Did Typhoid Mary really exist?

Yes, Typhoid Mary’s name was Mary Mallon (1870-1938). She was an institutional and household cook who spread the disease from house to house in the New York City area in the early twentieth century.

When did Genghis Khan live and how far did his reign extend?

Genghis Khan was born circa 1162 and died in 1227. His real name was Temiijin; the title Genghis Khan meant “universal ruler.” He ruled Mongolia, conquered China, devastated the Muslim empire of Khwarizm (now part of Soviet Uzbekistan), and raided Persia and Russia.

Did King George III of England really go insane?

did king george iii of england really go insane

Yes, King George III really went insane. The English king (1738-1820) probably suffered from an inherited blood disorder called porphyria, which affects the nervous system. In 1788, he became violently insane and had to be put in a straitjacket. He recovered but eventually suffered a relapse. After 1811, his son, the future George IV, served … Read more

Who is the Mason-Dixon line named for?

who is the mason dixon line named for

The two men who laid the Mason-Dixon line gave it its name. Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon laid the line sometime between 1763 and 1767 at 39°43’26” north latitude. Originally it was the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania. Later it marked the line between slave states and free states.

Who is Chicago’s O’Hare Field named after?

who is chicagos ohare field named after

The Chicago O’Hare airport is named for Edward Henry O’Hare, a U.S. aviator who shot down five Japanese planes on November 27, 1943. He is credited with saving the U.S. aircraft carrier Lexington. He died in the air battle.

Who was Tamburlaine the Great and when did he live?

who was tamburlaine the great and when did he live

Tamburlaine the Great was an Islamic Turkic conqueror born in what is now Soviet Uzbekistan in 1336. By 1400, he and his nomad warriors had conquered the whole area from Mongolia to the Mediterranean. He died in 1405 while on his way to conquer China. Known to historians as Timur Lenk, he is best known … Read more

Who was known as the Mouth That Roared?

who was known as the mouth that roared

Martha Mitchell, wife of Richard M. Nixon’s attorney general, John Mitchell, was known as the Mouth That Roared. She was so called for her sometimes outrageous comments on liberals, protesters, reporters, and other menaces to society.

What was Sojourner Truth’s real name?

what was sojourner truths real name

Sojourner Truth was born a slave named Isabella in 1797. After escaping to freedom in 1843, she became the first black female orator to speak out against slavery. Sojourner Truth traveled the North on foot to spread her message. She died in 1883.

Who was Tokyo Rose?

who was tokyo rose

Tokyo Rose was a Japanese American named Iva d’Aquino (b. 1916) known for her World War II radio broadcasts aimed at weakening the morale of U.S. servicemen. Convicted of treason after the war, she received a presidential pardon in 1977. She had several counterparts, all known as Axis Sally and all broadcasting to GIs in … Read more

How many empires did Alexander the Great conquer?

how many empires did alexander the great conquer

By the time of his death in 323 B.C., Alexander III, king of Macedonia, had conquered Persia, Syria, Phoenicia, Egypt, Bactria, Bukhara, and the Punjab. His armies marched as far as India. He was thirty-three when he died.

Who founded the Pinkerton Detective Agency?

who founded the pinkerton detective agency

Allan Pinkerton (1819-1884), a Scotsman who moved to Chicago in 1842. He was deputy sheriff of Cook County before resigning in 1850 to open the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, specializing at first in railway theft cases. The agency’s motto was We Never Sleep, printed under an open eye.

How many King Herods were there?

how many king herods were there

There were four King Herods. Herod the Great was the tetrarch, or subordinate ruler, of the Roman province of Judaea from 41 B.C. to 4 B.C. He was probably in power when Jesus Christ was born. Between 4 B.C. and A.D. 34, three sons of Herod the Great, Herod Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Philip, ruled … Read more

Who was the last emperor of China?

who was the last emperor of china

Henry Pu-yi, from 1908 to 1912, was the last emperor of China. From 1934 to 1945, he was emperor of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in Manchuria. He died in 1967 in the People’s Republic of China.

Who is known as “the man who ate Democrats”?

who is known as the man who ate democrats

The man who ate Democrats was Alfred Packer (1842-1907). In 1873, he guided a party of 20 men into the San Juan Mountains, continued in heavy snows against advice, and returned alone, saying his companions had abandoned him. Months afterward, search parties discovered the bodies of the missing men, most stripped of flesh. Packer was … Read more

Who were the people behind the names of the following concoctions?

who were the people behind the names of the following concoctions

Gimlet. Sir T. 0. Gimlette, a British naval surgeon who in 1890 developed the drink as a healthful cocktail. Grand Marnier. Named (in jest?) by hotel owner Cesar Ritz for a short businessman named Marnier Lapostolle, the inventor of the liqueur. Mickey Finn. A turn-of-the-century Chicago bartender who served the spiked drink to clients he … Read more

Who was the Girl in the Red Velvet Swing?

who was the girl in the red velvet swing

She was Evelyn Nesbit Thaw, a beautiful young woman who had been seduced at age fifteen by architect Stanford White. At the time of the seduction, she was single and a showgirl in the “Floradora” company. She met White in a room with a red velvet swing. After she married, her husband Harry Thaw grew … Read more

What is a shogun in Japan?

what is a shogun in japan

The shoguns were the de facto rulers of Japan from 1192 to 1867. Originally military commanders, they exercised real power, while the emperor retained formal sovereignty. The name is an abbreviation of seii-tai-shogun, meaning “barbarian-quelling generalissimo.”

Who was the Hobson behind the phrase Hobson’s choice?

who was the hobson behind the phrase hobsons choice

A Hobson’s choice is a situation that forces a person to accept whatever is offered or go without. The phrase was inspired by sixteenth-century entrepreneur Thomas Hobson, who hired out horses in strict rotation at Cambridge University. There was no choosing by the customer, it was strictly Hobson’s choice.

Which world leaders bore the following nicknames?

which world leaders bore the following nicknames

The Liberator. Simon Bolivar (1783-1830), leader in the quest for Latin American independence; also, Daniel O’Connell (1775-1847), Irish nationalist leader in the British House of Commons. The Hammer. Charles Martel (688-741?), Frankish ruler who stopped the Muslim invasion of Europe. The Upright. Abu Bakr (c. 573-634), the first Muslim caliph and successor to Muhammad. Mr. … Read more

Who was the longest-reigning pope in history?

who was the longest reigning pope in history

Pius IX, who led the Catholic Church for nearly 32 years, from 1846 to 1878, was the longest-reigning pope. It was during his reign that the First Vatican Council, in 1870, promulgated the dogma of papal infallibility. That doctrine states that the pope cannot err on matters of faith or morals when speaking ex cathedra, … Read more

Did Pythagoras discover the Pythagorean theorem?

did pythagoras discover the pythagorean theorem

Since the ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher (fifth century B.C.) left no writings behind, it is hard to tell if Pythagoras discovered the Pythagorean theorem. His disciples in the Pythagorean school credited him with the theorem concerning the relative lengths of the sides of a right triangle. But it was probably developed later, when mathematical … Read more

Was there an original Goody Two-Shoes?

was there an original goody two shoes

As the subject of the first children’s book of the same name, the character Goody Two-Shoes helped to usher in the children’s book industry. Goody Two-Shoes was a poor girl, who, when given a pair of shoes, became so happy that she told everyone she met about them. The tale was written by Oliver Goldsmith … Read more

Who was the last Byzantine emperor?

who was the last byzantine emperor

Constantine XI, who ruled from 1448 to 1453, was the last Byzantine emperor. He died fighting the Turks in the battle for Constantinople, which ended in the fall of the nearly 1,100-year-old Byzantine Empire.

Who was the first chauvinist and where did the term come from?

who was the first chauvinist and where did the term come from

The term chauvinism originally referred to Nicolas Chauvin, a French soldier of the Napoleonic era whose devotion to Napoleon was considered excessive and unreasonable. He later appeared in a number of plays and literary works, including Baroness Orczy’s Scarlet Pimpernel (1905), always representing an exaggerated patriotism. The term has since taken on a more general … Read more

What was Lady Bird Johnson’s real name?

what was lady bird johnsons real name

Lady Bird Johnson’s real name was Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson (b. 1912). The wife of President Lyndon Johnson got her nickname after the family cook called her “purty as a lady bird.”

Who was the original Peeping Tom?

who was the original peeping tom

Peeping Tom was a tailor who dared to look at Lady Godiva as she rode through Coventry. In 1040, Lady Godiva’s husband, Leofric, Earl of Mercia and Lord of Coventry, agreed to rescind a tax on the town if Lady Godiva rode naked through the streets. Godiva asked everyone to observe custody of the eyes, … Read more

Who was Balto the Wonder Dog?

who was balto the wonder dog

The dog, memorialized in a bas-relief in New York’s Central Park and celebrated in dozens of Johnny Carson’s skits, actually existed and was a hero in his day. Balto led a dog-sled expedition through 600 miles of Arctic terrain to deliver an antitoxin needed to save the residents of Nome, Alaska, during a 1925 diphtheria … Read more

Who is on record as the longest-lived person in the world?

who is on record as the longest lived person in the world

Shigechiyo Izumi of Japan was 120 years old when he died on February 21, 1986, making him the oldest person in the world. He was born on June 29, 1865. Unproven claims have been made for other people, but Izumi is the oldest for whom there is verification.

Who was Miranda, source of the famous Miranda decision?

who was miranda source of the famous miranda decision

In 1963, unemployed twenty-two-year-old Ernesto Miranda was arrested for stealing $8 from a bank employee in Phoenix, Arizona. While in custody, he was picked from a lineup by a young woman who said he had kidnapped and raped her. After two hours of interrogation, the police gained a confession from Miranda. The U.S. Supreme Court … Read more

What was Geronimo’s real name?

what was geronimos real name

The Apache leader Geronimo (1829-1908) was known to his tribe as Goyathlay, meaning “One Who Yawns.” The nickname Geronimo is probably a corruption of the Spanish name Jeronimo.

Who were the doges of Venice?

who were the doges of venice

The doges of Venice were elected dukes who ruled the city-state of Venice and controlled much of the eastern Mediterranean coast. Their reigns tended to be short, often 1 to 10 years. Venice was an independent city-state from 697 until 1797, when Napoleon conquered it.

Who were the Chicago Seven?

who were the chicago seven

The men who were found innocent of inciting riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention were: Rennie Davis, David Dellinger, John Froines, Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Lee Weiner. They were known as the Chicago Seven.

Has a woman ever won the U.S. Medal of Honor?

has a woman ever won the u s medal of honor

There has been only one female winner of the U.S. Medal of Honor. It was Mary Walker who served as a surgeon in the 52nd Ohio Regiment during the Civil War. She was awarded the medal in 1865 by President Andrew Johnson.

Which five rulers reigned the longest?

which five rulers reigned the longest

With their periods of reign, they are: 1. Pepi II, king of Egypt. 90 years (c. 2566-2476 B.C.) 2. Louis XIV, king of France. 72 years (1643-1715) 3. John II, prince of Liechtenstein. 71 years (1858-1929) 4. Franz Joseph, emperor of Austria. 68 years (1848-1916) 5. Victoria, queen of England. 64 years (1837-1901)

Who built the Taj Mahal in India?

who built the taj mahal in india

The Taj Mahal was built between 1632 and 1650 in Agra, India, by Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife. The marble structure is considered a superb representation of the Mogul style.

When was the post of Prince of Wales created?

when was the post of prince of wales created

The post of Prince of Wales created in 1301, when the future Edward II became the first English Prince of Wales. Since then, with some exceptions, the heir apparent to the throne of Great Britain has held the title Prince of Wales.

Who was the It Girl?

who was the it girl

Silent screen siren Clara Bow (1905-1965) picked up the nickname It Girl after starring as a flapper in It in 1927. Gary Cooper was briefly called by this moniker It Boy when he began dating Ms. Bow. He is said to have ended the relationship in order to get rid of the nickname.

Who was the last viceroy of India?

who was the last viceroy of india

The last viceroy of India was not Lord Mountbatten. Louis Mountbatten (1900-1979) was India’s last British viceroy, or governor general, from August 1947 to June 1948. Chakravarti Raj agopalachari (1879-1972) then served as governor-general of India’s interim government from June 1948 to January 1950, when the position was abolished.

How tall was Tom Thumb?

how tall was tom thumb

Charles Sherwood Stratton (1838-1883) was 3 feet, 4 inches tall when he died. The star of P. T. Barnum’s circus was better known as General Tom Thumb.

How long did it take Stanley to find Livingstone?

how long did it take stanley to find livingstone

Henry Morton Stanley, a journalist, was commissioned by the New York Herald in 1871 to find the explorer David Livingstone, who had been missing for two years. Stanley trekked through Africa for six months before meeting Livingstone, the only other white man within 1,000 miles.