Frantic Face Quiz 2021: How Many Can You Name?

This is British prime minister Boris Johnson.

Nigerian-American economist and international development expert Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was appointed as Director-General of the World Trade Organization on Feb. 15, 2021. Her term began in March 2021. She is the first woman and the first African to hold the office.

Kaja Kallas is the newly elected 43-year-old Prime Minister of Estonia. As of Jan. 26, 2021, she is the first woman in this position. Kallas is the leader of the liberal Reform Party in Estonia.

Pictured is Chris Cuomo, CNN host, brother of current New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and film producer Maria Cuomo Cole, and son of former New York Governor Mario Matthew Cuomo.

In the news:

Chris Cuomo told CNN viewers Monday, Mar. 1, 2021,  that he “obviously” couldn’t cover the stories surrounding his older brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The latter has been accused of sexual harassment by three women.

• Read & Listen to Chris Cuomo’s provocative analysis of the harsh truths that the pandemic and Trump years have exposed about America in Deep Denial. Available on Audiobook, Kindle, and print.

This is Sophia, a humanoid robot intended for multiple uses, including medical assistance. The company behind her, Hanson Robotics, said four of its models, including Sophia, would start rolling ‘in the thousands’ in the first half of 2021.

Right now the Jordan foundation is pledging 100 million dollars to fight racism.

Gina Haspel is the former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) between 2018 and 2021. She is the first woman to hold the post permanently. The CIA launched a new website Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, to find candidates who will ensure the US premier intelligence agency workforce reflects its national demographics. 

• Listen and read The Spymasters: How the CIA’s Directors Shape History and Guard the Future by New York Times best-selling author Chris Whipple on Audible, Kindle, or print.
• Audible Plus: Listen to thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts. Start your free trial now.

Pictured is Twitter’s Former CEO, Jack Dorsey. Having already briefly suspended Donald Trump’s account on Jan.6, 2021, the day of the Capitol riots, Twitter later banned Trump entirely, then smacked down the president’s attempts to tweet using other accounts. In a Twitter thread posted Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, Dorsey wrote: “I do not celebrate or feel pride in our having to ban @realDonaldTrump from Twitter. I believe this was the right decision for Twitter.”

Join Prime Minister Ardern as she celebrates 100 days with no Covid-19 new cases in New Zealand,

Mattel released a Naomi Osaka Barbie doll in time for the 2021 Olympics. The doll features clothing inspired by Osaka’s Nike tennis outfit at the 2020 Australian Open.

More Barbie Facts

In 2021 Barbie announced a Maya Angelou doll and added a Ken doll who uses a wheelchair to their Fashionistas lineup.

The man pictured is Yair Lapid, a former Israeli TV star, finance minister, and the head of the centrist Yesh Atid party. Under the coalition agreement with Naftali Bennet’s Rightist party, he became Israel’s Prime Minister when their coalition broke apart on June 20, 2022. He lost the elections to Benjamin Netanyahu’s extreme right-wing coalition.

Who is Naftali Bennett?

Photo by Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class James K. Lee, U.S. Secretary of Defense, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Israel’s former Prime Minister is Benjamin Netanyahu’s former chief of staff, the son of American immigrants from San Francisco, who became a self-made tech millionaire before entering Israeli politics. He is 50, married to a pastry cook, with whom he has four school-age kids.

How to pronounce Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid?

Naftalī Bennett is named after Naphtali, the sixth son of Jacob and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Naphtali, according to the Book of Genesis. It is pronounced: naaf·taa·lee. Bennett’s family name is Anglo-Norman, not Hebrew, meaning “blessed,” and pronounced as you’d imagine: beh·nuht.

Yair Lapid’s name derives from the Biblical Book of Judges. Yair was a man from Gilead of the Tribe of Manasseh who judged Israel for 22 years. The literal Hebrew meaning of the name is “(He) will (make) light/illuminate” and is pronounced yaa·eer. Lapid is a torch in Hebrew and is pronounced laa·peed. And yes, the literal meaning of Yair Lapid’s name is “He will light a torch.”

Stacey Abrams is a Democratic leader who was instrumental in turning Georgia blue during the 2020 presidential election – for the first time since 1992. She generated some 2 million votes in years of hard work. Watch her interview with Steven Colbert.

Kathy Hochul is New York’s first female governor in its 233-year history. Hochul, a former Democratic congresswoman who has served as lieutenant governor since 2015, took over from Andrew Cuomo and, on Nov. 8, 2022, won a full term as governor of New York. Cuomo announced his resignation as governor of New York on Aug. 10, 2021, over allegations that he sexually harassed at least 11 women.

Marshmello is an American electronic music producer and DJ whose songs “Silence,” “Wolves,” “Friends,” “Happier,” and “Alone” appeared in the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100. In his music videos, he wears a custom white helmet, resembling a marshmallow, but as Forbes found out, his real name is Chris Comstock. On Saturday, May 29, 2021, Marshmello will headline the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final opening ceremony, with Selena Gomez and Khalid appearing during the set.

Marshmello and the Jonas Brothers in 2021

On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, Marshmello released his latest video – a cooperation with the Jonas Brothers titled Leave Before You Love Me. Watch the video.

Meng Wanzhou is the deputy chair of the board and chief financial officer (CFO) of telecom giant and China’s largest privately held company, Huawei, founded by her father, Ren Zhengfei.

Meng Wanzhou News Fact

Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada in December 2018. She was kept under house arrest in Vancouver. Wanzhou is the subject of an extradition request made by the United States on charges of trade secrets theft related to possible violations of trade sanctions on Iran, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. As a Canadian judge heard final arguments about sending the Huawei executive to the United States, China stepped up the pressure. On Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2021, a Chinese court rejected a Canadian citizen’s appeal for a death sentence in a drug case that was increased after Wanzhou’s arrest. On Wednesday, Aug. 8, a Chinese court sentenced a Canadian entrepreneur to 11 years in prison on spy charges. On Sept. 24, 2021, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor had been released from detention in China after 1,019 days, shortly after Canadian authorities released Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou from house arrest.

Prof. Sarah Gilbert led the development of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine.

Image: mattel.com

She is now a part of the medical Barbie collection, along with five other women working in laboratories around the world: US healthcare workers Amy O’Sullivan and Dr. Audrey Cruz, a Canadian doctor and campaigner Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa, Brazilian biomedical researcher Dr. Jaqueline Goes de Jesus and Dr. Kirby White, an Australian medic who co-created a reusable gown for frontline staff.