Papa Don't Preach Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bronte

Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte were three of six children born to Maria and Patrick Bronte. Between them they wrote some of the most famous novels of the 19th century, penning 'Jane Eyre' (Charlotte), 'Wuthering Heights' (Emily) and 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall' (Anne).

The Bronte sisters were born between 1816 and 1820 and spent most of their lives in the Yorkshire village of Haworth where their father was the vicar. The Parsonage in Haworth where they lived is now a museum.

Answer: Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th President of the USA holding the position from 1885-1889 and from 1893-1897. He was born on 18th March 1837 in Caldwell, New Jersey where his father was the pastor of the First Caldwell Presbyterian Church. Grover Cleveland died at the age of 71 on 24th June 1908.

Answer: Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown was Prime Minister of the UK between 2007 and 2010. He had previously held the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer and became Prime Minister after Tony Blair stepped down in 2007. Brown resigned as Prime Minister after the 2010 general election when the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats formed a coalition giving them a majority in Parliament.

He was born in Giffnock in Scotland in 1951. His father John Ebeneezer Brown was a minister in the Church of Scotland.

Answer: Baptist

The 'Queen of Soul', Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis in 1942. She first started singing at the Baptist church where her father was the minister. Her father, C. L. Franklin, greatly encouraged her to pursue her musical career having himself made a record as part of an a'capella group before he joined the church. Since she signed a record deal with Atlantic in 1967 Aretha Franklin has had 88 singles chart on the 'Billboard' charts and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the UK Music Hall of Fame and the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Answer: True

Friedrich Nietzsche was a 19th century German philosopher. He is well known for the concept of the "Übermensch", often translated as "superman", which he suggested as a goal for humanity in his 1883 book 'Also Sprach Zarathustra'. He is also famous for the statement "God is dead" which appears in a number of his works including 'Also Sprach Zarathustra'. Whether this statement should be taken to show that Nietzsche was an atheist is debated by scholars with some believing it to reflect more on the growth in science and secularism in general, whatever the case many of Nietzche's writings are critical of religion. Given Nietzche's views on religion it is perhaps surprising that his father, Carl Ludwig Nietzsche, was a Lutheran pastor in the town of Röcken near Leipzig in modern day Germany.

Answer: Jane Austen

Jane Austen is one of most widely read English novelists, having written many well loved works including, 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Sense and Sensibility'. She was born in 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire where her father, George Austen, was the rector. Jane Austen died in 1817 and is buried in Winchester Cathedral.

Answer: David Tennant

David Tennant was born David McDonald in 1972 but had to change his name when he joined the actors' union Equity as they already had a David McDonald registered. He is perhaps most well known for playing the 10th Doctor in "Doctor Who" between 2005 and 2010.

He has also won acclaim for his theater roles, especially for his portrayal of Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company. David Tennant's father, Alexander "Sandy" McDonald was a Church of Scotland Minister and from 1997-1998 he served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland making him the Church of Scotland's senior representative.

Answer: Christopher Wren

Christopher Wren was an English architect. He was born in 1632 in East Knoyle where his father, Christopher Wren Sr, was the rector. Christopher Wren Sr was appointed Dean of Windsor in 1635. Christopher Wren Jr's masterpiece was the design of the 'new' St Paul's Cathedral after the Great Fire of London destroyed the old one in 1666.

The 'new' St Paul's was completed in 1710 and is one of the most recognisable buildings in London due to the large dome. As well as St Paul's Cathedral Wren was also responsible for rebuilding a further 51 churches which were also destroyed in the Great Fire.

He died in 1723 and is buried in the crypt of St Paul's.

Answer: Malcolm X

Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His father, Earl Little, was a Baptist lay preacher and a local leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). His involvement with the UNIA led to threats by white supremacist groups. Earl Little died in 1931 after being hit by a streetcar; although he told police before he died that he'd slipped it was rumored afterwards that he had been pushed.

While serving a prison term for burglary Malcolm Little converted to Islam. He changed his name to Malcolm X in 1950 saying that the X stood for the African family name he should have had had his ancestors not had the name Little given to them by a white slave owner. On his release from prison he became involved with the Nation of Islam movement. Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965 as he prepared to address the Organization of Afro-American Unity in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom.

Answer: False

Wilbur and Orville Wright were born in 1867 and 1871 respectively and are famous for being the first people to achieve sustained, powered, heavier than air flight, which they first did in 1904. Their father, Milton Wright, was a clergyman but he was a Bishop of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ rather than a Methodist minister.

He is credited with sparking the brothers' interest in flying after giving them a rubber band powered toy helicopter in 1878.