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Quiz: Women’s History Month

How much do you know about America’s leading ladies?


Ethel Percy Andrus holding papers
Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus set out on a mission to improve the quality of life for all as they age.
AARP

Question 1 of 7

AARP’s founder, the indomitable Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, was born in the 19th century and helped transform the 20th. She was born in San Francisco in 1881. In what year did she found AARP?

Plenty of people doubted that America’s retirees would ever coalesce into a cohesive national group. But Dr. Andrus forged ahead with her plan to create an organization open to every American over the age of 55. It was incorporated on July 1, 1958, as the American Association of Retired Persons, with membership set at $2 a year.

Question 2 of 7

When the U.S. military faced a shortage of men during World War II, all service branches embraced the recruitment of women. The Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard allowed female service members into their ranks starting in 1942. How many women served in the military during this war?

About 400,000 women served in the military during World War II in all theaters of battle. They worked as nurses and in fields such as aircraft maintenance, traffic control and cryptography.

Question 3 of 7

Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave women the right to vote?

Following decades of activism and its passage in Congress in 1919, the 19th Amendment became law on Aug. 18, 1920, when it was ratified by Tennessee. The amendment was certified and signed by the U.S. secretary of state on Aug. 26, 1920.

Unchanged since it was first introduced in Congress in 1878, the amendment reads: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.”

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Question 4 of 7

What famous aviator said, “The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity”?

Earhart was arguably one of the most famous women of her time. Her exploits in the sky were the stuff of legend. In 1932 she became the first woman to fly a plane solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She subsequently set numerous women’s aviation records for speed and distance.

Question 5 of 7

Harriet Tubman is one of the most important and heroic women in American history. After escaping slavery in 1849, she worked to free other enslaved people. As a conductor on the Underground Railroad, she led more than 70 enslaved family members and friends to freedom. Which state is home to the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center?

The park and visitor center are in Church Creek, Maryland. You can also follow Tubman’s journey to freedom by driving the scenic byway from Maryland’s Eastern Shore through Delaware to Philadelphia. Find byway maps and an audio guide online.

Question 6 of 7

Who was the longest-serving first lady in American history?

Roosevelt, who served as first lady from 1932 to 1945, elevated the position far beyond that of White House hostess. She championed civil rights and the rights of the poor and established her own powerful role alongside her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Ever eloquent, she said, “You must do the things you think you cannot do.”

Question 7 of 7

Bessie Smith became known as the Empress of the Blues and recorded with the likes of Benny Goodman and Louis Armstrong. Her hits included “Down Hearted Blues” and “Tain’t Nobody’s Biz-ness If I Do.” Which famous blues singer did Smith train with?

At the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and Chattanooga African American Museum in Tennessee, you can see rare footage of Smith and hear recordings of her singing as part of the permanent exhibit “Chattanooga’s Black Soundtrack.” The museum also includes “Walk Through Time: The Chattanooga African American Experience” and other rotating exhibits about Black history.

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