Deaths in 2019 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Claus von Bulow

Claus von Bulow was convicted in 1982 of two counts of attempting to murder his wife, but the convictions were overturned on appeal. He was found not guilty in a 1985 retrial, after eight medical experts testified that his wife's coma could not have been caused in the manner claimed by the prosecution.

Answer: I. M. Pei

I. M. Pei was born in China but lived his adult life in the United States. Among his many designs are the Kennedy library, the glass pyramid at the Louvre, and the Rock and roll Hall of fame. He died in May at the age of 102.

Answer: William Ruckelshaus

William Ruckelshaus was a central figure in the so-called Saturday Night Massacre, when both Attorney General Elliott Richardson and Deputy
Attorney General Ruckelshaus resigned rather than obey Nixon's order to fire the special prosecutor. Ruckelshaus came back to government service in 1983 when he served as EPA administrator under Ronald Reagan, a position he had also served in under Nixon.

Answer: Don Imus

Don Imus had a national radio show on CBS Radio when he got into trouble in 2007 for describing the Rutgers University women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hoes." His attempts to apologize fell flat, and he was soon fired.

Answer: Paul Volcker

Volcker was credited with bringing down the high inflation rate that developed during the Carter presidency.

Answer: John Conyers

John Conyers served as a U.S. Representative from Michigan from 1965 to 2017. He resigned his office in December of 2017 amid multiple allegations of sexual harassment from female staffers.

Answer: John Paul Stevens

John Paul Stevens served as an associate justice from his 1975 appointment until his voluntary retirement in 2010. At the time of his retirement only two justices had ever served longer on the Supreme Court.

Answer: Ross Perot

Perot received 18.9% of the vote in 1992. He won no electoral votes, but did finish second in two states. In 1995 Perot founded the Reform Party as an alternative to the two major parties, and he ran in 1996 as the Reform Party candidate, receiving 8.4% of the vote.

The Reform Party continued to nominate candidates through the 2016 election, but its best showing during the 2000-2016 period was only 0.4%.

Answer: Lee Iacocca

Lee Iacocca was truly an iconic figure in the automobile industry. He worked for Ford from 1946 to 1978, becoming its president in 1970. While at Ford he was credited with developing both the Mustang and the Pinto. After leaving Ford he became CEO of Chrysler at a time when it was on the verge of going out of business. With the help of a federal bailout, he returned the company to solvency.

Answer: Charles Van Doren

Van Doren had a three-and-a-half month run on the NBC show "Twenty-One", beginning in November of 1956. When the cheating scandal came to light, Van Doren at first denied any wrongdoing, but he eventually admitted in testimony before a House Subcommittee that he had been given the questions and answers before each show.