Remember the Eighties (1880s) Trivia Quiz

Answer: South Africa

The nation that we know today as South Africa has had a rocky history. The area had originally been colonized by the Dutch East India Company, who established a trade colony in the area known as the Cape of Good Hope (Cape Town). The name "Boer" was a Dutch/Afrikaans word that meant "farmer".

The British and the Dutch would fight over control of the colony between 1795 and 1806. Once the British had firm control over the colony, the Dutch colonists (Boers) migrated into territory to the northeast of Cape Town, most notably to areas known as the Orange Free State and the Transvaal Republic.

The British sought to tighten their control over the region which sparked the Boer Wars. The First Boer War began on December 16, 1880 and concluded on March 23, 1881.

The British suffered an embarrassing defeat which gave the Boers stronger control over their territories. The Second Boer War was fought between 1899 and 1902 and resulted in a British victory, which reestablished British control over the region. South Africa later became an independent Dominion on May 31, 1910.

Answer: Charles Guiteau

James A. Garfield was inaugurated as the 20th President of the United States on March 4, 1881. Four months later on July 2, 1881, President Garfield was shot by a disgruntled lawyer and campaign worker named Charles Guiteau at a train station in Washington, D.C.

The president was hit twice, but did not die right away. President Garfield eventually passed away on September 19, 1881 due to health complications as a result of the shooting. Leon Czolgosz assassinated President William McKinley in 1901. Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in 1914 to spark World War I. John Hinckley, Jr. attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan in 1981, but President Reagan recovered from his injuries.

Answer: Alexandria, Egypt

In 1882, the British launched an invasion of Egypt after several British citizens were killed as a result of political and religious riots in Alexandria. Failure of the Egyptians to heed Great Britain's warning of retaliation resulted in the start of the Anglo-Egyptian War. On July 11, 1882, Great Britain began their invasion by launching a bombardment on the city of Alexandria.

The war concluded in September, 1882 and resulted in a victory for Great Britain. Egypt would become a protectorate colony of Great Britain, which gave the British control over the Suez Canal.

Despite nominal Egyptian independence in 1922 the British remained in control of Egypt until 1952 when they were driven out of the country following a revolution.

Answer: John A. Roebling

John Augustus Roebling was the engineer who designed the famous Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. He was born in Prussia in 1806 and immigrated to the United States in 1831. John Roebling would enjoy a successful career as an engineer, designing many other bridges across the country.

In 1867, John Roebling was hired to design the Brooklyn Bridge, which at the time would become the longest and tallest suspension bridge ever built. Sadly, John Roebling would not live long enough to see his masterpiece completed as he was killed following a boating accident shortly after work on the bridge began in 1869.

The Brooklyn Bridge was opened to the public May 24, 1883.

Answer: George Washington

On December 6, 1884, the Washington Monument was completed in Washington, D.C. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest structure in the world before it was overtaken in 1889. Construction of the Washington Monument had actually begun in 1848, but the project was suspended on several occasions due to lack of funding, as well as the Civil War. Construction resumed in 1880 and was completed in 1884.

The Washington Monument was designed by American architect Robert Mills (1781-1855). However, Robert Mills would pass away in 1855, 30 years before the project would be completed.

The finished monument was also modified from its initial design which would have had a circular enclosed base at the bottom.

Answer: AT&T

The American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) began as a subsidiary of the Bell Telephone Company in 1880. The Bell Telephone Company was started by Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, in 1877. On March 3, 1885, AT&T was separated from the Bell Telephone Company to become its own company.

In a twist of fate, AT&T would acquire ownership of its parent company in 1899. AT&T has since evolved into a major multimedia communications conglomerate. AT&T has acquired many notable telecommunications brands including DirectTV, HBO and Time Warner.

Answer: No

The Statue of Liberty was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and was a gift to the Americans by the French government. Plans to build the statue began around 1865 and was intended to commemorate the first centennial anniversary of American independence in 1876. Conflicts within both France and the United States put the project on hold.

In 1875, plans to build the statue resumed and in 1876 the design of the statue was unveiled during a Centennial Exhibition in New York. The statue was constructed in France and then shipped to the United States in pieces to be placed upon the pedestal constructed by the Americans.

The reassembly of the statue in New York Harbor was completed in 1886. The copper statue has never been painted.

When it was first completed the Statue of Liberty had a brown color similar to an American penny. The current green color is the result of the effects of weathering that the statue has endured while standing in New York Harbor for over a century.

Answer: Pennsylvania

The first ever Groundhog Day in the United States was celebrated on February 2, 1887. The holiday was founded in a small Pennsylvania town named Punxsutawney, whose groundhog has traditionally been named Phil (regardless of gender). While the holiday may have been celebrated beforehand, this marked the first ever public acknowledgement of the holiday. On Groundhog Day, the public watches as a groundhog emerges from hibernation. If the groundhog sees his shadow, he will get scared and go back in his home and the town will have to endure six more weeks of winter. If the groundhog does not see his shadow then the town will enjoy an early spring. Groundhog Day is currently celebrated all across the United States.

In New York City, the predictions are made by a groundhog named Chuck who lives out in Staten Island.

Answer: Whitechapel

The Whitechapel murders were a string of killings linked to the famous serial killer Jack the Ripper. These murders all occurred within the Whitechapel neighborhood of London, England. The first of these murders is said to have occurred on April 3, 1888, though Jack the Ripper's involvement in the first murder is still only speculative.

The second murder occurred on August 7, 1888. The third murder, which occurred on August 31, 1888, was the first confirmed case linked to Jack the Ripper. There were a total of eleven murders, between 1888 and 1891, nine of which occurred in 1888. Only five of the murders were confirmed to have been caused by Jack the Ripper, the rest still remain only speculative.

Answer: World's Fair

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France was completed on March 31, 1889. It was designed to stand at the entrance to the World's Fair exposition that was being held in Paris that same year. The Eiffel Tower was designed by French engineer Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923), who began designing the tower in 1887. Upon its completion, the Eiffel Tower became the world's tallest man made structure surpassing the Washington Monument, which you read about earlier in this quiz.

It held this title until the Chrysler Building in New York City was completed in 1930. Gustave Eiffel's company also contributed to the construction of the Statue of Liberty.