Nov. 21, 2024

Voltaire Trivia

Show Notes
Transcript

Question 1:
What was Voltaire's real name, and why did he choose "Voltaire" as his pen name after being imprisoned in the Bastille in 1718?
Question 2:
How did Voltaire become one of France's richest writers through a surprising lottery scheme, and what did he do with his fortune?
Question 3:
Which famous ruler exchanged over 800 letters with Voltaire over their lifetimes, despite never actually meeting in person?
Question 4:
What coffee habit did Voltaire develop that his doctor warned would kill him, yet he continued until his death at age 83?
Question 5:
Which of Voltaire's books was publicly burned in Paris, yet became a secret bestseller that influenced both the American and French Revolutions?

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Calarogus Shark Media Greeting's history Buffs, I'm journey Joe Mitchell,

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and welcome to an enlightened edition of five daily trivia

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questions on Voltaire's birthday. Let's explore this fascinating philosopher. Question one,

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what was Voltaire's real name and why did he choose

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Voltaire as his pen name after being imprisoned in the

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Bastille in seventeen eighteen? Question two? How did Voltaire become

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one of France's richest writers through a surprising lottery scheme?

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And what did he do with his fortune? Question three?

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Which famous ruler exchanged over eight hundred letters with Voltaire

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over their lifetimes despite never actually meeting in person? Question four?

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What coffee habit did Voltaire develop that his doctor warned

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would kill him, yet he continued until his death at

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age eighty three? Question five? Which of Voltaire's books was

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publicly burned in Paris yet became a secret bestseller that

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influenced both the American and French revolutions? Will be right

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back with the answers after this break. Question one asked

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what was Voltaire's real name and why did he choose

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Voltaire as his pen name? After being imprisoned in the

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Bastille in seventeen eighteen. Answer. His real name was Francois

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Marie Arrouet. He chose Voltaire as an anagram of Arovett Lee,

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a Latinized version of his family name, plus the initials

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of the younger. The name change helped him publish while

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avoiding government censorship. Question two asked how did Voltaire become

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one of France's richest writers through a surprising lottery scheme

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and what did he do with his fortune? Answer? He

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discovered a mathematical error in the French National lottery that

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guaranteed wins if you bought all tickets of a certain sequence,

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then used his wealth to become a successful theater producer.

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He formed a syndicate with other mathematicians to exploit the

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loophole before the government caught on. Question three asked which

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famous ruler exchanged over eight hundred letters with Voltaire over

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their lifetimes, despite never actually meeting in person. Answer. Catherine

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the Great of Russia corresponded with him from seventeen sixty

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three until his death in seventeen seventy eight, discussing everything

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from politics to gardening. She called him her literary soulmate

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and bought his library after his death. Question four asked

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what coffee habit did Voltaire develop that his doctor warned

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would kill him, yet he continued until his death at

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age eighty three. Answer. He drank fifty cups of coffee

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per day, mixed with chocolate, writing for up to eighteen

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hours straight. He credited this mixture with helping him write

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twenty thousand letters and over two thousand books and pamphlets.

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Question five asked which of Voltaire's books was publicly burned

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in Paris yet became a secret bestseller that influenced both

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the American and French revolutions. Answer. Letters concerning the English

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Nation was burned in seventeen thirty four for praising English

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liberty and religious tolerance. Benjamin Franklin later distributed copies to

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members of the Continental Congress. That concludes Today's five daily

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trivia questions. I'm Journey Joe Mitchell, and today's questions were

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crafted with the help of AI technology. See you tomorrow.

Voltaire Trivia

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