From art, literature, music and politics, to science, technology, engineering and maths; who are the most significant people of all time? And how do you even begin to narrow it down to 50 people? With a slight added challenge of making our games fun and enjoyable, we’ve landed on these heroes for our card game, A LITTLE SLICE OF HISTORY.
If you’re in need of a little-bit-larger slice of history, you’ve come to the right place! Read on for top facts about the heroes in our card game, A LITTLE SLICE OF HISTORY.
Learn More About the Heroes in A LITTLE SLICE OF HISTORY
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace is one of history’s greatest female inventors. Born Augusta Ada Bryon, Ada Lovelace was the daughter of the poet and adventurer, Lord Bryon. Her mother insisted she study mathematics and science as a child to counter any poetic tendencies. Born in 1815, Ada Lovelace has been called the ‘First computer programmer’. Her achievements earned her a place in the History Heroes INVENTORS card game. Having designed a steam powered flying machine when she was 12, Ada Lovelace went on to work closely with another inventor, Charles Babbage, making her a formidable and important inventor. She wrote computer programmes for his ‘Analytical Engine’, the first digitally programmed computer prototype – all in the nineteenth century!
An International Day in her name celebrates women in science, maths and technology and we also celebrate Ada Lovelace in the History Heroes WOMEN card game as one of the most significant women in history.
Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie is a twentieth century novelist and short-story writer known for her murder mysteries featuring detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, and often set in posh country houses. Agatha Christie is one of the most accomplished authors in history and is the most translated writer in the world, with over 7,000 translations of her work in more than 100 languages. She remains 1 of the best-selling writers ever, having sold more than 2 billion copies of her books.
As well as writing, Agatha Christie loved surfing, having learned in 1922. In fact, she was 1 of the first women in Britain to learn to surf! More mysteriously and often seen almost as a plot from one of her books, in 1926 Agatha Christie went missing for ten days. She showed up at the Swan Hotel in Harrogate, miles away from her home with no memory of how she got there and with no explanation of what had happened in those 10 days. Agatha Christie is one of history’s greatest writers, keeping us on the edge of our seats and turning pages for over 100 years! Agatha Christie is a new History Heroes character.
Alan Turing
Alan Turing is one of the most important mathematicians in history, having played a huge role in World War Two by supplying the Allies with vital information to break the German’s Enigma Code. Alan Turing was a brilliant mathematician and founder of modern computer science and easily earns a place as one of the most significant scientists in history in the History Heroes SCIENTISTS card game.
At the start of World War Two the Polish Cipher Bureau gave Britain key information about a machine, used by the Germans, to encode all its military and naval messages. The Machine was called the Enigma. Alan Turing led a team at Bletchley Park to develop the ‘Bombe’: a machine that could break down and translate Enigma’s coded messages. This breakthrough helped the Allies to win World War Two, so it will come as no surprise that you can also learn more about Alan Turing in our History Heroes WORLD WAR II card game as 1 of the 40 most important people in World War Two.
In 1952, Alan Turing was arrested for being homosexual which was then a criminal offence. Two years later, Alan Turing died of cyanide poisoning by suicide, and in 2013 he was granted a posthumous pardon for his conviction.
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein is one of the most famous and most important scientists in history. Legendarily, Albert Einstein did not do well in school! An obviously bright child, he didn’t necessarily jump through the hoops of his rigid, German education. One of his Munich school teachers said, “He will never amount to anything”.
Instead, Albert Einstein changed the way we see and understand the Universe. In 1905 Albert Einstein’s special theory of relativity introduced completely new physics laws. His laws of relativity overruled Newton’s laws of gravity and his famous equation is E=mc2, the basis of nuclear fission. In 1921 Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize for Physics for the Photoelectric Effect. He also launched Cosmology, predicting that the Universe is always changing. Did you know that element 99 is named after Albert Einstein? It is called Einsteinium!
Andy Warhol was an American artist in the twentieth century. He was a leading figure in the Pop Art movement. He started his art career in New York as an award-winning commercial artist. Andy Warhol became a visual artist, film director and producer and set up his own studio, the Factory. In 1968 a woman shot Andy Warhol at the Factory, nearly killing him. He was pronounced dead at the hospital several times before the doctors saved him. Andy Warhol would go on to live another 19 years.
Andy Warhol created repeating images of famous people like Marilyn Monroe and Chairman Mao and famously said, “in the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes”. Andy Warhol has a firm place in art history as one of the world’s most iconic artists.
Anne Frank was a 13 year old German Jewish girl, born in Frankfurt in 1929, who wrote a diary in WWII. Anne Frank’s parents, Otto and Edith, decided to move the family – including Anne’s older sister, Margot – to Amsterdam in 1933 to avoid increasing persecution from the Nazis, who came to power in Germany that year. Anne Frank’s diary records her family’s life hiding in Amsterdam from the Nazis, who invaded and occupied the Netherlands from 1940.
Anne Frank’s diary was first published in 1947, 2 years after she died at Bergen-Belson. Anne Frank and her family hid in a secret annexe of her father’s office in Amsterdam from 1942. The Nazis discovered their hiding place in 1944 and shipped Anne Frank and her family to concentration camps. Only her father, Otto, survived WWII. He published the diary in memory of all who died.
Archimedes was probably the most famous mathematician and inventor in Ancient Greece. Archimedes’ famous Principle determines an object’s weight by submerging it in liquid. It is claimed Archimedes jumped out of the bath shouting, ‘Eureka’ at this scientific discovery. We still use one of his inventions today, the Archimedes Screw, which lifts water! Archimedes is also credited with inventing the catapult and other war machines to stop the Romans when they attacked his hometown, Syracuse, Italy, in 213 BCE. Speaking of, have you checked out History Heroes’ ROMANS card game?
Aretha Franklin is a famous singer who has won 18 Grammy awards, had 45 top hits and is called ‘The Queen of Soul’. Aretha Franklin’s song, ‘Respect’ has been an anthem for women and the Civil Rights movement in the United States and beyond. Aretha Franklin acted in the film, ‘The Blues Brothers’ in 1980, ‘Respect’ and ‘Think’. She won her first Grammy in 1967 and her eighteenth Grammy in 2008, 5 decades later! In 1987 Aretha Franklin was the first woman to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A rightful hero in this iconic list! Check out Aretha Franklin in the History Heroes WOMEN card game.
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin achieved so much in his lifetime that he is hard to categorise. Benjamin Franklin was a writer, a printer, a publisher, a diplomat, statesman, an inventor and one of the US Founding Fathers. He signed the American Declaration of Independence in 1776. A great mark of respect to Benjamin Franklin is that he is the face on the American $100 bill.
Somehow, Benjamin Franklin also had time in his life to make great discoveries and inventions. Benjamin Franklin showed that lightening and electricity are the same thing, using a kite in a storm, he invented a stove, the lightening rod and bifocals! Learn more about Benjamin Franklin in the History Heroes INVENTORS card game.
Billie Jean King
Who is the greatest female tennis player of all time? Well, Billie Jean King gives other iconic tennis players a run for their money! Billie Jean King is a tennis player who has won 20 Wimbledon titles, including 6 women’s singles’ titles from 1961 onwards. In 1973, Billie Jean King won ‘The Battle of the Sexes’ tennis match against men’s champion Bobby Riggs. She was the first sportswoman to earn $100,000 in prize money in a year.
Billie Jean King formed the Women’s Tennis Association to campaign for equal pay for women in sport and when she was ‘outed’ for being gay, she began publicly fighting for gay rights too. When Billie Jean King started playing tennis, she said “I’m going to be no.1 in the world” and, during the peak of her career, she was.
Who is Charles Darwin? Charles Darwin is known for his proposed theory of evolution by natural selection. His evidence showed that species evolved through a process of natural selection; at that time, his view challenged the foundations of Western civilisation’s beliefs.
Charles Darwin first trained to be a doctor but found some of the medical training too brutal to bear. He then considered a career in the church and studied Divinity at Cambridge. Before he embarked on a career in the church, he was offered a post as a Gentleman naturalist on the HMS Beagle. That voyage took 5 years and changed Darwin’s life and views. So concerned was he, however, about how radical his ideas were, that he only published his book, ‘On the Origin of Species’ 20 years later in 1959 and ‘The Descent of Man’ in 1871.
Charles Dickens is one of the world’s best-known writers, known for his novels such as David Copperfield and Oliver Twist, which he wrote about his early life. Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth and left school at 12 to work in a boot blacking factory when his father was sent to jail for debt.
3 years later, Charles Dickens was able to return to school and soon began his career as a journalist. By the 1840s Charles Dickens was the most popular writer in England. He also campaigned for children’s rights, education and other social reforms. His name has since become an adjective to describe extreme poverty, especially in London.
Who was the most famous woman in Ancient Egypt? Cleopatra of course! Cleopatra ruled Egypt from 51-30 BCE and was known for her beauty and intelligence. She was not in fact Egyptian – Cleopatra and her family was descended from one of Alexander the Great’s generals.
When Cleopatra’s father, Ptolemy XII died in 51 BCE, she was made co-regent with her brother, who then tried to stop her ruling Egypt. Instead, Cleopatra enlisted the Romans to help get rid of him. With the help of Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony, she brought peace and wealth to her country until the end of her reign in 30 BCE when she and Mark Anthony were defeated by the Roman general, Octavian.
Confucius is possibly China’s most famous philosopher, teacher and politician. Confucius was born in the 8th century BCE and was the first teacher in China to want to make education much more widely available. Confucius is known for many wise proverbs. One of Confucius’ sayings is “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop”. After his death, Confucius’ ideas became the basis of China’s ideology for 1000s of years.
David Attenborough is known as a British ‘national treasure’. A broadcaster, biologist, environmental advocate and nature historian, David Attenborough started his career in television in 1952 as a BBC trainee, having only ever watched one TV programme before. David Attenborough produced many documentaries and helped to run BBC Television! David Attenborough became Controller of BBC 2 and was responsible for the first ever colour TV broadcasts in Europe.
David Attenborough started appearing in front of the camera in nature documentaries in 1975 and now, of course, he is known for his BBC nature documentary series including Planet Earth and Blue Planet. David Attenborough is a new History Heroes character.
David Bowie
David Bowie was a world-famous musician, actor and producer born in Brixton, London. He was born David Robert Jones and had many different stage characters such as Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke. In 2014 he became the oldest person to have received a Brit music award. David Bowie has made his mark on the music and arts world and London’s rich music history alike.
Who is the most liked celebrity ever? Some report it to be the country music star, Dolly Parton! Dolly Parton is well known for her country music and movie roles. Dolly Parton is also an avid philanthropist and campaigner, having contributed significantly to literacy efforts in the United States. She is a supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, and has donated millions to disaster relief and to fund the critical early stages of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Recognised as the most popular celebrity of all time, Dolly Parton is a worthy and welcome addition to History Heroes!
Dolly Parton is a new History Heroes character.
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I became Queen of England in 1558 when she was 25 years old and was the last of the Tudors. Her father was Henry VIII, who executed her mother Ann Boleyn when Elizabeth was 2 and ½ years old. When Elizabeth I was 20, her Catholic half-sister Mary I became queen and put Elizabeth I in prison. After a few months, Elizabeth I was released and when Mary died, Elizabeth I became queen. She became a strong ruler. Her forces defeated the Spanish Armada and saved England from invasion; she made England strong, independent and Protestant again. Elizabeth I never married, she said her country was her priority, not marriage.
Elvis Presley, ‘The King of Rock and Roll’, is one of the world’s most famous musicians known for his talent, good looks and charisma. Elvis Presley came from a very poor background in Memphis, Tennessee but became a teen rock idol in the 1950s. America’s teens grieved when he paused his career briefly to serve in the US army in the late 1950s. Elvis Presley inspired thousands of world famous musicians, who came after him. He is one of the best-selling artists of all time having sold millions of records – some say over a billion – and he won 3 Grammy Awards.
Elvis Presley is a new History Heroes character.
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale was seen as the founder of modern nursing after her work in the Crimean War where injured soldiers described her as ‘the Lady with the Lamp’. Before Florence Nightingale’s work, more soldiers in the Crimean War died from disease than from their wounds. When Florence Nightingale arrived in Crimea, she discovered the ‘field hospitals’ were filthy. She set her nurses to cleaning the hospital and made sure the soldiers were properly fed and clothed. She is often compared to Mary Seacole, a fellow nurse and History Hero. Want to learn more about these two incredible women? Check out our post about Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole here!
In 1860 the first Training School for Nurses in London was named after her and in 1907 she was the first woman to receive the British Order of Merit. Did you know she is credited with having invented the mathematical pie chart?
A Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo is known for her self-portraits and Mexican culture. She was the first Mexican artist to exhibit at the Louvre museum in Paris in 1939. Frida Kahlo originally hoped to become a doctor but she started to paint while she was recovering from a serious bus accident in 1925. Frida Kahlo is one of the greatest artists in history, and widely recognised as one of the most important female artists.
Galileo Galilei proved Copernicus’ theory that the Universe is centred on the sun, not on the Earth as had formerly been believed. Galileo Galilei also discovered the Rings of Saturn in 1610, developed a telescope and revealed that the moon was not smooth but a sphere with mountains and craters. 2 fingers and a tooth of his are in the Science Museum in Florence!
Who was Hedy Lamarr? Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian Hollywood movie star, who helped invent a secret communication system. She was a film star who pioneered wireless communication in World War II with George Anthiel, a composer. Their invention became a key part of GPS, Wi-fi and Bluetooth technology. Fiendishly clever and beautiful, Hedy Lamarr said, “Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid”.
Helen Keller was a blind, deaf and mute woman and leading US social reformer from 1903 – 1960. Helen Keller worked constantly for the welfare of deaf and blind people throughout her life. Unable to communicate with the world until she was 6, Helen Keller learned to spell when her teacher poured water on her hand and spelled the word. That opened up the world to Keller, who – with her teacher, Anne Sullivan’s support – went to university, wrote books, campaigned and co-founded the American Civil Liberties Union in 1920. Hellen Keller is both one of the most important social reformers and disability campaigner and one of the most famous women in history.
Who is the most famous English King? It might well be Henry VIII… Henry VIII was an English king, famous for having 6 wives and getting rid of most of them! Henry VIII increased the British navy from 5 to 53 ships, including the ill-fated Mary Rose. He broke with Rome, dissolved the monasteries and set up the Church of England.
Who was Ida B. Wells? Ida B. Wells was an American investigative journalist and early leader in the civil rights movement in the United States. She was born into slavery in 1862 but was freed in 1865 by the Emancipation Proclamation. Ida B. Wells’ parents believed strongly in education but she had to drop out of college in 1880 after both her parents died of Yellow Fever. Ida B. Wells became a teacher to support her 6 younger siblings, and she worked hard to become a journalist and she fought for civil rights. Ida B. Wells was one of the founders of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and was one of the country’s most impactful campaigners and advocates for equality.
Ida B Wells is a new History Heroes character.
Isaac Newton
Legend says Isaac Newton discovered gravity when an apple fell on his head! Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity helped to explain planetary movement in the Universe and his Three Laws of Motion laid the foundations for the laws of mechanics. One little known fact about Isaac Newton is that he was briefly a member of parliament in England. He only appears on the parliamentary record once: to ask for a window to be closed! Maybe it’s best that he played mostly to his strengths. Isaac Newton is one of history’s most important scientists.
Joan of Arc is a French heroine nicknamed the ‘Maid or Orleans’ who was made a Saint in 1920. Joan of Arc was a 17 year old girl, who led an army for the King of France in 1429 to a momentous victory against the English, who were trying to conquer France during the 100 Years War. Unfortunately for her, she was captured and burnt at the stake in 1431 by the English, accused of heresy. France later made her their Patron Saint. Joan of Arc has had more pop songs written about her than anyone else from the Middle Ages!
John F Kennedy was the 35th US president, who launched the Space Race in 1961 in order to make sure that the US overtook the Soviet Union in Space exploration. In 1961 the Soviet Union launched the first man to orbit the Earth in Space, Yuri Gagarin. In May 1961 John F Kennedy committed the USA to landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth by the end of the decade. We all know what happened on 21st July 1969…don’t we?
Julius Caesar was a brilliant Roman general and politician who was killed on the Ides (the 15th) or March. Julius Caesar expanded Rome’s frontiers and became Dictator of Rome at the end of Rome’s Republic. He changed the lunar calendar to the one we know today – 365 days and a leap year.
Katherine Johnson is an African-American female mathematician who helped send astronauts to the moon. She was part of a group of African-American women who were recruited to calculate the paths of US spacecraft. The women were considered to be more patient and detail-orientated than men and could be paid less. In 1969 Katherine Johnson helped calculate where and when to launch Apollo 11 to land on the moon.
Who was Leonardo Da Vinci? Well, Leonardo had no last name. He was simply born in the town of Vinci – da Vinci – in Italy. Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the most famous artists in history as well as being an inventor, having ‘invented’ the tank, bicycle, parachute and helicopter hundred of years ahead of their time! Leonardo Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper in between inventing things.
Mahatma Gandhi was a Nationalist leader, who helped India become independent through peaceful protest. He organised campaigns across India to demand self-rule, decrease poverty, expand religious tolerance and increase women’s rights. Mahatma Gandhi’s belief in non-violent protest was called ‘Satyagraha’.
Mahatma Gandhi saw India become independent in August 1947 and was pleased to see the end of British Rule in India before he was assassinated in 1948 by a religious fanatic. Over 1.5 million people marched in his funeral procession in New Delhi.
Who is the most famous female scientist in history? Marie Curie is a strong contender! Scientist Marie Curie’s work was crucial in the development of X-rays in medicine. Marie Curie discovered radium and polonium with her husband and established radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer. She and her daughter helped wounded soldiers in World War I by setting up mobile X-ray units, which were called ‘Petites Curies’.
Not only was she the first woman to have won a Nobel Prize for her science but she was also the first person in history to have won 2 Nobel Prizes.
Martin Luther King Jr was a pastor and leading Civil Rights activist in the USA. He gave his famous speech “I have a Dream” at a March on Washington in 1963. He was the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace prize in 1964 at the age of 35. He immediately announced that he would give his prize money to the Civil Rights movement.
Martin Luther King Jr was sent to jail over 20 times because of his protests but was also named Man of the Year by Time Magazine in 1963. He became a world figurehead of Civil Rights before he was assassinated in 1968.
Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Johnson in Missouri, wrote her famous first book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, which was published in 1969. She was a Civil Rights activist, writer, poet, singer, actor, composer, producer and director and at age 14 she became the first African-American cable car conductor in San Francisco!
Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, was the first 3 time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion who described his boxing style as being able to ‘float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’. In 1960, aged 18, he returned home from the Olympics in Rome with a gold boxing medal for boxing only to be refused service in a restaurant due to his race.
Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali when he converted to Islam. In 1967 he was banned from boxing for 3 and ½ years for refusing to do military service in Vietnam. Muhammad Ali is one of the most important and successful sporting heroes in history, whose legacy stretches out long beyond the boxing ring.
Who was Nellie Bly? You’ve heard of Jules Verne’s ‘Around the world in 80 days’ – Nellie Bly blew that out of the park by completing the journey in 72 days in 1889! Alongside this impressive exploration, Bly was a pioneering investigative journalist, known for working undercover in a mental institution to expose their conditions.
Nellie Bly is a new History Heroes character.
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first black, democratically elected President in 1994, helping to bring about a peaceful end to the South African Apartheid regime. Having trained to be a lawyer, he and Oliver Tambo set up South Africa’s first black-owned law firm in the 1950s.
Nelson Mandela was an active member of the then-outlawed ANC and was arrested several times before he was sentenced to 27 years in the Rivonia Trial in 1960. Nelson Mandela served 26.5 years of his sentence and was only removed from the USA terror watch list in 2008 when he was 89 years old.
Neil Armstrong was one of the first American astronauts. He was commander of Apollo 11 and was the first man to walk on the Moon on 21st July 1969 saying, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. Did you know Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit was made by a bra manufacturer? It’s true!
Oprah Winfrey is one of the most successful and famous women in history. Oprah Winfrey is an actress, producer and television personality who became the first Black American woman to own her own production company. Her TV show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, lasted for 25 series between 1986 and 2011. Oprah Winfrey was a key advocate in fighting for the passing of the National Child Protection Act which was implemented by then President Bill Clinton in 1994.
Oprah Winfrey is a new History Heroes character.
Pele
Who is the best football player ever? We won’t definitively answer that… but Pele is a world football superstar who first played for Brazil in 1957 when he was 16. At 17, Pele scored two goals for Brazil to help win the 1958 football World Cup final. Pele played in 4 World Cups for Brazil and scored 1,281 goals in his football career.
Stevie Wonder is a musician who was born blind in 1950 and recorded his first hit single when he was 12. Stevie Wonder was born Steveland Hardaway Judkins and taught himself piano, harmonica and drums before he was ten. He has sold over 100 million records and has worked tirelessly for humanitarian causes as a UN Messenger of Peace.
Sylvia Earle is an ocean explorer who led the first all-female team of aquanauts to live and study on the ocean’s floor in 1970. She has spent more than 6,000 hours underwater and has led over 75 marine expeditions. Sylvia Earle has been Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic since 1998. Lego launched a tribute set to honour her in 2022.
Tom Hanks is one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors. Tom Hanks was born on July 9, 1956, in Concord, California and is a two-time Oscar winning actor, known for films like Forrest Gump, Captain Phillips, Toy Story and Catch Me If You Can. He ranked no. 1 in the 2013 Reader’s Digest poll to find the 100 Most Trusted People!
Tom Hanks is a new History Heroes character.
Valentina Tereshkova
Who are the most important women in Space History? Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to have flown in Space in 1962. A factory assembly worker, Valentina Tereshkova was selected from more than 400 applicants to pilot Vostok 6 into space. Valentina Tereshkova spent 70.8 hours orbiting the Earth 48 times in 1963, 48 times! She went on to become a senior politician in the Soviet Union.
William Shakespeare is probably the best-known poet and playwright in the English language, having written around 38 plays, including Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeare was a founding member of the acting company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men and wrote plays for them for 20 years. William Shakespeare owned shares in the Globe theatre too and became rich from its successful productions.
Winston Churchill was a writer and politician, who progressed from a patchy political career to become Britain’s inspirational prime minister for most of World War II. He took up the position on 10th May 1940, the day Germany invaded France and ultimately led Britain to a hard fought victory. He was described in wartime as, “The only man we have for this hour”. Winston Churchill was particularly loved for his speeches and in his first speech as prime minister, he said, “ You ask what is our aim: I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terror. Victory however long and hard the road may be. For without victory, there is no survival”.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria in 1756 and is described as a musical genius. Mozart is seen as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music. His astonishing career began at the age of 6, when he performed first in Munich and then in Vienna at the Imperial Court. Did you know Mozart was frightened of trumpets as a child?
Queen Victoria became Queen of England in 1837 when she was 18, and reigned for nearly 64 years. She restored the reputation of the Royal Family and worked hard to connect with the public. Queen Victoria married her first cousin Albert in 1840 and, as head of state, had to propose to him. The two adored each other and when he died, Queen Victoria built the Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall in honour of her beloved husband. Queen Victoria ruled over the expansion of the British Empire and created a medal for the greatest bravery in war. It was named after her, the Victoria Cross.
Surprising Connections Between Famous People in History
Now, the crux of A LITTLE SLICE OF HISTORY – the connections. We love to hear the new connections players are finding, it feels as though the possibilities are endless! Whether you’re simply curious, or you’re looking for some ideas for your next time playing A LITTLE SLICE OF HISTORY, here are a few connections between heroes you can make using the Question Marks.
What do Dolly Parton and Charles Dickens have in common?
There may well be a number of things connecting the queen of country and the novelist legend. Both have theme parks/attractions named after them. You can fact check this one in the Guardian Saturday Quiz from June 2024!
Do Oprah Winfrey and Tom Hanks know each other?
This pair likely have crossed paths a few times, what being Hollywood Heroes and all! Oprah has interviewed Tom Hanks and they both went yachting with the Obamas (and… Bruce Springsteen! Sadly he isn’t a History Hero…yet…)
What do William Shakespeare and Cleopatra have in common?
The writer and the leader… Shakespeare wrote a play with Cleopatra as a titular character in Antony and Cleopatra.
Did Queen Victoria and Florence Nightingale know each other?
Queen Victoria and Florence Nightingale had a close working relationship which started during the Crimean War, and they met at Balmoral in October 1856
What connects Ada Lovelace and Charles Dickens?
The two were great friends! When Ada Lovelace became ill, Charles Dickens read his books to her to keep her entertained.
Did Andy Warhol and Muhammad Ali ever meet?
Andy Warhol first photographed Muhammad Ali as part of his Athletes series in 1977.
