They're Dead, Jim (1920-1929) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Edmund Barton

"A nation for a continent, and a continent for a nation."

-Edmund Barton

Edmund Barton was Australia's first Prime Minister, serving from 1901 to 1903. Before taking that historic role, he had been deeply involved in the federation movement, arguing for a united Australia with the kind of tenacity you usually only see in children and conspiracy theorists.

After stepping down as Prime Minister, Barton didn't retire. Instead, he accepted an appointment as one of the founding justices of the High Court of Australia, where he served until his death in 1920. His legal career was also influential, helping to shape the country's constitutional interpretations during its formative years.

Answer: Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg

Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg was Chancellor of Germany from 1909 to 1917. He will forever be remembered for the "blank check" Germany gave Austria-Hungary after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. He was one of the men who set the table for the First World War, though whether he really understood his actions is still debated. Regardless, his pledge of full support for Vienna's actions only emboldened an Austria-Hungary, who had long had its sites on Serbia.

Bethmann Hollweg's chancellorship was a mix of caution and catastrophic mistakes. He tried to balance diplomacy with military pressure but often ended up overshadowed by more hawkish generals. He also stubbed his toe more than once on the roof of his mouth, as when he referred to Belgian neutrality as a "scrap of paper". Eventually, as the war slogged on and morale collapsed, he was forced out of office in 1917. He lived quietly after his dismissal, likely with more time for reflection than he might have liked.

When he died of pneumonia in 1921, Germany was still reeling from defeat, revolution, and reparations. Bethmann Hollweg's is remembered as a man caught between moderation and militarism... and of course that infamous blank check that the world refused to cash peacefully.

Answer: Nellie Bly

Nellie Bly, born Elizabeth Cochran, was a trailblazing reporter who not only pushed boundaries for women in her field, but pushed the boundaries of what journalism could be. One of the boldest journalists of her time, she went deep undercover in 1887 by feigning insanity and admitting herself to the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island. The result was "Ten Days in a Mad-House," an exposé that revealed horrible conditions, abuse, and neglect. The piece not only shocked the public but also led to significant reforms in mental health care, as well as establishing the field of investigative journalism.

Bly later gained worldwide fame by racing around the globe in 72 days, inspired by Jules Verne's novel "Around the World in Eighty Days." Along the way, she gripped readers with her dispatches.

Answer: Michael Collins

Michael Collins was one of the more charismatic (and controversial) figures in Ireland's battle for independence. An excellent strategist, he organized and employed guerrilla tactics against British forces during the War of Independence, effectively employing hit-and-run tactics, in some ways comparable to the American colonists 150 years earlier. Off the battlefield, he was also a skilled negotiator, playing a pivotal role in the talks that led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.

That treaty created the Irish Free State, but it also split the nationalist movement. A major sticking point was over the requirement that members of the new Parliament would have to swear allegiance to the British monarch, which wasn't QUITE as independent as many in the independence movement liked. Some, like Collins, saw it as a necessary compromise, a step toward full independence. Others, including Éamon de Valera, saw it as betrayal. The divide sparked the Irish Civil War, setting former compatriots against each other in a bitter conflict.

Collins was killed in an ambush at Béal na Bláth in County Cork in 1922. His death cut short what many believed would have been a long and influential career. At just 31, he had already helped shape the course of modern Ireland.

Answer: Sarah Bernhardt

Sarah Bernhardt was one of the most famous actresses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, legendary for her stage presence and ability to capture audiences' rapt attention. Rising with the Comédie-Française in Paris, she went on to tour internationally, bringing French theater to audiences across Europe and the Americas.

Her repertoire included classics by Racine and Shakespeare, but she was equally known for bold choices, even playing male roles such as Hamlet. She was nicknamed "the Divine Sarah," and became a larger-than-life, legendary performer.

Later in life, despite having a leg amputated due to injury and illness, Bernhardt continued to perform seated (or even in bed) onstage. She is still considered one of the greatest actresses of all time.

Answer: William Jennings Bryan

William Jennings Bryan was one of the more influential voices in American politics around the turn of the 20th century. A charismatic speaker, he was the Democratic nominee for president three times, beginning in 1896, when his "Cross of Gold" speech caught the imagination of the party. Though he never won the presidency, his advocacy for populist causes, such as free silver, anti-imperialism, and the direct election of senators helped define the issues of the Gilded Age.

Bryan also served as Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson but resigned in protest over U.S. involvement in World War I, in a show of his strong pacifist convictions. Later, he became a leading voice in the movement against teaching evolution in schools. His participation as prosecutor in the Scopes Trial in Tennessee made him a national celebrity.

Just five days after the trial ended, Bryan died suddenly in his sleep from a cerebral hemorrhage.

Answer: Rudolph Valentino

Rudolph Valentino was one of Hollywood's first screen idols, a sensation whose romantic roles and dreamboat looks made him an international phenomenon. He was born in Italy and immigrated to the United States in 1913. He worked a variety of jobs before finally breaking into film. His breakthrough came with the 1921 movie "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse," followed by the very successful silent movie "The Sheik," which turned him into the ultimate romantic lead.

Valentino's fame was unlike anything Hollywood had seen before. He was just that dreamy. He inspired fan clubs, fashion trends, and even "Valentino hysteria," with women fainting at his public appearances.

Sadly for the ladies, his life was cut short in 1926 when he developed peritonitis after surgery for a perforated ulcer. His death at just 31 shocked the world and led to riots at his funeral in New York City as 100,000 grieving fans crowded the streets.

Answer: Lizzie Borden

"Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks
When she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one"

- Nursery Rhyme

Lizzie Borden became a household name after the shocking 1892 murders of her father, Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, Abby, in Fall River, Massachusetts. The killings were especially remarkable for their brutality: both victims were struck multiple times with a hatchet while inside their home.

Lizzie, then 32 years old, quickly became the prime suspect due to her proximity, inconsistent testimony, and supposed attempts to buy poison beforehand. Her sensational trial in 1893 drew enormous public attention, with newspapers across the country painting lurid portraits of the case. Despite some compelling circumstantial evidence, the jury acquitted her, citing lack of proof directly tying her to the murders.

Afterward, Lizzie lived a relatively quiet life but was socially isolated in Fall River. Though never convicted, she remained forever associated with the gruesome crime.

Answer: Karl Benz

Karl Benz forever changed the way we get from here to there when he unveiled the Benz Patent-Motorwagen in 1886, considered the first practical automobile powered by an internal combustion engine. This invention transformed personal transportation and set the world stage up for a global car industry.

A major part of his success came thanks to his wife, Bertha Benz, who in 1888 made a long-distance drive in the Motorwagen to prove its reliability. Her journey not only showed off the car's practicality but also helped secure public confidence in the new-fangled invention.

Benz founded Benz & Cie., which later merged with Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft to form Mercedes-Benz, a brand still recognized for automotive excellence. By the time of his death in 1929, Benz had witnessed his idea evolve into a worldwide industry.

Answer: Wyatt Earp

Wyatt Earp is one of the most famous figures of the American frontier. Best known for his role as lawman in Tombstone, Arizona, he took part in the 1881 Gunfight at the O.K. Corral alongside his brothers and Doc Holliday, carving out a special place in the lore of the Wild West. Though the shootout lasted only about 30 seconds, it became one of the most fabled events in American history.

Beyond Tombstone, Earp wore many hats. He worked as a sheriff, a gambler, a saloon keeper, and a prospector during the Klondike Gold Rush. He traveled all over and lived to see the transformation of the West from frontier towns to settled cities. While he had a reputation as a fearless lawman, he was also criticized for being opportunistic and for sometimes operating on both sides of the law.