Middle Ground II Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tyler

Anne Tyler is an American novelist and Pulitzer Prize winner for "Breathing Lessons" in 1989. She has had over 20 novels published; these include "The Accidental Tourist" in 1985 and "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" in 1983.

Tyler Perry is not only an actor but a producer, director, playwright, author and, just in case he has a free moment, he composes gospel songs. Among his plays is "Madea's Family Reunion" (2006) and his TV show "Tyler Perry's House of Pain".

Answer: Jonas

Joe Jonas became famous with his two brothers (Kevin and Nick) as a member of the pop group, the Jonas Brothers (seems appropriate!). He has since gone on to a solo career.

Medical researcher Jonas Salk (1914-1995) is responsible for the development of the first polio vaccine in 1955.

Answer: Morgan

J.P. Morgan or John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) was a banker who dominated the financial world, arranging mergers and helping to transform American business.

Morgan Fairchild is an American actress who had roles on several TV shows in the 1970s and 1980s where she generally played the 'femme fatale'. She was on the soap operas "Search for Tomorrow" and "Falcon Crest" (1985-1986), and appeared in the 1982 film "The Seduction".

Answer: Arthur

Chester Arthur was the 21st President of the United States, having succeeded James Garfield after Garfield's assassination in 1881.

Arthur Miller was the author of plays such as "Death of a Salesman" (1949), "The Crucible" (1950) and "A View from the Bridge" (1955). He was also married to Marilyn Monroe between 1956 and 1961.

Answer: Thomas

Helen Thomas (1920-2013) was a newspaper correspondent and member of the White House Press Corps for many years. One of her famous sayings was "You don't spread democracy through the barrel of a gun".

Thomas E. Dewey was the 47th Governor of New York. He ran for president against FDR in 1944 and then against Harry Truman in 1948. He lost both times, despite the headline on the front page of the Chicago Daily Tribune which incorrectly read "Dewey defeats Truman".

Answer: Charles

Ray Charles (1930-2004) was an American singer and songwriter, sometimes referred to as "The Genius" and also nicknamed "The High Priest of Soul".

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was a naturalist and a geologist who is best known for his contributions to the theory of evolution, developed by studying species from the Galapagos Islands.

Answer: Allen

Joan Allen is an American actress who has appeared in a number of movies including the 'Bourne Trilogy'. In 1988 she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her Broadway debut in "Burn This".

Allen Ludden (1917-1981) was a TV personality best known for hosting the game show "Password" between 1961 and 1980. He was also the husband of Betty White from 1963 until his death.

Answer: Russell

Kurt Russell has been acting since he was a child. He appeared in TV shows from 1962 on. Kurt auditioned for the role of one of the Von Trapp kids in "The Sound of Music" in 1965. While didn't get the part, that didn't deter him from continuing to act, e.g., in the 2015 film "The Hateful Eight".

Russell Simmons co-founded the hip-hop music label Def Jam when he was Chairman and CEO of Rush Communications. He also helped create several clothing fashion lines like Phat Farm, and he has a net worth of over 340 million dollars.

Answer: Simon

Carly Simon is a singer-songwriter who had a great many hits in the 1970s and 1980s, one of which was the hit song "Anticipation" in 1971 and "You're So Vain" released in 1972. Her father, Richard Simon, is the co-founder of the Simon and Schuster Publishing House.

Simon Cowell, of the tight black T-shirts, is a British talent judge, music and TV producer, and the 'mean judge' from "American Idol" beginning in 2002.

Answer: Lee

Brandon Lee (1965-1993) was the son of Bruce Lee, and an actor and martial arts specialist in his own right. Tragically, he died in a shooting accident while filming his fifth movie, "The Crow", which was released posthumously.

Lee Trevino is a retired American pro golfer and, perhaps, the greatest Hispanic golfer of all time. In 1981 he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.