British Or American? Trivia Quiz

Answer: British

Tony Blair was a politician and the leader of the Labour Party in Great Britain. He would eventually became that nation's Prime Minister (PM). A popular politician, he served three terms as Prime Minister which, at the time, made him the second longest serving PM in Britain after World War II. Only Margaret Thatcher had served for a longer period. During his time in power he introduced many reforms, made good progress toward the Northern Ireland peace process and had raised the economic standards of the country.

Answer: British

Britten was an English composer who was one of the key figures in British music during the 20th century. A prolific creator of choral works, his operas have been described as the finest British compositions in the previous 300 years. Among his works are such classics as "Peter Grimes" (1945), "The Turn of the Screw" (1954), "Billy Budd" (1951 and revised in 1964), the choral "War Requiem" (1961) and the composition "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" (1946).

Answer: British

Guy Fawkes is best known for his part in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, which was a conspiracy designed to assassinate King James I, by blowing up Westminster Palace, the English Parliament building. Fawkes was captured while guarding the gunpowder, tortured and then sentenced to death by means of being hung, drawn and quartered. Legend has it that he killed himself while on the gallows by jumping off and breaking his own neck. Guy Fawkes Night, or Bonfire Night as it is more commonly called, is celebrated every year in Britain on November 5.

Answer: British

Florence Nightingale is often referred to as the "Lady with the Lamp" as a result of the work she did tending to wounded soldiers during the Crimean War (1853-56). She placed great emphasis on sanitation, and, because of her background in statistics, she also put great faith in data analysis. She was a firm believer in the continued education of nurses and, to this end, established the first professional nursing school at the St. Thomas Hospital in London. Consequently she is often cited as being the "Mother of Modern Nursing".

Answer: British

Andy was one of Great Britain's finest tennis players, reaching the number one ranking in the world in 2016. He won three tennis Majors: the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013 and again in 2016. He won the men's singles title (and the gold medal) at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and then defended that title successfully at the 2016 Games in Rio. That made him the first tennis player, male or female, to win two Olympic gold medals.

Answer: American

Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States (1913 to 1921). In the 1912 elections he defeated the sitting President in William Howard Taft, but he came into power at a time of great turmoil, just prior to the start of World War I. He would, initially, declare the USA as a neutral country in that conflict as he tried desperately to negotiate peace between the Allies and the Central powers. Eventually he would lead his country into war, which would lead him into establishing the League of Nations after it.

Answer: American

One of America's most influential composers and a great innovator, George Gershwin was famous for his ability to blend jazz, popular and classical music. Despite his early passing at the tender age of 38 he compiled over 60 compositions and was a pioneer of the American Songbook. Among his most notable works was the symphonic jazz piece "Rhapsody in Blue" (1924), "An American in Paris" (1928) and the folk opera "Porgy and Bess" (1935).

Answer: American

Jesse's middle name was included because there are multiple famous people called Jesse James. This one, though, was an American outlaw and train robber. He and his brother Frank fought as guerilla fighters for the Confederates during the American Civil War (1861-65) and became outlaws after the war. Opinion is divided as to whether he was one of the good guys or a bad dude. Some see him as a criminal because of the robberies he committed while others see him as a hero who fought against oppression. He would be shot dead by Robert Ford in 1882.

Answer: American

Clara Barton was the US equivalent of Britain's Florence Nightingale. She became known as the "Angel of the Battlefield" as a result of her bravery in tending to the wounded during the American Civil War (1861-65). She was at the forefront of some of the bloodiest battles of this conflict, including Antietam and Fredericksburg.

She was a champion of education and, at the age of 60, she established the American Red Cross, which she also led for 23 years.

Answer: American

One of the finest tennis players that the USA has produced, Jimmy Connors would finish as the number one ranked tennis player in the world, at the end of the year, on five occasions. In all, he remained as the number one ranked player for a total of 268 weeks, which, by 2025, made him the fifth longest of all time.

In all he would win eight Major tournaments, the US Open on five occasions, Wimbledon twice and the Australian Open once. In 1974, alone, he would win three of those Majors but missed out on the calendar Grand Slam as he was not allowed to compete in the French Open.