind a lasting legacy in modern composition.