Uninvited Guests Trivia Quiz

Answer: David Livingstone

David Livingstone was a missionary as well as an explorer. His uninvited visits were for religious purposes as opposed to searches for wealth. Many of his discoveries were compelled by a desire to find the source of the Nile River as well as to spread the word of God.

While searching the interior of the African continent he went missing for six years and was presumed dead by many. Unlike many explorers, he was loved by the people he visited. In 1873, upon his death from malaria and dysentery the native peoples removed his heart and buried it under a tree near where he died.

The rest of his remains are interred in Westminster Abbey. The other three options are noted British composers.

Answer: Australia

The first Europeans to see Australia were led by Dutchman Willem Janszoon. Whether he and his group of fellow explorers ever made landfall is a point of some disagreement between historians. He was soon followed by explorers from many other European countries. Once gold was discovered, the inhospitable landscape in some areas did not stop the flow of fortune hunters.

The ensuing influx of uninvited guests is generally thought to have been extremely detrimental to the indigenous population and their culture.

Answer: Francisco Vasquez de Coronado

While looking for the fabled "Seven Cities of Gold" Francisco Coronado showed up in what is the modern day areas of New Mexico and Arizona surprising the native Zuni tribe. Coronado and his men were among the very first Europeans to see the vast herds of native bison and to drink from the mighty Colorado River. Coronado had peaceful relations with some tribes including the Sioux, and the Zuni. Conversely, his relationship with the Pueblo Indians was not good and there was a great loss of life in ensuing battles over food.

The other three options were all Renaissance painters.

Answer: Francisco Pizarro

In 1522, Pizarro set sail for the New World with a fleet of over 30 ships. The Spanish were attempting to set up colonies as well as search for the mysterious El Dorado, thought to be a city of gold. Through outright slaughter and introduced disease, Pizarro and his men wiped out the mighty Inca Empire and confiscated their large hoard of gold and jewels.

He became the epitome of the unwanted guest. The other three options are all Italian race-car drivers.

Answer: Samuel de Champlain

Samuel de Champlain chronicled his explorations much better than some of his peers. This amazing man was also a cartographer, draughtsman and diplomat. As well as being the first European to see the five Great Lakes, he also helped found Quebec City in 1608.

He also attempted to negotiate peace treaties between Native American tribes that were beneficial to both sides. These uninvited European expeditions into the northern parts of North America did bring diseases such as small pox, but the overall effects were nowhere near as devastating as they were in South and Central America.

The other three options are all French Renaissance painters.

Answer: Abel Janszoon Tasman

Dutch explorer Abel Tasman is credited with leading the one of the first known European expeditions to New Zealand, Tasmania and Fiji. He was responsible for mapping large regions of Australia as well. His name has been honored in several ways. There are lakes, a mountain, an island, a bay and a glacier that all bear his name.

Answer: Ponce De Leon

Ponce De Leon explored not only Florida, but also Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Bimini, and many other Caribbean islands. While he is often said to have been looking for the mysterious and mythical "Fountain of Youth" but the veracity of that claim is not widely accepted by historians.

He was definitely looking for gold and silver. While not as bloodthirsty as some of his contemporaries, he inadvertently introduced diseases to the native tribes against which they had no immunity, decimating their populations.

The other three options are all Spanish opera singers.

Answer: False

While the Tambora culture did disappear forever in 1815, it was not because Typhoid Mary had visited. She wasn't even born until 1869. This island culture, located on the island of Sumbawa in Indonesia, disappeared completely when the local volcano Mount Tambora erupted.

The entire island and its population were buried by ash and pyroclastic flows. Sometimes it is Mother Nature who is the unwelcome guest.

Answer: Easter Island

In 1721, Roggeveen and his men set sail on three ships with the intent of finding "Terra Australis". Employed by the Dutch West India Company, Roggeveen stumbled upon Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui. The natives were in bad shape and their populations had dropped dramatically after their practices deforested their island home.

The population was further ravaged by the diseases carried by the Dutch sailors who had landed there. One hundred and fifty years later slave trading further decimated the island's population.

The population at the turn of the 21st century was approx. 3,500 people.

Answer: False

While Roald Amundsen did lead the first successful expedition to the Geographic South Pole, Antarctica did not have any native human population to decimate. The Inuit peoples live in the Arctic areas on the northern half of the planet.