Political Leaders of the Past. Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. I was the 7th U. S. President.

Answer: Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was the U.S. President from 1829-1837 and he followed John Quincy Adams and was succeeded by Martin Van Buren. Jackson participated in the American Revolutionary War (as a 13 year old courier), the Creek War, the War of 1812 and the First Seminole War. During the Creek campaign Sam Houston and David Crockett served under Jackson.

2. I became the very first female to be appointed Prime Minister of a country in 1960.

Answer: Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Sirimavo Bandaranaike (1916-2000) served as Prime Minister of Ceylon/Sri Lanka on three occasions: 1960-65, 1970-77 and 1994-2000. In her final term as Prime Minister she was subordinate to her daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, who was President.

3. I became the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953.

Answer: Georgy Malenkov

Georgy Malenkov (1902-1988) was the Soviet Leader from 1953-1955. He was a staunch Stalinist and on Stalin's death in 1953 he was briefly the party leader. However, in a power struggle with Nikita Khrushchev he was disposed as leader but retained the position of Premier for two years until February 8, 1955. Once Khrushchev started the process of de-Stalinization he replaced Malenkov.

He was expelled from the Politburo in 1957 and in 1961 not only expelled from the party but also exiled to Kazakhstan.

4. I led my country from 1970-1981 and shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978.

Answer: Anwar Sadat

Anwar Sadat was President of Egypt until his assassination by Army officers in October 1981. In 1978, he shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Menachem Begin (the Prime Minister of Israel from 1977-1983) because of their Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty, making Sadat the first Muslim Nobel laureate.

5. I was the 17th U.S. President, serving after Abraham Lincoln.

Answer: Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson was Lincoln's vice-president, and became president from 1865-1869 after Lincoln's assassination. On taking over as president he came into conflict with the dominated Republican Congress, as his plans after the Civil War did not give protection to former slaves.

He became the first president to be impeached by the House of Representatives, but was acquitted in the Senate by one vote. He was succeeded by Ulysses S. Grant.

6. I became the first female to become Prime Minister of my country from 1969-1974.

Answer: Golda Meir

Golda Meir (1898-1978) was the 4th and first female Prime Minister of Israel from 1969-1974. She was considered the "Iron Lady" of Israeli politics. She was born in Kiev, Ukraine and moved to the USA with her family in 1906 to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and then onto Denver, Colorado.

She married in 1917 and the couple immigrated to Palestine in 1921. When Israel became a state she carried the first Israeli-issued passport and was appointed Israel's Ambassador to the Soviet Union.

7. I was leader of the Soviet Union through the Cuba Missile Crisis in 1962.

Answer: Nikita Khrushchev

Nikita Khrushchev(1894-1971) was the Soviet leader from 1958-1964. The Cuban Missile Crisis came about when the Soviet Union sought to install medium range missiles in Cuba (only 140 kms from the U.S. coast). A number of missiles were delivered to Cuba but then the USA devised a military blockade of Cuba.

After a period of tense international negotiations the missiles were dismantled and returned to the Soviet Union.

8. I became the first President of the Commission of the European Economic Community in 1958.

Answer: Walter Hallstein

Walter Hallstein (1901-1982) was a West Germany academic, politician and diplomat who had been a POW in America from 1944-45. After the war he became one of the founding fathers of the European Union. He left the post of President of the European Commission in 1967 after a clash with the President of France, Charles de Gaulle and was succeeded by Jean Rey of Belgium.

9. I was a military officer who became President of my country in South America from 1954-1989.

Answer: Alfredo Stroessner

Alfredo Stroessner (1912-2006) lead a military coup and became President of Paraguay for 35 years. After ousting Frederico Ch�vez in 1954 he held elections of which he was the sole candidate. He was an anti-communist and was supported by the USA. He was ousted in a military coup in 1989 and exiled to Brazil. He was succeeded by General Andr�s Rodriguez from 1989-1993.

10. I became known as "the founding father" and became the very first Prime Minister of my country.

Answer: David Ben-Gurion

David Ben-Gurion(1886-1973) lead Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War was Prime Minister from 1948-1954 and 1955-1963. He was born David Gr�n but in 1912 adopted the Hebrew name Ben-Gurion. He settled in New York City in 1915 where he met his wife (Paula Munweis) and they were married in 1917.

He fought in the British Army towards the end of WWI and after the war settled permanently in Palestine with his family.

Source: Author zambesi

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Questions		Choices
1. I was the 7th U. S. President.		Andrew Jackson
2. I became the very first female to be appointed Prime Minister of a country in 1960.		Nikita Khrushchev
3. I became the leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953.		David Ben-Gurion
4. I led my country from 1970-1981 and shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978.		Walter Hallstein
5. I was the 17th U.S. President, serving after Abraham Lincoln.		Alfredo Stroessner
6. I became the first female to become Prime Minister of my country from 1969-1974.		Georgy Malenkov
7. I was leader of the Soviet Union through the Cuba Missile Crisis in 1962.		Golda Meir
8. I became the first President of the Commission of the European Economic Community in 1958.		Anwar Sadat
9. I was a military officer who became President of my country in South America from 1954-1989.		Andrew Johnson
10. I became known as "the founding father" and became the very first Prime Minister of my country.		Sirimavo Bandaranaike

This quiz is a test of your knowledge of former political leaders.