What (Who) are the Odds? Trivia Quiz

Answer: They were American silversmiths of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The odd man out? Paul Revere was the well-known American revolutionary, famous for his midnight ride as well as for superbly-crafted silver. The other men may have earned the respect and confidence of their neighbors, but never earned a place in general American history texts.

Answer: Nero

Well, it all comes down to the whiskers. The pirate Edward Teach was known as Blackbeard. Barbarossa's name means "red beard." Gilles de Rais privately went in for sexual torture and serial murder; he entered grisly legend as Bluebeard. Nero boasted the name Ahenobarbus "shaggy beard" which makes no reference to its color.

Answer: Sarah Bernhardt

Agnes, mistress of Charles VII of France, is credited with adopting the previously masculine prerogative of diamond jewelry. Marie Antoinette's name always invokes the shadow of the scandalous Diamond Necklace conspiracy, even though she played no part in the crime. Mae West's ebullient Diamond Lil became part of the popular imagery of her time. Sarah Bernhardt, an embodiment of Art Nouveau fascination, loved opals, Baroque pearls, moonstones, and Lalique enamels, but the diamonds in her famous jewelry played only a subsidiary role.

Answer: General James Wolfe

Byron died of an infectious disease (possibly measles) before reaching battle. Alexander was probably killed by malaria. Caracalla was assassinated by members of his own guard, reportedly while engaged in moving his bowels. Wolfe died in battle fighting for British control of Quebec; he was shot by the very foe he had come to fight.

Answer: Marie Curie

Isaac Asimov remarked "Pierre Curie is the only first-rank scientist always identified as the husband of someone else." He predeceased Marie, who continued her scientific work and is acclaimed as one of the greatest scientists of all time. Lee Krasner is a well-known artist who has not equaled the fame (or perhaps notoriety) of her late husband Jackson Pollock. Clara Schumann was a celebrated musician and continues to be highly regarded, but not to the degree of esteem enjoyed by her husband Robert. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was the more widely read poet in her lifetime; Robert Browning's accomplishments, once considered overly obscure and difficult, show originality that has better endured the test of time.