About 100 Years Ago Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hope Diamond purchase

The Times wrote about the purchase of the Hope Diamond. They relayed information from the time the rough blue diamond, that weighed 112 karats, was cut to 67.5 karats and brought to Paris in 1688. They recounted all the owners of the diamond and the bad luck that had befallen most of them.

The diamond had been cut again and weighed in at 45.5 karats. The new owners, Mr. and Mrs. McLean of NYC, were having the stone set in a bandeau for Mrs. McLean to wear. The stone was guarded by a former Secret Service agent and two detectives.

Answer: harem skirts

Pope Pius X was born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto in 1835 in the Austrian Empire. In 1903, after the death of Pope Leo XIII, Pope Pius X became the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church. He was known for his church reforms and conservative theology. He spoke against modernists and relativists.

In 1910, he issued the Oath Against Modernism that had to be sworn by certain Catholics until 1967. In 1911, Pius X declared he disapproved of harem skirts and that anyone wearing one would not be allowed in the church.

The harem skirts of the early 1900s were not nearly as risque as the harem pants we know today but I'm sure they were pretty provocative in their day. They were made from exotic materials and designs. Skirts were made from billowy material that crossed over in the front, somewhere between the ankle and the knee, leaving some leg exposed.

Answer: True

Harlean Harlow Carpenter (Jean Harlow) was born on March 3, 1911 and died June 7, 1937 at age 26 from kidney failure. In her short life and movie career, she starred with many of the greats like Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore, William Powell, and Robert Taylor.
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (L. Ron Hubbard) was born on March 13, 1911 and died January 24, 1986. He's probably best known for his book and self help system "Dianetics" and as founder of the Church of Scientology.
Jack Ruby was born on March 25, 1911 and died of lung cancer on January 3, 1967 while awaiting his second trial for the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald. Oswald had been arrested for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy at the time that Ruby walked up to him and shot him at point blank range.
Thomas Lanier Williams (Tennessee Williams) was born on March 26, 1911 and died February 25, 1983. He wrote many plays, short stories, and novels but is probably best known for "The Glass Menagerie" and "A Streetcar Named Desire".

Answer: Mexican Revolution

The Mexican Revolution began November 20, 1910 when Francisco Madero declared himself President Pro Tem and started an uprising. By the first quarter of 1911, leaders like Emiliano Zapata and Francisco (Pancho) Villa were directing armies of peasants against the Mexican government and President Diaz. In 1915, the city of Ciudad Juarez was captured and President Diaz resigned. It took a couple of years to write a constitution and five years to quiet all the small civil outbreaks and then the war was over.
The Panama Canal was built between 1904 and 1914.
The London Underground actually started operation in January of 1863.
The Hoover Dam was built between 1931 and 1936.

Answer: Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu

With the help of natives, Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, on July 24, 1911. Bingham was a treasure hunter, professor, and explorer who would later become a United States Senator (does Indiana Jones come to mind?). Bingham had traveled to South America before and had returned to the Andes Mountains in 1911.

After his discovery, several people came forth to say they had already found the lost city but Hiram Bingham made Machu Picchu famous and a world known tourist attraction.

Answer: The Mona Lisa was stolen

On August 22, 1911, an employee of the Louvre walked out of the museum with the Leonardo Da Vinci painting of Mona Lisa under his coat. He felt the painting should be returned to its native country, Italy. The theft wasn't discovered until the next day.

The Louvre was closed for a week while an investigation was under way. One of the people questioned about the theft was Pablo Picasso. The painting was recovered when the employee, after two years, tried to sell it to an Italian museum.

Answer: False

On September 22, 1911, Cy Young shut out the Pittsburgh Pirates. This was the last shut out of his long career. He retired from baseball later that year.
Italy declared war on the Ottoman Empire (not Germany) on September 29, 1911. The war was over by October 18, 1912 and Italy won. As a result, three provinces that would eventually become Libya were awarded to Italy.
Cal Rodgers, the great grandson of Matthew Perry, flew from New York to California in 82 hours after only a few hours of flying lessons. The trip was approximately 4,000 miles long. He started the trip on September 17, 1911 and finished it on December 10, 1911 by driving the plane into the ocean. His trip included over 70 landings, of which 16 were crashes, and he was hospitalized a couple of times for injuries. And to think I complained when it took 5 hours to get from the Midwest to Seattle!

Answer: first public escalator used in Earl's Court Station, London

Tracks at Earl's Court (London) opened in 1869. The station opened in 1871 and the first electrified sections opened in 1903. Electrified services throughout Earl's Court began in 1905. On October 4, 1911 the first escalators were installed to take passengers from the surface level platform to the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway (later called the Piccadilly Line) platform below.

In 2007 records show that almost 21 million people entered and exited from this station, so moving people efficiently is extremely important.

Answer: False

Leo Jacob (Lee J. Cobb) was born December 9, 1911 and died February 11, 1976. He acted on TV and in movies. He was in "12 Angry Men", "The Exorcist", and the "Flint" movies with James Coburn.
Leonard Franklin Slye (Roy Rogers) was born November 5, 1911 and died July 8, 1998. Roy was a cowboy, a singer, and an actor. He and his wife Dale Evans made many westerns together. He had a dog named Bullet and a horse named Trigger. "The Roy Rogers Show" started on radio but moved to TV.
David Lee Margulois (David Merrick) was born November 27, 1911 and died April 25, 2000. He was a prolific producer of plays. He was nominated for numerous Tony Awards and won several. He was also known for his love of publicity stunts.

Answer: Sun Yat-sen became the first President of the Republic of China

On December 29, 1911, Sun Yat-sen was elected as the provisional President of the Republic of China. He took office on January 1, 1912 and served as the first President for three months. He has been called the Founding Father of Republician China and has been credited with ending the last Chinese dynasty, Qing.