Notable Women Trivia Contest
For entertainment at our Christmas Lunch on December 5, 2022, (and to put our minds to work after a very nice traditonal turkey with all the trimmings meal), we attempted to answer a number of trivia questions based on the theme of notable women. The questions were compiled by a couple of our members, who found it challenging to limit the number of questions or to give reasonably decent clues without giving too much away. Indeed, for some questions, there were several acceptable answers. Prizes for first, second and third in point totals were handed out. No one got 100%! If you want to try your luck, the questions are set out below, followed by a link to the answers.
There are many notable women among us, locally, nationally and internationally, and it is not possible to recognize and acknowledge them all. We also do not want to judge what makes a woman notable as there are many variations of qualities and skills that can be considered. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of CFUW, celebrated during its AGM in 2019, and in recognition of their work for the organization, CFUW honoured a number of individual members as Notable Women, Nadine Poznanski among them, with a celebration banquet, a certificate and a pin. Additionally, Janice Filmon, Manitoba’s Lieutenant Governor, honoured them at the banquet.
Nadine graduated high school in 1943, a time when her homeland Belgium was under German occupation and its university, Université Libre de Bruxelles, was closed because of its resistance to the invaders. With gratitude to postgraduate students who took the initiative to give secret underground courses, Nadine was able to complete her first year of university. On the liberation of Belgium, she went on to obtain a degree in Biochemistry and Science from that university. There too, she met her future husband, previously a prisoner of war, who was studying to be a medical doctor.
After the end of the war, and with a passion for human rights, the couple made their way to Halifax on an old war ship under the auspices of the International Organization for Refugees, then traveled on to Winnipeg for her husband’s internship. In Winnipeg, Nadine was able to put her university education to work at the Cancer Research Centre of Manitoba. After he had completed his internship, Nadine and her husband worked in different parts of Canada. Nadine obtained a Teaching Certificate, U of A, which gave her the job flexibility she wanted while her children were young. Later, she turned back to the passion of her life – research laboratory work at Ottawa’s Civic Hospital where both she and her husband worked together on ground-breaking work on diabetes. .
in 1985, Nadine and her husband ultimately settled in Vernon, where Nadine’s volunteer work began in earnest. Along with co-founding Amnesty Vernon and serving as its Okanagan Field Worker for twenty-five years, Nadine has been active within the community, advocating on behalf of the homeless, incarcerated women, and sex trade workers. In 2016, she was nominated as Community Champion by Respect Works Here, which is an initiative of the Social Planning Council of the North Okanagan. Nadine has also organized educational events for the Society for Open Learning and Discussion and has tutored children in French. Her passion for fighting injustice hasn’t waned and she continues to be active advocating for people everywhere.
Trivia Questions – Notable Women in History
1. Name 2 of the outstanding women we featured at our CFUW Vernon meetings in 2021-22. [2 points]
2. The name of Madam Marie Curie, 1867–1934, is well known. Name three things for which she is famous. [3 points]
3. What was Marie Tharp’s contribution to the study of the earth? [1920-2006] [1 point]
4. What was Nelly Bly’s profession and name one thing for which she is known? [2 points]
5. This woman was known as the Lady with the Lamp; however she was also a statistician. Who was she and in what endeavour did she use her statistical skills? [2 points]
6. Name three women who held the office of prime minister or president during the 20th century and the country that each lead. [6 points]
7. This mother, whose son was born in unsanitary conditions, was led to believe, accurately as it turned out, that he would become a man of great importance. Unfortunately, in his adulthood, she watched him die a painful death. Name the mother. [1 point]
8. Name 2 of the “The Famous Five” and indicate what the group was famous for. [3 points]
9. Who is Anne Sullivan and what famous woman did she work with? [2 points]
10. Who said the following? Provide answers for any 3. [3 points]
(a) “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”
(b) “Take criticism seriously, but not personally. If there is truth or merit in the criticism, try to learn from it. Otherwise, let it roll off you.”
(c) “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”
(d) “Success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.”
(e) “Failure is a great teacher, if you’re open to it.”
(f) “I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.”
11. What is the name of the then teenager who was shot for promoting the education of girls in her country and the name of the country? [2 points]
12. On February 4, 2013, to celebrate her 100th birthday, the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, USA, declared the day a “National Day of Courage.” Whose courage was being celebrated, what was the courageous act and what item does the museum carry in recognition of that courage? [3 points]
13. Klee Wyck, translating to “the smiling one”, was the name given to this famous Canadian artist and writer by Vancouver Island’s indigenous coastal people. Name this woman. [1 point]
14. This young woman was condemned to death in part for leading the French resistance against the English. Who was she and how old at the time of her death? [2 points]
15. This woman gave us a quiet scary warning. What is her name and what was she warning us about? [2 points]
16. What 19th century woman is seen as an “icon of feminist scientific achievement, a heroine of the mind, and one of the earliest visionaries in the early history of the computer”? [1 point]
Total available points = 36
For the answers, click HERE.
