Living in the Past Trivia Quiz

Answer:

Alexander the Great
Alexander was born in 356 BC in Pella, Macedonia. He was the son of King Philip II and Queen Olympias and king of Macedonia from 336 BC until his death in 323 BC. In his early teens he was taught by Aristotle. At the head of his army, he overthrew the Persian empire, and advanced into India. He conquered Egypt, and gained control of the whole eastern Mediterranean coast; ultimately, his empire spread across three continents.

Alexander never lost a battle. He named over 20 cities after himself, including the most famous, Alexandria in Egypt, but also Alexandretta in Turkey; Alexandria on the Caucasus, Afghanistan; Alexandria Ariana, Afghanistan; and Alexandria Bucephalous, Pakistan. He carried a copy of Homer's Iliad on his campaigns and was 32 when he died.


Cleopatra
Born 69 BC in Alexandria, Egypt, Cleopatra was the daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes. Her mother was most likely Cleopatra V Tryphaena, but this is uncertain. She was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty, and entered an alliance with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony by marrying each one in turn. She spoke at least nine languages and was the only Ptolemaic ruler to learn Egyptian. She was highly educated in philosophy, astronomy, and medicine.


Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I was fluent in multiple languages, including Latin, French, and Italian. She was born 1533 in Greenwich, England, the second daughter of Henry VIII, with Anne Boleyn as her mother. Her reign saw a cultural flourishing, as she encouraged English literature, drama, exploration, and arts, and was a patron of people like Shakespeare, Marlowe, Thomas Tallis, Walter Raleigh, and Francis Drake.

Elizabeth ascended the throne on 17 November 1558, and was the last and longest-reigning monarch of the Tudor dynasty, ruling for 44 years. Elizabeth never married, saying she had married the country.


Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci (born 1452 in Vinci, Italy), was the illegitimate son of Ser Piero da Vinci and Caterina. A Renaissance genius and polymath, he excelled as an artist, inventor, and scientist.

Da Vinci wrote his notes in mirror writing, most likely to keep his ideas secret. He also conceptualised inventions such as helicopters and tanks centuries before they were finally built. In the 2020s, 14 living relatives of his were identified, using an extensive genealogical research which traced his family tree back to 1331.


Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc was most famous for leading French forces to a victory against the English at the siege of Orleans, during the Hundred Years' War. She was burned at the stake aged 19 on charges of heresy and witchcraft, but was canonised in 1920.

Joan was born 1412AD in Domrémy, France, the daughter of Jacques d'Arc and Isabelle Romée. She claimed to hear divine voices guiding her actions; because she was becoming too powerful and gaining too great a following, King Charles VII of France refused to intercede on her behalf during her trial, so despite her youth and valour, she was sentenced to death by fire.


Genghis Khan
Born around 1162 in Mongolia, Genghis Khan (also known as Borjijin Temujin) was son of Yesugei and noblewoman Hoelun. He achieved his aim of uniting disparate Mongol tribes through a series of miltary campaigns, and in doing so, founded the largest contiguous empire in history. Because of the breadth of his empire, he established one of the first international postal systems, and was also known for promoting religious tolerance across the region. He died in 1227.


Christopher Columbus
Son of Domenico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa, Christopher Columbus was born 1451 in Genoa, Italy. His voyages, sponsored by the Catholic Spanish Ferdinand II and Isabella I of Spain, opened the Americas to European exploration. He initially sailed west in search of a quicker route to China and India, in order to bring back highly prized gold and spices. Instead, he 'bumped into' the Americas; however, he believed he had indeed reached Asia, rather than a new continent.

Columbus eventually realised that he had found a new continent and was able to discover gold there, which he took back to his patrons. During his voyages, he also discovered the principle of compass variation between magnetic and geographical north. His arrival introduced horses to the Americas and transformed travel for indigenous cultures.


Charlemagne
Born in Frankia around 745, in the region of what now encompasses parts of Belgium, France, Austria and Germany, Charlemagne was the son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon. Crowned King of the Franks in 768, and Roman Emperor in 800 AD, he united much of Western Europe under his leadership. He was also known as Charles the Great.

Although he was largely illiterate, Charlemagne promoted education strongly, founding schools and ensuring classical texts were preserved. A statue of Charlemagne on a horse stands in front of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.


Marco Polo
Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant and explorer renowned for his extensive travels across Asia. He was the son of Niccolo Polo and Nicole Anna Defuseh. Serving as an emissary and advisor in the court of Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler of China, his travels introduced Europeans to Asia's innovations, culture and wealth, which included the use of paper money and coal. So unexpected (though true) were the details of his travels that many Europeans doubted his accounts, calling him "Il Milione" (The Million Lies).

Marco journeyed extensively along the Silk Road sponsored primarily by his family's mercantile interests. He travelled with his father Niccolo, and his uncle Maffeo, who were seasoned traders.


Robert the Bruce
Remembered as one of Scotland's greatest leaders, Robert the Bruce was born 1274 in Ayrshire, Scotland. He was the son of Robert de Brus and Marjorie, Countess of Carrick, a powerful noble family with claims to the throne of Scotland. After years of struggle, he became King of the Scots and later secured Scottish independence from the English after the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. His son succeeded him as king, becoming David II.

It is said that Robert the Bruce was inspired by a spider's persistence while Robert was hiding in a cave; he took a lesson from this which motivated him to continue his long fight for Scotland's freedom.

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Incorrect Answers:
Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Graham Bell, Winston Churchill, Florence Nightingale and Pablo Picasso were all born later than 1800 AD.