Obsessions of the Rich and Famous Quiz

Answer: Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace

The Countess of Lovelace was better known as Ada Lovelace. Ada was born to Lord Byron and Annabella Milbanke. The marriage was brief, and Ada was raised by her mother with a strict regimen of math and science.

Ada became a pioneer in the field of computer science. She had the uncanny ability to explain Charles Babbage's Analytical Machine. In doing so, she published an article in which she wrote several computer programs. It was her notes for this article that inspired Alan Turing. She also used her skills at the horse track. Betting on horse races using her algorithm became an obsession. She lost a small fortune.

Answer: Fyodor Dostoevsky

Fyodor Dostoevsky, one of the great Russian novelists who wrote classics like "Crime & Punishment" (1866), The Brothers Karamazov" (1880), and "Demons" (1872), became obsessed with gambling, particularly roulette, while traveling in Germany. He thought he had found a system. In 1866, in order to pay off gambling debts, he wrote a short novel, "The Gambler", in which he described his own obsession with roulette. He lost a fortune and ended up begging for money.

Answer: Sarah Bernhardt

Sarah Bernhardt starred in some of the most famous plays in the 19th and 20th centuries. She played both male and female roles. She bought the Théâtre des Nations and renamed it the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt. In 1913, Barnhardt performed a play at San Quentin that was written by her son about the French Revolution. Her eccentricities were numerous, including keeping and sleeping in a satin-lined coffin and having exotic pets. She was obsessed with death.

Answer: Arthur Conan Doyle

Doyle, who wrote 62 Sherlock Homes stories, came from a large family. Many of his relatives preceded him in death. He also lost his first wife and son. These losses possibly explain his obsession with spiritualism, that the dead can communicate with the living in seances.

He wrote several books on the subject. He defended the Cottingley fairy photos, which allegedly showed a fairy hovering near one of the Cottingley sisters. The photos were later proven to have been doctored.

Answer: Philipp von Ferrary

Philipp von Ferrary was an obsessive philatelist. He was born in Paris to the Italian Duke and Duchess of Galleria, but later in life became an Austrian citizen. He spent his entire fortune and dedicated his life to amassing the most valuable stamp collection. Stamps held such a place in his life that he never married and had few friends.

He left his entire collection to a museum in Berlin. After WWI France seized the collection and auctioned it off to help pay Germany's war reparations.

Answer: Anna Pavlova

Anna Pavlova became interested in ballet at an early age, although she was initially rejected by the Imperial Ballet School because of her severely arched feet. She studied under many great teachers. Her dance was unconventional and not in keeping with precise movement.

She became a prima ballerina in 1906, and was the first ballerina to perform globally. Known for her "The Dying Swan", Pavlova actually kept a real swan which she named Jack.

Answer: Charles Babbage

Charles Babbage invented the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine in an age when manufacturers were unable to adhere to his complex designs. Hence his inventions were never completed during his lifetime. But his theories laid the foundation for others who came after him. Babbage was not without eccentricities.

He crusaded against street musicians, calling them "an intolerable nuisance". He went so far as to petition Parliament for noise ordinances, making him the subject of ridicule in London.

Answer: Sarah Winchester

Sara Winchester was the sole heir of The Winchester Repeating Company. Her husband, William Wirt Winchester, died in 1881. She moved to California with her vast wealth. She had a huge mansion built which contained strange designs like stairs that led nowhere, doors that opened into walls, and windows in interior rooms. The building is known as The Winchester Mystery House.

Answer: J.P. Morgan

John Pierpont Morgan was involved in the consolidation of many large industries in the U.S., including railroads, energy, and steel. J.P. Morgan's obsession with crystal and rare stones was legendary. He amassed a huge collection of rare gemstones. His collection won two gold medals at the World's Fair in 1889. Morgan donated his collection to various museums so it could be enjoyed by the public.

Answer: Nellie Bly

Nellie Bly's journalistic career began as Lizzy Cochran in Pittsburgh, PA, under the pen name "orphan girl". Her editor wanted something catchier, so he picked the Stephen Foster song "Nelly Bly". He misspelled the first name, but the rest is history.

She began writing about women's issues, but wanted a bigger audience. She moved to New York City where she worked for the New York World. She posed as a mental patient and wrote an expose on patient neglect and abuse. In 1889 she sailed around the world in 72 days.

She married a millionaire 40 years her elder. She was obsessed with exposing ineptitude and corruption in public institutions.