Women Adventurers Quiz
Who was Lewis and Clark's guide?
- Sacajawea's name in Shoshone means "boat pusher," in Hidatsa, it's "bird woman."
Who was the first woman to command a space shuttle mission?
- Eileen Collins has also logged over 870 hours in space.
Who was the first woman member of the Royal Geographic Society?
- Isabella Bishop's first travels were spurred on by her (then) frail health.
Who was the first black aviator to get a pilot's license?
- Bessie Coleman's dream of a flying school for African Americans was realized three years after her death when William J. Powell established the Bessie Coleman Aero Club in Los Angeles.
Who was the first woman to fly over the North Pole?
- Louise Arner Boyd inherited the family fortune originally made by her grandfather in the California gold rush. She used most of it to fund her expeditions.
Who was the first person to fly solo from East to West across the Atlantic?
- Beryl Markham flew from London to Nova Scotia (although she was disappointed she didn't make New York City) nonstop in 21 hrs and 31 min. John Grierson actually did the flight in 1934, but for some reason, his six weeks' (with four stops) travel time didn't make anyone sit up and notice.
What African mountain did Mary Henrietta Kingsley climb?
- Mary Kingsley's ascent of Mount Cameroon was by a route never before climbed by a European.
Who founded the city of Miami, Fla.?
- Julia Tuttle died a little more than two years after the city of Miami was incorporated.
Who beat the fictitious Phileas Fogg by going around the world in 72 days rather than 80?
- The editors of the World newspaper originally wanted to send a man, but Nellie Bly insisted they send her, or she'd do it for someone else.
Who was the first woman to drive in the Indy 500?
- Janet Guthrie was also the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Winston (now Nextel) Cup race.
