Gentle Men Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bill Gates

At various times, Bill Gates, co-founder of the computer company Microsoft, was the world's richest man.
With the wealth he built from the company, Gates devoted a large part of his later years supporting good causes. By 2015, it was estimated he had given away $27bn.

The title "wealthiest man in history" was attributed by the wealth intelligence company Wealth-X.

Backing that up, in 2013 Top5.com complied a list of "The Five Most Generous Philanthropists in History" and ranked them in their generosity in the monetary value of that time:
1:Bill and Melinda Gates, (total giving $28bn
2: Warren Buffet ( $17.2bn)
3 John D. Rockefeller ($8.67bn)
4: George Soros ($8.5bn)
5: Andrew Carnegie ($4.5bn).

Answer: Mohandas Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Porbandar, Kanthiawar, India on October 2 1869.
After dropping out of university in India, he went to London to study law. After graduating, he returned to India, but then moved on to South Africa to practice law.

In South Africa he became active in social affairs. On several visits to England, he advocated for the rights of Indian nationals in South Africa.

On returning to India in 1919, he became deeply involved in the movement to secure his country's independence from Britain. A believer in non-violence, that did not always prevent trouble with the authorities, and he was jailed for a time.

Independence came in 1947, although Gandhi was unhappy with the partition of the Indian sub-continent along religious lines - the largely Hindu Indian and the largely Muslim Pakistan were created.

He was assassinated on January 30 1948.

Answer: Solomon

King Solomon was noted for his wisdom, a gift he was said to have asked God for in a dream. He lived from about 970BC to 931BC.

One of the best-known acts of wisdom was his judgment when two women appeared before him both claiming to be the mother of a baby. He ruled that the baby should be cut in two, with one half being given to each woman. He did this knowing that the true mother would want her child to live and would beg that the baby be given to the other woman.

The Bible tells it was God's will that Solomon should build the first temple in Jerusalem.

Answer: Oscar Schindler

Oscar Schindler was a businessman who employed around 1,200 Jews in his factories in Poland during WW2. He also spent a vast fortune in bribes to Nazi officials who would otherwise have had them transported off to various death camps.

Answer: Bhutan

King Jigme Singye Wangchuck gave powers from the monarchy to democratically elected political officials.

While many monarchs through history had their hands forced in transferring powers, Jigme Singye Wangchuck did it of his own volition.

Jigme Singye Wangchuck was born in 1955 and ruled from 1972 until his abdication in favour of his eldest son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, in 2006.

Answer: The Prodigal Son

In the Book of Luke, Jesus tells the parable of two sons of differing character. The elder is hard working and wants to do all he can for his father. The younger is more flirty and extravagant.

He pleads for his father to give him his inheritance early, and with it travels to a distant land, where he squanders it.

With nothing left to lose, he returns hm, expecting his father to be angry with him and punish him. Instead, his father welcomes him with a celebration.

The elder son is not pleased but his father reminds him he will inherit the land. He also tells him that his brother was lost but was now found again.

It has been interpreted as meaning that even if a person turns away from God, if he is truly penitent he will be welcomed back.

Answer: Batman

Gentle Man first appeared in "Batman No 39". In all he appeared in three issues.

His powers included stamina, stealth and swordsmanship.

Answer: James Todd Smith

James Todd Smith was born on January 14th, 1968 in Long Island, New York.

He adopted the name LL Cool J and, as a hip-hop artist, broke through into mainstream music and had a number of hits.

Acting roles followed from 1985, and he became best known for his leading role in "NCIS: Los Angeles", which was first broadcast in 2009.

Answer: Noël Coward

Sir Noël Peirce Coward, 16th December 1899 to 26th March 1973, began performing in amateur shows at the age of seven.

Although his own roots were humble, he became familiar with the cultivated aspects of high society and these were to form part of his charm and performance for the rest of his career.

Answer: Val Doonican

Michael Valentine Doonican was born on February 3rd 1927 in Waterford and died on July 1, 2015, in Buckinghamshire. He used the professional name Val Doonican.
He cut his teeth musically on the Irish touring band scene, before moving to England.

He had a laid-back musical style, very much in the mould of Perry Como, although he cited Bing Crosby as an influence.

Doonican had a number of top 10 hits on the UK pop charts and was soon presenting his own musical variety show. At its height, he attracted up to 20 million viewers for his TV show and won numerous awards.

Doonican was aware of the critics of his gentle easy-listening style, but turned the joke on them with his LP "Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently", which knocked the Beatles album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" off the top of the UK album charts in 1967.