Historical Figures Beginning With 'G' Quiz

Answer: Artist

An English painter who created monumental works in the eighteenth century, Thomas Gainsborough is famous for both portraits and landscapes, and many of his most famous art pieces are a blending of the two, presenting deftly-depicted figures against gorgeous backdrops.

A proponent of the Rococo era, his works are characterized by warm, natural tones, and deep colouration. Most of his paintings are of people and places exclusively in England and amongst his most famous works is "The Blue Boy", at one time one of the most expensive paintings in the world.

Answer: Vintner

Ernest Gallo came into success through his father who, in the late 1910s, purchased a large plot of ranch land in California and started a grape-growing business. It wasn't until after Prohibition in the 1930s that and his brother, Julio, established their winery, growing it into a multi-billion dollar business and household wine name in the U.S. The E&J Gallo Winery name would become one of the most valuable in the industry before his death in 2007.

Interestingly, Ernest and Julio's brother, Joseph, founded the successful dairy business of Joseph Gallo Farms...though they sued him for using the family name and won.

Answer: Physicist

An Italian scientist of the eighteenth century, Luigi Galvani based much of his work in studying bioelectric effects, being perhaps the first individual who examined the phenomenon that makes frogs' legs twitch when exposed to a mild electric jolt. What may be the most fascinating thing is that the word 'galvanize', which means to compel someone into quick action, is derived from his name.

Galvani's work, though contested in his day (as many great theories are), quickly became common scientific knowledge, so much so that his experiments were also touched upon in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", several decades later.

Answer: Cook

Host of the U.S. Food Network cooking show "Barefoot Contessa", Ina Garten is one of the more recognizable names in American cooking having long been a writer of popular cookbooks and a famous face in the TV chef community. Formerly a worker for the White House in both the Ford and Carter administrations, Garten made a major career shift in the late 1970s, purchasing a food store and developing her brand into a multi-million dollar name.

After the conclusion of her "Barefoot Contessa" show in 2021, she proceeded into a new cooking/talk-show program, "Be My Guest", in 2022.

Answer: Fashion designer

Starting a career in fashion in the 1970s, Jean-Paul Gaultier catapulted to international recognition in the industry with both avant-garde haute couture looks and ready-to-wear fashions that were quickly picked up by the rich and famous. By the time the 1980s arrived and he was making some of Madonna's most iconic looks (including the infamous cone bra), he'd become a household name in fashion.

The creative head of the Hermès fashion brand for most of the 2000s, he would go on to retire from fashion in early 2020.

Answer: Head of government

The Prime Minister of Australia from 2010-2013, Julia Gillard was the leader of the ALP (the Australian Labor Party) after elections in 2010 and she took the leadership of the country to become the first female candidate in the role in the nation's history.

Interestingly, Gillard's tenure in office was flanked by the Prime Minsterial runs of Kevin Rudd, who led Australia from 2007-2010 and then resumed the role after a leadership vote in 2013. Gillard would retire from politics after her time in office while Rudd would proceed to lose the next federal election to Tony Abbott.

Answer: Civil engineer

Born and raised in the United States, George Goethals was educated as an engineer but his career took him through West Point, allowing him to become a valuable asset for the U.S. military. Eventually acting as Quartermaster General through World War I, he would first be commissioned to support President Theodore Roosevelt by taking on the role of Chief Engineer of the Panama Canal-- a shoe-in due to his history as a coastal defence expert. Today, Goethals is the namesake of a medal presented for achievements as deemed influential by the Society of American Military Engineers.

Answer: Author

An active author in the mystery genre from the 1980s to the 2010s (until her passing in 2017), Sue Grafton is known for her alphabetically-titled novels (like "A is for Alibi" and "B is for Burglar") starring investigator Kinsey Millhone. Grafton started her career as a screenwriter, even adapting works originally written by Agatha Christie, but all of this led to a significant career in hardboiled detective novels. To a large degree, Grafton was one of the few authors of her era to write with a female detective protagonist as few, besides Christie herself, were able to break into the mainstream with such a character.

Answer: Radio host

Debuting in 1975 with her radio show "Fresh Air", Terry Gross became a mainstay of National Public Radio in the United States, using her platform to create not only one of the longest-running, but most listened-to interview shows on radio and through podcasts.

The winner of multiple Peabody Awards, Gross is regarded as one of the most celebrated interviewers in the United States, known for her empathetic approach to her guests and her tendency to spin genuine curiosity into thought-provoking results.

Answer: Survivalist

Born in Northern Ireland as Edward Michael Grylls, Bear attended Eton College before first achieving numerous survivalist feats (including ascending Everest to the summit in the 1990s, climbing peaks in Antarctica, and travelling the Northwest Passage) and then joining military in honorary Reserves positions. All of these have led Grylls to become a major personality in survivalist reality TV with shows like "Man vs. Wild".

He is, at the same time, a noteworthy author and motivational speaker.