Deaths In The News: 2003 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Blondie Bumstead

Born Dorothy McNulty in Philadelphia in 1908, Penny Singleton took her last name from her dentist husband, Lawrence Singleton, when the two married in 1937. Between 1938 and 1950, Singleton starred opposite Arthur Lake in 28 films revolving around the lives of Dagwood and Blondie Bumstead, characters originally created for the funny pages by Chic Young in 1930.

As a member of the voice cast of "The Jetsons", Singleton worked with greats Mel Blanc (the voice of Mr. Spacely), Daws Butler (Elroy Jetson) and Don Messick (Astro the dog). (Thanks to CNN.com for additional information.)

Answer: 1957

A native of South Carolina, Gibson's family moved to Harlem when she was very young. As a teenager, she took up tennis and won the very first tournament she entered. Gibson was a force on the all-black American Tennis Association circuit, winning ten straight national championships.

In 1950, she became the first black person of either sex to play at Forest Hills and did the same at Wimbledon in 1951. In 1956, she won her first major, the French Championships, then won back-to-back titles at Wimbledon and the US Nationals in 1957 and 1958.

After retiring from tennis, Gibson spent seven years on the LPGA tour, and spent much more time encouraging young black men and women to play individual sports. (Thanks to altheagibson.com for additional information.)

Answer: Dallas

Before throwing his hat into the political ring, Maynard Jackson focused his work as an attorney on issues around labor and civil rights. Unsuccessful in unseating Herman Talmadge from his US Senate seat in 1968, Jackson would become Atlanta's first black vice-mayor in 1970.

He was sworn in as mayor in 1974 after defeating incumbent Sam Massell. His three terms as mayor (1974-81, 1989-93) were marked with numerous accomplishments, including the use of affirmative action for letting city contracts, establishing new neighborhood planning districts and helping secure the 1996 Olympic Games for the city.

The day he died, Jackson departed Atlanta from his most visible achievement, Hartsfield International Airport, completed on time and under budget, on a Delta flight to Washington, DC. (Thanks to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website, ajc.com, for additional information.)

Answer: He was born in Cleveland, Ohio.

Bob Hope was actually born in London, England and moved to Bristol before his family came across the Atlantic and settled in Cleveland. Hope was Paramount's third choice for the first "Road" movie, "The Road to Singapore". Actually, the studio wanted the comedy team of George Burns and Gracie Allen, but they weren't available. Neither was the team of Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie. Hope and his pal, Bing Crosby, ended up making road trips to Singapore (1940), Zanzibar (1941), Morocco (1942), Utopia (1946), Rio (1947), Bali (1952) and Hong Kong (1962).

He also hosted the Oscars ceremonies 18 times, though he never won an Academy Award for his acting. He did, however, win four different honorary awards from the academy, along with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (1959). (Thanks to bobhope.com and the Internet Movie Database for additional information.)

Answer: 48 years

A 1923 graduate of what is now Clemson University with a degree in horticulture, Strom Thurmond obtained his first public position in 1929, when he became the Edgefield County school superintendent. In 1946, he succeeded Ransome Judson Williams as governor of South Carolina, as a Democrat.

Answer: 1

Peck's filmography includes some of the most celebrated films of all time, including "On The Beach" (1959), "The Guns of Navarrone" (1961), "Cape Fear" (1962) and "To Kill A Mockingbird" (1962), for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor. His turn as President came in the drama "Amazing Grace & Chuck" (1987), a movie about a young Montana boy who decides to give up baseball until the world gives up its nuclear stockpiles.

He also did a turn as President on TV, playing Abraham Lincoln in the 1982 mini-series "The Blue and The Gray". (Thanks to the Internet Movie Database and jefflangonline.com for additional information. And thanks to Fun Trivia player professorjon for the information on "The Blue and The Gray".)

Answer: Polaris

A native of Budapest, Hungary, Edward Teller studied theoretical physics under Niels Bohr in Munich and Copenhagen, and helped Werner Heisenberg lay the foundations of nuclear physics in Leipzig. He left Germany in 1934, when the Nazis came to power, teaching in London before coming to teach at George Washington University in 1935.

In the United States, he worked with Enrico Fermi at Chicago and with Ernest Lawrence at Berkeley, and helped with the Manhattan Project. An advocate of strong national defense, Teller won numerous awards during his career, including the National Medal of Science and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. (Thanks to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory website for additional information.)

Answer: North Carolina

The sixth of seven children, Eunice Waylon was a talented piano player who, with the help of her music teacher, wound up studying at Julliard. It was in a job in an Irish bar in Atlantic City, however, that she would end up embracing her singing talent, and eventually changed her name to Nina Simone. Among her best known songs are "I Loves You, Porgy" (from "Porgy and Bess"), "Don't Smoke In Bed", and "Mississippi Goddam", an indictment of racism and hate in the wake of the infamous Birmingham church bombing that killed four young girls in 1963. Simone would leave the United States in 1974, living in several countries prior to settling in southern France, and continued to make music until a long illness took her down. (Thanks to ninasimone.com for additional information.)

Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt

A native of Tyler, Texas, and a graduate of the University of Missouri's School of Journalism, McClendon began covering one of journalism's most prestigious beats at a time when men dominated the field. As the head of her own news services she remained on the beat all the way until the Clinton Administration, when her health began to slow her down. Along the way, she worked with young woman and encourage many others to strive for careers in the field.

At the time of her death, she still wrote a syndicated newspaper column. (Thanks to motherjones.com and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer website, seattlepi.nwsource.com, for additional information.)

Answer: Ottawa Senators

During his long career, Roger Neilson served as a head coach for eight different NHL teams, including Toronto, Philadelphia, and Florida, compiling a career record of 460-381-159 and making 11 trips to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He never won a Stanley Cup as a coach, but was with the Edmonton Oilers as a video analysis specialist when they won in 1984. Neilson pioneered the use of videotape as a teaching tool with his teams--earning the nickname "Captain Video" in the process--and used off-ice training techniques to get the most from his players.

As an assistant in Ottawa, he continued to teach and instruct, despite battling cancer. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November, 2002. (Thanks to NHL.com and sportsillustrated.com for additional information.)