Image: ArtFundUK Via YouTube
About This Quiz
Step into our time machine and let's take a journey through time to look at the great people (the good, the bad, and the ugly) throughout history!
For better or for worse, these individuals and their accomplishments will be remembered until the end of time. In this time-traveling quiz, we haven't just selected people who are popular, we've taken a deep look throughout history to create a diverse selection of some of the most influential people of all time. In this historic figures quiz, you'll see 50 of the most noteworthy people who have been instrumental in shaping the world into what it is today.
It doesn't matter if they achieved this influence through war and conquest, science and technology, religion and philosophy, activism and education, or politics and education. In fact, you're bound to find someone who fits in more than one of the categories in this quiz!
The world we live in has been shaped by all of these people; from the wars that have been waged by people like Napoleon, Adolf Hitler, and Alexander the Great, to the nonviolent activism that has been used by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
So c'mon, let's see if you can tell where these iconic historical figures lived!
Wiki Commons
Where is this historic figure from?
England
William Shakespeare was born and brought up in Warwickshire, England. He was an English playwright and poet who is now widely considered to be the greatest writer in the English language.
Barbados
California
Sri Lanka
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Where is this historic figure from?
El Salvador
Belgium
Greece
Alexander the Great was born in Pella, Greece. He was tutored by Aristotle in his youth and by the time he was 30 years old, he had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world.
Israel
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Where is this historic figure from?
Mauritania
Kyrgyzstan
Greece
Plato was born in Athens, Greece, and was the founder of the Academy in Athens. He is widely regarded to be a key figure in the development of Western philosophy, along with his student, Aristotle, and his teacher, Socrates.
Nepal
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Where is this historic figure from?
Canada
Mexico
Czech Republic
Sigmund Freud was born in Pribor in the Czech Republic (previously the Moravian town of Freiberg, in the Austrian Empire). He is most notably remembered as the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology.
Nepal
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Where is this historic figure from?
Denmark
England
Elizabeth I was the Queen of England and Ireland who reigned from 17 November 1558 to 24 March 1603 (the date of her death). Her reign is known as the Elizabethan era and is famous for being a period during which English drama flourished – most notably from the famous William Shakespeare.
Florida
Brazil
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Where is this historic figure from?
Colombia
Russia
Cuba
India
Mahatma Gandhi was an activist, politician, and lawyer who was born in Gujarat, India. He is most notable for being the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule, utilizing nonviolent civil disobedience to meet his ends.
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Where is this historic figure from?
Vietnam
Jerusalem
Jesus Christ (also known as Jesus of Nazareth) was a religious leader who grew up in Jerusalem. Jesus is an important and central figure in Christianity and is believed by Christians to be the incarnation of God the Son.
Trinidad & Tobago
Panama
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Where is this historic figure from?
Egypt
Cleopatra was a ruler of the Kingdom of Egypt who was born in Alexandria, Egypt. She is widely regarded as one of the most iconic rulers in Egypt’s history and has been represented and fictionalized in various plays, books and movies.
Philippines
Romania
New Zealand
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Where is this historic figure from?
St Kitts & Nevis
Virginia
Thomas Jefferson was a one of the founding fathers of United States. He was born in Shadwell, Virginia. Not only was he the third President of the United States, he was also the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.
Namibia
Papua New Guinea
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Where is this historic figure from?
France
China
Australia
Jamaica
Marcus Garvey was a journalist and an activist who was born in Saint Ann’s Bay, Jamaica. He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League and was extremely devoted to Pan-Africanism. He is hailed as a national hero in his home country of Jamaica.
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Where is this historic figure from?
Iran
Georgia
Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and an activist who was born in Atlanta, Georgia. During his lifetime, he was the most visible spokesperson for the civil rights movement and drew inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi and his use of nonviolent activism.
Haiti
Japan
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Where is this historic figure from?
Egypt
Ramesses the Great was a pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire for more than 60 years. He is widely regarded as one of the most powerful pharaohs of the Egyptian Empire. He is considered by many to be the pharaoh who is depicted in the book of Exodus. However, this theory is still debated to this day.
Iceland
Guyana
Kazakhstan
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Where is this historic figure from?
India
Italy
Ohio
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States and he was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio. He is probably most remembered for his military prowess. He was a Commanding General during the Civil War and led the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy.
Chile
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Where is this historic figure from?
Cuba
England
Winston Churchill, an army officer and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was born in Woodstock, England. His literary works are celebrated and he won a Nobel Prize in Literature for his lifetime body of work.
Chad
Argentina
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Where is this historic figure from?
Bahamas
Argentina
England
Queen Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from the June 20, 1837 to January 22, 1901. She inherited the throne at the age of 18, after her father's three elder brothers had all died.
Croatia
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Where is this historic figure from?
Dominican Republic
Canada
Austria
Kentucky
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States and he was born near Hodgenville, Kentucky. He led the United States through the Civil War and paved the way for the abolition of slavery.
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Where is this historic figure from?
Estonia
Indonesia
Nepal
Gautama Buddha was a sage and spiritual leader who was born in what is now the Rupandehi District of Nepal. He is the undisputable founder of Buddhism and he spread his teachings throughout ancient India.
Denmark
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Where is this historic figure from?
France
Napoleon was Emperor of the French and a military leader who was born in Corsica, France. While he was a great military leader in his own right, the significance of his defeats and the criticisms of his reign are more remembered today.
Iraq
Lebanon
Madagascar
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Where is this historic figure from?
Niger
Pakistan
Morocco
Greece
Socrates was a philosopher who was born in Athens, Greece. He is widely regarded by many people today to be one of the most iconic and important philosophers in the Western world.
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Where is this historic figure from?
England
Charles Darwin was a biologist and geologist who was born in Shrewsbury, England. He is well-known for introducing the branching pattern of evolution that originated from a common ancestor, as well as the concept of natural selection.
Japan
Kenya
North Dakota
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Where is this historic figure from?
Latvia
Israel
Honduras
Belgium
Charlemagne (also known as Charles the Great) was the Holy Roman Emperor, King of the Franks, and King of the Lombards. He was born in Belgium and was the first recognized emperor to rule from western Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire
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Where is this historic figure from?
Iran
Croatia
Nikola Tesla was an inventor, physicist, and engineer who was born in Smiljan, Croatia. His most famous achievement was his contributions to the design of what is now the modern AC (alternating current) electrical supply, the form of electrical power that we use on a day-to-day basis.
Malaysia
Nigeria
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Where is this historic figure from?
Norway
Papua New Guinea
South Africa
Mongolia
Genghis Khan was the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. He was born in the Khentii Mountains in Mongolia. Genghis Khan is credited as the founder of the Mongol Empire, starting a war that led to the conquering of most of Eurasia.
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Where is this historic figure from?
Seychelles
Missouri
Mark Twain was an author and entrepreneur who was born in Florida, Missouri. “Mark Twain” was actually a pen name that he used to write his celebrated novels. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens.
Peru
Spain
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Where is this historic figure from?
Massachusetts
Edgar Allan Poe was a writer and literary critic who was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He is one of the earliest American short story writers who achieved notable success. He is widely considered by many to be the inventor of the detective fiction genre.
Panama
Tajikistan
St Lucia
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Where is this historic figure from?
Pakistan
Thailand
France
Louis XIV of France was a King of France who was born in Yvelines, France, and reigned from 1643 to 1715. He is notable for having the longest recorded reign as the monarch of a European sovereign country.
Uruguay
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Where is this historic figure from?
Tunisia
Laos
China
Confucius was a teacher, philosopher, and politician who was born in Qufu, China. The grouping of his philosophical teachings (known as Confucianism) deal with personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity.
Iraq
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Where is this historic figure from?
South Korea
Austria
Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria and was the Chancellor of Germany and the leader of the Nazi Party from 1933 to 1945. He served in WW I and was the instigator of World War II with his invasion of Poland.
Madagascar
Finland
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Where is this historic figure from?
England
Henry VIII was King of England from June 1509 to January 1547. He was born in Greenwich, England. Although he did help to shape the country greatly, he is probably best remembered for his six marriages and the controversies around them (especially the annulment of his first one).
Ghana
El Salvador
India
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Where is this historic figure from?
Namibia
Guyana
Italy
Julius Caesar was a Roman politician who was born in Rome, Italy. He is remembered for his relationship with Cleopatra and the significant role that he played in the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.
Mexico
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Where is this historic figure from?
Kuwait
New York
Franklin D. Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States. He was born in Hyde Park, New York. He is the only person to have ever won four United States presidential elections.
Liberia
Mexico
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Where is this historic figure from?
Madagascar
Panama
Slovakia
Nebraska
Malcom X was a human rights activist who was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He has been called one of the greatest and most influential African-Americans in history and was assassinated by members of the Nation of Islam (to which he previously belonged).
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Where is this historic figure from?
Iowa
Singapore
England
Isaac Newton was a mathematician, astronomer, author and physicist who was born in Lincolnshire, England. He is celebrated for his formulation of the laws of motion and universal gravitation.
Romania
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Where is this historic figure from?
Honduras
South Sudan
Serbia
Greece
Aristotle was a philosopher and scientist. He was born in Chalkidiki, Greece. Aristotle (and sometimes Plato) is widely considered to the "Father of Western Philosophy."
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Where is this historic figure from?
Czech Republic
Israel
David was the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah. He was born in Bethlehem, Israel. David is a notable figure in the Hebrew Bible, accomplishing many feats, such as killing the giant Goliath and retrieving the Ark of the Covenant.
Equatorial Guinea
Honduras
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Where is this historic figure from?
Barbados
Fiji
Hungary
England
Charles Dickens was a writer and social critic. He was born in Landport, England. He is regarded by many contemporary critics to be the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.
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Where is this historic figure from?
Germany
Ludwig van Beethoven was a pianist and composer who was born in Bonn, Germany. Many of his celebrated compositions come from the latter part of his life when he was actually almost completely deaf.
Texas
Indonesia
Mali
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Where is this historic figure from?
Argentina
Madagascar
St. Kitts and Nevis
Alexander Hamilton was born in Charlestown, St. Kitts and Nevis and was a statesman and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Among his accolades are the fact that he was the main author of the economic policies of the George Washington administration.
Alaska
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Where is this historic figure from?
Massachusetts
Benjamin Franklin was a scientist, inventor, and author who was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Also of note is the fact that he was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
Afghanistan
Mozambique
Mexico
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Where is this historic figure from?
New Zealand
Taiwan
Virginia
George Washington was the very first president of the United States. He was born in Westmoreland County in Virginia. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and presided over the 1787 convention that drafted the United States Constitution.
Uganda
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Where is this historic figure from?
Hawaii
Austria
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a composer who was born in Salzburg, Austria. Mozart was a child prodigy and was composing music from the age of 5. He performed before European royalty throughout his childhood.
Trinidad & Tobago
Somalia
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Where is this historic figure from?
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Kansas
Germany
Friedrich Nietzsche was a philosopher and cultural critic who was born in Rocken, Germany. He is one of the most influential figures in modern philosophy and often focused on the topics of tragedy, science and culture.
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Where is this historic figure from?
Sri Lanka
Oregon
France
Joan of Arc (also known as The Maid of Orleans) was a French heroine who was born in Domremy, France. She was influential during the Hundred Years’ War and supposedly received visions from the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. She was later canonized as a Roman Catholic saint.
Serbia
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Where is this historic figure from?
Guinea-Bissau
Grenada
Ghana
Germany
Karl Marx was a philosopher, economist, political theorist and sociologist, who was born in Trier, Germany. He is considered to be one of the most influential figures in human history and his work has been received with both criticism and praise.
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Where is this historic figure from?
Yemen
Georgia
Joseph Stalin was a politician who was born in Gori, Georgia, and served as Premier of the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1953. Stalin is a polarizing figure who is praised in Russia and some other parts of the former Soviet Union but also heavily criticized and condemned by many other nations around the world.
United Arab Emirates
Switzerland
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Where is this historic figure from?
Germany
Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist who grew up in Munich, Germany. He is best known for developing the theory of relativity and his influence on the philosophy of science.
Spain
Maine
Nicaragua
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Where is this historic figure from?
Mozambique
Connecticut
George W. Bush was the 43rd President of the United States. He was born in New Haven, Connecticut. His terms as president were marked by significant events, such as the September 11 terrorist attacks (less than a year after his first term), the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and the Iraq War in 2003.
Kenya
Jordan
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Where is this historic figure from?
Italy
Leonardo da Vinci was an inventor, sculptor and painter who was born in Vinci, Italy. He is widely considered one of the greatest painters of all time and his inventions have directly inspired several modern creations.
Estonia
Brazil
Belize
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Where is this historic figure from?
Belize
New York
Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York City and was the 26th President of the United States. He is most notably remembered as a driving force for the Progressive Era in the United States in the early 20th century.
Jamaica
Albania
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Where is this historic figure from?
New Jersey
Madagascar
Turkey
Paul the Apostle was a religious figure who was born in Tarsus, Turkey. Half of the book of Acts is dedicated to the life of Paul and 14 of the 27 books in the New Testament have customarily been attributed to him.
Pakistan
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