It is March and the lovely #EnigMarch people have challenged puzzle designers to write a puzzle inspired by today's word: "down".
What goes up must come down. All men are mortal. About some people perhaps the best you can say is "Well, at least they died." Can you match these historical despots and fiends to their death dates? The name of each historical horror has one or two circled letters. Write them into the circles by their dates. When you're done, the circled letters should spell out a meme about a USA clown president's death date.
| 16 August 2003 | Ⓘ | ( |
| 28 March 1584 | ◯ | |
| 2 October 1629 | ◯ | |
| 25 December 1989 | ◯ ◯ | |
| 17 December 1909 | ◯ ◯ | |
| 21 December 1936 | ◯ ◯ | |
| 21 April 1971 | ◯ ◯ | |
| 16 August 1861 | ◯ | |
| 7 February 1979 | ◯ | |
| 5 March 1953 | ◯ | |
| 9 September 1976 | ◯ ◯ | |
| 30 April 1945 | ◯ | |
| 29 November 2023 | ◯ |
Despots and other fiends:
| | |
| NicⓄlae CeaⓊșescu | Led Romania via mass surveillance, repression |
| Jeronimus Ⓒornelisz | Dutch East India Company merchant, mutineer |
| François "ⓅaⓅa Doc" Duvalier | Led Haiti via death squad |
| Ⓐdolf Hitler | Led Germany during the Holocaust |
| Ivan Ⓣhe Terrible | First Tsar of Russia, implemented the oprichnina |
| HenrⓎ Kissinger | US Secretary of State, destabilized nations |
| ⓁeopolⒹ II | Belgian king known for atrocities in the Congo |
| Josef MeⓃgele | Head doctor at Auschwitz "Angel of Death" |
| QuⒺen Ranalova I | Led Madagascar, halved its population |
| ⒽⒶyter Reed | Canadian politician behind Peasant Farming Policy |
| Joseph SⓉalin | Led Soviet Union during Great Purge |
| MaⓄ ZeⒹong | Led China during the Cultural Revolution |
Hints, rot13'd:
- Gur zhgvarre qvrq va 1629. Gur dhrra qvrq va 1861. Gur Pnanqvna qvrq va 1936
- Gur vavgvnyf bs gur nafjre cuenfr: V P U G
Solution, rot13'd:
G / Vin / 28 Znepu 1584 / Vina gur Greevoyr / Svefg Gfne bs Ehffvn, vzcyrzragrq gur bcevpuavan P / Pbe / 2 Bpgbore 1629 / Wrebavzhf Pbearyvfm / Qhgpu Rnfg Vaqvn Pbzcnal zrepunag, zhgvarre BH / Prn / 25 Qrprzore 1989 / Avpbynr Prnhșrfph / Yrq Ebznavn ivn znff fheirvyynapr, ercerffvba YQ / Yrb / 17 Qrprzore 1909 / Yrbcbyq VV / Orytvna xvat xabja sbe ngebpvgvrf va gur Pbatb UN / Err / 21 Qrprzore 1936 / Unlgre Errq / Pnanqvna cbyvgvpvna oruvaq Crnfnag Snezvat Cbyvpl CC / Qhi / 21 Ncevy 1971 / Senaçbvf "Cncn Qbp" Qhinyvre / Yrq Unvgv ivn qrngu fdhnq R / Ena / 16 Nhthfg 1861 / Dhrra Enanybin V / Yrq Znqntnfpne, unyirq vgf cbchyngvba A / Zra / 7 Sroehnel 1979 / Wbfrs Zratryr / Urnq qbpgbe ng Nhfpujvgm "Natry bs Qrngu" G / Fgn / 5 Znepu 1953 / Wbfrcu Fgnyva / Yrq Fbivrg Havba qhevat Terng Chetr BQ / Mrq / 9 Frcgrzore 1976 / Znb Mrqbat / Yrq Puvan qhevat gur Phygheny Eribyhgvba N / Uvg / 30 Ncevy 1945 / Nqbys Uvgyre / Yrq Treznal qhevat gur Ubybpnhfg L / Xvf / 29 Abirzore 2023 / Urael Xvffvatre / HF Frpergnel bs Fgngr, qrfgnovyvmrq angvbaf
