The Mind Before Death: II Quiz | Death Becomes Them

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "The unity I have strived for, for so long, has begun to erode. After fighting so hard for those who would wish to throw off the yoke of foreign rule, we have begun to destroy ourselves. Consumption will soon take me, and I feel there is no future for the nations of this hemisphere."

Answer: Simon Bolivar

Simon Bolivar tried to unite the people of South America and was successful in doing so. He helped push the Spanish out of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, and fought for the independence of many South American nations by deposing Spanish power in most of the region. Civil wars tore apart his life's achievements while he was suffering from tuberculosis (consumption).

He died in 1830, seeing the unity of the nations he had worked for dissolving before his eyes.

2. "Fleeing will not work. I have already tried that once. The foolishness of mobs has kept me prisoner for many years now, and I fear that in the end, I will lose my head. I just wish that my husband hadn't lost his already."

Answer: Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette and her husband King Louis XVI were guillotined after a failed attempt to abandon Paris. They had been forced by the mob to live in the palace in Paris. They were prisoners in their own home. After their failed attempt to flee, they were treated cruelly for many months and finally guillotined.

3. "Each operation is an omen beckoning me towards death. I shall waste away after seeing my glory ended by a great but underrated power. Upon my death, I shall not get the grandeur that my father had received, yet still, there will be those who mourn."

Answer: Emperor Hirohito

Emperor Hirohito of Japan had gambled by attacking the U.S. at Pearl Harbor, bringing them into World War II. He kept his nation enthralled by speaking of their loyalty and and of sacrifice for their country. Hirohito remained emperor after the country surrendered, but lost all power and was widely thought of as a puppet ruler.

He was not very popular among other nations, but he had helped bring Japan into the modern world. Hirohito died in 1989 after numerous operations that tried to stay the threat of cancer.

4. "Surrendering is never an option; I would rather die by my hand. If only we humble men could have defeated the great empire ... but it was not to be. Instead, they have ravaged our homeland. Now I must drink to my death ... and in order to end my life."

Answer: Hannibal

Hannibal had been fled to the Eastern Mediterranean after his defeats at the hands of the Roman armies. Even after inflicting a devastating defeat on Carthage the Romans continued to hound Hannibal. When finally trapped in Bithynia in Asia Minor he committed suicide by drinking poison rather than surrendering.

5. "My past may have been filled with some violence, and I have been arrested, well, more than a few times, but there is no braver cause than the equality of women in the political realm. For my new and enlightened future, I have decided to run for Parliament, a decision I do not take lightly. Alas, I fear I may not even live to see the day of the elections."

Answer: Emmeline Pankhurst

Emmeline Pankhurst was a leading suffragette in England. She was arrested six times between 1908 and 1912. She was one of the leading female advocates for women's assistance for the war effort during World War I. She would have run for Parliament from her constituency for the Conservative Party, but died before the elections took place.

6. "I have not yet procured the solution to this problem. I need more time. But I shall not get that time, for the oppression from this Roman is bearing down upon me. What little does he know? I shall not leave until I have a solution."

Answer: Archimedes

The Romans were taking the city of Syracuse, where Archimedes lived. A Roman soldier entered Archimedes' chambers and not knowing who he was, ordered him to leave. Archimedes refused, not wanting to leave the mathematical problem he was trying to solve.

It is said that the Roman soldier then killed him. This version of Archimedes' death, based on the writings of Plutarch, is widely accepted.

7. "I am ailing from the great nuisance that we know as cancer, liver cancer to be more precise. But don't you believe for one second that that has kept me from my passion of music. The harmony ... oh that harmony that will be played at my funeral ... ah, I've got the right one, baby!"

Answer: Ray Charles

Ray Charles, a music legend, died in 2004 after a year of living with liver cancer. His accomplishments, while many, were made all the more impressive by the fact that he was blind. Charles believed that he should not portray himself as a victim of his disability. The last line is a reference to his appearances in Pepsi commercials.

8. "The military campaign must continue. Even after my terrible fall from my horse, I want my men to continue to fight for what we have wanted. Unification - or perhaps it is an empire we were fighting for. Either way, we will still be victorious."

Answer: Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan had united the Mongols in a military campaign that spread across the continent of Asia. His massive empire was one that no-one in history could claim to possess. Even Alexander the Great's empire fell short in land area to that of Genghis Khan.

Although he is typically seen in a bad light in the West, Genghis Khan's achievements included Mongolian unity, a system of writing, and a belief in religious toleration. Khan died from internal injuries shortly after falling from his horse.

9. "I have survived my wife, my son, and my daughters. Life has really taken a toll on an old soul like me. But despair is only a fact of life, and I have been witness to that many times. My pen name is one that most would recognize, but I hope that it is the soul of my writing that people will admire."

Answer: Mark Twain

Samuel Clemens, or Mark Twain as he was widely known, was the author of many great American novels. His family all died before him, which was hard on him and his writing. His writing turned somewhat sombre after the death of his wife. He died of heart failure in 1910.

10. "After the mission searching for the 'terra australis incognita', I felt as though we were invincible. We have talked to the natives of this land known as the Sandwich Islands. They seem to be civil with us, but we don't know if they are peaceful for sure. It would be for the best if we were to repair our ships and leave these islands, but for some reason, I feel that may not be the case this instance."

Answer: James Cook

Captain James Cook, sometimes known as just Captain Cook, searched for the 'terra australis incognita', or 'unknown southern land'. This land is now known as Australia. Cook died on the islands of Hawaii, which were then known as the Sandwich Islands, after a small skirmish with the natives.

It is unsure why the natives were so hostile after they had been accomodating before a sea storm forced Cook to return back to the islands for repairs.

Source: Author trident

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Mind Before Death: II Trivia Quiz

I'll give you invented quotes that give you clues to help figure out which historical figure it was who said the words shortly before dying. Choose the correct answer based on the information in the invented quote.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>