Infamy Trivia

1. In the late 19th century, a young Serbian scientist came to New York to work with his idol, Thomas Edison. Rather than becoming friends, they became great rivals. Who was this left-handed person?

From Quiz Sinister People: Favoring The Left Hand

Answer: Nikola Tesla

Thomas Edison based his system for electricity on direct current (DC) while Tesla advocated alternate current (AC). In the end, Tesla's solution won out, but the man is not as well remembered as Edison. Today, his name is honored by Elon Musk's electric car company.

From Quiz Why Always Me?

Answer: Manchester United

The game against Manchester United for the Premier League was held on Sunday October 23, 2011 at United's Old Trafford stadium and saw City win by 6-1. The scorers of the match were Balotelli with two, Dzeko with two, Aguero and Silva for City and Fletcher for Manchester United. "Super Mario" was always viewed as a difficult character and had the tendency of doing strange and unexpected things.

From Quiz Why Did It Have to Be Me?

Answer: Henry VIII

Mary of Guise was born in Bar-le-Duc, in Northeastern France, in 1515. She married the Duke of Longueville in 1534, but her husband died in 1537, leaving her with two sons. Later that year she started marriage negotiations with James V of Scotland. Henry VIII also asked for her hand, after having his second wife, Anne Boleyn, executed in 1536. He said he was a big man and wanted a big woman. Mary is said to have remarked, "I may be a big woman, but I have a very little neck". She married James in 1538, and their only child was the future Mary Queen of Scots.

From Quiz Going Haywire

Answer: John Nash

John Nash was an American economist and mathematician who won a Nobel Prize. He also suffered from schizophrenia and was hospitalized many times due to his mental illness. He died at the age of 86 in a motor vehicle accident.

From Quiz Famous Feuds

Answer: Kanye West and Taylor Swift

West and Swift had a feud over Kanye's interruption of Taylor Swift's Grammy Award acceptance speech; after that they seemed to have come to terms with each other. But, then Kanye released a song called "Famous" from the "Life of Pablo" album in 2016 which included the lyrics "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why? I made that bitch famous". And now, in this corner wearing yeezy shoes and having a tantrum... Bette and Kim have had words lately about Kim's nudity and Bette's bedtime. Drake and Mill fought about the fact that Drake doesn't write his own songs. Aretha was upset that Beyonce called Tina "the queen". All so silly, silly!

From Quiz Great Recluses

Answer: Theodore Kaczynski

Known as "The Unabomber" from his 35,000 word essay "Unibomber Manifesto," he was a brilliant student who skipped two lower grades and was accepted to Harvard at 16, earned a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Michigan, and taught at the University of California, Berkeley. He is now serving four life sentences at the Florence Federal Correctional Complex in Colorado.

From Quiz Do You Really Want This Award?

Answer: the worst in film

You have to love this award. Founded in 1980 by copywriter/publicist John J.B. Wilson, the Razzies now generate their own media buzz, and are a welcome antidote to the excesses and pretentions of the Academy Awards. While most recipients ignore the ceremony or even get offended, some A-list star "winners," most notably Halle Berry and Sandra Bullock, have embraced it with humor and even shown up in person to receive their award. The actual trophy is a golf-ball sized gold spray painted raspberry sitting on an 8mm film reel, deliberately matching the low-budget affair in tackiness. According to Razzie's own website, the all-time worst actor is Sylvester Stallone, with 33 nominations and ten awards in various categories. Adam Sandler is catching up fast, having taken home a slew of awards for his horrendous 2011 picture "Jack and Jill" and seemingly being nominated for every movie he's in (sorry about that, Sandler fans!). On the women's side, Madonna is the clear leader with eight wins as worst actress or supporting actress, including in films "Shanghai Surprise," "Swept Away," and "Die Another Day." Bo Derek, of "Ten" fame, is the runner up for worst actress.

From Quiz Don't Come Around Here No More

Answer: Idi Amin

Amin took power in Uganda by staging a coup when the previous president, Milton Obote, was out of the country. He had the support of the army, and promised an early return to democracy, but having gained the presidency, Amin ruled as a dictator. His regime murdered many political opponents, and people of differing ethnicity, with estimates of the numbers of victims ranging from 100,000 to 500,000. An ill-fated invasion of Tanzania in 1979 led to his downfall and he escaped to Libya, before moving to Saudi Arabia. Amin died there, still insisting that Uganda needed him as its leader. Kenyatta was leader of Kenya, Kaunda of Zambia and Nyere of Tanzania, and all three leaders were among those who initially refused to acknowledge Amin as a legitimate leader following his coup.

From Quiz The Ego Has Landed

Answer: Gary Hart

Probably no event in the 1988 presidential campaign proved more memorable than the undoing of Democratic candidate Gary Hart. Amidst rumors of "womanizing," Hart responded by daring the press to "follow me around. I don't care. I'm serious. If anybody wants to put a tail on me, go ahead. They'll be very bored." The problem was that Hart was having extra-marital affairs and was rather poor at concealing them. The senator from Colorado then watched his chances for the Democratic nomination and the presidency evaporate when less than a week later "The Miami Herald" reported that Hart had spent the night with an attractive young model named Donna Rice in the Caribbean Island of Bimini on a yacht called the Monkey Business. Hart was photographed sitting on a dock wearing a "Monkey Business" T-shirt, with Rice sitting on his lap!

From Quiz Your Daily Dose of Weirdness

Answer: Killed by their own booby traps

The wealthy and reclusive Collyer brothers (one born in 1881, the other in 1885)died sometime in March of 1947. The exact date of death is not known as they were killed when tripped up by their own booby traps. Tons of newspapers fell on Langley Collyer killing him instantly. His paralysed brother Homer died of dehydration and starvation. Although they died within ten feet of each other it took over a week to find Langley after finding Homer. Over 130 tons of garbage were removed from their home after their death including tons of newspapers, over 25,000 books hundred of yards of unused silk and 14 grand pianos. At the time of their deaths the brothers were worth close to $100,000 not including their once fabulous Manhattan brownstone. Their life story was fictionalized in the novel "My Brother's Keeper" by Marcia Davenport in 1954.

From Quiz They Went Into Exile

Answer: Lord Byron

George Gordon Byron (1788 - 1824) was a very popular poet in England, and an important figure in English high society. Among his best-known works: "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage", published in 1812, and "Don Juan", incomplete when he died. He was as well-known for his sexual adventures as he was for his poetry, and had many scandalous love affairs, including an affair with his half-sister. He finally left England to escape British society's disapproval of his behavior, and went to live in exile in Italy and Greece. Lord Byron became involved in political causes in both countries. He fought in the Greek War of Independence against the Turks, and is still thought of as a national hero by the Greeks. He died of fever at a young age in Greece.

From Quiz Slightly Off-Center People

Answer: Rabbit

One of Stewart's most famous movie roles - but I'm not sure why.

From Quiz When Things Go Wrong

Answer: The 7 women who attended the medical course but didn't receive a degree at Scotland University in 1873.

In 1869, Sophie Jex-Black applied to study at the School of Medicine but was not accepted. Through the press she invited other women to join her and a second application was submitted on behalf of seven woman (Sophie Jex-Black, Isabel Thorne, Edith Pechey, Matilda Chaplin, Helen Evans, Mary Anderson Marshall and Emily Bovell). After the admission examination in November 1869 they were finally accepted in the course. In 1873 the University with the support of the courts refused them the right to graduate. In 2019, 150 years after their enrollment in the University, this mistake was rectified and they were awarded a posthumous MBChB.

From Quiz Why Always Me?

Answer: Hiccups

Osborne had the hiccups from 1922 until 1990, a mere 68 years! His hiccups started when he was trying to lift a pig and he fell down. From the fall he damaged a part of his brain that controls the hiccup reflex. It is estimated that he hiccuped 430 million times during those 68 years. The hiccups stopped for no apparent reason. He died a year later.

From Quiz Why Did It Have to Be Me?

Answer: Pendle

Alice Nutter was from a well-off family who lived in Pendle, in Lancashire, England. She was one of twelve Pendle women accused in 1612 of witchcraft in one of the most famous witch trials in English history. Her main accuser was a nine year old girl who said that Alice attended a witches' sabbath, and caused the death of a man. At her trial, held at Lancaster Castle, she was not allowed legal representation and was denied the right to call witnesses. Alice Nutter was found guilty and hanged on 20 August 1612. Recent speculation has suggested she may actually have been a Roman Catholic, reluctant to admit she had attended a Catholic Mass, which would have been illegal at that time in England.

From Quiz Going Haywire

Answer: King Charles VI

King Charles VI of France started showing his insanity in his mid-twenties. He was psychotic often and believed himself to be made of glass. Entrances to his homes were blocked up to keep him inside. His mother was Joanna the Mad and his problems were possibly genetic.

From Quiz Famous Feuds

Answer: Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott

The year was 1910 and Robert Scott wanted to claim the South Pole for Britain, while Amundsen was hoping to plant the Norwegian flag on the bottom of the world; both wishing to become the first man to ever set foot on the southernmost point on the planet. They had different approaches to this dangerous task. When Scott finally arrived to see the Norwegian flag flying in the wind, he was devastated. Scott never made it back; he and his four companions died of starvation and exposure. Shackleton explored the Antarctic; Hillary climbed Mt. Everest. Galileo and Copernicus searched the stars. Drake and Raleigh were English explorers.

From Quiz Do You Really Want This Award?

Answer: Wooden Spoon

The Wooden Spoon has an old and interesting history as an award for losing, failure or generally less than stellar performance, probably originating in late 18th century England at the University of Cambridge. Classmates awarded an actual wooden spoon to the third-class degree student with the lowest math marks in "The Tripos" exam. As the tradition took hold, the spoons got bigger, culminating in five foot long award spoons in later years, which were dangled derisively from the balcony of the Senate House as the unfortunate man came up to get his prize. While college officials banned the practice in 1875, it somehow continued until 1909. However, it's worth noting that the "Wooden Spoon" (which also referred to the individual) was the lowest SUCCESSFUL degree recipient, and there were others who scored lower who didn't make a third-class degree. (Fourth class honours was an Oxford speciality, abolished in early 1970s). The idea and the term found its way into Rugby Union, perhaps because many Cantabrigians were involved in the sport in early years. To this day the term is used in the Australian sport leagues to denote the team which finishes last in the standings, and fans have been known to bring wooden spoons to matches in order to taunt struggling opposing teams at Aussie Rules, NRL and soccer matches.

From Quiz Don't Come Around Here No More

Answer: Duke of Windsor

Prince Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David was born in 1894, the eldest son of King George V. He established a reputation as a 'ladies' man' and had several affairs with married women. Having fallen in love with Mrs. Wallis Simpson, who had already divorced one husband and was married to her second, Edward abdicated the British throne less than a year after succeeding his father so he could marry her. Edward's younger brother became king as George VI and created the title of Duke of Windsor specifically for his brother - the title had not been used previously and lapsed with Edward's death in 1972. Edward married Wallis in France in 1937, and the couple lived mainly in the country for the reminder of their lives. Edward's body was returned to England on his death, and he was buried at Frogmore, adjacent to Windsor Castle. The Duchess died in 1986 and her body was interred with that of her husband.

From Quiz The Ego Has Landed

Answer: Donald Trump

First things first: Donald Trump filed for corporate bankruptcy four times, in 1991, 1992, 2004 and 2009. All of these bankruptcies were connected to over-leveraged casino and hotel properties in Atlantic City, all of which later operated under the banner of Trump Enterprises Corp. He has never filed for personal bankruptcy - an important distinction when considering his ability to emerge relatively unscathed, at least financially. Trump remains both personally wealthy and unrepentant about his seemmingly subpar management abilities.

From Quiz They Went Into Exile

Answer: Bao Dai

Bao Dai (Prince Nguyen Vinh Thuy) became Vietnam's emperor in 1926, though he was mostly a puppet for the French colonists, as Vietnam was then part of French Indochina. After World War II, the Viet Minh, headed by Ho Chi Minh, began an attempt to take power in Vietnam; Bao Dai abdicated. The Geneva Accords partitioned Vietnam into North and South, and armed conflict began between the French and the Viet Minh. The U.S. was strongly opposed to a Vietnam run by the communist Ho Chi Minh, and sent troops to Vietnam, soon the conflict escalated into a full-scale war. Emperor Bao Dai remained in exile in Paris for the rest of his life; he died in Paris in 1997.

From Quiz Slightly Off-Center People

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

Cary Grant's best comedy?

From Quiz When Things Go Wrong

Answer: He was hit by a cricket ball on his temple

Raman Lamba (1960-1998) died on 23 February, 1998 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was hit on the temple by a cricket ball during a game. Although at the time the injury did not appear to be serious, he suffered internal bleeding and died three days later. He was playing without a helmet.

From Quiz Sinister People: Favoring The Left Hand

Answer: Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney played the bass guitar. Some left-handed guitar players simply turn an ordinary guitar upside down, but most (like Paul) re-string them so the string with the lowest pitch is on top. Ringo Starr is also left-handed, but like so many was forced to use his right hand as a child and is therefore comfortable playing a right-handed drum kit.

From Quiz Why Always Me?

Answer: Park Ranger

Roy was first struck by lightning in 1942, losing a big toe nail. His hair was set on fire on two occasions and he also suffered burns in various parts of his body. The last he was struck was in 1977 and was entered in the Guinness Book of Records.

From Quiz Why Did It Have to Be Me?

Answer: Emily Davison

Herbert Jones was riding Anmer, the horse of King George V, in the 1913 Epsom Derby, when they collided with Emily Davison. Emily Davison was a highly committed suffragette, who had been arrested ten times for acts of civil disobedience, and been force fed forty nine times when on hunger strike in prison, all in the cause of getting votes for women. Her protest at Epsom - going onto the racetrack during the greatest classic horse race of the year - was designed to achieve maximum publicity. Whether she threw herself under the horse deliberately is uncertain. She died four days after the collision.

From Quiz Going Haywire

Answer: Sir Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton was very strange. He is rumored to have stuck a needle in his own eye trying to figure out vision. He believed in alchemy, went long periods of time without sleeping and possibly died a virgin. There is speculation that he may have been bi-polar or perhaps autistic.

From Quiz Famous Feuds

Answer: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

"Dangerous" was a 1935 film for which Bette Davis won an Academy Award. "Mildred Pierce" was a 1945 movie which led to Joan Crawford winning an Oscar. "Stella Dallas" (1937) had nothing to do with either of them (it was Barbara Stanwyck), but I put this film here in the interest of 'equal time'. The correct answer is "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" (1962), and two great actresses who already hated each other had to play sisters who hated each other. 'Baby' Jane and Blanche Hudson were stuck in the same mansion and their hatred was almost palpable. They really should have gotten out more often!

From Quiz Great Recluses

Answer: Greta Garbo

Her silent film career includes "The Torrent" and "The Temptress." Hollywood was very hesitant to cast her in talking films because of her husky voice and hint of a Swedish accent. Her first two talking pictures were "Anna Christie" (1930), and "Grand Hotel" that won "Best Picture" in 1932. She was nominated for several Oscars, including her starring roles in in "Anna Karenina" and "Camille,' but did not win an Oscar until she was recognized in 1955 for "Lifetime Achievement."

From Quiz Don't Come Around Here No More

Answer: Taiwan

Chiang Kai-shek was a successful military man and supporter of Sun Yat-sen, the leader of China's nationalist party. Chiang became the new leader of the party following Sun's death in 1925, and set about removing the Communists from the movement. In 1926, his forces defeated the Communist army and Chiang set up his seat of government in Nanjing. Following World War II, the Communist forces gained control and the People's Republic of China, led by Mao Zedung, was set up in 1949. Chiang escaped to Formosa, now known as Taiwan, where he established his government as the Republic of China. Chiang died in 1975, but the country of Taiwan is still officially known as the Republic of China, although it is not recognised by mainland China as a legitimate country.

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:55 AM

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