Large And In Charge Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hatshepsut

Cleopatra's mummy has never been found, but her portraits and coins do not show her to have been particularly heavy. King Tut was a rather frail young man, and Ramses' well-preserved mummy shows no signs of obesity. Hatshepsut, on the other hand, was "large and in charge."

Hatshepsut was definitely a gal to be reckoned with. When her husband, Thutmose II (who was also her brother), died around 1479 BC, the Egyptian throne should have gone to his son, Thutmose III, but Hatshepsut somehow managed to seize power for herself. It appears that at the beginning of her reign she kept up appearances by claiming to be regent or co-ruler with her stepson, but soon tired of this and became a pharaoh in her own right. She enjoyed a long and peaceful rule of around 22 years. She died about the age of 50. After her death, Thutmose III is believed to have deliberately destroyed many of her inscriptions and monuments.

In 1903, a small tomb was discovered in the Valley of the Kings that contained the bodies of two women. In 2007, the body of one of the women was shown to be that of Hatshepsut by DNA testing carried out by Dr. Zahi Hawass. An examination of her mummy shows that at the time of her death she was balding and very obese. She appears to have died of bone cancer, perhaps caused by a a skin lotion that contained high amounts of carcinogens.

Answer: Eglon

"And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man." The story of Eglon can be found in the Bible in the Book of Judges. For 18 years the Israelites were forced to pay tribute to him. One day, Ehud, while pretending to deliver the tribute, managed to smuggle a short sword or dagger past the king's guards.

He said that he wanted to speak to Eglon privately, and the king dismissed everyone but Ehud from his presence. Ehud then stabbed him in the stomach. The king was so fat he could not withdraw his sword. Ehud left the king's tent and told the guards that the king was relieving himself, and did not want to be disturbed.

This gave Ehud time to escape and rally the men of Israel, who later defeated the Moabites.

Answer: Vitellius

We don't know too much about Vitellius, and what we do know comes from sources that were extremely hostile to him. Still, one thing they agree upon is that Vitellius' main passion was for food. He was born around 15 AD, and served as Consul in 48 AD. When Galba overthrew Nero on June 8, 68 he appointed Vitellius as the commander of the Roman legions in Germany. Galba was not popular with the German legions, and they proclaimed Vitellius emperor at Cologne on January 2, 69. By the time he was ready to march on Rome and press his claim, Galba had been murdered by Otho. Vitellius defeated Otho's army at the Battle of Bedriacum, and Otho committed suicide shortly thereafter. Vitellius was proclaimed Roman Emperor on April 16, 69.

During his brief reign, Vitellius seems to have spent most of his time eating, holding up to four banquets a day. He even ordered the Roman navy to fetch him delicacies from foreign lands. He seems to have been especially fond of nightingale's tongues. He also disliked astrologers, and had them expelled from Rome. The astrologers responded by accurately predicting the day of his death.

None of this went down too well with the Roman people, and eventually the eastern legions under Vespasian revolted. Vitellius was twice defeated by Vespasian in battle; he actually tried to abdicate, but ended up being killed by the mob on December 22, 69 and his body thrown into the Tiber.

Answer: Henry VIII

Henry VIII stood just over six feet tall, and as a young man he was considered very handsome and athletic. As he approached middle age, however, he began packing on the pounds in a major way. A suit of armor made for him shortly before his death shows he had a 52 inch waist! There are many theories as to why Henry became so obese.

It is known, for example, that he suffered a serious fall from a horse at the age of 45 that may have resulted in nagging injuries. He also developed a severe varicose ulcer in one of his legs that refused to heal, and it would have limited his ability to walk and take exercise. Yet another theory speculates that Henry may have suffered from a disorder of the pituitary gland called Cushing's disease. Whatever the cause, it is thought that by the time he died in 1547 at the age of 55, Henry VIII may have weighed close to 400 lbs.

Answer: John XXIII

John XXIII, born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, was pope from 1958 until his death in 1963. One of the most beloved pontiffs of the 20th century, he was also the most roly-poly. He was noted for his sense of humor, and often joked about his weight, which he constantly struggled to keep under control.

There is a famous story that says not long after he was elected pope, John XXIII was walking in the streets of Rome when a woman passed him and whispered to her friend, "My God, he's so fat!" Overhearing what she said, he turned around and replied, "Madame, I trust you understand that the papal conclave is not exactly a beauty contest." John XXIII was declared a saint on April 27, 2014.

Answer: Winfield Scott

Winfield Scott was a very large man. Standing 6'5" tall, he towered over his contemporaries. A career military officer, Scott served in many conflicts from the War of 1812 through the Civil War. He won most of his fame, however, in the Mexican-American War, during which he won many victories and captured Mexico City.

Scott was called "Old Fuss and Feathers" because of his attention to detail and fondness for flashy uniforms. He seems to have been quite vain about his appearance as a young man, and cut a dashing figure. But by the time the Civil War broke out in 1861, Scott was 74 years old, and his weight had ballooned up to nearly 400 lbs. He was too fat even to mount his horse. Unable to perform his duties as commander of the Union Army, Scott patriotically resigned his post to make way for a younger man. He did, however, perform one last service for his country. Scott is given credit for coming up with the "Anaconda Plan," the Union blockade of Confederate ports that deprived the South of the materials necessary to wage war, and helped to speed its surrender. Scott died in 1866 at the age of 79. He is buried at West Point.

Answer: Primo Carnera

Primo Carnera was born in Italy in 1906. He began boxing in 1928, and moved to the United States in 1930. Although not a skilled boxer, he usually outweighed his opponents by 40 pounds or more, and enjoyed a huge reach advantage. He was also a powerful puncher, and in 1933 knocked out his opponent, Ernie Schaaf, who fell into a coma and died four days later. Carnera was rumored to be controlled by the Mafia, and after he knocked out Jack Sharkey to become Heavyweight Champion, there were rumors that the fight was fixed.

After his boxing career ended, Carnera became a successful wrestler, and also appeared in several motion pictures. He died in 1967 from diabetes and liver problems.

Answer: Laird Cregar

Laird Cregar was simply a marvelous actor. He was born in Philadelphia in 1913, but educated in England. Because of his height and bulk, Cregar was often typecast as a villain. He appeared in 16 films between 1940 and 1945. Unlike many large men, who are comfortable with their size, Cregar longed to be a leading man, and suffered a lifelong preoccupation with his weight.

After giving the best performance of his career in "The Lodger" (if you see only one Laird Cregar film, this should be it), he lost over 100 pounds in only a few months to prepare for his final role in a movie called "Hangover Square." He began taking amphetamines, and his health suffered. Shortly after the release of "Hangover Square," he was admitted to the hospital for stomach surgery to correct problems brought on by his crash diet. Five days after the surgery he suffered a massive heart attack, and died at the age of 31.

Answer: Kate Smith

Kathryn Elizabeth Smith was born in Greenville, Virginia on May 1, 1907. She began her music career in 1926, and first appeared on radio in 1931. She quickly became one of the biggest stars in what was then the dominant entertainment medium in the United States. She made a smooth transition into television and hosted several variety shows in the 1950s and 60s.

Kate Smith's theme song was "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain," but she is best remembered for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America," which she introduced on her radio show in 1938. In 1969, the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League "adopted" Smith as their mascot, playing her version of "God Bless America" in lieu of "The Star Spangled Banner" before their games. They enjoyed tremendous success when the song was played. In 1987, they even erected a statue of Smith outside the Spectrum Arena where they played their home games. Smith suffered from ill health later in life, and died in 1986 at the age of 79.

Answer: John Candy

John Candy was born in Ontario, Canada in 1950. A big man, he stood 6'3" tall, and his weight fluctuated between 300 and 375 lbs. He was one of the stars of the successful "Second City Television" series that ran from 1976 through 1984. His big break came when he starred as Tom Hanks' brother in the 1984 movie, "Splash." He went on to make dozens of films. Candy was one of those rare stars whom everyone seemed to like, loved by both his fans and fellow actors.

Candy struggled with his weight all of his adult life, losing and regaining many pounds. His father had died of a heart attack at 35, and his grandfather at 42, so there may have been a genetic predisposition for heart problems in his family. He was found dead in his hotel room in Durango, Mexico on March 4, 1994 while filming the comedy, "Wagons East!", the victim of a massive heart attack. He was one of four Canadian entertainers (the others were Fay Wray, Lorne Greene, and Mary Pickford) to be honored on a postage stamp in 2006.