Follow The Leader Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hetty Green

In 1864, at the death of her father, Hetty Green inherited over seven million dollars. While she married a wealthy man, she made him sign a prenuptial agreement that stated he had no claim to her money. This was an unusual action at the time, as whatever the wife brought into a marriage was considered to be her husband's property once they married. Tales of her stinginess are legend.

She owned only one dress(black). She changed her undergarments only when they wore out. She did not wash her hands or bathe with any regularity.

She often refused to heat her small apartments arguing that it was a waste of money. She did not trust doctors or modern medical care. In spite of eating a meagre diet, lack of medical care, nor use of any kind of sanitation this misanthrope lived to the ripe old age of 81.

Answer: George III

King George III was not an evil king. He was a very sick man, whose mental malady is debated to this day. He was known to hear voices, foam at the mouth, and speak for hours without pause. Sunlight would periodically cause him pain, and he was often kept in a straitjacket for long periods of time.

His periods of illness came and went. The most commonly mentioned possible disease is porphyria, which is a genetic, blood disease. He ruled for 60 years, fathered 15 children, and led his country into the start of the industrial age.

In 1994, the movie "The Madness of King George" was made about this unusual man.

Answer: He jumped into a volcano

Empedocles (490-430BC) was a leader in the world of early science. He helped discover that light travels at a speed, the concept of centrifugal force, that the earth is a sphere, and that air is a substance not an absence of substance. He also believed he was a god and died after jumping into Mount Etna!

Answer: Joanna the Mad

Joanna of Castille, later to be known as Joanna the Mad, ruled a large area of Europe. She was extremely well educated and spoke at least five languages. She was known to wear a nun's habit under her court clothing. It was widely claimed that upon the death of her husband in 1506 she had to be physically taken from his bedside so that his corpse could be tended to.

She then took his unburied corpse to Tordesillas so that he would be close to her. While some of these claims may have been made for political reasons, it is known that his body did accompany her for much longer than was considered decent at the time and that she was known to caress and kiss the corpse.

Answer: Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was very eccentric. He picked up cigarette butts to smoke in his pipe. He was known to go sailing when there was no wind and attempted to make the boat propel itself using his knowledge of energy and physics. He thought it was a challenge he could overcome.

He would go on for hours over the scientific importance of mundane daily occurrences, and was fascinated by bubbles. He was also known to go long periods of time without bathing or brushing his hair.

Answer: Sultan

Sultan Ibrahim I was a very strange leader indeed. He had a penchant for the most obese women that he could find and made them part of his harem of over 200 wives. When he heard a rumor that some of his wives may have been unfaithful or their honor compromised he ordered the drowning of over 280 members of his harem.

He was known to throw gold coins to the ducks in the palace fountain. He was a hypochondriac and complained his whole life of a variety of ailments. He led his country during growth of the Ottoman Empire, but his insanity meant that much of the real power was taken over by his mother.

He was strangled at the request of one of his viziers.

Answer: France

King Charles VI of France was known both as Charles the Mad and Charles the Beloved. Descriptions of the time have made many scholars believe that schizophrenia was to blame. Charles killed one of his own knights while suffering a psychotic episode during which he believed his soldiers were traitors.

He often did not know his name, and suffered periodic comas. At times, he believed himself to be made of glass and was petrified of being broken. During his reign he led his country in the Hundred Years War with England.

He appeared to have passed on his disease to his grandson,the future Henry VI of England, who was also believed to have been schizophrenic and led his country into the infamous Wars of the Roses.

Answer: Castle

Neuschwanstein is the beautiful Bavarian castle that the castle at Disney World is modeled after. It is among the most picturesque buildings in the world. Mad King Ludwig, as he was known, built many fantasy castles while he ruled. An effeminate man who never married under the rumors of homosexuality, he was also a patron of music and the arts.

He was also called the "Fairy Tale King" and the "Swan King". He disliked the social functions and formal public events he was required to attend because of his position.

He became an enigma, and would go out in disguise and mix with the peasants. The king was very shy and rumors of naked parties and abuse of his servants were circulated. He was found drowned, probably by his enemies. In spite of the rumors about him, he definitely led his country in the building of beautiful, fairy-like castles.

While probably not crazy, he was definitely eccentric.

Answer: Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla was a genius. But as has been said so often, there is a slim line between genius and insanity. Tesla would not touch anything round, insisted on staying in a room whose number was divisible by the number three. He was phobic about pearl earrings and was a true germaphobe.

He was celibate all his life believing that it was the only way to hold onto his mental acumen. In spite of these issues, Tesla was one of the most influential scientists in history, and impacted many fields of scientific study.

He was definitely ahead of his time.

Answer: John Christie

John Christie was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was a leader in Britain in operatic productions. He was also known to tear the sleeves off his tuxedo if he got hot during an opera. He would often wear old sneakers with his tuxedo. He always traveled third class and carried his own luggage to save money, even though he would spend tens of thousands of pounds on any given opera production.

He owned over 100 shirts and almost 200 handkerchiefs. For a lengthy period of time in his life he would not wear anything but lederhosen.

In 1933 he announced that he wanted everyone who attended his operas to do likewise.