Who Said It? [Average] Trivia

1. Just before he was put to death in 1930 for killing twelve people, what unrepentant murderer's last words were "I wish the whole human race had one neck and I had my hands around it."

From Quiz The Last Word

Answer: Carl Panzram

Charles Panzram (1891-1930) had confessed to having committed 22 acts of murder and over 100 acts of sodomy of boys and men. Whatever the cause of his misdeeds, he certainly did not die contrite. The other criminals mentioned here achieved infamy many years after this incident in 1930.

From Quiz Simon Says (Part 2)

Answer: Simon Gray

This joke of Simon Gray's is cited in "The Friars Club Encyclopedia of Jokes: Revised and Updated! Over 2,000 One-Liners, Straight Lines, Stories, Gags, Roasts, Ribs, and Put-Downs" a collection of 2000 jokes from members of the famous Friar's Club of comedians. That line comes from Mr. Gray's 1975 play "Otherwise Engaged" spoken by a character also named Simon. Among Mr. Gray's other notable plays were "Butley" (1971), and "Close of Play" (1979), plays in which the characters were mostly upper middle classes. Simon Gray was great friends with Harold Pinter who championed Mr. Gray's work.

From Quiz Simon Says (Part 1)

Answer: bait

Jose Simon founded Comedy Day in San Francisco which helped stand-up comedy emerge as a popular entertainment in that city's culture. The annual Comedy Day festival takes place in Golden Gate Park. 50,000 people typically attend and get to hear various comedians for free. Jose Simon was a pioneer in Latin rock music. He died on Saturday, April 19, 2008 of lung cancer at his San Francisco home at the age of 63.

From Quiz Who Says? (Part 2)

Answer: William Jennings Bryan

Bryan was the presidential nominee for the Populist Party in 1896 after he gave his famous Cross of Gold and his free silver speech. They called hi the "The Boy Orator of the Platte". Bryan's political philosophy aligned with the Populist's view that government should protect the people. Bryan travelled all around the country delivering hundreds of speeches in small towns all over. Bryan lost the Presidential election to William McKinley.

From Quiz Who Says? (Part 1)

Answer: Confucius

Confucius was one of China's and the world's great thinkers, a statesman, philosopher and teacher. Those other philosophers lived 6-7 centuries after Confucius. Confucianism is the foundation of Eastern philosophy and religion, which in turn were vitally influential on Western philosophy. Confucius considered himself not the inventor per se of the truths he wrote about, but the keeper of them, someone who sought to preserve ancient truths and propriety. He wasn't as concerned with religion really nor metaphysics, as much as he was instructive about moral and political behavior.

From Quiz A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Answer: William Shakespeare

Out of context, this pithy quote might seem as though it were spoken by someone having a calm, introspective moment. On the contrary, Frank Ford from 'Merry Wives of Windsor' was in an irate vengeful state, having been called a cuckold: "God be praised for my jealousy! Eleven o'clock the hour. I will prevent this, detect my wife, be revenged on Falstaff, and laugh at Page.". Unlike the rather more sinister 'Othello', Ford's jealousy was largely played off as a joke, as might be fitting in a comedy.

From Quiz Who Said That?

Answer: Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar spoke this unforgettable quote after he was asked to describe one of his victories - the Battle of Zela (BC 47) in his war against Pharnaces II.

From Quiz Potent Quotables

Answer: Steve Biko

South African Stephen Biko founded the Black Consciousness Movement and was a very active anti-apartheid campaigner. He died in police custody in 1977. He was portrayed by Denzel Washington in the 1987 film Cry Freedom. Peter Gabriel wrote and recorded the song "Biko", released in 1980.

From Quiz Who Said That?

Answer: Albert Einstein

We've all heard of Albert Einstein (d. 1955), famous for his general theory of relativity. Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. If it wasn't for him staying with problems longer, we may not have.

From Quiz Quotations: Gods, Devils and Prayer

Answer: Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka was born in Prague in 1883. He worked as an insurance officer and wrote in his spare time. By the time he died in Klosterneuburg in Austria in 1924, he had published little and received little attention. He had finished none of his novels and burned nearly all his work. His great works, including 'The Trial' and 'The Castle' were published after his death, against his wishes, by his friend Max Brod.

From Quiz May I Quote You?

Answer: Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) had enough careers for a several individuals: printer, author, statesman, inventor. He accomplished many things from inventing a musical instrument to serving as Governor of Pennsylvania to studying electricity and the Gulf Stream.

From Quiz Famous Last Words

Answer: Elvis Presley

Elvis died in 1977 at his home, Graceland. His girl friend, Ginger Alden, who found him slumped over in the bathroom gives us his last words. He died of a heart attack. Years of prescription drug abuse contributed to his premature death. He sold over 600 million records worldwide.

From Quiz The Code

Answer: Larry Wall

American programmer Larry Wall (born 1954) is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and worked for NASA for some time. He has created programs like the "rn" newsreader and the "patch" program, but gained recognition for his family of programming languages called "Perl", used mainly for scripting. Wall began developing it in 1987.

From Quiz How the Wit Was Won

Answer: Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, née Roberts, was born October 13, 1925 in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. She died at the age of 87 in London. Thatcher is the only woman to have held the office of British Prime Minister and was Britain's longest-serving P.M. in the 20th century. "Thatcherism" became a representation of her staunch political posture and ethical viewpoints. The Russians were the first to dub her "Iron Lady".

From Quiz Xenophobe Tendencies

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919), a Republican, served in a variety of positions within the U.S. government, and as a military man. Roosevelt not only served in the war against Cuba as a colonel, but also as the New York City Police Commissioner, Governor of New York, and Vice President of the United States before becoming President. His term lasted from 1901 to 1909. During a speech promoting himself for the 1912 elections, Roosevelt was shot in the chest, but the large speech he had kept in his pocket helped block the bullet which entered his body. Disregarding this, he completed his hour and a half-long speech before going to the hospital. During his time in the hospital, the other candidates stopped their campaigning.

From Quiz What Is A Mistake?

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

Born in 1858, Theodore Roosevelt was a successful politician, holding several posts including New York City Police Commissioner. He became president after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901.

From Quiz Don't Worry, Be Happy

Answer: Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948) is known worldwide by the epithet "Mahatma" meaning venerable. His definition of happiness is in keeping with his philosophies for a peaceful life which, in its simplest terms, means harmony and balance in all things.

From Quiz A Matter Of Life And Death

Answer: Monty Python

Written by "Monty Python" member Eric Idle, the song was used at the end of the film, "Monty Python's Life Of Brian". As the crucifixion victims are dying, one of them (Idle) starts to sing the ironic song and the others join in. The song is now very popular at funerals.

From Quiz Hear Me Now and Understand Me Later

Answer: Dana Carvey & Kevin Nealon

In this funny skit on "Saturday Night Live", Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon played the part of two Austrian bodybuilders that were here to "pump you up!"

From Quiz A Series of Random Quotes from Civilization V

Answer: Thomas Aquinas

Aquinas brought the teachings of Aristotle and to the word of Christianity in the Middle Ages. He believed in the importance of education for all followers, and even till today, his teachings are needed for all deacons and priests.

From Quiz Notable Quotes from Legendary People

Answer: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was born in Indianapolis to third generation German-American parents. He is chiefly known for his science fiction book, "Slaughterhouse-Five", which was designated as among the 100 Best Novels by "Time Magazine" in 2005. Other than science fiction, he wrote books in the satire and gallows humor genre. Some of his other notable works include "Cat's Cradle" and "Breakfast of Champions".

From Quiz Don't Quote Me, Yet Again

Answer: Igor Stravinsky

Igor Fyodorovich Strvinsky was born in St Petersburg, Russia, on 17 June 1882. He started to play the piano as a young boy and not long after he was in his teens he had mastered many pieces. He enrolled in university to study law, but was not a good student as he spent more time studying music than law. After his father's death, Stravinsky began taking lessons from Rimsky-Korskov until Rimsky-Korsakov's death in 1908. In 1908 Stravinsky was commissioned to compose a ballet score for "The Firebird", which had its opening performance in Paris in June 1910, and he became an "overnight sensation". His family joined him in Paris and they moved to Switzerland and spent their time between Switzerland and Russia. By 1913 he had composed the music for two further ballets, "Petrushka" and "The Right of Spring", and he then completed his first opera "Le Rossignol" (The Nightingale). When it seemed inevitable that there would be a war, Stravinsky returned to Russia to collect personal effects and music manuscripts, returning to Switzerland just in time, as the borders were being closed. He did not return to Russia until 1962. In September 1939, Stravinsky arrived the USA and travelled to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he had engagements at Harvard. He eventually settled in Hollywood, becoming a US citizen in 1946. He continued with his compositions until his death in 1971 due to heart failure. He was 88 years of age. In 1987 he was posthumously given the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement, and he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

From Quiz Don't Quote Me

Answer: Lana Turner

Lana Turner, born in 1921 in Idaho USA, was one of Hollywood's most popular and glamorous stars of the 50s and 60s. She began her movie career aged sixteen. She was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress in "Peyton Place" (1957). Turner was married eight times (twice to the same man), her first husband being bandleader Artie Shaw who she married in 1940 when she was 19 years old. That marriage only lasted three months. She hit the headlines in 1958 when her daughter, Cheryl Crane, stabbed her mother's lover, Johnny Stompanato, to death. At a Coroner's inquest, it was found that Crane acted in self-defence. In 1992 Turner was diagnosed with throat cancer. She died in 1995 aged 74.

From Quiz Laugh

Answer: Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou is an American author and poet. She has written many autobiographies, as well as poems and plays. Angelou recited one of her poems at President Clinton's inauguration in 1993.

From Quiz A Parade of Prayer Perceptions

Answer: Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi entered this world on 2 October 1869 at Porbandar, India. The honorific title of Mahatma translates to "great soul" and synonymous to the Christian term "saint". He is also referred to as Bapu, a Gujarati word meaning "father".

From Quiz Famous Quotes from Civilization

Answer: Al Capone

Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was born on 17 January 1899 in Brooklyn, New York. Capone was a gangster during the Prohibition Era in America. He died on 25 January 1947 of cardiac arrest after suffering a heart attack.

From Quiz Lines of Legend

Answer: Sarah Bernhardt

"The Divine Sarah" was born 1844 as Rosine Bernardt in Paris, France. She took to the stage in 1862 and rose to fame as a stage/film actress. She passed away in 1923 and was interred at the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

From Quiz Quotes: An Endless Bridge of Wisdom

Answer: Robert Edward Lee

The well-known Confederate general, Robert Edward Lee (1807-1870), was a strong believer in moral values like duty, self-sacrifice, Christianity, respect for other people, kindness, loyalty and honesty.

From Quiz Legendary Quotes from Legendary Men

Answer: Salvador Dalí

Salvador Dalí was born on May 11th, 1904 in Figueres,Spain. After training at the Academia de San Fernando, Madrid he left for Paris where he met Pablo Picasso. He also met Joan Miro, the Spanish painter and sculptor who introduced him to painter René Magritte who in turn introduced Dalí to Surrealism. Dali died January 23rd, 1989 at Figueres.

From Quiz Don't You Dare Suggest That!

Answer: Albert Camus

Albert Camus, a 1957 Nobel Prize for Literature, is known for authoring many books and plays, like "Caligula". Although he was born in Algeria, from a mother of Spanish descent, he is considered as French because Algeria wasn't independent then.

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Last Updated Nov 01 2026 9:06 AM

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