Fractured World Leaders of the 20th Century Quiz

Answer: Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected President of South Africa, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Mandela, who spent 27 years of his life in prison, helped bring about the end of apartheid in South Africa.

Answer: Idi Amin

Idi Amin, the President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979, died on August 16, 2003. Amin's rule over his country was one of the most brutal of the 20th century with an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 Ugandans being murdered. Amin, who was forced into exile in 1979, fled to Saudi Arabia (after several other stops) where he was given asylum.

Answer: Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India from 1966 to 1977, was the only daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. Indira provided military assistance to help end the Pakistani genocide and form the nation of Bangladesh. She was assassinated on October 31, 1984 by two of her Sikh bodyguards.

Answer: Pierre Trudeau

Pierre Trudeau was the Prime Minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984. Trudeau married Margaret Sinclair, a woman less than half of his age, in 1971. Under Trudeau's rule, Canada was the first western power to form diplomatic relations with China.

Answer: Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro has been the leader of the nation of Cuba since 1959. Under Castro's rule, Cuba became the first Communist nation in the Western Hemisphere. In the year 2005, "Forbes" magazine listed Fidel Castro's net worth to be $550,000,000.

Answer: John Howard

John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia in December 2005, attended law school at the University of Sydney. His middle name, Winston, was selected in honor of the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Similar to George W. Bush, Howard received a large amount of criticism from opposition members when no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq.

Answer: Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein was the president of the nation of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. Before becoming President, Hussein was a general in the Iraqi military. Hussein believed himself to be the man who would unite the Arab world and in his honor numerous statues, portraits, and murals were constructed.

Answer: Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was the Chancellor and Führer of Germany from 1933 to 1945. Although he helped build the German economy and military after World War I, he is best remembered as a cruel leader whose unprovoked attacks on much of Europe prompted World War II.

Answer: Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth II holds the titles of Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (among other nations), Head of the Commonwealth, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and Lord of Mann. Reigning since the death of her father, King George VI, in 1952, she is the second longest serving head of state in the world.

Answer: Sun Yat Sen

Sun Yat-Sen was the first president of the Republic of China in 1912. Sun developed a philosophy known as the "Three Principles of the People" which enumerates democratic practices that he felt all governments should adhere to.

Answer: Hirohito

Hirohito, the longest reigning emperor in Japanese history, led the country from 1926 to 1989. After the end of the fighting in World War II, Hirohito made a radio broadcast to the nation announcing Japan's surrender. Instead of being tried for war crimes, Hirohito was allowed to remain the Emperor of Japan so long as his "divine status" was removed.

Answer: Yitzhak Rabin

Yitzhak Rabin was the Prime Minister of Israel from 1974 to 1977 and from 1992 to 1995. Rabin was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his role in creating the Oslo Accords which took measures to establish peace between Palestine and Israel. Rabin was assassinated in Tel Aviv by Yigal Amir on November 4, 1995.

Answer: Ferdinand Marcos

Ferdinand Marcos was President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. During Marcos' tenure, the Philippines experienced a rapid boom of industrialization facilitated by its open market trade policies. The end of Marcos' reign was brought about by charges of embezzlement and nepotism.

Answer: Anwar Sadat

Anwar Sadat was the President of Egypt from 1970 to 1981. Sadat was the leader of Egypt when the country engaged Israel in the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Egypt regained control of the Suez Canal after the conflict. Sadat was assassinated on October 6, 1981, during a parade in Cairo by an Islamic Jihad organization.

Answer: Boris Yeltsin

Boris Yeltsin became the first President of Russian Federation after the break-up of the USSR in December 1991. Yeltsin's rule was marred by his habitual drinking problems and his erratic decision making that included the firing of his entire cabinet four times.