History Tidbits Trivia Quiz

Answer: Universal suffrage

When the Constitution was ratified, only wealthy property-owning white men (aged 21 or older) could vote. Women, African-Americans and people aged 18 to 20 were given the right to vote in subsequent amendments (19th, 15th, 26th respectively). The rights to freedom of speech and religion are in the First Amendment and the Freedom from warrant-less searches is in the Fourth.

The first ten amendments of the Constitution make up the Bill of Rights.

Answer: Philippe Petain

Petain was a respected war hero in France after World War I for his service during the Battle of Verdun. He even earned the nickname "Lion of Verdun". As Chief of State of Vichy France, Petain tried to remain publicly neutral toward Nazi Germany while advocating against a French-German alliance in private. However, he reinstated Pierre Laval as Vice Premier on Hitler's orders and Petain soon lost all real control despite remaining technically in charge.

After France was liberated from Germany in 1944, Petain went into exile. He was convicted of treason and sentenced to death after the war but that sentence was commuted to life in prison where he died at age 95 in 1951.

Answer: Song

The Song Dynasty was the first government of its kind to do many of things we still see today. It was the first to issue official paper money of any kind and the first Chinese dynasty to have a standing navy. It was during the Song Dynasty that gunpowder was first perfected and used in war. The Song Dynasty, for the most part, reigned during a period of prosperous economic times and saw an increase in artistic and cultural focus.

Emperor Taizu was the founder and first emperor of the Song Dynasty. He became emperor when he overthrew Emperor Gong of the Zhou Dynasty. Emperor Qinzong was the ruler during the Jingkang Incident, which saw Jin forces invade the Song capital and force the royal family into exile. That ended the Northern Song Dynasty. Emperor Bing was the last Southern Song emperor.

Answer: Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela spent about 18 years in prison at Robben Island, though he was imprisoned for 28 years in total. Beginning in 1961, Robben Island became primarily a prison for political dissidents. Prior to that in the late 19th century, it was mainly a leper colony. Mandela was imprisoned, for among other things, belonging to the MK or Umkhonto we Sizwe, an organization that sought to fight against the oppressive government of apartheid South Africa.

Answer: Augusto Pinochet

Salvador Allende was democratically elected in 1970 in a runoff. However, his Marxist policies caused tension with the predominantly right-wing Congress. He was overthrown in a coup in 1973 by his own appointed Commander and Chief of the Army, Augusto Pinochet.

There was some confusion of how Allende died. He was either assassinated or committed suicide, the latter of which is more widely accepted by the public and Allende's family and is the official cause of his death as ruled by a court in 2012.

Answer: The Alamo

Davy Crockett died at the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. The story is that he died heroically, however, rumors soon spread that Crockett had actually surrendered the Alamo and died via execution rather than in battle. Prior to fighting at the Alamo, he served in the U.S. House and Senate representing Tennessee. Crockett is well known for his coonskin cap.

However, while he is known to wear one, coonskin caps were not popularly associated with Crockett until Disney's "Davy Crockett" miniseries premiered in the 1950s.

Answer: The King of Hawaii

Tensions between the native Hawaiian people and the Europeans were brewing for sometime. Cook tried to kidnap the king for ransom on February 14, 1779 in response to the natives stealing parts of his ship. One of the local chiefs, Kanaʻina, clubbed Cook then stabbed him to death. Four other sailors were killed in the subsequent skirmish. Cook had almost been able to trick the Hawaiian King into voluntarily setting foot onto one of Cook's ships.

However, Cook was stopped by the chiefs and was murdered after that.

Answer: William the Conqueror

Matilda of Flanders almost did not marry William the Conqueror as he was born out of wedlock. When William heard from his representative that Matilda had declined his hand in marriage, William allegedly sought Matilda out himself, picked her up by her braids and threw her to the ground, or so the legend goes.

The couple had at least nine children and Matilda took a hands on approach to raising them, something that was unusual for royals to do in that day.

Answer: A shop near Circus Maximus

The fire began near the Circus Maximus in a tent that was selling flammable goods. What exactly caused the fire is still unknown but there were rumors that the Emperor Nero had started it himself for a number of different reasons. Nero is then said to have blamed Christians for burning the city. However, it is noted that Nero was in Antium at the time of the fire. The fire was able to grow and spread easily because the streets were narrow and buildings close together.

Three of Rome's districts were totally destroyed. Very few places saw no damage. Among the buildings that were destroyed was Nero's Palace called the Domus Transitoria. There were rumors that Nero started the fire because he wanted to build a new, larger palace but scholars reject that idea and doubt he would have risked destroy his current palace.

Answer: Portugal

Batista tried to flee to both the United States and Mexico but was denied entry by both countries. He left Cuba on January 1, 1959 for the Dominican Republic and eventually made his way to Portugal where he was allowed entry so as long as he did not partake in politics. That was a deal Batista made with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio de Oliveira Salazar. Batista died in Marbella, Spain, a country he frequented while in exile, on August 6, 1973.