Things to Do Before You Get Old Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Born in 1916, this British born actress was best known for her work in "Gone With the Wind" (1939). She also played alongside Errol Flynn in "Captain Blood" (1935). Who is this prolific actress?

Answer: Olivia de Havilland

Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020) began her acting career with her role with Errol Flynn. "Gone With the Wind" is her most notable work, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Winner of 5 Oscars in her film career, de Havilland also had a successful stage career, performing on Broadway multiple times. She passed at the age of 104 in Paris.

2. Born in 1916, this American actor was the patriarch of a famous Hollywood family, fathering four sons who followed him into the acting/film industry. Known for his role in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954), he also performed on Broadway, most notably in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in the mid-1960s. Who was this famous actor?

Answer: Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas (1916-2020) played opposite of James Mason in the movie adaptation of Jules Verne's famous novel. All four of his sons became part of the acting industry, but his eldest, Michael, is arguably the most famous. Kirk Douglas was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Jimmy Carter in 1981 for his work with other countries on behalf of the USA.

He died in 2020 at age 103. Bob Hope and George Burns also became centenarians before their deaths.

3. Born in 1902, this centenarian was a U.S. jazz drummer who shared his name in part with a famous explorer who discovered America in 1492. Can you name him?

Answer: Joseph Christopher Columbus Morris

Known as "Crazy Chris Columbo," Morris was a jazz musician for many decades, even leading his own band for a number of years. Morris even recorded music with Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald during his career. He performed in Atlantic City for many years before suffering a stroke in 1993. He died at age 100 in 2002.

4. Which professional baseball player, who coincidentally shares his name with a fellow athlete who plays golf, lived to the age of 101?

Answer: John Daley

Yes, the spelling isn't the same for this John Daley as it is for the golfer named John Daly. John Daley (1887-1988), the baseballer, played shortstop for the St. Louis Browns for a couple months during the 1912 season. He passed away at age 101 in Mansfield, Ohio, the location of filming for the hit movie "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994).

5. Which former US president, who also served as governor of the state of Georgia, passed away in 2024, but not before reaching centenarian status?

Answer: Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter was elected as the 39th president of the USA, and served at the White House from 1977 to 1981. Before he became president, he was Governor of Georgia from 1963 to 1967. He defeated Gerald Ford by a slim margin, but after four years of his presidency, the American people elected his successor, Ronald Reagan, in a landslide.

At the time of Carter's passing, he was the oldest living president, and the first president to reach centenarian status.

6. This lyricist wrote many songs in his career, but one of his most famous works is a Christmas classic he wrote in 1942. He passed at age 101 in 1989. Can you name him?

Answer: Irving Berlin

Irving Berlin was born in Russia in 1888 and immigrated to the USA in 1893 with his family. Berlin was drafted into military service in 1917 after the U.S. was dragged into World War One. After World War One concluded, Berlin wrote "God Bless America," a song that is used during patriotic moments in the USA.

7. Known as "The Queen Mother," this centenarian was married to King George VI, and helped her husband through his speech difficulties. She was mother to Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled the UK for 70 years. Who was this centenarian, who lived to age 101?

Answer: Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married Prince Albert, the Duke of York in 1923. In 1936, her husband became King and took the name George VI, when his brother abdicated the throne. During their marriage, Elizabeth helped her husband through his speech issues by hiring a speech and language therapist named Lionel Logue. King George VI worked with Logue to aid him in his public speeches through World War II, and Elizabeth was a vital support to King George. The events of Elizabeth's life with King George VI are portrayed in the movie "The King's Speech" (2010).

Elizabeth and George had two children, Elizabeth and Margaret. Elizabeth became Queen after George's death in 1952, and reigned for 70 years until her death in 2022. Since Queen Elizabeth kept her name and became known as Elizabeth II, her mother became known as Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon passed away at age 101 in 2002.

8. This American lawyer lived to be 104 years old before his death in 1996. His most notable claim to fame his family lineage. His grandson was a conservative political commentator for many years before his death in 2021. Both of them share the same name. Name this centenarian.

Answer: Rush Limbaugh Sr.

Rush Limbaugh Sr. was born in 1891 and was a practicing attorney and briefly served in the Missouri State House of Representatives. He didn't retire until he was 102 years old! His grandson Rush Limbaugh III was the host of his own radio show, "The Rush Limbaugh Show," which ran from 1984 until his passing in 2021.

9. This member of the 100+ club was considered a supercentenarian, someone who reached the age of 110 or older. She was a co-developer of the vaccine for pertussis, or whooping cough. Which pediatrician, who shares her name with the name of a country, is this centenarian?

Answer: Leila Denmark

Leila Denmark (1898-2012) lived a remarkably long life, passing at the age of 114. She was one of the developers of the pertussis vaccine. As a pediatrician, pertussis was something she saw regularly. She received much recognition from the creation of the vaccine used, earing the 1935 Fisher Award for her work.

She also received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 in her home state of Georgia.

10. This centenarian lived to be 108 years old before her passing in 2020. She was the mother of a United States senator who also ran for president in 2008. Name our final contribution to this incredible club.

Answer: Roberta McCain

Roberta Wright was born in Oklahoma in 1912. She married her husband Admiral John McCain in 1933. She was the mother of Senator John McCain, who ran for president in 2008, ultimately losing the race to President Barack Obama. Roberta McCain supported her son during his run for the White House, even though she was well into her nineties.

While each of the listed options is the mother of a United States president, all of their son's services as president preceded 2008.

Source: Author jddrsi_raven

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Most people don't live to see the century mark in their birthday count. Many centenarians became well known and successful for the work they accomplished. This quiz will cover some notable ones. Have fun, and good luck!

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