What your Definition of I.S. is Quiz

Answer: Isaac Bashevis Singer

Isaac Bashevis Singer, known for his sometimes grotesque scenarios and the presence of demonic forces, was born in Poland in 1904, received a rabbinical education there, and moved to the U.S. in 1935. He wrote in Yiddish, but is considered an American writer; he was involved in several Jewish publications in the U.S., and wrote many short stories, such as "Gimpel The Fool", "Passions" and "The Golem".

His work is usually about common people and is very appealing. He believed the world was full of endless mysteries. Singer won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1978.

He died in 1991.

Answer: Ian Smith

Smith was in favor of independence from Great Britain, and in the unification of the then "Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland". On the subject of racial equality he thought that only a gradual shift of power from white to black or to equality would work.

He was against a black autocracy taking over if things changed too quickly, as in Ghana, Uganda and other countries. In his younger years he was a great athlete. Despite severe injuries incurred in his plane, he went back to fighting first for Rhodesia and then for Britain in WWII.

He was shot down later over enemy territory and was helped by allied soldiers to safety. He resumed his education after the war at Rhodes University, and went into politics. Smith butted heads with Britain and radical factions in Africa, but he was successful in the political arena, and expanded his farming to become a 21,000 acre estate in the town where he was born.

He died in Capetown, S.A. in 2007.

Answer: True

Inger Stevens (1934-1970) apparently fell for Bing Crosby, James Mason, Anthony Quinn, Harry Belafonte, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Dean Martin, Burt Reynolds and possibly more. She was a slim, blonde, sprightly beauty who started with TV commercials and summer stock, and made a quick rise to leading lady.

She also starred for three seasons on the TV series "The Farmer's Daughter" in the mid sixties for which she won a Golden Globe award and an Emmy nomination. Inger seemed to be emotionally fragile, and is thought to have ended her life with an overdose; there was much speculation about her private life.

The 2000 "The Farmer's Daughter Remembered" is a biopic of her life and may have laid to rest some questions about her.

Answer: Igor Stravinsky

Igor was a pianist, composer and conductor. He studied under Rimsky-Korsakov, another famous Russian composer. Leopold Stokowski was among his benefactors, and Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, and George Balanchine among his many friends. Stravinsky wrote primarily for ballet; among his works are: "The Rite of Spring" ("Le Sacre du Printemps"), which performance at first caused rioting among the audience, as it was considered sexually provocative.

He also composed "The Firebird", "Petrushka" and the "Ballets Russe" commissioned by Sergei Diaghelev. Stravinsky died in 1971.

There is a sketch of him by Picasso which closely resembles another I.S. person. The incorrect answers are made up.

Answer: Igor Sikorsky

Sikorsky Aircraft has been a major company in my home state of Connecticut, up to the early 21st century. Igor built and flew the first practical VS-300 helicopter in 1939; he was inspired by the Wright brothers and Count Zeppelin. He named the aircraft "Ilya Mourometz" after a 10th century Russian hero.

He was among the first to propose a helicopter with more than one engine, a radical idea in 1912, and he built the four-engined "The Grand" to prove it. Sikorsky won many awards and is honored in the "International Aerospace and Aviation Hall of Fame".

He died in 1972. Masked man = aviator's goggles. From the few photos I've seen he bears a slight resemblance to Igor Stravinsky.

Answer: False

Irving Stone (originally Tannenbaum, lived 1903-1989) was an American writer of fictionalized biographies such as "Lust For Life" about Vincent Van Gogh, "The Agony and The Ecstasy" about Michelangelo Buonarroti, and "Sailor on Horseback" about Jack London. Some of his works have been made into films.

Answer: Ibn Saud

Abdulaziz Ibn Abdul Rahman Ibn Faisal Al Saud (1880-1953) was the founder of what is now Saudi Arabia, and reigned from 1932 to 1953, at first being called the King of Arabia. He took a vow to keep Islam pure, and said, "There is no power and no strength save in God." His family numbered about 15,000 members at the beginning of the 21st century, and much of the wealth and power in the country lies with them. Ibn Saud was a benevolent ruler and welcomed many westerners and people of other cultures to his home.

In Saudi Arabia, rule passes not to the son of a deceased ruler but to a brother. Captain William Shakespear, a Victorian explorer, was his close lifelong friend who was better known in Arabia than in his mother country, England.

Answer: Irwin Shaw

Irwin Shaw wrote "Rich Man, Poor Man" and later, "Beggarman, Thief". He was a novelist, playwright and screenwriter. "The Young Lions" is another one of his novels. Shaw died in 1984.

Answer: Itzhach Shamir

An avid freedom fighter, Shamir was an underground leader who opposed the mainstream policy of restraint; he belonged to militant groups and brought many Jews from Russia and Ethiopia to Israel for safety. Shamir belonged to the Mossad and the Knesset, where he was elected speaker in 1977.

He served as Israel's prime minister from 1983 to 1984, and again from 1986 to 1992 during the Gulf War. He retired in 1996. Isaac Stern was a famous violinist. Israel Joshua Singer was the older brother of Isaac Bashevis Singer, and was an author in his own right. Immanuel Stanwell is a product of my imagination.

Answer: Dzhugashvili

Stalin was born in 1879 and when he gained leadership of Russia he ruled with an iron fist till his death in 1953. He changed his name to fit his ego. Stalin's original patronymic was Vissarionovich. He was responsible for the deaths of millions of Russians and others during his reign, which began in 1927.

He initiated the five year plans for industrial construction and collectivism of agriculture. Stalin brought Russia from socialism to communism. He often makes the list of the "Top Ten Bad Guys" in history. Like Nikolai Andreivitch Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian names tend to be a mouthful. Maxim Gorky, and the writer known as Gogol are exceptions.

It was the custom to address people by their given name and patronymic unless you had a much more intimate relationship. You can find this usage in many a Russian novel of the 19th century.

The patronymic - middle name - usually ends in -ovitch, meaning son of, or in -ovna, meaning daughter of.