Remembering the 1920s Trivia Quiz

Answer: Olympic Gold Medalists

Edmond Cloetens was an archer from Belgium. In 1920, he went to the Summer Olympics held in Antwerp, Belgium. He competed in the fixed target (large birds) category and won an individual gold medal. He also won two gold medals with the Belgian team for the fixed target in both the large and small bird categories. His name is sometimes listed as Emile. No information can be found as to when he was born or when he died.

Archery started in the Olympics in the 1900 Summer Olympics. It was not an event every time; for instance, it was used in 1900-1908, not 1912, and then again in 1920. Women were first able to compete, as well as men, but then in 1920 they only had a men's category again, so that has also changed back and forth over time.

Answer: New Inventions

Jacob Schick, born on September 16, 1877, in Ottumwa, Iowa, USA, invented the first electric razor. His father worked at a coal mining company, and Schick joined him as a child working there as well. By age 16, he was in charge of a railroad line that ran from Los Corrillos, NM, to where his father had opened a coal mine. Around age 21, he enlisted in the Army. He stayed until 1910, but went back in during 1916 as a captain. He was eventually promoted to lieutenant colonel during that time.

After the war, he designed his first razor, which was inspired by his experiences in the Spanish-American War. There, blades were sold in clips where one could load them without touching the actual blade itself, much like a repeating rifle. He created his prototype in 1921, and patented it in 1923. The first electric razor went on sale through the American Chain & Cable Company in 1928.

Schick died on July 3, 1937, from complications from a kidney operation in New York City, NY, USA. He was 59 years old.

Answer: Oscar Winners

For the very first Academy Awards, two Oscars were given to directors - one for comedy and one for drama.

Lewis Milestone won the Oscar for Best Directing in Comedy for the movie "Two Arabian Knights." The film takes place during WWI, and tells the story of two American soldiers (William Boyd and Louis Wolheim) who are caught by Germans and put in a prisoner-of-war camp.

The two men had been fighting, but eventually the prisoners become friends. They steal robes of Arab prisoners to blend in with the snow, but end up being forced to join the other Arabs going to Constantinople. They escape by jumping onto a hay wagon, but the skipper on a ship pays their fare for passage on a boat.

Until 2016, the film was thought lost. Then it was found in the Howard Hughes' film collection after he died, and was preserved by the Academy Film Archive thanks to the help of the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.

Answer: Oscar Winners

Theodor Friedrich Emil Janenz was born on July 23, 1884, in Rorschach, Switzerland. His father was American, and his mother was German. When he was a child the family moved back to his mother's home country after his father died. His mother discouraged his interest in theatre, so he ran away from home when he was young. When he returned, she relented and allowed him to train at the town state theatre.

In 1918, he got his breakthrough as Judge Adam in "Broken Jug", a comedy play by Heinrich von Kleist, at the Schauspielhaus in Berlin. Despite being a theatre actor, he went into movies. He was never satisfied with silent films, however, and found them limiting concerning expressive possibilities. As he became more popular he signed a contract with Paramount Pictures, where he made his first American film, "The Way of All Flesh", which was directed by Victor Fleming in 1927.

All of his movies, except for "The Last Command" (1928), have been lost except for bits and pieces. Jannings played Grand Duke Sergius Alexander. The movie is about a Hollywood director, Leo Andreyev, who is trying to put together his next movie. Alexander is an older man with a head-twitching problem. The twitching, we learn in a flashback, was caused during the Russian Revolution. Leo Andreyev was jailed for insolence. Leo's companion Natalie Dabrova becomes a threat to Serguis until she falls in love with him. Natalie saves his life when the Bolsheviks hijack the train they are on, only to see the train derailed into an icy river, killing Natalie.

In 1929, Janning was award the very first Oscar for Best Actor for "The Last Command," and "The Way of All Flesh." That year, actors could win for more than one film.

Because of his thick German accent, when talkies came into being and the silent movie era ended, so did Janning's film career. He returned to Germany where he made movies there in support of the Nazi movement. He died from liver cancer on January 2, 1950, at the age of 65.

Answer: Presidents

Warren Gamaliel Harding was born on November 2, 1865, in Blooming Grove, Ohio. He was the oldest of eight children. After graduating high school he purchased "The Marion Star", a local newspaper company that was falling under, for $300. A railroad pass came with the company, which he used to go to the 1884 Republican National Convention. He supported candidate James G. Blaine, who lost the election to Grover Cleveland.

In 1892, he started campaigning for William McKinley. During this time, he also built up his own reputation in Ohio. He then became a state senator. In 1904, he became lieutenant governor of Ohio. He did not become governor, however, when the then-governor Herrick made some bad choices as governor that turned people against him, as Harding knew it was not the time.

However, he did become a United States Senator in 1915, and the 29th president of the United States in 1921. His vice president was Calvin Coolidge. His slogan was "return to "normalcy". He vowed to get America back to normal after World War I had ended. He was popular while president, but suddenly died on August 2, 1923, from a heart attack.

After his death, he became known as one of the most scandalous presidents in US history when news about hush money came out. He had a child out of wedlock with another woman and paid to keep it quiet. While he was alive, the administration was already hit with the Tea Pot Dome Scandal, the biggest presidential scandal up until Watergate. This involved bribery in the administration and the oil companies. However, other criminal activities also we're discovered posthumously, which involved the poker buddies that he put in his Cabinet.

Answer: Jazz Musicians

Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (some say Lemott) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Since a birth certificate was not issued, his exact date of birth is not certain.

When he was about fourteen he started to sing in brothels. At the time he lived with his great-grandmother, a churchgoing woman, and told her he worked as a night watchman in a barrel factory. She disowned him when she found out the truth; she said he disgraced the family's name. LaMothe took on the name Morton to protect his family in case he was ever associated with being "the whorehouse professor", a term he used to describe the fact he played in the brothels, which was looked down upon.

In 1904, Morton began touring in minstrel shows around the United States. At this time he also composed many of his songs including "Jelly Roll Blues" and King Porter Stomp." In 1926, he signed a contract with the Victor Talking Machine Company and began recording his music by Jelly Roll Morton and His Red Hot Peppers. He moved to New York City and continued to record, but struggled to find musicians that played his style of jazz and was unable to produce a hit.

In 1938, Morton was stabbed by a friend of a club owner's where he was working in Washington, DC. The nearby hospital was white-only and wouldn't treat him, so he had to be taken to the black hospital which was farther away. He was not treated properly, did not heal correctly, and often was sick after that. He continued to have respiratory issues the rest of his life, and on July 10, 1941, he died in Los Angeles County General Hospital. It is believed he was around fifty years old. According to jazz historian David Gelly, because of "Morton's arrogance and bumptious persona" few musicians attended Morton's funeral.

In 1992, Morton was nominated posthumously for a Tony Award for Best Original Score for "Jelly's Last Jam."

Answer: Jazz Musicians

James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson was born on December 18, 1897, in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. His mother taught him how to play the piano when he was six years old. By age 13, he showed he had a natural ability, but was more interested in math and science. He went to Atlanta University and earned a degree in chemistry and mathematics.

After that, he moved to New York City planning to enroll in Columbia University's master of chemistry program. He moved in with a pianist who worked on a riverboat with an orchestra. His roommate became sick and he filled in, and then became a full-time replacement. He discovered he could make more money in music than he could in chemistry, and decided to go into the music business.

In the early 1920s, he mainly worked playing accompaniment on the piano for blues singers. From October 1921-July 1922 he toured with the Black Swan Troubadours and Ethel Waters. On October 13, 1924, Henderson began working with Louis Armstrong, who was about 20 at the time. The orchestra became popular very fast.

In the 1930s Henderson recorded with Colombia, ARC, Victor, DECCA, and several other recording companies. He had a hit with "I Can't Get the One I Want." Henderson had great musical talent, but poor business skills. In 1934, his band split up, and he had to sell some of his arrangements to Benny Goodman.

Fletcher died on December 29, 1952, in New York City at the age of 55.

Answer: Presidents

John Calvin Cooidge Jr. was born on July 4, 1872, in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. He was the oldest of two children. His mother died when he was twelve, and his younger sister died when he was fifteen. Coolidge grew up in a political family - his grandfather, Calvin Galusha Coolidge was in the Vermont House of Representatives, and his father John Calvin Coolidge, Sr, had been in the Vermont General Assembly. He went to Amherst College in Massachusetts.

In 1818, he was elected governor of Massachusetts. During his time as governor, the police department went on strike, wanting their union recognized and better working conditions. The police commissioner who said they could not do this was supported by Governor Coolidge. This ultimately was the right decision as it gave him the support and backing that led to his becoming vice president under Warren G. Harding.

When Harding suddenly died on August 2, 1923, Calvin Coolidge was visiting his family in Vermont. His family's home had neither telephone nor electricity, so he had not heard the news until someone came to get him and tell him. His father, a justice of the peace, was the one who swore him in as the 30th president of the United States on August 3, 1923.

In 1924, Coolidge signed a bill making all Native Americans born in the United States American citizens. He finished out Harding's administration and ran again in 1924. During this time, Coolidge's youngest son died from sepsis at age sixteen. Coolidge became withdrawn, no longer excited about being president, and depressed as he mourned the loss of his son. He still won the election. While president he spoke out against socialism. He was elected to a second term in 1928. Coolidge chose not to send delegates from the United States to the League of Nations, believing they should be connected to the World Court. In 1927, he signed the Radio Act of 1927, a precursor to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission).

Calvin Coolidge died on January 5, 1933, at the age of 60.

Answer: New Inventions

William Moulton Marston, born on May 9, 1893, invented the lie detector. Marston's wife Elizabeth told him that when she was mad or excited her blood pressure went up. He then made the connection between lying and blood pressure, and invented a blood pressure test which was the first functional lie detector. In 1923, he tried to have the machine admitted as evidence in courts, but was unsuccessful. He also thought it could be used in love matters, where two people could be hooked to a machine to see if their feelings of love were real or not before they got married.

DC Comic fans may not recognize Marston's name, but they will recognize a character he created: Wonder Woman. He gave her a built-in lie detector, "the Lasso of Truth", which caused anyone caught by it to tell the truth.

Marston died rather suddenly of cancer in 1947.

Answer: Olympic Gold Medalists

Johann Peter Weissmuller was born on June 2, 1904, in Timisoara, Austria-Hungary. When he was three, his family relocated to Chicago, Illinois, to live with his maternal grandparents. When he was nine, he contracted polio. His doctor suggested swimming to help his recovery, so his parents had him start taking lessons. He excelled and soon began entering every race he could, and won them all. He also excelled at running and high jumping.

When he was about seventeen, he tried out with swimming coach Bill Bachrach who was impressed, and took the youth under his wing. He also became a father figure for Weissmuller, whose own father had deserted the family when he was younger. On August 6, 1921, his swimming career began.

In the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France he competed for the first time. He broke Duke Kahanamoku's 100-meter freestyle swim record that year, and won the gold medal in that event. He also won a gold medal in the 400-metal freestyle, as well as being part of the winning US relay 4x200-meter relay. In 1928 he competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he won two more gold medals and a bronze medal. In 1965, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame of which he was also a founder.

Weissmuller died on January 20, 1984, in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, from pulmonary edema at the age of 79. Before his death, he also became well-known for playing Tarzan in several "Tarzan" movies. He originated the Tarzan yell.

Answer: Presidents

Herbert Clark Hoover was born on August 10, 1874, in West Branch, Iowa. By the time he was ten years old, he was an orphan, having lost his father to a heart attack in 1880 and his mother to typhoid in 1884. He was sent to live with his uncle in Oregon. He dropped out of school when he was thirteen to work at his uncle's real estate office. There he learned typing and math skills. He then went to Stanford University in 1891, even though the only entrance exams he passed were the math ones.

Before and after his senior year he interned with the United States Geological Survey under Waldemar Lindgren, and decided to become a mining geologist. After graduation, he worked in Australia for a bit as a miner, where the conditions were very difficult due to the bugs, dust, and heat. He traveled around the Outback, evaluating the country's mines. During this time, Hoover also became opposed to minimum wage pay and workers' compensation, as he felt it was unfair to employers.

Hoover and his family were living in London when World War I broke out in 1914. He and the other businessmen from America who lived in London started a committee to bring the Americans stranded in Europe back home. This started his career in the public eye. He backed Harding during the presidential election in 1920, and started building a strong fan base in the Republican party during this time as well. Harding thanked him by making him Secretary of Commerce in his Cabinet. During the Harding scandals, Hoover was relatively unaffected. He also served under Coolidge's Administration.

In 1928, Herbert Hoover was elected the 31st president of the United States of America. In his first year as president, he had a telephone installed on the president's desk. His wife, Lou Henry Hoover, was the first First Lady to drive a car. On June 25, 1929, he signed the Boulder Canyon Project Act, funding the Boulder Dam, which later was renamed the Hoover Dam, and was referred to as that by the people as it was being built. It was built during the Great Depression, and at least 100 people died while it was being built. However, it was completed two years ahead of schedule.

On October 29, 1929, during his presidency, the stock market crashed sending the country into the Great Depression. In March of 1931, Hoover signed a bill making the "Star-Spangled Banner" the official National Anthem of the United States of America.

Herbert Hoover only served one term as president. He lost the 1932 election to Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt. He died on October 20, 1964, as a result of some internal bleeding. He was 90 years old.

Answer: New Inventions

Philo Taylor Farnsworth, born on August 19, 1906, in Beaver, Utah, invented the television in 1927. That year Farnsworth invented an image dissector camera tube. The following year, he demonstrated the first television to the public. In 1929, he improved it even more by adding a motor generator and removing the mechanical mechanisms. That same year, for the first time, he transmitted pictures of the first humans when his wife became the very first person on television at size 3.5 inches.

Vladamir Zworykin was working on his own television model invention around the same time, but had trouble getting it to work. He was a bit ahead of Farnsworth and sued Farnsworth, claiming he had it first, but Farnsworth pointed out his didn't work. Farnsworth won the case.

The very first television show was "The Queens Messenger." It was broadcast from Schenectady, NY, only to a small area. It starred Izetta Jewel as a Russian spy. It was about a British diplomat having an affair with a woman who is trying to get documents that he has.

In August 1934, Farnsworth demonstrated the all-electric television. Farnsworth died on March 11, 1971, in Salt Lake City, Utah from pneumonia caused by excessive alcohol abuse in his later years.

Answer: Oscar Winners

Laura Augusta Gainor was born on October 6, 1906, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Her mother's name was Janet. As a very young child her father, who worked in a theatre, taught her to sing, dance, and do acrobatics. Her parents divorced, and her mother remarried, but her entire family encouraged her to pursue a career in performing arts. Her stepfather accompanied her after she graduated from high school to movie studios to audition for movie parts.

Gaynor got her first acting job on December 26, 1924, in a comedy short by Hal Roach. Soon Universal hired her as a stock player. In 1926, she won a supporting role in the Fox film, "The Johnstown Flood", playing Anna Burger. Anna is the daughter of one of the workmen and falls in love with Tom (George O'Brien). Tom does not reciprocate her feelings. Of course, there is a big flood in Johnstown. Tom and Gloria (Florence Gilbert) are at the church getting married, and Anna is on her way to see Tom on horseback. Tom and Gloria leave the church, and, when Tom goes to find Anna, he ends up finding her dead body.

By 1927, she became one of the leading ladies in Hollywood. In 1929, she won an Oscar for Best Actress for three of her pictures (the only time the Oscars allowed people to win for more than one picture). She won for "7th Heaven" (1927), in which she played Diane, "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans," (1927) in which she played The Wife, and "Street Angel" (1928), in which she played Angela. The first Oscars were in 1929, which is when she received the award. She was the youngest to ever earn an Oscar for Best Actress at the age of 22 until 1986, when Marlee Matin won the coveted award for her role as Sarah in "Children of a Lesser God."

On September 5, 1982, Gaynor, her husband, Paul Gregory, and friends, actress Mary Martin and Ben Washer (Martin's manager), were in a taxi heading to a restaurant in Chinatown, in San Francisco, California. A drunk driver ran a red light hitting their cab, and knocking it into a tree. Washer was killed and the other three were injured. Gaynor had eleven broken ribs, a fractured clavicle, and a fractured pelvis. She also punctured one of her lungs. Her bladder and kidney also had injuries. She was hospitalized for four months as a result.

She recovered enough to return home, but never fully recovered. She had frequent health issues and hospitalizations after that. On September 14, 1984, she passed away at age 77. The injuries were ruled to have been the cause of her death.

Answer: Jazz Musicians

Louis Daniel Armstrong was born between July 4, 1900, and August 4, 1901, in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Armstrong said he was born July 4, 1900, but other sources list it as August 4, 1901, so there has been a discrepancy. His mother was only 16 when she gave birth. He was raised by his grandmother for the first five years of his life and then returned to his mother.

During his childhood, he worked for the Karnoffsky family, who were Lithuanian Jews. They made him part of the family as well, and he credits them with teaching him to "sing from the heart." When he was eleven he dropped out of school and started playing music on the streets with a quartet of boys.

In the 1910s, Armstrong played on riverboats. When King Oliver, another jazz musician, decided to go north and leave Kid Ory's band, it was Armstrong who replaced him. Around the same time, he became the second trumpet in the Tuxedo Brass Band. By the time he was 20, he had learned to read music and became one of the first trumpeters to be featured in extended solos in jazz music. He was not only playing the trumpet but also singing now as well.

In 1922, he joined Oliver in Chicago as part of Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. In 1924, he went to New York City to play with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, which was the top African-American band at that time. He worked right up until he died. He played a two-week gig in March 1971, despite his doctor's objections, and when he finished he had a heart attack. Louis Armstrong died on July 6, 1971.

Answer: Olympic Gold Medalists

William DeHart Hubbard was born on November 25, 1903, in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. In high school, he excelled both in his academics and in sports. He went to the University of Michigan where he became the first black person to play football on Coach Fielding H. Yost's football team. He also was the only African-American on the track team at the school. He set several records while in school, including in 1925 jumping 25 feet 3.5 inches at the Big Ten Championships, which was not broken until Jesse Owens broke it in 1935 after jumping 26 feet 8.25 inches.

In 1924, he went to the Olympics in Paris, France. He qualified for the triple jump. He had qualified for the 100 meters and high hurdles, but those were white-only events so he couldn't compete. He wrote his mother a letter before he left for France telling her he would do his best to be the first "colored Olympic champion."

In his first jump, he fouled and injured his foot. On his second attempt, the injury caused him to fall backward, making him lose "a foot of distance" according to Hubbard. However, he still qualified for the final round. In the final round, due to his injury, he could not jump properly and "only" jumped 24 feet six inches. I quoted only, as it was not what he wanted, but it was enough to win him the gold medal. Hubbard had indeed become the first "colored Olympic champion." In 1928, he returned to the Olympics, this time in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He was injured again and only placed 11th.

In 1934, after retiring from athletics himself, he founded the Cincinnati Tigers, a Negro League baseball team. He was president of the National Bowling Association in 1950. Hubbard died on June 23, 1979. He was inducted posthumously into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, and the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor.