MIxed Questions: Just the Facts, Ma'am Quiz

Answer: It served as the burial place of the Pharaoh Khufu

There are over 150 known pyramids in Egypt; most, but not all, served as tombs for the pharaohs. We know that some never served as burial sites, because often a pharaoh would build more than one pyramid. Khufu's father, Sneferu, built at least three pyramids, and a later ruler, Amenemhet III, built at least two. While there is general agreement that Khufu built the Great Pyramid to serve as his tomb, there is absolutely no proof that he - or anyone else - was actually buried there.

When modern archaeologists entered what is called "the King's Chamber," where Khufu was supposedly buried, they found it empty except for a lidless granite box which is called a "sarcophagus," despite the fact that it bears little resemblance to other known sarcophagi of Egypt's Old Kingdom rulers. There was no rubble, or other traces of a burial, that should have been found if the tomb had been plundered by robbers in ancient times. Which means that while Khufu may have indeed built the great Pyramid to serve as his tomb, he may have been buried elsewhere.

There are two pieces of evidence that support this theory. A tomb for Khufu's mother, Hetepheres, was discovered near the Great Pyramid in 1925. Although her sarcophagus was still sealed, when it was opened, it proved to be empty. Furthermore, the Greek historian, Diodorus Siculus (c. 90-30 BC) wrote that neither Khufu nor his son, Khafre, were buried in the pyramids they had built for themselves.

What we do know for certain is that the Great Pyramid remained the world's tallest man-made structure from the time of its building until the completion of England's Lincoln Cathedral in 1311. It is also the only surviving pyramid with ascending passageways; all other known pyramids have subterranean burial chambers beneath them. We also know that the pyramids were originally covered in fine, highly polished limestone casing stones. These were removed and used to build structures in modern Cairo during medieval times, but traces of them remain.

Answer: Thousand of Christian martyrs died there

Though largely in ruins today, the Colosseum remains an imposing structure. Its construction began in 72 AD, during the reign of the Emperor Vespasian, and was completed by his son, Titus. It is estimated that the Colosseum could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators. It even had a retractable awning called a "velarium" that could be stretched across the top of the structure to shield the audience from bright sunlight or rain. The building was paid for by loot taken from the Temple in Jerusalem during the First Jewish War (66-73 AD). It was a popular venue for gladiatorial games and other public spectacles.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no historical evidence that large numbers of Christians were put to death in the Colosseum. While thousands of Christians were undoubtedly martyred in Rome, there were many other venues where they may have been killed. Not a single ancient writer mentions any Christians being put to death there, and the Colosseum was not venerated as a place of martyrdom after the Roman Empire's conversion to Christianity. The idea that the Colosseum was the place where early Christians were "thrown to the lions," appears to date to no earlier than the 16th century.

Answer: Jesus was born in Bethlehem

Scholars cannot agree about the year Jesus was born, not to mention the date. The Bible gives no clues about his birthday, but it is unlikely he was born on December 25, because that would have been an odd time for the Romans to have conducted a census, and other information in the Gospels seems to suggest he was born in the Spring. While the Bible says that he was visited by Wise Men who brought him gifts, their number is not mentioned.

Matthew 13:55-56 states: "Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?" There are many other passages in the New Testament where Jesus is said to have had siblings. The Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, some sects of the Lutheran Church, and a few other denominations adhere to the doctrine of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, i.e., that Jesus' mother remained a virgin throughout her life. The many references to Jesus' siblings are explained away in a number of ways: a) they were Joseph's children by a prior marriage; b) they were not actually siblings, but cousins; or c) they were the children of a different woman named Mary. Most Protestant denominations believe that while Mary was a virgin when Jesus was conceived, after his birth she and Joseph lived together as any other man and wife, and had numerous children.

The Nativity, or birth of Jesus, is discussed at length in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Although they differ in some respects, both agree that Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem.

Answer: He married a woman older than himself

We don't know the exact date of birth of Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway, but we know that when she died in in 1623 she was 67 years old, meaning that she was born in either 1555 or 1556, making her about eight years older than William, who was born in 1564.

The idea that he attended grammar school in Stratford is speculation; there was a grammar school operating there, but the records for the time young William would have been enrolled there are lost, so we don't know if he was a student there or not. He did not leave a bequest to the grammar school in his will.

Shakespeare's vocabulary was often said to be the largest of any writer who ever lived, and this idea was repeated, ad nauseum, until someone actually decided to investigate the matter. In 2011, the Shakespearean scholar Hugh Craig published an essay in the "Shakespeare Quarterly" called "Shakespeare's Vocabulary: Myth and Reality," in which he examined the works of Shakespeare and twelve of his contemporaries, and counted the number of different words each used in his plays. Shakespeare came in exactly in the middle of the pack, behind Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, and Thomas Dekker, among others. His rate of coining new words and expressions wasn't all that extraordinary, either. Craig estimated Shakespeare's vocabulary to be about 30,000 words, which is impressive but by no means unprecedented.

The story about Shakespeare running off to London after being caught poaching Sir Thomas Lucy's deer on his estate at Charlecote Park near Stratford was first related in Thomas Rowe's 1709 biography of Shakespeare. The problem here is that there was no deer park at Charlecote until 1615, the year before Shakespeare's death, and the only other property owned by the Lucys in the area around Stratford wasn't purchased until after Shakespeare had died. Like many of the stories about Shakespeare, it appears to be just a legend, with no basis in historical fact, or at least none that can be documented.

Answer: An enraged Hitler snubbed Owens after his winning performance

Jesse Owens won gold medals in the following events at the Berlin Olympics: 100 meters, 200 meters, 4 x 100 meters relay, and long jump. His time in the 200 meters (20.7 seconds) and his distance in the long jump (8.06 meters) were both Olympic records, and the time of the 4 x 100 meters relay team, of which Owens was a part, set both an Olympic and world record with a time of 39.8 seconds.

The story that Owens and other black athletes were "snubbed" by an enraged Hitler is myth, pure and simple. It never happened. Hitler had no reason to be enraged; German athletes dominated the competition, winning far more gold medals and total medals than any other country. On the first day of the games, Hitler had met with several winning athletes, both from Germany and other countries. He was then told by Olympic officials that he would have to meet with all winning athletes, or none of them. It would have been very time consuming to congratulate every winner, so Hitler opted for the second option. He did, however, meet with Owens informally, and had his picture taken shaking hands with him. Hitler also sent Owens a letter congratulating him, and an inscribed portrait. Owens was also featured prominently in the Berlin Games' souvenir program, and the film, "Olympia."

When he returned to the United States, however, President Roosevelt took no notice of him at all. In Owens' own words, "Hitler didn't snub me - it was our president who snubbed me. The president didn't even send me a telegram."
Owens felt so outraged over the perceived slight from Roosevelt that he became a Republican, and worked for Roosevelt's opponent, Alf Landon, in the 1936 election.

Answer: Wallace was hanged, drawn, and quartered

Yes, Sir William Wallace (1270?-August 23, 1305) was a real person who fought against the English, defeating them at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, and losing to them at the Battle of Falkirk. And, yes, he was betrayed and captured by the English, and hanged, drawn, and quartered in London on August 23, 1305. But those are about the only things the movie gets right.

After his victory at Stirling Bridge in 1297, Wallace did lead an invasion of northern England, but he never sacked the city of York. Edward I, known as "Longshanks" in the movie, never granted his barons in Scotland the right of "primae noctis," or the right to sleep with every bride on her wedding night. There is no historical evidence that this was ever practiced anywhere in medieval Europe, and is probably an invention of later writers. And Wallace certainly did not have an affair with Longshanks' daughter-in-law, Isabella of France. At the time of Wallace's death, she was nine or ten years old, and had never left France. Neither was she the sweet, kind, sensitive princess portrayed in the movie. Historical evidence shows she was a real . . . well, her nickname was "The She-Wolf of France," so draw your own conclusions.

Answer: Rudolf Hess was the last prisoner to be held in the Tower of London

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London consists of a number of buildings, the oldest of which is the White Tower, which was built by William the Conqueror around 1078. It was gradually expanded by subsequent monarchs. It served as the site of the Royal Mint in London from 1279 until 1812.

After it ceased to be used as a royal residence, it was used as a prison to hold high-ranking prisoners. Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess was imprisoned there from May 17 to May 20, 1941, but he was not the last person to be held in the Tower of London. That honor goes to the infamous Kray twins, Reggie and Ronnie. On March 2, 1952 they received notice to report to the Tower of London to fulfill their National Service with the Royal Fusiliers, who were stationed there at the time. Both went AWOL on the first day, after assaulting a corporal. As a result, they were sentenced to seven days in the regiment's guardhouse, making them the last prisoners ever held at the Tower of London (they were later transferred to a military prison).

Despite its bloody reputation, only seven known executions took place within the grounds of the Tower of London prior to WWI; most prisoners were executed at nearby Tower Hill. Eleven German spies were shot at the Tower in 1914 and 1915. The last person to be executed at the tower of London was Josef Jacobs, a German spy who had broken his ankle while attempting to parachute into England. Since he was unable to stand, he was tied to a chair and shot on August 15, 1941. Numerous ghosts are rumored to haunt the Tower, including Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, and a bear from the Royal Menagerie that was once housed there.

Answer: Diamonds are among the rarest of all gemstones

Diamonds are not particularly rare as gemstones go; in fact, according to the International Gem Society (IGS): "Among gems, diamonds are actually the most common . . . current information shows that diamonds are likely the most common gem in nature." The reason diamonds cost so much is that one company, DeBeers, controls over 80% of the world's supply of diamonds, and can pretty much price them however it wants. Even countries whose diamond production is not controlled by DeBeers usually price their diamonds at or near the DeBeers price.

Diamonds are basically carbon crystals, and are the hardest known natural substance. Only about 20% to 30% of all diamonds mined throughout the world are of gem quality and suitable for jewelry; the rest are used for industrial purposes, mainly as abrasives.

Answer: It is the gas that contributes most to the greenhouse effect in Earth's atmosphere

Carbon dioxide is an essential component of photosynthesis, the process by which plants store energy by converting it to carbohydrates, and release oxygen into the atmosphere. Without carbon dioxide, life as we know it could not exist on Earth. Carbon dioxide dissolves readily in water, and produces the fizz in soft drinks, champagne, and beer. At atmospheric pressure, carbon dioxide sublimes, or turns into a solid, at a temperature of -109.3 degrees Fahrenheit (-78.5C). The solid form of carbon dioxide is known as "dry ice," and is often used a cooling agent to preserve frozen foods.

Despite all the talk about global warming and carbon footprints, carbon dioxide is a fairly weak greenhouse gas. It is estimated that water vapor accounts for 95% of the greenhouse effect in Earth's atmosphere, and carbon dioxide for only about 3%. While many scientists attribute the amount of warming in global temperatures (1 degree Celsius or less) over the past 100 years to increases in the carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere, the consensus is not as great as the popular press would lead one to believe. Among those who doubt that carbon dioxide has had any significant effect on temperatures include Nobel Prize winner Ivar Giaever, former President of the World Federation of Scientists, Antonino Zichichi, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science at the University of Virginia, Fred Singer, and hundreds of others. The reason that so much attention is focused on carbon dioxide is not that it is the most important greenhouse gas, but the only one over which humans can exercise a degree of control.

Answer: Our Sun is actually a very small star

Our Sun is a G-type main-sequence star, sometimes called a "yellow dwarf," although, as seen from space, it is white, not yellow, and it is certainly not a small star. True, there are stars hundreds of times larger than the Sun, but it is larger in size and more massive than 90% of all known stars. The Sun is estimated to have formed about 4.6 billion years ago from material left over from the massive explosion of one one or more earlier stars. Earth is about 93 million miles from the Sun, and it takes light about 8 minutes and 20 seconds for its light to reach us.

Our Sun is a little less than halfway through its life as main sequence star. It is now about 25% larger (in volume, not mass) and much brighter and hotter than when it was first formed. It will continue to expand as it ages, and eventually begin to cool, becoming what is known as a "red giant" in about five billion years.