History, Dates, & Foundations
Which U.S. President first authorized "Hispanic Heritage Week" in 1968?
President Lyndon B. Johnson
Who made history in 2009 by becoming the first Hispanic and Latina Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?
Sonia Sotomayor
Which Mexican scientist won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 for his research on the threat of CFC gases to the Earth's ozone layer?
Mario Molina
Which Puerto Rican Baseball Hall-of-Famer was a 15-time All-Star, recorded 3,000 career hits, and was known for his humanitarian work?
Roberto Clemente
What famous ancient Incan citadel sits high in the Andes Mountains of Peru?
Machu Picchu
Which U.S. President expanded Hispanic Heritage Week into a full 30-day month in 1988?
President Ronald Reagan
Who was appointed as the first female and first Hispanic U.S. Surgeon General in 1990?
Dr. Antonia Novello
Which Argentine cardiac surgeon pioneered the modern coronary artery bypass surgery in the 1960s?
Dr. René Favaloro
Which Chilean poet and diplomat won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971?
Pablo Neruda
What thick, stuffed corn tortilla dish is considered the national dish of El Salvador?
Pupusas
What major historical anniversary is celebrated on September 16th in Mexico?
Mexican Independence Day (commemorating the "Grito de Dolores")
What Puerto Rican educator and activist pioneered bilingual education programs and co-founded ASPIRA in New York City?
Antonia Pantoja
Who was the Venezuelan scientist who invented the diamond scalpel used in precision eye surgery and microsurgeries?
Dr. Humberto Fernández-Morán
What iconic author from Colombia wrote One Hundred Years of Solitude and won the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature?
Gabriel García Márquez
What musical genre and traditional dance style originated in the Dominican Republic and features the güira and tambora?
Merengue (or Bachata)
What is the difference between the terms "Hispanic" and "Latino"?
"Hispanic" refers to people who come from or descended from Spanish-speaking countries. "Latino/Latina/Latinx" refers to people from or descended from Latin America, regardless of language (including Brazil)
Who was the civil rights activist and physician who founded the American GI Forum in 1948 to secure rights for Hispanic veterans?
Dr. Hector P. Garcia
What Cuban epidemiologist discovered in 1881 that yellow fever was transmitted to humans by mosquitoes?
Dr. Carlos Juan Finlay
Which Mexican-American musician pioneered Chicano rock with his 1958 smash hit "La Bamba"?
Ritchie Valens
What traditional Mexican music ensemble features violins, trumpets, guitars, and a guitarrón?
Mariachi
Are "Hispanic" and "Latino" considered racial categories or ethnic categories by the U.S. Census Bureau?
Ethnicities (people of Hispanic or Latino origin can be of any race)
Who was the first Hispanic person elected to the United States Senate (representing New Mexico in 1935)?
Dennis Chávez
What Spanish neuroscientist is considered the "father of modern neuroscience" and won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906?
Santiago Ramón y Cajal
Which Cuban singer, known as the "Queen of Salsa," became famous for her signature catchphrase "¡Azúcar!"?
Celia Cruz
What ancient civilization built the pyramid of Chichén Itzá in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula?
The Maya