People H-J Trivia

1. The Latvian American photographer Philippe Halsman was born in which Baltic city?

From Quiz Philippe Halsman: Photographer and Subjects

Answer: Riga

Philippe Halsman was born on May 2, 1906 into a Jewish family in Riga, the part of the Russian empire that would later become Latvia. Morduch (Max) Halsman, his father, was a dentist. His mother, Ita Grintuch, taught at and was later principal of a grammar school. The world of photography opened to him at the age of 15, when he discovered an old camera of his father's in the attic. Essentially self-taught, Halsman's early experiments used his younger sister Liouba as a model. Halsman believed being autodidactic was positive. His grandson, Oliver Halsman Rosenberg, would later quote him as saying, "I don't know the rules of photography, for if I did, I wouldn't be creative". Halsman began university studies in electrical engineering in Germany in 1924, but photography remained his passion.

From Quiz Robert Jordan

Answer: James Oliver Rigney, Jr.

James Oliver Rigney, Jr. (or Jim Rigney) was the true name of Robert Jordan. He is most famous for "The Wheel of Time" epic fantasy series of novels. The lengthy story surrounds the journey of a group of young people from a remote rural community to positions of prominence in the world in the fight against the Dark One - as a result of prophecy. It's kind of hard to summarize such a big story in one sentence. All of the other names given are the true names of authors who you likely will better recognize by their pseudonyms: Eric Arthur Blair: George Orwell Charles Lutwidge Dodgson: Lewis Carroll James Alfred Wight: James Herriot

From Quiz Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Glimpse into His Life

Answer: He wanted to separate himself from one of his ancestors who had been a judge in the shameful Salem Witch Trials

John Hathorne, Nathaniel Hawthorne's great-great-grandfather, was one of the leading judges during the infamous Salem Witch Trials, which occurred during the early 1690s. Nineteen people were executed after being charged with the crime of being witches. John Hathorne seems to be the only authority figure who never repented of his role in the deaths of these innocent citizens. Embarrassed by his ancestor's reputation, Nathaniel Hawthorne added the "w" at some point in his 20s. His preoccupation with his family's history seems to have had an impact on his view of the power of the past on a person's present life, a theme prominent in several of his works, such as "The Scarlet Letter".

From Quiz Henry Hill Was Such a Wiseguy and Goodfella

Answer: Paul Vario

Henry Hill wandered into a neighborhood cabstand looking for work after school. The cabstand was run by a capo in the Lucchese crime family named Paul Vario. Hill began running errands for the mobsters who patronized the cabstand. After a few years, Vario took Hill under his wing and thus Hill began working for the Vario family exclusively. The character Paul Cicero from the 1990 film "Goodfellas" was based on Paul Vario.

From Quiz John Hunter (Surgeon)

Answer: Long Calderwood, Lanarkshire

Long Calderwood was a farm owned by the Hunter family. The building still stands, and was home to a Hunter Museum. It was closed because of funding cuts by the local council in 2011. The exhibits have been removed 'for safe keeping'. Virtually nothing is known about John's early life, and even his birth date is uncertain. It is variously given as February or July 1728. He was the youngest of ten children, three of whom had died before he was borne.

From Quiz The Queen of Mean

Answer: Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley

Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley, after changing her name many times, was known as the "Queen of Mean" due to her tyrannic behavior and her history of crime, including federal tax evasion.

From Quiz The Dean of Science Fiction

Answer: Anson

Robert was born in July 1907, in Butler, Missouri, and raised in Kansas City. Both these places feature often in his works, especially in "To Sail Beyond the Sunset", first published in 1987. This was the last of his novels to be published during his lifetime, as he died in May 1988.

From Quiz Where Have You Gone, Jimmy Hoffa?

Answer: Detroit, Michigan

Hoffa was reportedly at the Machus Red Fox Restaurant to meet Detroit mob street enforcer Anthony Giacalone and New Jersey Teamsters official Anthony Provenzano. Hoffa arrived at the restaurant at about 2:00 p.m. on July 30, 1975. Thirty minutes later, when no one else had arrived, Hoffa phoned his wife (his last documented conversation) saying he would be late. At 2:45 p.m. a truck driver witnessed Hoffa in the restaurant parking lot getting into a car with several other men. The FBI said Hoffa's disappearance was likely related to his efforts to regain power in the Teamsters after being released from prison when pardoned by President Richard Nixon in 1971.

From Quiz James Weldon Johnson: Forgotten Hero

Answer: Jacksonville, FL

James Weldon Johnson was born in 1871. His mother, Helen, was the first African-American school teacher in a Florida grammar school. His father, James, was the head waiter at a luxury hotel in Jacksonville.

From Quiz Violet Jessop, Lucky or Unlucky Lady

Answer: Argentina

Violet Jessop was born in Argentina in 1887. Her parents had emigrated from Ireland in the 1880s.

From Quiz Edward Hopper: Great American Painter

Answer: Realist

Edward Hopper painted realist depictions of deserted streets, sparse apartment interiors, gas stations and light houses, all beautifully simple and provoking feelings of isolation and deep contemplation. Often his paintings feature distracted and disengaged people seemingly caught in the middle of some unknown narrative.

From Quiz Thor Heyerdahl: The Great Adventurer

Answer: Larvik

Thor Heyerdahl was born on the 6 October 1914 in Larvik, Norway. He was the son of a brewer - Thor Heyerdahl Sr. (1869-1957) and his wife, Alison Lyng (1873-1965). Already as a young boy he was very fascinated by nature, he even made a museum with an adder as the main attraction in his bedroom.

From Quiz The Life of Matthew Henson: A Resourceful Explorer

Answer: Reaching the North Pole

Matthew Henson was a key member of Robert Peary's 18 year long journey to reach the North Pole. Furthermore, it is widely held that he was the first member of Robert Peary's party to make it to the North Pole. The movie 'Glory & Honor' by Kevin Hooks (1998) sketches out the story of the 1909 journey to the the pole and explores the relationship between Matthew Henson and Robert Peary. Robert Peary was buried as a hero in Arlington Cemetery and Matthew Henson was buried beside him, much later as the world came to recognize his contribution in reaching the North Pole.

From Quiz Edwin Powell Hubble

Answer: newspaper boy

While young, he was also interested in the writings of Jules Verne including, "From The Earth To The Moon" and "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea", among others.

From Quiz They Called Her Mata Hari

Answer: Netherlands

Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was born on August 7, 1876 to a hat maker named Adam Zelle and his wife Antje van der Meulen. She was the second child and only daughter of four siblings.

From Quiz Carl Jung

Answer: Kesswil, Switzerland

Jung was born in Kesswil, Switzerland on July 26, 1875. His parents were the Pastor Paul Jung, and Emilie Jung, whose father was a minister.

From Quiz The Life of S. E. Hinton

Answer: In order not to reveal her gender

"People" said that some people would think it odd that a girl could write a book that came from a boy's point of view. It was suggested that she just use her initials, therefore her readers would not know her gender.

From Quiz The Life of Heinrich Heine

Answer: France

In the year 1795 Düsseldorf was occupied by France. In 1801 it was given to Bavaria for a brief period. 1806 Düsseldorf became the capital of the Grand Duchy of Berg - only be swallowed by Prussia in 1815. So, one of the answers is far-fetched.

From Quiz The Life of Abbie Hoffman

Answer: Youth International Party

Abbie Hoffman was the co-founder of the Youth International Party, the members of which were referred to as "Yippies".

From Quiz Childe Hassam, Yankee Impressionist

Answer: Frederick

His original middle name, Childe, came from an uncle of his; he later dropped the "Frederick" and was known as "Childe".

From Quiz Hogarth

Answer: London

According to parish registers, Hogarth was a true Cockney, born in Bartholomew Close, Smithfield. His father, a struggling schoolmaster, had come to London from Westmorland (now part of Cumbria), but fared no better in the capital. When Hogarth was ten years old , his father started a long spell of imprisonment for debt.

From Quiz O. Henry

Answer: William Sydney Porter

William Sydney Porter was born in 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina, but moved to Texas at the age of 20.

From Quiz Fatal Females: Genene Jones

Answer: Texas

Genene Jones was born in Texas on July 13, 1950, and was immediately given up for adoption. Perhaps as many adopted children are, she was very sensitive about this, feeling unwanted and referring to herself as the "black sheep" of the family. Overweight and unattractive, she was bossy and had few friends. Interestingly in view of later events, she often feigned illness to get attention. It may be significant that when she was 16, her 14-year-old brother died in a tragic accident, after which it was said that Genene was inconsolable.

From Quiz Ben Hecht

Answer: 1893-1964

Hecht's life spanned from the birth of the movies he would one day write for to the Space Age.

From Quiz The Life and Works of G. A. Henty

Answer: 1832

George Alfred Henty was born on December 13, 1832.

From Quiz King of the Conmen

Answer: Richard

At this time Doug was a law-abiding citizen, with no thought whatsoever of defrauding anybody.

From Quiz The Mysterious Life of Kaspar Hauser

Answer: The Captain of the 4th Squadron of the 6th Regiment of the Cavalry in Nurnberg.

Young Kaspar carried a letter addressed to, 'The Captain of the 4th Squadron of the 6th Regiment of the Cavalry in Nurnberg'.

From Quiz Stephen W. Hawking

Answer: Oxford

Hawking was born during WW II, so although the family home was in north London, his parents thought Oxford was safer.

From Quiz The 'Real' James Herriot

Answer: James Alfred Wight

James Alfred Wight, known to his many friends and fans as 'James Herriot' was born on October 3, 1916. Although his first name was James, he went by the name 'Alf'.

From Quiz Torey Hayden-Special Educator

Answer: Livingston, Montana

Hayden grew up in Livingston, Montana. This Midwestern town is where Torey learnt her ethics.

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