Famous Peters Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sweden

Peter Forsberg, one of the world's greatest ice hockey players, was born on Born July 20, 1973 in the town of Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. (There must be something in the water there that makes great hockey players- Markus Naslund was born in the same town ten days later!)In the 1991 NHL draft, Peter was the sixth overall pick of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The following year, he was part of a package deal trade between the Quebec Nordiques (now the Colorado Avalanche) for Eric Lindros. With the Avs, Peter has won two Stanley Cups (1996 and 2001) and the Hart Trophy (for league MVP) in 2003.

Answer: encouraged traditional Russian values

Peter I, who came to the throne of Russia in 1689, became noted for his ideas, energy, and reforms. Obsessed with transforming Russia into a modern place, like the rest of Europe, he frowned on traditional Russian customs (like beards) and insisted that Russians become "Westernized".

He founded a new capital, St. Petersburg, near the Baltic Sea, which would become known as "the window to the West". Peter expanded Russia's borders and opened up the country to trade with many other nations. A fan of central bureaucracy, he brought the Eastern Orthodox Church under his direct control.

Unfortunately, in a kind of 18th-century Reaganomics, he reformed the tax laws so that the heaviest burden fell on the poor, the peasants.

Answer: held a hand on his head in case his head fell off

For some reason, the poor guy had a delusion that his head was going to fall off if he didn't keep one hand on top of it to secure it (fortunately, it didn't). Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840 in the town of Kamsko-Votkinsk. His bad luck began at age 14 when his mother died, a trauma from which he apparently never recovered.

His first symphony, "Winter Daydreams", debuted in Moscow in 1868. He went on to write five more symphonies, plus the famous ballets "Swan Lake", "The Nutcracker", and "The Sleeping Beauty".

He died of cholera in St. Petersburg in 1893.

Answer: Peter Frampton

English rocker Peter Frampton broke records in 1976, when his live album "Frampton Comes Alive" became the bestselling live album in rock history. Peter was named "Rolling Stone" magazine's Artist of the Year for 1976. Some of his hits include "Do You Feel Like We Do" and "Show Me the Way".

Answer: Vatican City

To see this beautiful church you'd have to go to the Vatican State, which is completely surrounded by Rome, Italy. The present Church of St. Peter (or San Pietro) stands at the site of the first-century Gardens of Agrippina. The spot was chosen because Saint Peter, the chief Apostle, was buried here in 64 AD. Sources differ on the exact construction dates of this beautiful building, built in the Italian Renaissance style.

The original church was constructed around the third century AD, and revamped in the sixteenth century.

Many architects had a hand in the restoration, including the great Michelangelo and his student Giacomo della Porta. Speaking of Michelangelo, his famous "Pieta" is here, protected behind glass. St. Peter's, one of the largest churches ever built, has a capacity of 60,000 people!

Answer: Heloise

Peter Abelard (1079-1142) was a French philosopher and theologian who has become known as one of the great minds of the 12th century. A talented and popular lecturer, he was considered one of the founders of the University of Paris. One of his best-known sayings was "By doubting, we come to inquire and by inquiry we arrive at truth". In 1117 Peter became a boarder of one Canon Fulbert of the Cathedral of Notre Dame who happened to be the uncle and guardian of Heloise, a great fan of Peter. The middle-aged Peter became the teenaged Heloise's tutor, they fell in love, and (gasp) she got knocked up. As Peter was a canon of Notre Dame Cathedral, this did not go over well. Peter found himself in a tough spot- if he were to marry he would lose his job and his position. So the couple married secretly after Heloise gave birth to their son, whom they named Astrolabe (he was eventually adopted by Peter's sister).
Eventually Canon Fulbert, Peter's boss and Heloise's uncle, discovered the secret marriage and love child and was, predictably, none too happy. He decided to take care of the situation in a very un-Christian way by hiring some thugs to break into Peter's room at night and castrate him (ouch!) Poor Peter, who had lost his job and his pride (among other things), decided to become a monk at the Abbey of St. Denis. He talked Heloise into entering a convent and becoming a nun, which she grudgingly agreed to. Eventually Heloise became an administrator and one of the most literate women of her time. Around 1132 Heloise and Peter began a series of romantic letters that has become a pillar of romantic classics.
As for Peter, he was not happy being a monk and resumed his lecturing career. He founded a chapel and oratory, which he called the Paraclete, and in 1125 became abbot of the monastery at Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuis. Peter's writings, which were innovative for his time, angered Pope Innocent II, resulting in his being tried for heresy (he was acquitted). Peter died in 1142. He and Heloise are buried in a single tomb in Paris' Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Answer: "The Adoration of the Shepherds: A Night Piece"

Peter Paul Rubens was born in 1577 in Siegen, Westphalia (now in Germany). Peter converted to Catholicism and studied the classics in a Latin school, after which he decided upon a career in painting. In 1598, at the tender age of 21, he was awarded the rank of master painter of the Antwerp Guild of St. Luke.

In 1600 he moved to Venice, where he became enchanted with the work of Titian. He would later be influenced by the works of Michelangelo and Raphael when he moved to Rome. From 1600 to 1608 he served as court painter to the Duke of Mantua, during which time he travelled to Spain and influenced Baroque art in that country. By the way, "The Adoration of the Shepherds: A Night Piece" was painted by Rembrandt.

Answer: had Canada's highest mountain named for him

The Right Honourable Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau served as Canada's fifteenth Prime Minister from April 20, 1968, to June 3, 1979, and from March 3, 1980, to June 30, 1984. Born in Montreal in 1919, the colorful and often controversial character studied law and attended the London School of Economics before winning the 1968 election for Prime Minister.

Although many people criticized his economic policies and his percieved favoring of the eastern provinces, one of his greatest achievements was the creation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in the 1982 constitution, which has been considered a big step forward in advancing civil rights and liberties.

The entire nation mourned when Monsieur Trudeau died on September 28, 2000. By the way, officials did consider naming Mount Logan, Canada's highest mountain, for Pierre, but reconsidered.

Instead, he got an airport named for him - Montreal's Dorval International Airport was renamed Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in 2004.

Answer: painter

Pedro Berruguete was born in the Spanish town of Paredes de Nava in 1450. His style, which was something between Gothic and Renaissance, has been described as Hispano-Flemish Gothicism. His most famous works were of religious figures, such as "The Annunciation" and "The Holy Family", although he also painted portraits. Senor Berruguete died in 1504 in Avila, Spain.

Answer: Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail

One of children's literature's most beloved characters was created in 1893 when Beatrix Potter sat down to write an illustrated letter to a five-year-old friend. "I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits," the letter began. Beatrix decided to try and publish the story of Peter Rabbit as a book, but unfortunately it was rejected by six different publishers. Finally, in 1902, Frederick Warne agreed to privately publish "The Tale of Peter Rabbit".

The first line of the famous story is "Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail and Peter." Peter also appears in "The Tale of Benjamin Bunny", "The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies", and "The Tale of Mr. Tod". Cute fact: Beatrix actually had a pet bunny named Peter!