Some Historical Figures Trivia Quiz

Answer: Her father and her stepmother.

Lizzie Borden was alleged to have murdered her father, Andrew J Borden, and her stepmother, Abby Durfree Gray Borden, on August 4, 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts. These were particularly gruesome murders, having been carried out by bludgeoning with an ax or hatchet. The crime and subsequent trial were a nation-wide media sensation, the 1890s equivalent of the OJ Simpson fiasco. Lizzie was acquitted of the crimes for lack of substantial evidence. However, in the arena of public opinion she was guilty, and lived the rest of her life in near isolation. Lizzie Borden passed away June 1, 1927 of complications arising from pneumonia. Memory of the alleged crime lives on in a common playground rhyme:

Lizzie Borden took an axe,
And gave her mother forty whacks,
And when she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.

This rhyme, originally coined to sell newspapers, is not entirely accurate. For one, it was Lizzie's step-mother, not her mother who was a victim of the crime, and secondly, at most the stepmother received 18 or 19 'whacks' and the father received only eleven.

Answer: Henry.

The name by which he was known is Henry Morton Stanley. His real name, however, was John Rowlands, the illegitimate son of Betsy Parry of Denbigh, Wales. Stanley was the family name of a wealthy trader who befriended John Rowland when he arrived in the United States in 1859. Rowland, who was particularly sensitive about his illegitimacy, simply assumed the name Stanley.

Answer: True

The stone which covers Shakespeare's tomb includes the inscription:

Good friend for Jesus' sake forbear
To dig the dust enclosed here!
Blest be the man that spares these stones,
And curst be he that moves my bones.

Whether or not 'The Bard' actually wrote the curse is unknown. Scholars have made several attempts to have Shakespeare's grave opened, but have not succeeded.

Answer: It was demolished.

After Hess's suspicious death in 1987, Spandau Prison was demolished to prevent it from becoming a Neo-Nazi shrine. The former prison and its grounds are now the site of a parking lot, supermarket and electronics store. The material from the demolished prison was reportedly pulverized and then dumped in the North Sea.

Answer: Boxing Day

The song 'Good King Wenceslas' was written by John Mason Neal in 1853. It is one of the oldest and best loved Christmas carols in the Western world. However, in the first line of the song Wenceslas is said to 'look out on the Feast of Stephen.' The Feast of Stephen is the day after Christmas which is also known as Boxing Day. Thus, strictly speaking, Good King Wenceslas is a Boxing Day carol.

Answer: He quit the military and became active in Democratic party politics.

After graduation Mason served for two years as an army engineer before resigning. He then became a patent lawyer in Wisconsin, and later served as a member of the supreme court of the Iowa Territory. During the Civil War Mason did not seek a commission but instead continued his law practice in Washington where he was active in a splinter group of the Democratic Party called 'Copperheads.'

Answer: Isidro Barradas

The ill fated Spanish expedition of 3,000-4,000 men was led by Isidro Barradas. With his forces weakened by disease and lack of supplies, Barradas signed the Capitulation of Pueblo Viejo September 11, 1829 with Santa Anna and General Mier y Teran. This was effectively the crowning act that assured Mexican independence. It also raised Santa Anna to the status of a national hero and threw him to the fore front of Mexican politics for a period of some 40 years.

Answer: False

Idi Amin may have been many things, but he was never an advocate of human rights and peace. Amin was involved in the military for most of his adult life. He did achieve some fame as a boxer, holding Uganda's light heavyweight title for a period of years in the 1960's. Amin was forced from power in 1979, and fled first to Libya and then to Saudi Arabia where he converted to Islam and was allowed to live out his life. Amin died in Saudi Arabia August 16, 2003.

While in power, Amin reportedly declared his official title to be: "His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular." Amin and his government were the subjects of the recent popular movie "The Last King Of Scotland."

Answer: Battle of the Alamo.

Louis 'Moses' Rose was a veteran of Napoleon's army during France's ill-fated invasion of Russia. After Napoleon's fall, he came to the Americas where he eventually joined the company of men commanded by James Bowie in the defense of the Alamo. According to Alamo lore, Rose achieved notoriety by becoming the only Alamo defender not to cross over William Travis' 'line in the sand,' indicating a willingness to stand and fight to the death if necessary. Rose escaped the Alamo the night before it was overwhelmed by the Mexican army on March 6, 1836.

In America the man's name has become almost synonomous with cowardice. As recently as 2003, when France opposed the US invasion of Iraq, Roses' legend was thrust forward as an example of French cowardice. Rose was a seasoned combat veteran.

His decision to leave the Alamo was just as likely due to his military understanding that the situation was totally hopeless as it was cowardice.

Answer: He died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash.

Lawrence retired from the RAF in March 1935 and settled in Dorset, England. While living there he was involved in a motorcycle crash in which he sustained massive head injuries. Lawrence died a few weeks later on May 19, 1935 at the age of 46.