FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Danger High Voltage
Quiz about Danger High Voltage

Danger! High Voltage! Trivia Quiz


Roy Cleveland Sullivan had the distinction of holding the Guinness World Record as the person struck by lightning more recorded times than any other person. Here are a few questions about his life.

A multiple-choice quiz by reedy. Estimated time: 4 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. People Trivia
  6. »
  7. People Q-S

Author
reedy
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
354,653
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
537
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Roy Sullivan was a U.S. park ranger - a job that was primarily out-of-doors - in Shenandoah National Park in which state? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The first recorded time that Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning was in April of 1942. The fire lookout tower he was working in had not yet been installed with an important piece of equipment... What was it? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In July of 1969, Roy Sullivan was struck for the second time while again on the job. What was he doing at the time, that shouldn't have led to him being hit by lightning? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Roy Sullivan's third lightning strike happened in 1970, and he wasn't at work when it happened. Instead, it happened somewhere he spent a lot of his down time. Where was he? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. In 1972, Roy Sullivan was (amazingly) struck by lightning while still indoors. Where was he when it happened? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Roy Sullivan's fifth and sixth lightning strikes occurred in 1973 and 1976. What did Roy claim happened in both instances? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. People had learned to stay away from Roy Sullivan when thunderstorms threatened. At one point (with Roy present), his wife Patricia was struck by lightning.


Question 8 of 10
8. Every one of the recorded lightning strikes that Roy Sullivan survived was confirmed to have occurred by the same person. Who was it? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Roy Sullivan's luck with lightning finally ran out when his seventh strike killed him.


Question 10 of 10
10. Perhaps a reference to his bizarre lightning experiences - the epitaph on Roy Sullivan's tombstone reads, "WE LOVED YOU, BUT _____ LOVED YOU MORE." What word fills the blank? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Roy Sullivan was a U.S. park ranger - a job that was primarily out-of-doors - in Shenandoah National Park in which state?

Answer: Virginia

Shenandoah National Park was established in December of 1935 and encompasses nearly 200,000 acres of land along the Shenandoah River and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Roy Sullivan began his career as a park ranger (at Shenandoah National Park) beginning in 1940, working there until he retired in 1976.
2. The first recorded time that Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning was in April of 1942. The fire lookout tower he was working in had not yet been installed with an important piece of equipment... What was it?

Answer: A lightning rod

When it happened, the tower was struck by lightning seven or eight times with "fire jumping all over the place" inside the tower. Sullivan didn't actually get struck until he ran outside the tower. His injuries included a half-inch wide burn all down his right leg, as well as his toe (losing his toenail).
3. In July of 1969, Roy Sullivan was struck for the second time while again on the job. What was he doing at the time, that shouldn't have led to him being hit by lightning?

Answer: He was patrolling in his truck

One would think that being in a vehicle would keep one safe from lightning, and normally this would be true, as vehicles are insulated. In this instance, however, the lightning did not actually strike Sullivan's truck, but rather struck a tree to one side of the truck, then deflected through the open windows of the truck to strike another tree on the opposite side of the vehicle.

The lightning knocked Sullivan unconscious, while burning off much of his hair in the process.
4. Roy Sullivan's third lightning strike happened in 1970, and he wasn't at work when it happened. Instead, it happened somewhere he spent a lot of his down time. Where was he?

Answer: At home in his front yard.

Records have it that the lightning struck a nearby transformer, from where it jumped to strike him in the shoulder.
5. In 1972, Roy Sullivan was (amazingly) struck by lightning while still indoors. Where was he when it happened?

Answer: A ranger station

Due to the job that Roy had, he naturally had more exposure to lightning storms than the average person would have. Statistics state that over an 80-year lifetime, the odds of being struck by lightning are approximately 1:10,000. Being struck more than once? A lot more unlikely.

However, consider these statistics (source: Wikipedia page on Roy Sullivan):

Virginia averages 35-45 thunderstorm days per year (mostly in June/July/August)

Between 1959 and 2000, 58 people died from lightning strikes, while an additional 238 were injured. (Most were between the age of 20-40, caught outdoors).
6. Roy Sullivan's fifth and sixth lightning strikes occurred in 1973 and 1976. What did Roy claim happened in both instances?

Answer: The cloud seemed to be following him

In both instances, he claimed that the cloud seemed to be following him before he was struck.

Roy had, by this time, made it a practice to take preventative measures whenever a lightning storm threatened. He would stop his vehicle (if driving) and lie down until the storm passed. He also (purportedly) kept water nearby to help douse himself if he caught fire.

In 1973, he was on patrol, then tried to escape it (driving away). He thought he had outrun it, but after leaving his truck, he was nevertheless struck. According to the Wikipedia article on Roy Sullivan, "the lightning set his hair on fire, moved down his left arm and left leg and knocked off his shoe, although it did not untie the lace. It then crossed over to his right leg just below the knee."

In 1976, he was in a campground when he saw a cloud, tried to run away, but it followed him and he was struck in the ankle.
7. People had learned to stay away from Roy Sullivan when thunderstorms threatened. At one point (with Roy present), his wife Patricia was struck by lightning.

Answer: True

Roy had been helping his wife Patricia with the laundry, hanging clothes on the line outside, when she was struck. Amazingly enough, Roy himself escaped injury that time.
8. Every one of the recorded lightning strikes that Roy Sullivan survived was confirmed to have occurred by the same person. Who was it?

Answer: Roy's boss - park superintendent R. Taylor Hoskins

Superintendent Hoskins took Sullivan's reports, verifying that what he claimed did indeed happen. In addition, doctors confirmed his injuries and their origin.

All accounts that I read on Sullivan's life mentioned that Hoskins was the one who verified all of his claims... that would have even included the ones 'at home'. I can only assume, given his history and his job, that he always informed his boss of what had happened - even when off duty.
9. Roy Sullivan's luck with lightning finally ran out when his seventh strike killed him.

Answer: False

Sullivan's seventh strike occurred in 1977, while he was fishing. According to reports, the strike hit him on his head (singeing his hair), then traveled down his chest and stomach.

It was not until 1983 that Sullivan died, reportedly from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
10. Perhaps a reference to his bizarre lightning experiences - the epitaph on Roy Sullivan's tombstone reads, "WE LOVED YOU, BUT _____ LOVED YOU MORE." What word fills the blank?

Answer: GOD

Roy Sullivan died on September 28, 1983, and his funeral was held at the Etter Funeral home on October 1st. He was interred at Edgewood Cemetery in Grottoes (Virginia). In addition to the epitaph on his tombstone, there is also a lovely etching of a forest scene with a leaping deer.

(source: www.findagrave.com)
Source: Author reedy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series reedy's First 10 Commission Quizzes:

Every now and again I participate in the Quiz Commission Challenges in the Author's Lounge. Have a go at the first ten that I completed. (Commissions #16, #17, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, and #26 represented here)

  1. Memories Average
  2. Dress Code: Black Tie Tough
  3. Going, Going, Gone Average
  4. The Island of Misfit Toys Average
  5. Money for Candy Very Easy
  6. More Rome or Me Average
  7. Armageddon, Apocalypse, and Annihilation Average
  8. It'll Sell Like Hot Cakes - I Promise! Average
  9. Danger! High Voltage! Average
  10. Look What the Cat's Dragged In Average

Also part of quiz lists:
3/28/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us