Famous Women Trivia

1. Which female writer issued "Observations on the New Constitution" in 1788, calling herself "A Columbian Patriot"?

From Quiz I'm On Your Side

Answer: Mercy Otis Warren

Warren and her husband were friends with many well known Patriots, such as John and Abigail Adams, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson, and all of them knew about her writing. She had been anonymously publishing poems for years that encouraged women to boycott British products and pointed out the Loyalists who lived in the colonies. Her article, "Observations on the New Constitution", was against the ratification of the document without the addition of a Bill of Rights. She later published articles using her own name, including one of the first histories of the American Revolution, "History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution" in 1805. Although she had traveled with her husband and served as his secretary during the war, her book was not accepted by all. Thomas Jefferson called it a "truthful account", while John Adams commented, "History is not the province of the ladies".

From Quiz Every Little Thing She Does is Tragic

Answer: Lucilla

Lucilla (150 AD -182 AD) was the second daughter of well-known Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. She was also the older sister of the later Roman Emperor Commodus. Lucilla became involved in a plot to assassinate Commodus in order to replace him with herself and her husband on the throne. This plot ultimately failed and Lucilla was banished to the island of Capri and later executed. Empress Theodora (c. 500 AD - 548 AD) was the wife of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. Cleopatra (69 BC - 30 BC) was the queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. Roxana (c. 340 BC - 310 BC) was one of the wives of Alexander the Great.

From Quiz Heroic Women

Answer: Turandot

Turandot is a Persian word meaning 'daughter of Turan', which refers to Central Asia. In the opera, Turandot sets three riddles which her prospective suitors had to solve. Marco Polo wrote that she was a formidable warrior who fought alongside her father in battle. He also wrote about her battle prowess, describing her as 'snatching people as easily as if they were chickens'. She was famous for declaring that she would not marry anybody who could not best her in a wrestling match, and it was said that she won up to 10,000 horses through various wagers and wins in the wrestling ring. It is believed that she did marry, but whether her husband defeated her at wrestling was not recorded. Khutulun is thought to be the basis for the character of Turandot, who has been featured in a number of Western productions. She lived between c. 1236-1406.

From Quiz From Rags to Riches

Answer: Wisconsin

Growing up, Diane Hendricks did not have much. She was the daughter of Wisconsin dairy farmers and learned the value of hard work early on. When she met her husband, Ken Hendricks, she was selling homes. He was a roofer and general contractor. Together, in 1982 they pooled their credit and secured a loan to start a business selling supplies to other contractors, and ABC Supply took off! Expanding to most of the United States by 2021, the net worth of the company was in the billions around the turn of the century. Ken Hendricks passed away in 2007 after falling through an area under construction in his own house and onto the concrete floor of his garage. Diane Hendricks, a widow with seven children, inherited all of their shared wealth.

From Quiz Celebrating Women's Innovation and Free Thought

Answer: Beverages

Marie Brizard and Nicole Clicquot stood out as successful entrepreneurs in the beverage industry. Frenchwoman Marie Brizard (1714-1801), founder of the Marie Brizard Beverage Company, was the third of fifteen children of Pierre Brizard, a barrel carpenter, and his wife Jeanne Laborde. According to the company's website, now called "Marie Brizard Wine and Spirits", in 1755 Marie met an Antilian sailor, named Thomas, who was very ill; she provided the necessary care and in return he gave her an anisette recipe. Marie, at the time 41 years old, and her nephew, Jean-Baptiste Roger, founded the company Marie Brizard & Roger in the same year. The company grew after the launch of other liqueurs and gained fame in the court of Louis XV. Today, Marie Brizard products are available in more than 120 countries and are considered to be of excellent quality. Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (1777-1866) born in Reims, France, was the daughter of a wealthy textile manufacturer. At the age of 21, Nicole married François Clicquot, who was also from a wealthy family, in banking, wool trading, and champagne. In 1805, the death of François Clicquot devastated the family, but the young widow (veuve in French) decided to continue the business, becoming one of the first female entrepreneurs in the early 1800s to run an international business. Under Madame Clicquot the house turned fully to champagne production. She also expanded the company and adopted new production techniques. The company was purchased in 1986 by Louis Vuitton, and is now part of the LVMH group, a conglomerate of companies specializing in luxury goods.

From Quiz Hard Working Woman

Answer: Victoria

Queen Victoria gave birth to nine children, four sons and five daughters. Her reign of 63 years and seven months has been surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth I, queen from 1558 to 1603 and sometimes known as the Virgin Queen, had no children. Her namesake, Queen Elizabeth II had four children. Queen Anne, who reigned from 1702 to 1714, was not survived by any of her children despite having at least 17 pregnancies. Twelve of her children were stillborn, four died before the age of two and her son Prince William died aged 11.

From Quiz Notable Women

Answer: Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher was the prime minister of the U.K. from 1979 until 1990. She was the first woman to hold that post, and was also the longest serving prime minister of the 20th century. It was a Russian journalist who first called her 'the iron lady', and the nickname stuck because she was a very uncompromising person both in her policies and in her attitude to her cabinet.

From Quiz "Golden" Girls

Answer: Laura Ingalls Wilder

Although all four authors had a profound impact on American writing, Laura Ingalls Wilder was nearly 65 when her first book, "Little House in the Big Woods" was published in 1932. Born in Wisconsin, Wilder lived in rural areas throughout the midwest, moving whenever her father's wanderlust struck him. The series of her eight "Little House" novels for children were published over nine years. The most famous, "Little House on the Prairie" was the third book in the series, published in 1935 and turned into a television series in 1974. The show included material from the other "Little House" books. There were also non-fiction books about her life published posthumously. Of note was "Pioneer Girl", on which many of the fictionalized "Little House" books were based. "Pioneer Girl" included many incidents which were not meant for children to read. Louisa May Alcott is most famous for "Little Women", which was published when she was 36, and its sequel, "Little Men". She died at age 55. Harriet Beecher Stowe was 40 when the first installment of the book which would become the beautifully-crafted attack on slavery called "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was published in a newspaper called "The National Era". Edith Wharton was also 40 when her first novel was published in 1902. She won a Pulitzer Prize for her 1920 novel "The Age of Innocence", which has been filmed several times over the years. (Question by goodreporter)

From Quiz Courageous Women in War and Peace

Answer: An escape route for alllied soldiers from Brussels to the Pyrenees.

Dede set up an escape route through occupied Europe which ran from Brussels to the Pyrenees. After the second world war she was awarded the George Cross by King George VI of the United Kingdom. She went on to the work of caring for lepers in a leper colony.

From Quiz Never Before

Answer: Sandra Day O'Connor

O'Connor, nominated by President Reagan, became a Supreme Court Justice in 1981. Never before had any woman served on the highest court in the USA. She retired in 2006. Nominated by President Clinton, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed in 1993. Sonia Sotomayor, appointed in 2009, and Elena Kagan, appointed in 2010, were both nominated by President Obama.

From Quiz Famous Deaf Women in History

Answer: Alice Cogswell

Alice Cogswell was born in 1805 a healthy child. However at age 2 she developed "spotted fever" and lost her hearing. At age 9 she inspired Gallaudet to find a way to communicate and educate the Deaf. Today, a statue of Alice Cogswell stands at Gallaudet University in Hartford, Connecticut in honor of a little girl who helped inspire big things for the Deaf Community.

From Quiz She's In Charge

Answer: Nefertiti

Nefertiti was the queen of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. The pair were responsible for a "religious revolution" where Akhenaten declared Aten to be the one god of Egypt. She lived during the 14th century BC and had at least six children with Akhenaten. After Akhenaten's death, she ruled as the queen regnant of Egypt until her son, Tutankhamun, was grown up. After Tutankhamun took over, he restored the original mythological religion of Egypt. For more information about Tutankhamun, check out my quiz, The Life of King Tut.

From Quiz World HERstory

Answer: Alabama

On 2 March 1955, Claudette Colvin was on the way home on the bus from school in Montgomery, Alabama when the driver ordered her to leave her seat to let a white woman sit. After a long standoff, she was arrested, assaulted and verbally abused by the police, then charged with and convicted of resisting arrest and violating the city segregation laws which had been in place since 1900. The NAACP, looking for a test case to challenge the bus policy in the courts, felt Colvin would not fit the bill since she was young, pregnant, working class and feisty. The arrest on 1 December 1955 of Rosa Parks, secretary of the Montgomery chapter of the NAACP, was somewhat of a planned event, as Parks was much more of a "respectable" figure.

From Quiz Women of Courage and Creativity

Answer: A Raisin in the Sun

The play's name comes from the poem "Harlem" (also known as "A Dream Deferred") by Langston Hughes. Not only was it the first Broadway play written by a black woman, it was the first to be directed by a black person, Lloyd Richards. The original Broadway players, which included Sidney Poitier, later were cast in the movie of the same name.

From Quiz Beauty and the Beautiful Beast

Answer: Lady Godiva

Yes, Lady Godiva was a real person, and much has been written about her and her generous husband, Leofric, for their support and help to many houses of worship. She lived during the mid-eleventh century. The Old English version of her name was Godifir, or Godgifu ("gift of God"). A twelfth century writer, Roger of Wendover, was one of the first to write about her for her generosity to churches. But did her legendary ride really happen? A resounding maybe. Most believe it was to make her husband reduce the tax burden he had imposed on his peasant tenants. Some believe it was to reduce the tax on horses. There are many versions of this legend, which is true of any legend from so long ago, but there is usually a kernel of truth; the truth about this one may never be known.

From Quiz Not So Ladylike Ladies

Answer: Alexandra Isles

Alexandra Isles was born Alexandra Moltke in Uppsala, Sweden in 1947. She was married to Philip Henry Isles from 1967-1976. By the time of the trial, she had dumped Claus and became a witness for the prosecution. Alexandra Isles has also won widespread acclaim for her documentaries.

From Quiz First and Foremost Females

Answer: Clare Hollingworth

Each was pioneer in the field of journalism in her own right! On August 31, 1939 during Hollingworth's first week as a journalist in Poland while driving along the Polish-German border, she observed large numbers of German troops, hundreds of tanks, armoured cars and field guns, all facing Poland and ready for action. The next morning she called the British Embassy after she awoke to the roar of Nazi aircraft and tanks. Hollingworth held a telephone out the window to capture the sounds of German forces. Hollingworth's eyewitness account was the first report to the British Foreign Office of the invasion of Poland! Breckinridge began her career as a photographer and videographer. During World War II she was hired by Edward R. Murrow as the first woman correspondent for CBS. Bourke-White was a pioneer in the field of photojournalism. She was the first woman to fly on bombing missions, and one of the first photographers to document the horrors of Nazi concentration camps. Marguerite Higgins began by reporting on the war from France and later accompanied troops to the Nazi concentration camps in Dachau and Buchenwald. In later wars, Higgins also covered the fall of Seoul, Korea, and made several trips to Vietnam, where she contracted Leishmaniasis, which led to her death.

From Quiz Flamboyant Women Through Time

Answer: Meat

The dress was first worn for the 2010 MTV Awards. It was designed by Franc Fernandez for Lady Gaga's appearance. It was made of flank steak and Gaga had to be sewn into it at the last minute. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame paid $6000 to a taxidermist to preserve it. It was treated with bleach, formaldehyde, and detergent to prevent deterioration. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta adopted Lady Gaga as her stage name. She rose relatively quickly to fame. Her hit recordings, costuming, and outrageous behavior have kept her in the public spotlight.

From Quiz Leading Ladies

Answer: Literature

Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlof became the first female writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature when she was awarded it in 1909 "in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writing". She was born on Marbacke, the family estate, in Varmland in western Sweden, where most of her stories are set. Excerpts from her first book "Gosta Berlings Saga" were published in 1890 in a journal running a literary competition which she won. Internationally, she is probably best known for "The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Holgersson" ("Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige"), a children's story about a boy who journeys round Sweden on the back of a goose. In 1914 she became the first woman to be elected to the Swedish Academy, the body that is responsible for deciding the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. She was also the first non-mythical woman to be depicted on a Swedish banknote. Of the incorrect answers, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Physics was Marie Curie. Elinor Ostrom was the first woman to be awarded the prize in Economics and Bertha von Suttner was the first female recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

From Quiz Isn't She Lovely?

Answer: Angelina Jolie

Giving credence to the proverb, "Beauty is only skin deep", Angelina Jolie, who has been cited as one of the most beautiful women in the world, underwent a voluntary double mastectomy. Genetic testing, plus a family history of breast cancer were two factors that Angelina Jolie considered to make this courageous decision. Angelina Jolie known also for her humanitarian work for the UNHCR, (United Nations High Commission for Refugees), has augmented this work by also becoming a role model for women who face the same factors for the development of breast cancer and for those who have already undergone mastectomies.

From Quiz The Snows of Yesteryear

Answer: Spring

French poet Francois Villon's 15th Century poem "Ballade des dames du temps jadis" is a study of the fleeting nature of fame and the certainty of death. Villon asks the reader to recall women renowned for their beauty and importance in mythology and legend; and lament on their relegation to distant memory. Despite the fact that Villon was a common thief who died poor at an early age, this poem (and almost everything Villon wrote) was extremely popular in its original French. The work achieved even greater notoriety when English poet and artist, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, translated the work into English in 1870. Rossetti translated the title as the now more familiar "The Ballade of the Dead Ladies" and the popular refrain of the poem as "where are the snows of yesteryear." The poem begins with this question "tell me now in what hidden way is Lady Flora the lovely Roman"? Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers and in particular those flowers that bear fruit. The word "floris" in Latin meant flower and plants in general and "flora" continues to be used in English with the same meaning. Spring, the time of renewal for the flower is Flora's season. As a love goddess, Flora was linked to sex and fertility. Flora's main temple in Rome was historically said to have been dedicated on April 29th in 248 B.C., as that date became the day of a festival in Flora's honor, the "Floralia". During the early Imperial rule a second "Floralia" was added to the religious calendar at August 13th so as to coincide with the late summer grain harvesting. Flora's Greek counterpart was the flower-nymph Chloris, who was not a goddess. Flora was "married" to Favonius a major wind aspect that had domain over the farmer-friendly gentle western winds and can be compared to the Greek Zephyrus. Flora's beauty, like that nearly all Roman goddesses, was a given. Flora herself was also the patron of prostitutes and in one story was said to have spent time in the world as a prostitute amassing a great fortune that was used to build Rome. The Floralia as a festival is comparable to the northern European Summer's Eve (or to the New Orleans Mardi Gras) in its connection to birth and fertility. The festival consisted of games and theatrical performances. It was traditional to have animals associated with fertility such as goats and rabbits roaming free. The theatrical performances were known to be "lewd" and "bawdy" and it was not at all unusual for women of all stations to remove their clothing.

From Quiz You Go, Girl!

Answer: Aspasia

Aspasia (c.470 BCE) was the mistress and political ally of the Athenian leader, Pericles. What we do know is she had beauty and brains. In a man's world, she insisted on being treated as an equal. She helped one of the greatest political thinkers of the time and was part of the Golden Age of Athens.

From Quiz Minority Rules

Answer: Jenny Suh

Jenny Suh was born August 18, 1985. Following the rules of golf, she teed off from the ladies' tee, meaning that she had to cover 80% of the distance for the boys. Michelle Wie, Alexis Thompson and Laura Davies are all fellow professional golfers, too.

From Quiz She's so MEAN!

Answer: Angelina Jolie

The gorgeous Angelina Jolie (born 1975) was not only Hollywood's highest paid actress (2009 and 2011), she was internationally famous, fecund, a UN Ambassador and UN Special Envoy for refugees, and she saved children. She stole the heart of actor Brad Pitt, the husband of actress Jennifer Aniston, while Jolie and Pitt were filming "Mr.& Mrs. Smith". Jolie adopted or bore at least six children, won Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globes and Academy Awards, she's a film producer, and she had $45 million dollars. You can hardly hope to get meaner than that.

From Quiz Super Women

Answer: The Maid of Orleans

Joan of Arc was later burnt at the stake as a heretic, but now she is recognized as a Roman Catholic saint.

From Quiz Little Miss Bossy

Answer: Stella Rimington

Between 1969 and 1990 Stella Rimington worked in all three branches of MI5, counter espionage, counter terrorism and counter subversion. Promoted to Deputy Director General in 1990 she oversaw the move of the organisation to Thames House. Her appointment to Director General saw an intense media campaign to identify her, with two papers actually publishing covert photographs of her. Despite this she initiated a campaign to make the security services more open and transparent. She retired from MI5 in 1996 and was made a Dame Commander of Order of the Bath in the 1996 New Year Honours List. The other three ladies are all British Members of Parliament.

From Quiz The Fragrance of Greatness

Answer: Cleopatra

Cleopatra was the beautiful ruler of ancient Egypt. When she became the ruler, Egypt was facing great hardship. The Romans were seizing more and more Egyptian territories, and there was widespread famine throughout the land. After her throne was seized, Cleopatra sought the help of Rome's general, Julius Caesar and he helped her to get back her throne.

From Quiz Jezebel

Answer: Mata Hari

Mata Hari was a world famous Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was accused of spying for the Germans during World War I. In 1917, she was executed by a firing squad in Vincennes, France, at the age of 41. Her guilt is hotly debated.

From Quiz Always the Bridesmaid

Answer: Hildegard of Bingen

Mystic, healer, composer of songs and writer of morality plays, adviser to popes and kings, Hildegard von Bingen's accomplishments are astonishing for a woman of her time. Many of her works survive, including one of the largest collections of musical compositions of the period, 100 letters and 70 poems. She also published nine books, including the first known book of medicine written by a woman and several texts of religious visions and theological interpretation. Although the formal process of canonization was never completed, she is venerated and listed as a Saint of the Roman Catholic Church. Her feast day is September 17th. Contemporary and fellow visionary, Elisabeth of Schonau corresponded with Hildegard of Bingen. Catherine of Siena was an accomplished nun of 14th c. Italy. The first saint of the Americas, Rose of Lima was canonized in the 17th c.

From Quiz Famous Noblewomen in History

Answer: Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut had herself crowned pharaoh and took to wearing the false beard which was traditionally worn by the rulers of Egypt. She lived in the mid 1450s BCE. Cleopatra I lived approximately 215-176 BCE and was married to Ptolemy V. Nefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of Akhenaten and lived in the mid 1300s BCE. Berenice I was the mother of Ptolemy II and lived during the 300s BCE.

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