Vera, Chuck, and Dave Trivia Quiz

Answer: Vera

Vera Ellen Wang was born in New York City in 1949. Her parents emigrated to the US in the mid-1940s. She began ice skating at age eight and initially pursued a career in figure skating, but changed tack when she did not qualify for the US Olympic team in 1968, though she continued to skate throughout her life. She graduated from high school in 1967 and attended the University of Paris before graduating from Sarah Lawrence College in upstate New York with a degree in art history. After graduation, she was hired as an editor for "Vogue" magazine. She was the youngest editor of that magazine. She stayed for 17 years before joining Ralph Lauren as a fashion designer. At 40, three years later, she resigned to become an independent bridal wear designer.

She soon made a name for herself designing wedding gowns for celebrities such as Mariah Carey, Chelsea Clinton, Victoria Beckham, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. She has designed evening wear for Michelle Obama. Figure skaters who have worn her designs at the Winter Olympic Games include Nancy Kerrigan (1992 and 1994), Michelle Kwan (1998 and 2002), and Nathan Chen (2018 and 2022). Ms Wang was inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2009 for her contributions as a costume designer. The 2003 Philadelphia Eagles' uniforms were Vera Wang creations. Her business ventures generated $630 million in revenue in 2006, making her one of the richest self-made women in the world. She has branched into fragrances, wrote a book on weddings in 2001, had notable movie and TV appearances as herself, and was recognised as one of the BBC's 100 Women of 2021. She was married to Arthur Becker between 1989 and 2003, and the couple share two daughters, Cecelia and Josephine.

Answer: Chuck

Kevin Joseph "Chuck" Connors was a professional basketball and baseball player and a movie and television actor. He was born in Brooklyn in 1921. He earned an athletic scholarship to Seton Hall University, where he played both basketball and baseball. (This is where he earned his nickname: He would repeatedly shout to the pitcher from first base, "Chuck it to me, baby! Chuck it to me!")

After two years of university, he accepted a contract to play professional baseball. He played in the minor leagues before enlisting in the US Army after America entered WWII. After he was discharged in 1946, he played basketball (he was 6 foot 5 / 1.98 m) for the Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) and in 1947 for the Boston Celtics. In 1949, he played Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago Cubs in 1951.

After realising he would not make a career in professional sport, he pursued acting and was given a role as a police captain in the 1952 Tracy-Hepburn movie "Pat and Mike". He received many more supporting roles as well as guest roles on television before he was cast in the title role of "The Rifleman" in 1958. He completed five seasons and 168 episodes. This was his best-known role. He continued to act in both television and movies until his death. He was married three times and had four sons. He died of lung cancer in 1992.

Answer: Dave

David (Dave) Eric Grohl (born 1969) was born in Warren OH, but spent most of his younger years in the suburbs of Washington, DC. He taught himself guitar when he was 12, but in high school switched to drums. Grohl has never learned to read music; he plays by ear. He dropped out of high school when he successfully auditioned as the drummer for the local band Scream. He toured and recorded three albums over four years. He met Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic from Nirvana in 1990 after a Scream gig on the West Coast. Shortly after, Scream broke up suddenly. He contacted Cobain, as Nirvana had never had a long-term drummer. He joined the band after an audition. Besides being the Nirvana drummer, he also contributed songs for the last two Nirvana albums, "Nevermind" (1991) and "In Utero" (1994).

After Cobain's suicide in 1994, Grohl withdrew and moved to County Kerry in Ireland. When he stopped to pick up a hitchhiker, he was wearing a Nirvana T-shirt; he took this as a sign to return to music. He returned to Washington State and recorded a fifteen-track demo where he played all the instruments except for one guitar part on a single track. He drummed briefly for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers but declined an invitation to be their permanent drummer.

Instead, he put together a band, the Foo Fighters, and released the remixed solo demo as the Foo Fighters' debut album. Their second album, "The Color and the Shape", was released in 1997, and with the three singles, "Monkey Wrench", Everlong", and "My Hero," they established themselves as a mainstream rock act. Foo Fighters released their twelfth studio album, "Your Favorite Toy", in 2026. All twelve have been hit albums.

Grohl has collaborated on other projects with John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, and Norah Jones. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Nirvana in 2014. He has been married twice. He has three daughters with his second wife Jordyn Blum. They married in 2003.

Answer: Vera

Vera Ann Farmiga was born in Clifton, New Jersey, in 1973 to Ukrainian parents (Ukrainian is her first language - she did not learn English until she was six years old). She trained as a folk dancer and classical pianist. She discovered acting in high school and graduated from Syracuse University in 1995, majoring in theatre. She made her Broadway debut alongside Ed Harris, understudying the main role of Emmi Straube in "Taking Sides" in October 1996. Small roles in television and cinema followed.

Her breakthrough role was as a drug-addicted mother in the independent movie "Down to the Bone", which premiered at Sundance in January 2004. Larger roles followed. She reached a global audience when she was the female lead playing opposite Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese's crime drama "The Departed" (2006). A large body of work followed on both the silver screen, small screen, and stage. She is perhaps best known on television as the female lead in "Bates Motel". She has been nominated for Academy, Emmy, and Grammy Awards. She married for the second time in 2009 to Renn Hawkey, a musician and producer. They have two children: a son born in 2009 and a daughter in 2010.

Answer: Chuck

Brigadier General Charles Elwood Yeager began his army career as a private in the United States Army as an aircraft mechanic in 1941. In September 1942, he commenced pilot training and was promoted to warrant officer when he graduated. He was a talented fighter pilot, shooting down 11.5 enemy aircraft in his P-51 Mustang. He transferred from the army to the air force in 1947 and became a test pilot, flying many types of experimental aircraft, including those that were rocket-powered.

He is best known for being the first human to officially break the sound barrier when, on October 14, 1947, he flew the experimental Bell X-1 at Mach 1.05. Subsequently, he broke several speed and altitude records. He trained astronauts for NASA and the Air Force when he became the first commandant of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School in 1962. In the Vietnam War, he commanded fighter squadrons, and because of outstanding results, he was promoted to Brigadier General in 1969. Four years later, he was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. His retirement date of March 1, 1975, was chosen because of its resemblance to Mach 1.

Answer: Vera

Vera Igorevna Zvonareva was born in Moscow in 1984. She reached a number two world ranking in singles in tennis and number seven in doubles. When she won the Baku Cup in 2011, this was her 12th singles title. She was the runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2010. She had 17 career WTA doubles titles. These included two wins at the US Open in 2006 and 2020 and a win at the Australian Open in 2012. She has been a runner-up at Wimbledon on two occasions.

She was a bronze medallist at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. She was introduced to tennis by her mother, Natalia Bykova, who was a field hockey Bronze medallist at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. She has two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, one at the US Open in 2004 and one at Wimbledon in 2006. She has degrees in physical education and one in international economic relations. She married Alexander Kucher, an administrator, in 2016. Their daughter is called Evelina.

Answer: Chuck

Chuck Lorre created or co-created and produced several television sitcoms, including "Cybill" (1995-1998), "Dharma & Greg" (1997-2002), "Two and a Half Men" (2003-2015), "The Big Bang Theory" (2007- 2019), and "Mom" (2013-2021). After leaving school, Lorre toured the US as a guitarist and singer-songwriter. He wrote "French Kissin'" in 1986, which became a UK top ten hit for Deborah Harry. During the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike, when Lorre was out of work, Lorre accepted an invitation to write music for "Adventures of Beany and Cecil". During this tenure, he became a story editor and writer for the show.

He then became a writer for "Rosanne" before becoming a creator of his own shows. his second show "Grace Under Fire" (1993), was nominated at the 52nd Golden Globe Awards for "Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy". His success led to being a creator of several highly successful sitcoms, which made him a household name. Lorre has won Golden Globe Awards for "Roseanne" (1993), "Cybill" (1996)," and "The Kominsky Method" (2019). In 2009, and in 2012, he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

Answer: Dave

David (Dave) John Matthews was born in 1967 in Johannesburg, South Africa, and spent a great deal of his childhood in the US and UK as his father was a physicist who moved around for his work. He is a naturalised American and is a musician who is the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band. The band released its maiden album in 1994. "Under the Table and Dreaming" featured three hits: "What Would You Say", "Satellite", and "Ants Marching". The album was dedicated to the memory of Matthews's older sister Anne, who was murdered by her husband. The album was certified six times platinum.

The follow-up album, "Crash" (1995), earned the band a Grammy Award and four additional Grammy nominations. The band won for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group for "So Much to Say". The Dave Matthews Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. Their next six albums (1998-2012) all debuted at number one on the Billboard Albums Chart. This was the first time this had occurred for a single artist. Matthews also records music as a solo artist. He received a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for his 2003 album "Gravedigger".

Outside of music, he has several acting credits and is involved in political activism, particularly with the election of President Obama. He grows grapes on a farm in Virginia and collaborated with experienced vintners to produce Dreaming Tree Wines, and he joined the Farm Aid Board of Directors in 2001 with John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, and Neil Young.

Answer: Dave

David Tynan O'Mahony (1936-2005), known professionally as Dave Allen, was an Irish comedian and actor He was best known for his observational comedy and had several TV shows where he imparted his wisdom with a simple set of him sat on a stool, smoking and sipping what appeared to be whiskey (but was actually ginger ale). Allen's first appearance on TV was on the British talent show "New Faces". He hosted pop music shows on the BBC and in 1962-3 toured South Africa and Australia, where he got his first big break. Channel Nine offered him his own show, "Tonight With Dave Allen, BBC" from 1968-1969, which was successful until he was banned six months later for offensive language. He returned to Britain and had a continual series of comedy shows on the BBC until 1990.

His shows were based on observational comedy rather than gags. He often satirised the church and religion (which he attributed to harsh treatment being educated in catholic schools); he often courted controversy by calling out political hypocrisy, and he had an endless series of funny stories about how he lost the top joint of his right thumb (The real reason was never revealed. It is believed it was caught in a machine cog, but this was never confirmed). He was married twice and had three children. He died somewhat prematurely at 68 from cardiac issues complicated by emphysema.

Answer: Chuck

Chuck (Charles Henry) Noll was best known as an American Football coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League. He was born in 1932 in Cleveland, OH, where he spent his childhood. He played running back and tackle at his local high school, Benedictine High School. He accepted a football scholarship to the University of Dayton in Ohio and graduated with a degree in secondary education. He was a lineman, linebacker, and co-captain for his college football team, the Dayton Flyers.

He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns and played 77 games for them, which included two NFL championships in 1954 and 1955. He retired from playing football at age 27 to start a coaching career. He had assistant coaching positions with the Chargers and the (Baltimore) Colts before being appointed the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach in 1969.

At 37, he was the youngest head coach in the NFL at the time. When he started in 1969, the Steelers had only ever played one playoff game, which they lost 21-0. He won his first Super Bowl (IX) in 1974 and also won Super Bowls X, XIII, and XIV. He retired after the 1991 season with an overall career record of 209-156-1, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame two years later, in 1993. He died of natural causes in 2014.

Answer: Dave

David Warren Brubeck was born in Concord, CA, in 1920. He was an American jazz pianist, composer and band leader. He was considered one of the innovators of cool jazz. His body of work is unusual as it is filled with unusual time signatures such as 5/4, 6/4 and 9/8. He was originally going to study to be a veterinarian at the local university, but the college urged him to enrol in the music conservatory. This he did, but he was nearly expelled when it was discovered that he could not read music. However, his ability to write counterpoint and harmony saved him.

He graduated in 1942 and was drafted into the army. When he volunteered to play piano in a Red Cross show for the troops, the show was a success, and he was spared from combat service to be an entertainer. He was permitted to form his own band from the draftees. The Wolfpack was one of the U.S. armed forces' first racially integrated bands. After four year in the army, Brubeck returned to California and recorded his own jazz records, which sold well through the Fantasy record label.

This was the start of a fifty-year recording career which was filled with accolades, honours and recognition, all of which made Brubeck uncomfortable. Perhaps his 'biggest' awards were the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996 and the University of Notre Dame's Laetare Medal in 2006. (The latter award is the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics. He married jazz lyricist Iola Whitlock in 1942 and had six children. Four of his sons became professional musicians. Their marriage lasted 70 years until Brubexk died of heart failure in 2012.

Answer: Vera

Dame Vera Margaret Lewis (nee Welch) was known professionally as Vera Lynn; she was more than a singer - she was an entertainer. She will always be remembered for her performances in front of troops, particularly in Egypt, India, and Burma during WWII. She was known as the "Forces' Sweetheart". Her most popular songs were: "We'll Meet Again" (1939); "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover" (1941) and "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (1940). She had a 30-minute weekly radio program called "Sincerely Yours" which commenced in 1941. Besides music, she broadcast messages to British troops stationed overseas. Ms Lynn continued her popularity after the war with a weekly BBC radio program called "It's Time for Vera Lynn" which commenced late in 1943. She appeared in three movies, all shot during the War; one was an autobiography.

She married Harry Lewis, a clarinetist and saxophonist during the war. In 1946, her daughter Virginia was born. However, an outstanding recording contract with Decca Records and financial hardship forced her back into show business when she wanted to be a mother and wife. She continued recording and touring as well as continuing her weekly radio shows. Her husband became her manager. In 1952, Ms Lynn's British recording of a German song, "Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart", became her best-selling record. In the UK, the song was the best-selling record of the year. In the US, it became the first record by a British performer to reach the top the charts, staying there for nine weeks.

She appeared on the Royal Variety Performance on seven occasions between 1951 and 1990. She released a stand-alone "I Love This Land" to mark the end of the Falklands conflict. She sang outside Buckingham Palace in 1995 to mark the 50th Anniversary of VE Day. She was the epitome of being British and was beloved throughout the United Kingdom. In 2009, aged 92, she became the oldest living artist to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart with a compilation album called "We'll Meet Again: The Very Best of Vera Lynn". Ms Lynn died in 2020 aged 103. She was given a military funeral, and a thanksgiving service was held at Westminster Abbey for her in 2022.