Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, now part of North Macedonia, Mother Teresa joined the Sisters of Loreto at the age of 18, intending to become a missionary. A year later, she moved to India as a novice nun. In 1950, she founded Missionaries of Charity, a religious organization caring for the most destitute of people in Calcutta, now Kolkata, India.
She spent the rest of her life working in the city whilst the Missionaries of Charity expanded to a number of countries across the world.
2. Edson Arantes do Nascimento
Answer: Pele
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known by his nickname of Pelé, is widely regarded as one of the greatest football (soccer) players of all time. Joining the Brazilian National Team at the young age of 16, he won three FIFA World Cups, the only player to do so in the 20th century.
In 1999, the International Olympic Committee named him the 'Athlete of the Century' and a year later, he was the joint winner of the FIFA Player of the Century.
3. Samuel Langhorne Clemens
Answer: Mark Twain
Mark Twain is a famous author known for creating the memorable literary characters of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. His birth name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, but he adopted the pen name of Mark Twain inspired by his early work as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River. At the time, the term 'Mark Twain' was used to indicate that the depth of the water was two fathoms.
4. Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg
Answer: Catherine the Great
Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg was a German princess. She is more famous as the Russian Empress, Catherine the Great, who ascended the throne after overthrowing her own husband, Peter III. She ruled for over thirty years and is credited with ushering in the Russian Age of Enlightenment, as well as growing the Empire through many acquisitions.
5. Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger
Answer: Pope Benedict XVI
Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger was the 265th pope, Pope Benedict XVI, who caused a stir among the members of the Roman Catholic Church and the wider public, when he announced his resignation from the position in 2013. He was the first pope to voluntarily resign since 1294.
6. Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller
Answer: Mary Westmacott
Agatha Miller, better known as Agatha Christie, is an English writer famously known as the 'Queen of Crime'. Her surname Christie was taken after her first marriage to Archibald Christie and she retained the name even after her divorce and second marriage.
Christie wrote over sixty novels during the course of her career and created many memorable characters, including the unconventional sleuths, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Mary Westmacott was the pseudonym used by her while writing romantic novels.
7. Reginald Kenneth Dwight
Answer: Elton John
Elton John is a multiple Grammy award winning singer and songwriter. Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he adopted the stage name Elton John. The name is a homage to two members of the band Bluesology of which he was first a member - Elton Dean and Long John Baldry. John's hit numbers are too many to name, and apart from the Grammys, he has also won other awards like the Oscars, Tony, and Emmy, achieving the rare distinction of an EGOT (winner of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony).
8. Paul David Hewson
Answer: Bono
Bono is the lead singer of the Irish rock band, "U2". He is also the songwriter for the band. Many of his songs feature political and social themes, reflecting the environment in Dublin during his formative years. "U2" have won over 20 Grammy awards and Bono has also been inducted into the 'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame'. Apart from his music career, he is also heavily involved in social and charitable causes.
9. Jorge Mario Bergoglio
Answer: Pope Francis
When Jorge Mario Bergoglio assumed the papacy in 2013, he became the first Jesuit and the first pope from the Americas and the southern hemisphere. He chose the name Francis in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi. In keeping with this, he has been conscious to shun many of the materialistic trappings of his position and advocate for a more austere lifestyle for the clergy.
10. Maria Eva Duarte
Answer: Eva Peron
María Eva Duarte, later known as Eva Perón or Evita, was an Argentine stage and film actress. She married politician Juan Perón and served as Argentina's First Lady when he assumed the presidentship. She had an outsized influence on the culture of the country, and was bestowed with the title of 'Spiritual Leader of Argentina' by the country's Congress.
Her life was cut short by cancer, and her death at the young age of 33 only served to increase her appeal as a cultural icon. The musical and movie "Evita" are based on her life.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ponycargirl before going online.
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