Famous Quotes, Part 2 Multiple Choice Quiz | Who Said It?

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What American politician, to later suffer disgrace, once said this about the opposing party? "In the United States today, we have more than our share of the nattering nabobs of negativism."

Answer: Spiro Agnew

As Vice-President under Richard Nixon, Agnew resigned in disgrace with charges of extortion, tax fraud, bribery, and conspiracy, stemming from his time as Governor of Maryland. He was also used as a lightning rod, a diversion, to defer the limelight from other issues. William Safire wrote the line; Agnew spoke it.

2. What National Baseball League player for the Dodgers and who broke the color barrier in his sport said: "It kills me to lose. If I'm a troublemaker, and I don't think that my temper makes me one, then it's because I can't stand losing. That's the way I am about winning, all I ever wanted to do was finish first."

Answer: Jackie Robinson

Robinson suffered discrimination at every level of his career, in college, military, minor leagues, and the majors. His self-restraint under the racist tauntings of other players and teams made a him a true role model for black youth. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

3. What famous businessman with roots in the automotive industry said: "Start with good people, lay out the rules, communicate with your employees, motivate them and reward them. If you do all those things effectively, you can't miss."

Answer: Lee Iaccoca

Iaccoca had high and lows in his auto business career. Lows were being fired from Ford because of technical problems with the Pinto line. Highs were the Ford Mustang success and revitalizing the Chrysler Corporation.

4. What radio, screen and television comedian often ended his programs with this quote? "If by chance some day you're not feeling well and you should remember some silly thing I've said or done and it brings back a smile to your face or a chuckle to your heart, then my purpose as your clown has been fulfilled".

Answer: Red Skelton

Born Richard Skelton in Vincennes, Indiana, he climbed his way to show business acme by being the class clown and later in medicine shows, on riverboats, in vaudeville, or any way he could play the clown in front of others. Radio brought him to films and then to television where he was a force from 1937 to 1970. Bitter over the cancellation of his television program, Skelton continued with personal appearances and guest shots until 1981.

Aside: My mother's friend went to school with Skelton in Vincennes. She said Red used to roll his eyelids back with match sticks to shock his teacher.

5. What saintly person who spent much of her life helping the poor of India, said: "Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat".

Answer: Mother Teresa

She was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Albania in 1910. For forty-five years she nursed the poor,sick,orphaned,and dying in Calcutta. Her work came into focus to world-wide acclaim in 1970 when "Something Beautiful for God", a book and documentary film, was completed. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and was beatified by the Pope after her death in 1997.

6. She has been referred to as the most hated woman in America because of her beliefs about God and religion. Who gave us the following quote? "An atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An atheist believes that deed must be done instead of prayer said. An atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanished, war eliminated."

Answer: Madalyn Murray O'Hair

Madalyn Murray O'Hair founded "American Atheists" after she was able to convince the Supreme Court that mandatory prayer in schools was unconstitutional. She remained the de facto head until she and members of her family were murdered. They were murdered by a former employee of "American Atheists" for greed, not for any religious reasons. Her body was found mutilated. They were only able to identify her by the serial number on her artificial hip.

Three wrong answers are also people who claim to be atheists.

7. He was a Chicago journalist, author and radio and television personality. Who was this out-spoken but gentle man who spoke out on issues like this? "People are ready to say, 'Yes, we are ready for single-payer health insurance.' We are the only industrialized country in the world that does not have national health insurance. We are the richest in wealth and the poorest in health of all the industrial nations."

Answer: 'Studs' Turkel

'Studs'(Louis)Terkel got his start during the 1930's depression with the Works Progress Administration's Federal Writers' Project where he specialized in radio. He garnered a Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for "The Good War". He is best remembered for his oral histories where he wrote down what people actually said. One way of understanding America, is to start with Studs Terkel's "Working Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do (1975)".

"Working" was made into a 1975 Broadway musical and won six Tony awards.

A friend of mine, who was a Director of Training in a large organization, gave all new employees a copy of "Working" so they would better understand their jobs and the jobs of others.

His local radio show was one of the longest running of all time, his dedication to issues such as health care was unflagging.

8. Journalist Lowell Thomas, covering World War One in the Middle East, came upon this man and made him headline news. Later "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" further increased his legend. Peter O'Toole immortalized him in a 1962 film. Who was it who said this about himself? "I've been and am absurdly over-estimated. There are no supermen and I'm quite ordinary, and will say so whatever the artistic results. In that point I'm one of the few people who tell the truth about myself."

Answer: Thomas Edward Lawrence

He was called Lawrence of Arabia for his role in bringing Arab forces together in a common cause during World War One. He was a enigmatic man for sure, and as Peter O'Toole portrayed T.E. Lawrence on film, an eccentric man.

9. What New England poet, essayist, and orator once said: "In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty."

Answer: Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson was an intellectual and became a transcendentalist meaning that God is found in nature rather than sudden revelation. He acted as a patron for Thoreau, who lived with him for several years. He is one of the most quoted of American writers.

10. Who was the Greek Philosopher who was a student of Plato and a teacher of Alexander the Great?

Answer: Aristotle

Aristotle was one of the first to make logic a cornerstone of this thinking. He was a profound influence Islamic, Jewish, and Christian cultures.

Source: Author Rehaberpro

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Famous Quotes, Part 2 Trivia Quiz

The quiz will test your knowledge of quotations. In questions 1-9 the first letter of the last name will give you the answer to the tenth.

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