Those We Lost in 2009 Pt III

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. This writer achieved successes across several media such as "The Frost Report" on television, "Whistle Down the Wind" on film and "Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell" on the stage. His most celebrated work was the 1959 novel, "Billy Liar", later made into a successful British film. Who was this multi-talented writer who we lost on September 4th, 2009? Christopher Booker Richard Ingrams Auberon Waugh Keith Waterhouse

2. September 8th, 2009, saw the passing of a winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics. Born in 1922, the year his father won the prize, he left his home country, under the threat of Nazi persecution, and went to work on the Manhattan Project as assistant to his father. He developed his own reputation in the field by challenging his father's theories on nuclear structure and it was for this work that the Nobel Prize was awarded in 1975. Who was this second generation Nobel laureate? Aage Bohr Pierre Curie Geoffrey Einstein William Bragg

3. His work in plant genetics in Mexico led to the development of high-yield wheat crops that were credited with saving more than a billion lives. His achievements saw him lauded as the instigator of the Green Revolution and made him a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Who was this humanitarian and agronomist, once described as "the greatest human being you've probably never heard of", who died on September 12th, 2009, aged 95? William Gaud Perry G. Holden Lord Boyd-Orr Norman Borlaug

4. He made over 40 films and had chart success in dozens of countries as a singer, but it is for that moment in "Dirty Dancing" that his memory will be forever treasured. In the final scene, he performs a dance with Baby, played by Jennifer Grey, in which he lifts her high above his head to the strains of "(I've Had) The Time of My Life". Which actor and singer, who lost his battle against cancer on September 14th, 2009, received a Golden Globe nomination for his role in "Dirty Dancing"? Alan Rickman John Travolta Patrick Swayze Val Kilmer

5. Her fame, such as it was, came from being in the same school class as John Lennon's son, Julian. Through being the subject of a painting by young Julian, she became, inadvertently, the inspiration for one of The Beatles' most controversial songs. Despite its supposedly innocent beginnings, the song, from the "Sgt. Pepper" album, became notorious because of its initials sharing those of an illegal drug, popular at the time. Who was the girl, immortalised in song, who died on 22nd September, 2009? Lucy Vodden Eleanor Rigby Rita Fairclough Diane Ashley

6. Having lived in exile for most of his first 27 years, Guillermo Endara was chosen as the candidate for an alliance of opposition parties to run in his country's general election of 1989. Though initial counts showed he had probably won, he did not become president until the US overthrew the incumbent government of dictator Manuel Noriega seven months later. Endara died on September 28th, 2009 of a heart attack. Of which central American country had he been president? Nicaragua Panama Belize El Salvador

7. October 10th, 2009 saw the shockingly early death of a young Irish pop star, who had enjoyed massive chart success with the band Boyzone. An undetected heart defect led to the death of a man who had become a reluctant gay rights champion after coming out, despite his band's core support being that of teenage girls. Who was this young singer who died aged just 33? Ronan Keating Stephen Gately Damien Rice Brian McFadden

8. He is probably most remembered for playing the singer Johnny Fontane in the 1972 movie, "The Godfather". Before his acting successes though, he was a hugely successful singer who achieved number one hits in the US and the UK. Chief amongst them was the 1952 hit, "Here in My Heart", which had the distinction of being the first ever UK number one single. Who was this Italian-American crooner who passed away on 13th October, 2009? Perry Como Al Martino Frankie Laine Frank Sinatra

9. Despite sounding as though he was in the fashion industry, this man was known to the world as the "father of modern anthropology". His experiences with indigenous tribes in the Amazonian rainforest led him to denounce the concept of "The Savage Mind" and the existential concept of free will. Who was this Erasmus prize winner, who died on October 30th, just four weeks before his 101st birthday? Lee Wrangler Claude Levi-Strauss David Abercrombie-Fitch René Chanel

10. He should have been looking forward to a summer in South Africa as Germany's first choice goalkeeper for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Sadly, depression led him to commit suicide on train tracks near his home on November 10th, 2009. Who was this player who played for Mönchengladbach, Benfica and Hannover 96? Sepp Maier Jens Lehmann Oliver Kahn Robert Enke

11. Best remembered as television's "The Equalizer", this British actor also starred in one of the UK's most revered cult films, "The Wicker Man". One of his last roles came in the 2007 comedy, "Hot Fuzz". Who was this Golden Globe winning actor, who passed away on November 12th, 2009? Ian McShane Brian Blessed Edward Woodward Mark McManus

12. A school project undertaken when he was just 17 gave Robert G. Heft, who died on December 12th, 2009, his place in American history. His creation won Presidential approval and was adopted by the nation in 1959. What was it that Heft created that is now used across the United States and the world? The Alaskan state quarter The 50-star American flag The Pledge of Allegiance YouTube

13. Kim Peek, who left us on December 19th, 2009, was known as a "megasavant". His remarkable memory, which allowed him to memorise the entire works of Shakespeare, and his astonishing mathematical capabilities left a great impression on all who met him. One such person was screenwriter Barry Morrow, who based a 1988 Oscar-winning script around a character based on Peek. What was the name of the script that Morrow wrote? Being There The Innocent Rain Man What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

14. Having made her film debut at the age of 18 in "Clueless", this Hollywood actress might have expected a long and stellar career. Sadly, it was not to be, as she succumbed to a heart attack on 20th December, 2009 at the age of just 32. Despite her brief life, she left behind a body of work that included such films as "8 Mile" and "Riding in Cars With Boys". Who was she? Natalie Portman Drew Barrymore Brittany Murphy Alicia Silverstone

15. Knut Haugland, who died on Christmas Day 2009, joined the Norwegian Army in 1938 and fought with the resistance after his country's defeat to Germany two years later. A meeting with Thor Heyerdahl in England led to an opportunity for exploration and adventure after the war, when he took part in an expedition to test the possibility that the Polynesian islands were settled by people from Peru. What was the name of this expedition? Terra Nova Kon-Tiki Bindibu Galathea