"B" Historical People Trivia Quiz

Answer: Music composer

Johann Bach was born in Germany. When he was ten, his father died and he then went to live with his brother. Bach composed different types of music. He composed music for choirs, orchestras and also for solo instruments. He and his wife had seven children and three of these also became famous music composers.

Answer: Robert Bruce

Robert Bruce was born in 1274 and died in 1329. He was one of the main leaders who helped Scotland gain its freedom. In 1328, he signed a treaty that said this. He also became a king, and was known as 'Robert I of Scotland'.

Answer: Yes

Vasco Nunez De Balboa (1475-1517) is regarded as the first European to reach the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic Ocean. He became the governor of Colombia (in South America).

Answer: Calamity Jane

Calamity Jane was born approximately in 1852. Different books write Calamity Jane's surname as either Burk or Burke (her surname before she was married was Cannary). She often dressed in men's clothing and was an expert shot and horse-rider. One of her many jobs was being an Army Scout. When she died in 1903 she was buried next to her friend Wild Bill Hickok.

Answer: Telephones

Alexander Bell was born in Scotland in 1847. At 13, he lived with his grandfather and learnt all he could about sound and vibrations that was connected to speech. He was also one of the first people who experimented with flying aeroplanes. He died in 1922.

Answer: True

Robert Burke had a partner named William Wills. These two men were the leaders of the first successful expedition to cross Australia from the south to the north. They started this expedition from Melbourne (in the Australian state of Victoria). Unfortunately, they both died on this expedition when they were returning home.

Answer: 1982

Leonid Brezhnev was the Soviet's first leader to be both Head of State and Head of the Communist Party at the same time. He built up military forces and tried to improve the areas of industry and agriculture.

Answer: True

James Baxter (1926-1972) gained the distinction in the 1960's of being New Zealand's greatest living poet. His first book was published in 1944. "Recent Trends in New Zealand Poetry" (1951) was the book that made him very popular and which many people regard as his best.

Answer: Clara Barton

Clara Barton was born on Christmas Day in 1821. She became a teacher at 15 and when she was middle-aged, she went to Switzerland because of an illness. Whilst in Switzerland, she learnt about the Red Cross organization. In 1873, she returned to the USA and founded the American branch.

Answer: Lord Baden-Powell

Lord Baden-Powell (1857-1941) founded this group in Britain in 1908. In 1920, he was made World Chief Scout. His sister, Agnes, started the Girl Guides in 1910.

(Thanks to my daughter for helping me research and write this quiz)