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Wish You Were Here Trivia Quiz

Identify these famous explorers by the postcards they sent home to their loved ones. It's as easy as....circumnavigating the globe! Good Luck!

A multiple-choice quiz by ks_sweet_pea. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
ks_sweet_pea

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
342,192

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Easy

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
901

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. 14 May 1804
Dearest Julia,
I assure you that no man lives that I would prefer to undertake such an adventure as my dear friend Meriwether. Together we will explore westward in an attempt locate a waterway that will stretch to the Pacific Ocean. We have had a time getting underway, but are now heading up the Missouri River. I will marry you upon my return.
All my love,
__________ Hint

Hernando DeSoto

Samuel Champlain

William Clark

James Cook

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. 1778 January
Dear Elizabeth,
The HMS Resolution has proven to be a stout ship. After returning Omai to Tahiti, we had sailed North and discovered a small group of islands where the women are wearing grass skirts and brassieres of coconut shells. I'm sure the very sight would cause a stir at home in England. I have decided to call the islands the Sandwich Islands after the Earl of Sandwich.
All my love,
____________ Hint

Captain William Clark

Captain William Wallace

Captain James T. Kirk

Captain James Cook

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Dear Father,
I have attempted to follow Bjarni Herjulfsson's route in reverse, which has led me far to the West of our homeland and believe I have discovered 'A New World'. There are many natives here who seem to spend a lot of time in the sun as they are quite tan. Tell my brother, Thorvald, that I will return after the winter and he may journey to our new settlement here, which we have named Vinland.
Your son,
__________ Hint

Christopher Columbus

Leif Erikson

Sir Francis Drake

Hernando DeSoto

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Dear Mom,
It has been an exciting trip so far, getting to know dad and Uncle Maffeo. They have told me all about their encounters with Kublai Khan. So far I have discovered a thin pasta and a frozen treat among many other wonders. We will be gone for 24 years so I hope you will recognize me on our return. I will bring you some eye glasses to help you see me more clearly, which I have also discovered while on our trip through Asia.
Love always, your son,
______________________ Hint

Marco Polo

Sir Walter Raleigh

Amerigo Vespucci

Juan Ponce de Leon

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. 17 January 1912
My Dear Kathleen,
Although we have reached the South Pole today, I fear it was all in vain. There has been much disappointment on this Terra Nova Expedition, unlike the previous Discovery expedition of 1901-03. We are not the first to reach the Pole after all. I fear that my 4 fellow travelers and I will die of starvation and cold exposure. I will remember you fondly.
Your devoted husband,
_____________________ Hint

Amerigo Vespucci

Captain Robert Falcon Scott

Captain James Cook

Marco Polo

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. 6 July 1869
Dearest Emma,
My love, the beauty of this untamed wildnerness is astounding. We have lost some gear along the way, but this canyon is both beautiful and 'grand'. Many of the men we started with have left the expedition, but I am content to follow the Colorado to the mouth of the Virgin River. I have named many of the iconic features I have seen along the way. I now know why the humble natives are so protective of this place, I do admire their culture and beliefs. I will see you soon!
Love,
__________ Hint

John Wesley Powell

Meriwether Lewis

William Clark

Amerigo Vespucci

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. 13 October 1783
Dear Francisco Palou,
I am glad to know my former student is well on his way to becoming a fellow missionary. It has been quite a journey that God has blessed me with. It was a year ago that we were able to build the chapel at Mission San Juan Capistrano. I have presided over the confirmations of 213 people in the last two days and my efforts to encourage Spain to colonize this Western American territory, I believe they are calling it California, are going well.
Blessings to you,
__________________ Hint

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Pope John Paul II

Fray Junipero Serra

Nicephorus Gregoras

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Dear Mary,
I have traveled through Africa these many years and seen many a marvel, but none so beautiful as the falls the natives call 'the smoke that thunders'. I am renaming it Victoria Falls after our beloved Queen. During my journey I have had a splendid thought. I believe the waterways in Africa shall provide much needed trade routes and have decided to pursue my goal by finding the source of the River Nile. I look forward to your joining me on a trip in the future. Until then -
Your beloved husband,
______________________ Hint

Meriwether Lewis

Sir Henry Morton Stanley

David Livingstone

Sir Douglas Mawson

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Dear King Charles,
We have made our way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific through a strait which I have humbly named after myself. We are crossing the Pacific Ocean now in search of the Spice Islands and plan to return to Spain after completely circumnavigating the Earth with our many ships.
Sincerely,
____________ Hint

Ponce De Leon

Ferdinand Magellan

Amerigo Vespucci

Sir John James Gibraltar

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Dear Clarissa,
I have reached the summit of this spectacular 'peak'. It is tremendous and you can see for miles all around. It is a glorious discovery in spite of the disappointment we have had with our search for the head waters of the Red River. We will be setting up a winter camp here in the midst of these mountains which seem to be very 'rocky'.
Love always,
_____________ Hint

William McKinley

Zebulon Pike

George Everest

John Teton

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. 14 May 1804 Dearest Julia, I assure you that no man lives that I would prefer to undertake such an adventure as my dear friend Meriwether. Together we will explore westward in an attempt locate a waterway that will stretch to the Pacific Ocean. We have had a time getting underway, but are now heading up the Missouri River. I will marry you upon my return. All my love, __________

Answer: William Clark

Captain William Clark was an American explorer most famous for his exploration with Meriwether Lewis in the Lewis and Clark expeditions across North America.

2. 1778 January Dear Elizabeth, The HMS Resolution has proven to be a stout ship. After returning Omai to Tahiti, we had sailed North and discovered a small group of islands where the women are wearing grass skirts and brassieres of coconut shells. I'm sure the very sight would cause a stir at home in England. I have decided to call the islands the Sandwich Islands after the Earl of Sandwich. All my love, ____________

Answer: Captain James Cook

Captain James Cook was a famous British explorer who was the first to circumnavigate the globe with a single ship. He is remembered in particular for his cartographic work as well as making the first European contact with the Hawaiian Islands and Australia's eastern most coast.

3. Dear Father, I have attempted to follow Bjarni Herjulfsson's route in reverse, which has led me far to the West of our homeland and believe I have discovered 'A New World'. There are many natives here who seem to spend a lot of time in the sun as they are quite tan. Tell my brother, Thorvald, that I will return after the winter and he may journey to our new settlement here, which we have named Vinland. Your son, __________

Answer: Leif Erikson

Leif Erikson was a Viking explorer who is believed to have been the first European to discover America, 'The New World', around the year 1000. Lef's expedition was followed by a second trip led by his brother, Thorvald. Vinland was eventually abandoned as a possible Viking settlement.

4. Dear Mom, It has been an exciting trip so far, getting to know dad and Uncle Maffeo. They have told me all about their encounters with Kublai Khan. So far I have discovered a thin pasta and a frozen treat among many other wonders. We will be gone for 24 years so I hope you will recognize me on our return. I will bring you some eye glasses to help you see me more clearly, which I have also discovered while on our trip through Asia. Love always, your son, ______________________

Answer: Marco Polo

Marco Polo was an Italian merchant and traveler who traveled with his father, Niccolo, and uncle, Maffeo, throughout Asia and China and is accredited with discovering spaghetti, ice cream and eye glasses and bringing them back to the western world. His journey's returned him home 24 years after his departure from Venice.

5. 17 January 1912 My Dear Kathleen, Although we have reached the South Pole today, I fear it was all in vain. There has been much disappointment on this Terra Nova Expedition, unlike the previous Discovery expedition of 1901-03. We are not the first to reach the Pole after all. I fear that my 4 fellow travelers and I will die of starvation and cold exposure. I will remember you fondly. Your devoted husband, _____________________

Answer: Captain Robert Falcon Scott

Captain Robert Falcon Scott is famous for leading two expeditions to the previously unexplored Antarctic regions. His second expedition, Terra Nova, ended in tragedy when he reached the South Pole to find a Norwegian expedition headed by Roald Amundsen had beaten him to the Pole. Sadly, Scott and his fellow explorers would perish of exhaustion, starvation and exposure before they are able to return home.

6. 6 July 1869 Dearest Emma, My love, the beauty of this untamed wildnerness is astounding. We have lost some gear along the way, but this canyon is both beautiful and 'grand'. Many of the men we started with have left the expedition, but I am content to follow the Colorado to the mouth of the Virgin River. I have named many of the iconic features I have seen along the way. I now know why the humble natives are so protective of this place, I do admire their culture and beliefs. I will see you soon! Love, __________

Answer: John Wesley Powell

John Wesley Powell was an American explorer and geologist. He is most famous for his 3-month expedition down the Colorado and Green Rivers and the first known passage through the Grand Canyon by boat. Because of his respect and curiosity of Native Americans, it is believed that in all his years of exploring the American West, he never used military escorts or carried a gun.

7. 13 October 1783 Dear Francisco Palou, I am glad to know my former student is well on his way to becoming a fellow missionary. It has been quite a journey that God has blessed me with. It was a year ago that we were able to build the chapel at Mission San Juan Capistrano. I have presided over the confirmations of 213 people in the last two days and my efforts to encourage Spain to colonize this Western American territory, I believe they are calling it California, are going well. Blessings to you, __________________

Answer: Fray Junipero Serra

Fray Junipero Serra (1713-1784), sometimes nicknamed the 'Apostle of California', was a Franciscan friar from Majorca. Noted for his persistence and willpower, Serra assisted in colonizing Alta California and despite his ill health founded many missions including the mission San Carlos Borromeo at Carmel where much of his work was centered.

8. Dear Mary, I have traveled through Africa these many years and seen many a marvel, but none so beautiful as the falls the natives call 'the smoke that thunders'. I am renaming it Victoria Falls after our beloved Queen. During my journey I have had a splendid thought. I believe the waterways in Africa shall provide much needed trade routes and have decided to pursue my goal by finding the source of the River Nile. I look forward to your joining me on a trip in the future. Until then - Your beloved husband, ______________________

Answer: David Livingstone

David Livingstone was a Scottish born, national hero of Britain in the early to mid 1800s. He was famous for his exploration of the interior of Africa. Livingstone had disappeared and was rumored dead when Sir Henry Morton Stanley, a journalist, found him and supposedly greeted him with the famous words "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"

9. Dear King Charles, We have made our way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific through a strait which I have humbly named after myself. We are crossing the Pacific Ocean now in search of the Spice Islands and plan to return to Spain after completely circumnavigating the Earth with our many ships. Sincerely, ____________

Answer: Ferdinand Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who, with his partner Rui Faleiro, set out to find a westward trade route to the Spice Islands for the King of Spain, and his own financial gains of course. Although ships under his command did complete the circumnavigation of the Earth and he is accredited for the feat, Magellan was killed in the Phillipines in the Battle of Mactan, and never completed the exploration himself.

10. Dear Clarissa, I have reached the summit of this spectacular 'peak'. It is tremendous and you can see for miles all around. It is a glorious discovery in spite of the disappointment we have had with our search for the head waters of the Red River. We will be setting up a winter camp here in the midst of these mountains which seem to be very 'rocky'. Love always, _____________

Answer: Zebulon Pike

Zebulon Montgomery Pike, Jr discovered the peak named in his honor in what is now Colorado during his Red River expedition. His team was captured by the Spanish at their winter camp and taken to Chihuahua where they were questioned but later released in 1807.

Source: Author ks_sweet_pea

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