Famous Women Trivia

61. Upon the death of her husband Thutmose II, this lady became co-regent with her stepson. She didn't like to share. She side-lined the boy, donned a fake beard, and ruled for about 21 years.

From Quiz Not So Ladylike Ladies

Answer: Hatshepsut

Her stepson Thutmose III was not happy. Upon her death, he set about destroying every image of her he could find. She was the fifth pharaoh of Egypt's eighteenth dynasty. Recent DNA tests have indicated that she was the maternal AND paternal great-grandmother of Tutankhamun. Tut's parents were brother and sister.

From Quiz First and Foremost Females

Answer: The Music Man

She began conducting the orchestra for "The Music Man" in August of 1960. It debuted on Broadway December 19, 1957 at the Majestic Theater with Herbert Greene as conductor.

From Quiz Flamboyant Women Through Time

Answer: Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great is probably best known for her sexual exploits but also she was a progressive force in 'westernizing' Russia from an isolated European nation to become a force on its continent. Catherine, the daughter of a mid-level Prussian noble, was fortunate to be married to Peter III who was assassinated thus propelling Catherine to the throne. Catherine, an admirer of Peter the Great, as was her husband, initiated reforms. She had many lovers and was generous in rewarding them with power and riches. One reform was the relieve the nobility of mandatory military service. She wrote many documents promoting education, corresponded with the leading intellectuals of her day, and promoted the arts. Many of her reforms were stalled by the heavy layers of bureaucracy prevalent in Russia thus her reign did little for the lower classes of society. Historians agree that the myth about her relationship to a horse was concocted by her political enemies.

From Quiz Leading Ladies

Answer: Break the sound barrier

On May 18 1953, at Rogers Dry Lake, California, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier when she piloted a Canadair F-86 Sabre jet borrowed from the Canadian Royal Air Force at an average speed of 652 miles per hour. Rising from a background of abject poverty in Florida, this former beautician and hairdresser turned pilot has a string of "firsts" to her name which mark her as one of the legendary aviators of all time. They include being the first woman to take off and land from an aircraft carrier; the first woman to win the Distinguished Service Medal, which she was awarded in 1945 for her services in World War II where she ran the Woman's Air Force Service Pilot's Programme. In 1971 she became the first woman to be inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame. She died at her home in Indio, California in 1980.

From Quiz The Snows of Yesteryear

Answer: Cynicism

Hipparchia of Maroneia was a Cynic philosopher in the 4th Century BC. She is often referred to as the "first liberated woman" because of her unconventional lifestyle and willingness to eschew the conventional role of women in Greek society. Little remains about the life or writings of Hipparchia, as is the case with all of the Cynics, except that her biography included in Book 6 of Diogenes Laeritii's "Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers". Indeed, Hipparchia is the only woman of the 82 ancient philosophers chronicled in the ten books. What is known is that Hipparchia was born to a wealthy prominent family in Maroneia, Northern Greece about 346 BC. Her family moved to Athens and she was educated together with her younger brother Metrocles. Metrocles apparently studied philosophy in Aristotle's school, the Lyceum, and was taught directly by Aristotle's disciple Theophrastus. Metrocles and Hipparchia rejected Theophrastus teachings and became students of the Cynical philosopher Crates of Thebes. The Cynics believed they and not the Plato/Aristotle line of philosophers were the true heirs of Socrates. The most famous of the Cynics was Diogenes who is immortalized by his antics that included carrying a lamp in the daytime through the streets of Athens looking for an honest man (or according to Neil Young a "heart of gold"). Cynics rejected material wealth and disdained conventional morality. Outrageousness was a hallmark of the philosophy and Hipparchia was no exception. Though "married" to Crates and the mother of two children, Hipparchia was said to have engaged in sexual acts in public and refused to retreat behind walls and play the role of a traditional Athenian woman. Crates and other Cynics treated Hipparchia as an equal and her oratory skills were considered superior. The inclusion of Hipparchia as a forgotten "snow" is likely a interpretation or incorrect translation by Rossetti. In the original French, Villon calls the second dead lady "Archipiades". The name is not attached to any other known person that Villon could have meant. Some scholars believe that Villon meant to cite "Alcibiades" who was a famed politician, general and orator in Athens during the Peloponnesian War period. Alcibiades was often characterized as classically attractive and fair of face. Villon, so the theory goes, might have mistaken Alcibiades for a woman. Other scholars (and I would have to agree) including Rossetti believe that Villon referred to Hipparchia but can point to no reason for the odd spelling difference.

From Quiz You Go, Girl!

Answer: Isabella d'Este

Isabella d'Este (1474-1539) was a woman of many accomplishments. She ruled Mantua in an era of intrigue. She also was a confidante to other rulers as well as popes.

From Quiz Minority Rules

Answer: Wrestling

This happened in 2006. Trained by their father, Michaela and her older brother Eli both won. It was his fourth championship.

From Quiz Super Women

Answer: 63

The British Empire flourished during the Victoria's reign (1837-1901) and that period is known as the Victorian Era.

From Quiz The Rose

Answer: Audrey Hepburn

British actress Audrey Hepburn was famous for her stunning beauty and classical dress sense as well as acting in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961) and "My Fair Lady" (1964). The rose named after Audrey Hepburn was introduced in 1983 by Twomey in the United States of America. The flower is a light pink hybrid tea rose with a slight fragrance.

From Quiz Little Miss Bossy

Answer: New Zealand

After being the first country to give women full voting rights New Zealand has continued to embrace the idea of political women. Jenny Shipley was Prime Minister from 1997 to 1999 and she was immediately succeeded by Helen Clark, who served consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008. Bermuda, Australia and Canada have also all had at least one woman serve as either Prime Minister or Premier during the 20th century.

From Quiz The Fragrance of Greatness

Answer: Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was born in 1412, in the little village of Domrémy. She believed that she had a mission from God, and she was determined to free France from the English. When she was just 18 years old, Joan led an army of about 5,000 men against the English.

From Quiz Jezebel

Answer: Madame de Pompadour

Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, also known as Madame de Pompadour was a member of the French court and was the mistress of Louis XV for almost 20 years. A well-educated woman for her time, she had nevertheless been born a commoner and had only become eligible for court when the King made her the Marquise de Pompadour. She was intensely disliked by many of those at court who felt that the king had betrayed his position by enlisting the services of a commoner. Madame de Pompadour was often blamed for Britain surpassing the French as the leading colonial power especially when she supported the 1763 Treaty of Paris which relinquished all claim over Canada to the English. She died of tuberculosis at the age of 42.

From Quiz Always the Bridesmaid

Answer: Coco Chanel & Chanel

Gabrielle Bonheur 'Coco' Chanel (1883-1971) was literally born in a poorhouse but became a pioneer couturier, creating comfortable, elegant clothes for women ready to abandon turn-of-the-century corset fashions. She had several affairs, most famously with composer Igor Stravinsky, but never married.

From Quiz Famous Janes

Answer: Lady Jane Grey

The "Nine Days Queen" is how this Jane is now regarded in history. Poor Jane Grey's claim to the English throne was that her mother was the daughter of Henry VIII's sister Mary. She was deemed to have a better claim to the throne than Princesses Elizabeth and Mary, both of whom had both disinherited by their loving father Henry.

From Quiz Famous Noblewomen in History

Answer: Livia Drusilla

Livia was the wife of Octavian (also known as Augustus) and became the model for the ideal Roman woman. After her death at the age of 86, Livia was deified by her grandson, Emperor Claudius, and is sometimes known as Julia Augusta. Calpurnia Pisonis was the third wife of Julius Caesar. Servilia Caepionis was the mother of Brutus and one of Caesar's mistresses. Agrippina Major (Agrippina the Elder) was the daughter of Julia, Octavian's only surviving child, and was the mother of the Emperor Caligula.

From Quiz Famous Women of the Past and Present

Answer: Joanne Woodward

Joanne was married to Paul Newman and they had three daughters. Not only co-starring in films with her husband, she starred in four films Newman directed but did not star in.

From Quiz Women in History

Answer: Stella Rimington

Stella Rimington became the first female Director General of MI5 in 1992. She retired in 1996 and is now Dame Stella Rimington.

From Quiz There's Something About (Typhoid) Mary

Answer: New York

Like thousands of other Irish immigrants who came to America in the late 19th century, Mary settled in New York City, in the vicinity of which she lived and worked (and was quarantined) for the rest of her life.

From Quiz High Maintenance Women in "Herstory"

Answer: Catherine the Great

Each choice is a famous woman of the 18th century. Catherine married the future Peter III of Russia when she was 14. Because he was an ineffectual ruler, she took things into her own hands and had herself declared Empress. Her unfortunate, unpopular husband was murdered shortly after his abdication. Catherine loved art and collected thousands of Dutch, Flemish, French and Italian masterworks for her private collection, now in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch of England, was born in 1665 and crowned in 1702. Madame du Barry, Louis XV's mistress, was born in 1743, and Marie Antionette was an Austrian archduchess before becoming Queen of France. She was born in 1755.

From Quiz 10 Women Behaving Badly

Answer: Llama

She taught it to spit in the face of anyone who stroked it.

From Quiz 15 Real Life Muses

Answer: Dante Alighieri

The question of Beatrice's identity is the subject of much speculation. It seem's likely that she and Dante never really knew each other and it has been speculated that she may not even have existed outside of Dante's imagination. Dante's first sonnet is dedicated to her and she appears in his "Vita Nuova" and "Divina Commedia", in "Paradiso" of course, where she takes the place of Virgil as his guide and promises to be his mediatrix in heaven.

From Quiz Powerful Women in Jewish History

Answer: The successful revolt against King Jabin of Hatzor and his General, Sisra

According to the bible, Deborah sent Barak Ben-Avinoam to enlist 10,000 men in order to fight Sisra and his army. Barak insisted that Deborah be present at the battle, even though she warned him that she would receive full credit for the victory.

From Quiz Wicked Women in History

Answer: Jezebel

Jezebel not only introduced idol worship into Israel, she got her husband to worship them along with her. She also killed Jewish priests and replaced them with priests of Baal. When her husband wanted to get his hands on a vineyard owned by one of his subjects, she counseled him to accuse the owner of blasphemy and have him stoned to death. After her husband's death, the new King, Jehu, ordered her thrown to her death from a high tower. As the Prophet Elijah had predicted, dogs ate all of her body except her skull, feet, and hands.

From Quiz An ABC of Famous Women

Answer: Clara Barton& Barton

She lived from 1821-1912 and was called the 'Angel of the Battlefield'. Lincoln appointed her to search for missing prisoners.

From Quiz March - Women's History Month

Answer: Elizabeth Ann Seton

Elizabeth Ann Seton established the first American Sisters of Charity in Maryland in 1809 and became a saint in 1975.

From Quiz Important Women of the Century

Answer: Mother Theresa & Mother Teresa

Said the Nobel Committee, while presenting her with her award, 'The loneliest, the most wretched and the dying, have at her hands received compassion without condescension, based on reverence of man' She responded, with typical humility,'Personally, I am unworthy. I accept in the name of the poor.'

From Quiz Famous Women's Claim to Fame

Answer: Jane Addams

Hull House was a refuge for the poor women and children in the Chicago slums. Jane Addams was a pacifist, and this caused her reputation to suffer. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.

From Quiz Extraordinary Women

Answer: Physician

The story of Agnodice, aka Agnodike, was told by Roman author Gauis Julius Hyginus in his "Fabulae". While studying medicine under Herophilus, she worked as a physician in her home city in Athens. She had to disguise herself as a man because women were forbidden to practice medicine. The male rival physicians who were jealous of her popularity made false charges on her. She was forced to reveal her gender and was charged under the laws at that time. She was acquitted, and the law against female physicians was revoked.

From Quiz An Assortment of Women's History

Answer: Isabella Baumfree

She changed her name in 1843.

From Quiz Women In History

Answer: 1431

There is doubt over her birth date of 1412.

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