Fun Facts About Everything

Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Evil People Who Made History?

0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

History’s most brutal female serial killer was a wealthy Hungarian countess whose terrifying exploits earned her the nickname “the Bloody Countess.” What was her real name?

Wikimedia Commons
Countess Elizabeth Báthory of Hungary gained the nickname the Bloody Countess when it was revealed that she’d killed hundreds of servant girls. She got away with it for so long because of her immense wealth—it’s said that even the king owed her money. 
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

At the same time that Elizabeth Bathory was arrested for her crimes, some of her servants and closest friends were arrested as accomplices and executed. Bathory herself couldn’t be executed—what was the reason?

Wikipédia
The Bathory family’s social standing prevented Elizabeth’s execution—instead, she was locked in a windowless room inside a castle. She lasted four years before dying.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What was the name of the terrifying doctor who operated out of the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust?

Wikimedia Commons
Josef Mengele was the physician most notoriously known for performing horrible experiments on prisoners with no regard for health, safety, or the suffering of the patients.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Madame Delphine LaLaurie was an influential French-Creole woman in 19th century New Orleans who killed many of the slaves she kept and tortured others. Recently, she was portrayed in the horror TV show American Horror Story: Coven. Which Oscar-winning actress played her on the show?

Wikimedia Commons
Kathy Bates won an Emmy for her portrayal of Madame LaLaurie in American Horror Story: Coven.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Maximilien Robespierre was a leader in the French Revolution during a time known as the Reign of Terror. He sentenced many of his political rivals to death by a method that’s become emblematic of the French Revolution itself. What method did he prefer?

Wikimedia Commons
The guillotine saw a lot of action during the French Revolution, and was the weapon of choice for Robespierre’s executions of those he accused of treason.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

During the short reign of Mary Tudor as Queen of England, she had many Protestants burned as heretics, earning her what nickname?

Wikipedia
Before it was a children’s game or a cocktail, Bloody Mary was the nickname for Mary Tudor during her five-year tenure as Queen.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

It was speculated that Mary’s fierce Catholicism was the result of resentment towards her father after he broke away from the Roman Catholic Church. He was known for his long reign and multiple wives. What was his name?

shutterstock
Henry VIII reigned as King of England for nearly 40 years, and memorably went through six wives in that time.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Of Henry VIII’s six wives, he had two of them executed. Who was the first to be sent to their death?

Flickr
Henry VIII had Anne Boleyn investigated for high treason in 1536, and she was eventually arrested on charges of adultery, incest, and plotting to kill the king. She was beheaded soon after.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What was the name of the fearsome leader of the Mongols, known for his terrifying military campaigns that effectively wiped out entire populations?

Wikimedia Commons
Genghis Khan ruled as the Emperor of the Mongol Empire from 1206 until his death in 1227. Upwards of 40 million people were killed under Khan’s rule.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Caligula was a notorious emperor of which ancient empire?

Max Pixel
Caligula was notorious for his brutal leadership of the Roman Empire. He brought Rome the brink of revolution by wastefully spending and killing anyone who stood in his way.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Nero was another fearsome Roman Emperor. During the Great Fire of Rome, he was said to have done what?

Wikimedia Commons
Nero was said to have played the fiddle while Rome burned, revealing his lack of concern for his subjects and the city he reigned over.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Emperor Hirohito held the throne of which country for 63 years?

Wikipedia
Emperor Hirohito was Japan’s longest-reigning monarch, and he is remembered for his troops’ terrible actions during the Sino-Japanese War.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What terrifying figure became known amongst the Romans as the “Scourge of God” for attacking and looting the Empire?

Wikipedia
Attila the Hun was such a fearsome leader that there were no survivor’s accounts of his appearance. He was so passionate about invading other countries, that on his way to gather his bride, Honoria, he made a quick stop in Rome to destroy it.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

A Dominican priest known as Tomas De Torquemad, born in Spain in the 15th century, became a figure known for his cruelty. What notorious act of religious persecution did he participate in?

Wikimedia Commons
Torquemada served as the Inquisitor General during the Spanish Inquisition, and his leadership became synonymous with barbaric torture and merciless cruelty.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Which leader of the People’s Republic of China helmed a failed program called the Great Leap Forward, which he then tried to cover up?

Pixabay
The failure of Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward program led to widespread famine and economic collapse. Over 45 million people died under his leadership.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What descriptively-named ruler was the first Tsar of Russia?

Max Pixel
Ivan the Terrible was made Grand Prince of Moscow in 1533, and reigned over all of Russia until 1584. After the death of his wife, he became paranoid and violent, and went on to kill his own son.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Which former president of Uganda, who came to power after a military coup, was known as “the Butcher”?

Wikimedia Commons
As President of Uganda, Idi Amin was responsible for the brutal deaths of 300,000 to 500,000 of his subjects.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Which actor portrayed Idi Amin in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland?

Wikimedia Commons
Forest Whitaker won an Oscar, among other awards, for his portrayal of Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland opposite James McAvoy.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Adolf Hitler is basically the worst of the worst when it comes to a list of evil people who changed history. How did he die?

Flickr
Hitler killed himself by gunshot on April 30, 1945 in his bunker in Berlin.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Which man served as dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from 1929 until 1953?

shutterstock
Under Joseph Stalin’s rule of the U.S.S.R., millions of citizens were forced into labor camps and were brutally executed. Stalin’s forced collectivization of farms, led to millions of farmers being shot or exiled, and a widespread famine which led to many deaths.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Which Romanian ruler served as the real-life inspiration for everyone’s favorite fictional vampire, Dracula?

Wikimedia Commons
During his reign over Wallachia, a region in Romania, Vlad the Imapler was known for his inhuman cruelty with his victims, and of course his favorite form of execution, impalement.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Which notorious cult leader became known for his connection to the murder of a famous actress?

shutterstock
Charles Manson was sentenced to death for his involvement in a series of crimes, but his sentence was later commuted to life in prison when the death penalty was abolished in California.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What was the name given to Manson’s followers?

Getty Images
Led by Charles Manson, the group that came to be known as the Manson Family was a desert commune and cult that believed Manson’s proclamation that he was a manifestation of Jesus Christ.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

On the night of August 8, 1969, members of the Manson family entered the home of a famous actress on Cielo Drive in Los Angeles killed everyone there. What was the actress’s name?

Max Pixel
Sharon Tate and her husband Roman Polanski were renting the home on Cielo Drive, but Polanski was in Europe on the fateful night when his wife, eight months pregnant at the time, was murdered by four members of the Manson Family.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What was the name of the Cambodian head of state and dictator who led the Khmer Rouge regime?

Flickr
Under Pol Pot’s rule in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979, more than one million people were killed, thanks to exhaustion from overwork, starvation, or execution.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

English kings tend to use the same names, but there was one King whose reign was so disastrous that no monarch has taken his name since. What was his name?

shutterstock
King John was the brother of Richard the Lionheart, who made such a huge mess of things while his brother was away on a crusade that no king since has taken that name.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Murad IV was a tyrannical ruler who killed his siblings and impaled his enemies. What empire did he reign over?

Wikimedia Commons
Murad IV was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1623 to 1640. On top of everything mentioned above, he also had his corrupt advisors strangled to death in his presence, executed a bunch of high ranking military officials, and he had the head of the Islamic Supreme court assassinated.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

What popular and delicious beverage did Murad IV ban during his reign?

Pixabay
t’s hard to believe he got away with it, but hey, Murad was a tyrant—so he made drinking coffee a capital offence. Anyone caught drinking it would be killed. He also banned tobacco and alcohol.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

King Leopold II of Belgium created the Congo Free State in the 19th century and enslaved millions there. Recently, this was used as a plot device in a film based on a character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. What is the character’s name?

wikipedia
In the film The Legend of Tarzan, the titular character is compelled to return to Africa and expose Leopold’s sinister work there. It’s a new take on an old character, who was originally created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
0 of 0 correct
0 question streak

Henry VIII loved court intrigue—after all, he basically used it to have one of his wives executed. He employed a number of assistants to help him in the bathroom, and these men would be trusted with the strictest confidence. What was this position called?

Wikimedia Commons
Being one of Henry’s Grooms of the Stool was regarded as a prestigious position. But such intimacy with the king was a double-edged and smelly sword: he executed one groom, Sir Henry Norris, on trumped-up charges of adultery with his second queen, Anne Boleyn.
About This Quiz
If there’s one thing we can learn from the history books, it’s that humankind can sadly be capable of terrible, evil acts. Between the bloodthirsty kings, perverted doctors, power-hungry warlords, and cruel dictators, the world has seen it’s fair share of pure evil. So how much do you really know about the darker side of history? Test your knowledge with this quiz about the most evil people in history.

Factinate Featured Logo Featured Article
The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed
Samantha Henman | Apr 08, 2020 Factinate World
Factinate Featured Logo Featured Article
Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress
Kyle Climans | Dec 07, 2018 Factinate World
Factinate Featured Logo Featured Article
These People Got Revenge In The Most Ingenious Ways These People Got Revenge In The Most Ingenious Ways
Dancy Mason | Apr 22, 2020 Factinate World
Factinate Featured Logo Featured Article
Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife
Christine Tran | Jun 07, 2018 Factinate World

Dear reader,

Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!

Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!

Warmest regards,

The Factinate team