Famously Forgotten Trivia Quiz

Answer: botanist & 1st woman to circumnavigate the world

The story of Jeanne Baret has several versions. What is uncontroverted though is that she was the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. In the 18th century woman were forbidden from sailing on French naval ships. In 1765 the French were putting together an expedition to circumnavigate the world.

The official botanist for the trip was Philibert Commerson. According to one account Jeanne Baret was a poor, uneducated waif who, dressed as a man, stowed away on the ship and became an assistant to Commerson.

Another version has her, again dressed as a man, as Commerson's assistant and lover. The discovery of her identity is also a matter of conjecture. She collected over 6,000 specimens, most famously the vine bougainvillea.

Answer: Yellow Fever

Dr. Carlos Finlay was a Cuban physician. In 1881 he identified the mosquito as the carrier of yellow fever. From the 17th to the 19th centuries yellow fever was a devastating decease. His theory was dismissed by other epidemiologists. The French who had contracted to build the Panama Canal beginning in 1881 quit in 1882 after suffering over 22,000 deaths due to yellow fever.

By the time the U.S. took over the construction in 1901 they had adopted Dr. Finlay's theory and developed a vaccine.

Answer: Abolition of Slavery

Elizabeth Freeman (c. 1744-1829) was born enslaved in Massachusetts. When she heard the new Massachusetts Constitution read aloud, declaring that all men are born free and equal, she sued. She went on to win the lawsuit, in 1781, and Massachusetts went on to abolish slavery.

Answer: Mathematician/Astronomer

John Dee (1527-1609) was a mathematician and astronomer and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. His work in mathematics and navigation was of major import to England's voyages of discovery. He possessed one of the largest libraries in England. He became interested in the occult, spending years trying to communicate with the dead.

Answer: Prison Reform

Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845) was an English Quaker who was born into a prominent family. She also married well and lived a prosperous life. When she was 33 years old she was persuaded to visit Newgate Prison. She encouraged other middle class women to visit prisons and set up classes to teach the prisoners skills. She used her position in society to influence their view of prisons and prisoners. She founded The Association for the Improvement of the Females at Newgate.

In 1818 she toured the prisons in England and Scotland and established other Ladies' Associations and in the same year was asked to speak to both houses of parliament about the conditions in prisons. The Association provided clothing, instruction and employment for the women. Newgate was transformed by the work of the Association. Elizabeth Fry was not only influential in Britain. She advocated for reform in France and Russia.

Answer: Physics

Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu (1912-1997) was known as "the First Lady of Physics". Dr, Wu was born in China and graduated with a degree in physics. She immigrated to the USA in 1934. She received her PhD from UC-Berkley. She became the first female instructor in the physics department of Princeton University. In 1944 she joined the Manhattan Project.

Answer: Racehorse owner & jockey

Eliza Carpenter (c.1851-1924) was born into slavery in Kentucky. She is remembered as a one of the few African-American racehorse owners and jockeys in the early days of Oklahoma, where she achieved considerable success. In a male dominated sport, Carpenter was not afraid to race her thoroughbreds against male jockeys.

In spite of the racial prejudices prevalent at the time "Aunt Eliza" earned the respect and admiration of horse racing enthusiasts nationwide.

Answer: Pilot

Bessie Coleman (1892-1926) was the first African American and Native American woman to earn a pilot's license. Racial prejudices in the U.S. forced Coleman to learn French and move there to earn her license in 1921. She earned a living by barnstorming and doing aerial tricks.

Answer: Genetics

Gregor Mendel (1822-1884) -- His pea‑plant experiments uncovered the laws of heredity - dominant and recessive traits, segregation, independent assortment.
Recognition: Ignored in his lifetime; rediscovered in 1900, decades after his death.
Impact: Modern genetics, agriculture, medicine - all rest on his work.

Answer: Geology

Alfred Wegener (1880-1930) - he was mocked by geologists during his life. In 1912 he theorised that the continents are drifting around Earth. This wasn't accepted until the 1950s when a number of discoveries by geologists supported his theory.
Impact: Plate tectonics is now the unifying theory of Earth sciences.