The Most Important 'N' People Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sikhism

Located mostly in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, the Sikhs are a very significant minority group of India. Sikhism is an offshoot of Hinduism, with influences from Islam and Buddhism as well. Nanak was the first of ten gurus of the Sikhs, and he laid down many of the major tenets of the religion very early on.

Answer: Principia

Newton's 'Principia' laid down the fundamental laws of gravitation and motion, which he had formulated by 'standing on the shoulders' of Kepler and Galileo. Newton is also considered to be the founder of the modern science of optics, co-discovered calculus and made contributions in several other fields as well. In fact, the only significant thing he didn't do was to invent sliced bread!

Answer: Nasser

The inclusion of Gamal Abdel Nasser in this quiz may come as a surprise to some, but his contributions to developments in the modern Middle East cannot be denied. Two years after becoming prime minister in 1954, he became the president of Egypt, and later of the United Arab Republic (that also included Syria). Nasser was responsible for ending the British presence in Egypt in the late 1950s, and nationalized the Suez Canal.

He advocated pan-Arab nationalism, and promoted a socialist agenda at home. Nasser's failed policies were very significant, including his building of the massive Aswan Dam (ecological disaster) and his failed war with Israel in 1967.

Answer: Alfred

Despite the destructive nature of his most significant invention, dynamite, Nobel was a pacifistic individual who hoped that his inventions would be used for non-violent purposes. After discovering that this would not be the case, Nobel decided to institute the prizes that carry his namesake. They are given yearly in six fields: Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Peace, Literature and Economics (added in 1969). I believe the positive nature of his prizes has far outweighed the negative effects of his inventions (which also include gelignite and ballistite).

Answer: Civilization and its Discontents

Nietzsche is one of the most controversial, quoted and misinterpreted individuals of the philosophical past. His ideas included his 'will to power', a rejection of 'slave morality', his 'Übermensch', or superhuman being, and his rejection of Christianity (he was famously quoted as saying 'God is Dead'). His ideas were widely popular in the 20th century in Germany, and were grossly misapplied by the Nazis, who particularly exploited his idea of the 'superman'. He remains extremely influential in all of the social sciences and in the humanities up to this very day.

Answer: Nabopolassar

Nabopolassar put an end to Assyrian power in Mesopotamia, destroying the Assyrian capital at Nineveh in 612 B.C. After consolidating his power, and reestablishing Babylon as the key city of the region, he attacked Egypt, battling for control of Syria, the Levant and Judaea. He was able to wrest control of the former two regions before his death in 605 B.C. His son, Nebuchadnezzar II, completed the work, defeating the Egyptians and taking control of Judaea.

Answer: Newcomen

Thomas Newcomen's steam-powered water pump, used to remove water from mines, was the first commercially viable steam-powered device. This device was created in 1712, some 50 years before James Watt came along with an improved version. (Note: The very first steam powered device was created by Hero of Alexandria in the 1st century A.D., but it did not receive attention from the scientific community. The steam era would have to wait another 1700 years!)

Answer: Creation of the addition and subtraction signs (+ and -)

John Napier is one of the most significant figures in the history of mathematics. His invention of logarithms alone would probably be sufficient to consider him for this quiz, but he is also regarded as the first westerner to employ the decimal point, and also created one of the world's first mechanical calculating devices, called 'Napier's Bones'. Napier also made some contributions to physics and astronomy as well.

Answer: No

Rather, Nehru was the first prime minister of India, and remained in that position until his death in 1964. Nehru was a significant figure in the independence movement of India, becoming president of the Indian National Congress in 1929. He spent a number of years in jail, usually as a result of participating in the non-violent protest movement instigated by Gandhi. Nehru became prime minister in 1947 after India became a free country and helped guide the nascent democracy during its formative years. Nehru also played a significant international role during his time in office, acting as one of the leaders of the 'third world' (a term which he coined).

His daughter and grandson, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, both spent time as prime minister of India, creating something of a Nehruvian 'dynasty'.

Answer: Nurhachi

Of Jurchen stock, Nurhachi was the consolidator of various tribes who dwelled in what we now call Manchuria (in northeast China). Under his very organized 'banner system', he came to dominate the region, and set the stage for his son Abahai, who established the Qing Dynasty.

The Manchus ruled China for nearly 300 years (1644-1911). My apologies to fans of Admiral Nelson, Nernst, Nero, Nicholas I and II of Russia, Nicolas of Cusa, Nefertiti and whomever else I excluded from this quiz. I hope you enjoyed it regardless and will try my other alphabetical people quizzes. Thank you for playing.