Celebrities Born in the Great State of Indiana Quiz

Answer:

FYI - All incorrect answers are people born in Maine.

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- James Dean (Marion) was an American actor who became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, despite a career that lasted only five years. He met Alec Guinness in Hollywood while the actor was filming "The Swan" (1956). Guinness later recalled that when Dean showed him his newly bought Porsche, he advised him to "Get rid of that car, or you'll be dead in a week!" Unfortunately, Guinness was right.

- Virgil Grissom (Mitchell) was an American engineer and pilot in the United States Air Force and one of the original men of the Mercury Seven, selected by NASA for Project Mercury. He was the second American in space, who later died in the Apollo I fire. He was awarded a Congressional Space Medal of Honor posthumously.

- Anne Baxter (Michigan City) was an American actress and star of Hollywood films, Broadway productions, and television series. "Oh, Moses, Moses, you stubborn, splendid, adorable fool!", one of her lines in The Ten Commandments (1956), was included among the 400 quotes nominated for the American Film Institute's 100 Years, 100 Movie Quotes list.

- Carole Lombard (Fort Wayne) was an American actress. Her film "To Be or Not to Be" (1942) was in post-production when she died in a plane crash, and the producers decided to leave out a part that had her character ironically saying, "What can happen in a plane?". She had a little dachshund named Commissioner who completely ignored her husband, Clark Gable. After she died in 1942, the dog would not leave his side.

- Shelley Long (Fort Wayne) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. For her role as Diane Chambers on the sitcom "Cheer", Long received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She wore a wig on the "Cheers" (1982) set because she didn't want the hot set lights to damage her hair.

- Kurt Vonnegut (Indianapolis) was an American author known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. He was sent to Europe with the 106th Infantry Division as a scout. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge. The inexperienced 106th Infantry Division was overrun by the Germans and over 500 were killed while over 6,000, including Vonnegut, were captured and taken to Dresden.

- Red Skelton (Vincennes) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971. He often said that of all the characters he'd played, Freddie the Freeloader was his favorite because Freddie had the purest soul of his characters and was a tribute to the clowns he knew and treasured. One of Red's writers filled in for him one night when he took a serious fall, injuring himself. That writer's name was Johnny Carson.

- Cole Porter (Peru) was an American composer and songwriter. His estate continues to earn royalty revenue in excess of $3 million per year. He was so fond of the "So Good Fudge" made in his hometown of Peru, IN, at Louis Arnold's Candy Kitchen, that he had nine pounds sent to him each month wherever he was in the world.

- Larry Bird (West Baden Springs) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association. In his first year in the NBA, he led the Boston Celtics to a 61-21 record and improved their record by 32 games. He played in all 82 games, leading them in scoring, rebounding, steals, and minutes, and was second in assists and 3-pointers. He would be named an NBA All-Star in his first season.

- Jimmy Hoffa (Brazil) was an American labor union leader who was president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1957 until 1971. As a teenager, he began union organizational work at the grassroots level through his job with a grocery chain, which paid substandard wages and offered poor working conditions with minimal job security. He was then invited to become an organizer with Local 299 of the Teamsters in Detroit.

- Michael Jackson (Gary) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. His 1987 album "Bad" spawned the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana", becoming the first album to have five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

- David Letterman (Indianapolis) is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. While working as a weatherman in Indianapolis, he congratulated a tropical storm for being upgraded to a hurricane. On his last show, he held a pencil with an eraser on each end. This was a reference to his hero, Johnny Carson, who also had used such a pencil as a prop on the "Tonight Show".

- Forrest Tucker (Plainfield) was an American actor in movies and television who appeared in nearly a hundred films. He is best remembered by the public for his starring role as Sgt. Morgan O'Rourke on the western spoof "F Troop" (1965-1967). He left acting to join the army during World War II and eventually became a 2nd Lt. After the war he resumed his acting career.

- Twyla Tharp (Portland) is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. She has received one Tony Award, two Emmy Awards, 19 honorary doctorates, the Vietnam Veterans of America President's Award, the 2004 National Medal of the Arts, the 2008 Jerome Robbins Prize, and a 2008 Kennedy Center Honor. Her many grants include the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship.

- Marjorie Main (Acton) was an American character actress and singer of the Classical Hollywood period, best known for her role as Ma Kettle in 10 "Ma and Pa Kettle" movies. In her autobiography "Unsinkable", Debbie Reynolds states that Main would bring the urn containing her late husband Stanley Krebs' ashes with her to the MGM commissary, order an extra meal for Stanley, and carry on conversation as if he were still alive and well.