Famous People Trivia Quiz

Think you know Famous People? Here are 50 Famous People trivia questions with answers — then play them live against real players in the free Triviarena quiz app.

1. Bruno Ludke was born in 1909. When he was young, he tortured animals for fun. He strangled or stabbed to death 85 women. Where was he from?
   • Russia
   • Great Britain
   • America
   • Germany
   Answer: Germany
2. Two Tickets to Paradise, released in 1977 was this Eddies first hit.
   • Eddie Rabbit
   • Eddie Van Halen
   • Eddie Munster
   • Eddie Money
   Answer: Eddie Money
3. Which world leader did Malcolm X meet in Harlem in 1960 and publicly praise?
   • Gamal Abdel Nasser
   • Kwame Nkrumah
   • Fidel Castro
   • Che Guevara
   Answer: Fidel Castro
   Malcolm X met Fidel Castro during the 1960 UN General Assembly and publicly praised him after their meeting.
4. George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. constructed the modern version of the Ferris wheel in 1893 for what major world exposition?
   • California Pacific International Exposition 1893
   • Exposition Universelle, Paris 1893
   • Lewis Clark Centennial Exposition 1893
   • Worlds Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Illinois 1893
   Answer: Worlds Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Illinois 1893
5. This job requires sorting lasts(shoe molds) in numbered racks and transporting them to a storage room.
   • Last putter-away
   • Last sorter
   • Last storage operator
   • Mold sorter
   Answer: Last putter-away
6. Which major body of water was named by Ferdinand Magellan during his famous 1520 expedition?
   • Indian Ocean
   • Atlantic Ocean
   • Southern Ocean
   • Pacific Ocean
   Answer: Pacific Ocean
   Upon passing through the treacherous straits into calmer waters, Magellan renamed the Mar del Sur to the Mar Pacifico, or Pacific Ocean.
7. The zeppelin took the name of German nobleman Ferdinand von Zeppelin who bore what title?
   • Count
   • Lord
   • Baron
   • Duke
   Answer: Count
8. What was the name of Aristotle's father, who died when he was a child?
   • Aristotélēs
   • Nicomachus
   • Plato
   • Philip
   Answer: Nicomachus
   The passage identifies Aristotle's father as Nicomachus.
9. This American physicist invented the first automatic programmable electronic digital computer.
   • Edwin H. Armstrong
   • John Vincent Atanasoff
   • Henri Coanda
   • Alexander Graham Bell
   Answer: John Vincent Atanasoff
10. For which 1975 thriller did John Williams compose the iconic, suspenseful two-note main theme?
    • Jaws
    • Psycho
    • Alien
    • Halloween
    Answer: Jaws
    John Williams composed the famous, suspenseful two-note ostinato theme for Steven Spielberg's blockbuster thriller Jaws.
11. While studying in Switzerland, which American athlete was Kim Jong Un obsessed with?
    • Tiger Woods
    • Muhammad Ali
    • Michael Jordan
    • Babe Ruth
    Answer: Michael Jordan
    Classmates recalled that Kim Jong Un was a massive basketball fan and spent hours drawing Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan.
12. How did Mata Hari die?
    • She was poisoned.
    • She was hanged.
    • She was executed by firing squad.
    • She committed suicide.
    Answer: She was executed by firing squad.
13. Harry S. Truman is the only US president since William McKinley to lack what?
    • A college degree
    • Prior political office
    • Military experience
    • A middle name
    Answer: A college degree
    Truman briefly attended a business college and took some night courses in law, but he never earned a formal college degree.
14. At the start of World War II, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., the patriarch of the prominent political clan, served as the United States Ambassador to this country.
    • The Soviet Union
    • France
    • The United Kingdom
    • Germany
    Answer: The United Kingdom
15. After World War II, J. Robert Oppenheimer strongly opposed the development of which weapon?
    • The hydrogen bomb
    • The neutron bomb
    • Biological weapons
    • Intercontinental missiles
    Answer: The hydrogen bomb
    Oppenheimer and the General Advisory Committee recommended against developing the far more powerful hydrogen bomb, partly on ethical grounds.
16. What is the title of Sheryl Sandberg's 2013 bestselling book about women and business leadership?
    • Lean In
    • Dare to Lead
    • Becoming
    • Girlboss
    Answer: Lean In
    Sandberg co-authored 'Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead', which sold over a million copies.
17. Who was Queen Victorias spouse and consort?
    • Prince Edward
    • King Gerorge IVI
    • King Charles I
    • Prince Albert
    Answer: Prince Albert
18. Starting in 1966, she was the prime minister of India for 15 years. Her political career was controversial, as she was viewed by some as a dictator.
    • Golda Meïr
    • Élisabeth Domitién
    • Indira Gandhi
    • Sirimavo Bandaranaike
    Answer: Indira Gandhi
19. What were the first three executive departments during George Washingtons tenure as President?
    • Defense, State, Education
    • Navy, Education, Treasury
    • Agriculture, Treasury, State
    • War, State, Treasury
    Answer: War, State, Treasury
20. What country sent its fleet to England with the intention to invade the country and overthrow Queen Elizabeth I of England, but was defeated in 1588?
    • France
    • Spain
    • Scotland
    • Russia
    Answer: Spain
21. This famous English pirate and politician of the Elizabethan era sailed around the world, returning to England in 1580.
    • Amerigo Vespucci
    • Bartholomew Roberts
    • Francis Drake
    • Marco Polo
    Answer: Francis Drake
22. From which university did Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands obtain her degree in law in practice?
    • Utrecht
    • Maastricht
    • Leiden
    • Groningen
    Answer: Leiden
23. Which US Senator, and later Vice President, was nicknamed Fritz?
    • Teddy Kennedy of Massachusetts
    • Walter Mondale of Minnesota
    • Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota
    • Robert Dole of Kansas
    Answer: Walter Mondale of Minnesota
24. What U.S. President faced impeachment in 1868 for steadfastly opposing Radicals in Congress?
    • Ulysses Simpson Grant
    • James Abram Garfield
    • James Buchanan
    • Andrew Johnson
    Answer: Andrew Johnson
25. Of what origin is the surname Kerr?
    • German
    • French
    • Belgian
    • Scottish
    Answer: Scottish
26. Chris Pratt had his television breakthrough playing Andy Dwyer on which hit NBC sitcom?
    • Parks and Recreation
    • The Office
    • Community
    • Brooklyn Nine-Nine
    Answer: Parks and Recreation
    Pratt's role as the lovable slacker Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation served as his major acting breakthrough.
27. In which Southeast Asian country was Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh born?
    • Singapore
    • Thailand
    • Malaysia
    • Philippines
    Answer: Malaysia
    Michelle Yeoh was born in Ipoh, Malaysia, and represented the country in the Miss World 1983 pageant.
28. This incredibly talented African-American stand-up comedian turned his comic abilities into a successful movie career. He was 65 when he died in December of 2005, after battling a crippling disease during the last several years of his life.
    • Joey Bishop
    • Jimmy Walker
    • Mel Blanc
    • Richard Pryor
    Answer: Richard Pryor
29. Who wrote The female knee is a joint and not an entertainment?
    • Sir Walter Scott
    • Dr. Phil
    • Judge Judy
    • Percy Hammond
    Answer: Percy Hammond
30. How was Christopher Columbus corpse treated immediately after his death?
    • The head was removed from the body.
    • It was burned.
    • It was embalmed and dehydrated.
    • The flesh was removed from the bones.
    Answer: The flesh was removed from the bones.
31. What member of the rock band KISS dated Cher after she separated with Gregg Allman?
    • Paul Stanley
    • Eric Singer
    • Gene Simmons
    • Tommy Thayer
    Answer: Gene Simmons
32. Uncommon Women and Others, The Heidi Chronicles, Isnt It Romantic, and The Sisters Rosensweig are written by this playwright.
    • Wendy Wasserstein
    • Sally Behrmann
    • Jill Matherson
    • Andrea ODowell
    Answer: Wendy Wasserstein
33. Jennifer Lopez wearing a plunging green Versace dress to the 2000 Grammys led to the creation of what?
    • Google Images
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
    Answer: Google Images
    The immense search volume for photos of Lopez in the green dress prompted Google to create an image-specific search tool.
34. In 1997 Lady Diana died in a car crash travelling at high speed in what car?
    • Lamborghini Diablo
    • Buick Riviera
    • Volvo C70
    • Mercedes-Benz 280 S
    Answer: Mercedes-Benz 280 S
35. Which iconic horror character did Christopher Lee famously portray in ten different films?
    • Count Dracula
    • Frankenstein's monster
    • The Wolf Man
    • The Mummy
    Answer: Count Dracula
    Christopher Lee became a horror legend by playing Count Dracula in 10 films, including seven for Hammer Productions.
36. Which chemical element did Marie Curie name in honor of her native country?
    • Francium
    • Curium
    • Polonium
    • Radium
    Answer: Polonium
    Marie Curie named the first element she discovered 'polonium' after her native Poland.
37. Who was Kim Jong Un's father and predecessor as supreme leader of North Korea?
    • Kim Il Sung
    • Kim Jong Il
    • Kim Jong Nam
    • Kim Jong Chul
    Answer: Kim Jong Il
    Kim Jong Un is the third supreme leader of North Korea, succeeding his father, Kim Jong Il, who died in 2011.
38. What Victorian author is famous for writing the social novel North and South and the biography of fellow novelist Charlotte Brontë?
    • Elizabeth Barrett Browning
    • Elizabeth Spencer
    • Elizabeth Smart
    • Elizabeth Gaskell
    Answer: Elizabeth Gaskell
39. Which acclaimed director wrote the 2002 film 'Punch-Drunk Love' specifically for Adam Sandler?
    • Paul Thomas Anderson
    • Quentin Tarantino
    • Martin Scorsese
    • Wes Anderson
    Answer: Paul Thomas Anderson
    Paul Thomas Anderson had an obsession-level love for Sandler's movies and wrote the film for him.
40. According to a biography by Clark Gable she was extremely dirty, and not in the sexual sense.
    • Marilyn Monroe
    • Elizabeth Taylor
    • Audrey Hepburn
    • Audrey Manson
    Answer: Marilyn Monroe
41. This American journalists catch line was Hello America. This is London calling.
    • Ed McMahon
    • Eddie Foy
    • Ed Sullivan
    • Edward R Murrow
    Answer: Edward R Murrow
42. Which famous British musician did Heidi Klum marry in 2005 and later divorce?
    • Seal
    • Lenny Kravitz
    • John Legend
    • Sting
    Answer: Seal
    Heidi Klum was married to the singer Seal from 2005 to 2014, and they had three biological children together.
43. This job requires dipping nuts in hot water, so their shells get softer, as well as maintaining the equipment and temperature.
    • Nut heater
    • Nut softener
    • Nut steamer
    • Nut boiler
    Answer: Nut steamer
44. Which Florida-born surfer holds the men's record of 11 world titles?
    • Kelly Slater
    • Andy Irons
    • John John Florence
    • Mick Fanning
    Answer: Kelly Slater
45. This pharmacist was the inventor of Coca Cola.
    • James Russell
    • Frank Robinson
    • Doctor John Pemberton
    • Viktor Schauberger
    Answer: Doctor John Pemberton
46. Tutankhamun succeeded Akhenaten when he was just 8 (this is true). He adopted Akhenatens monotheistic ideas and strengthened the cult in Aten.
    • True
    • False
    Answer: False
47. What medical device did Roald Dahl help invent after his son was struck by a taxi?
    • An artificial pacemaker
    • A portable ventilator
    • A bone growth stimulator
    • A cerebral shunt valve
    Answer: A cerebral shunt valve
    After his son developed hydrocephalus from an accident, Dahl co-invented the Wade-Dahl-Till valve to improve the shunts used for treatment.
48. What two ancestries are mentioned for Cameron Diaz's mother?
    • English and German
    • Spanish and Cuban
    • Irish and Scottish
    • French and Italian
    Answer: English and German
    The text explicitly states that her mother has predominantly English and German ancestry.
49. What type of vessel was Cornelius Vanderbilt's first boat, the Swiftsure?
    • A schooner
    • A steamship
    • A sloop
    • A periauger
    Answer: A periauger
    The text specifies that Vanderbilt purchased a periauger, which is described as a shallow draft, two-masted sailing vessel.
50. On a mission over the Pacific as a torpedo bomber pilot this future US President was shot down by Japanese antiaircraft fire.
    • Bill Clinton
    • George H.W. Bush
    • Ronald Reagan
    • George W. Bush
    Answer: George H.W. Bush