September Birthdays Trivia Quiz

Answer: Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury (1946-1991) was born Farrokh Bulsara on September 5, in Zanzibar. Freddie spent much of his childhood in India, where he became interested in music. In 1958, the Bulsara family moved to England, and Mercury eventually got involved in the rock music scene, along with mates Brian May and John Taylor.

In 1970 Freddie changed his name to "Mercury" and his band Queen was born. By the mid 1970s, Queen and Mercury had attained superstar status around the world. Their signature song "Bohemian Rhapsody" is still considered one of the greatest masterpieces in rock history. Rod Stewart was born in January 1945, Roger Daltrey of The Who was born in March 1944, and David Bowie was born in January 1947.

Answer: Tenor saxophone

John "Trane" Coltrane was an accomplished jazz musician. In addition to the tenor saxophone, Coltrane played soprano and alto saxophones; bass clarinet; and flute. He played with such jazz legends as Miles Davis, Bill Evans, and Thelonious Monk. Coltrane died in Huntington, Long Island, in 1967 - a brief life but a lot of memorable music.

Answer: The Sun Also Rises

The novelist F. Scott Fitgerald was a symbol of "The Lost Generation" of artists in the USA and in Europe. He became famous after his novel "This Side of Paradise" was published in 1920. "The Beautiful and Damned" appeared in 1922, and "Tender is the Night" was published in 1934. "The Great Gatsby" was published in 1925. Fitgerald's literary friend, Ernest Hemingway, wrote the novel called "The Sun Also Rises".

This story, written in 1926, described the struggles of a character named Jake Barnes.

Answer: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Gene Autry was born in Texas and became known as "The Singing Cowboy". He achieved success in country & western music, but it wasn't until 1949 that Autry became a mainstream music star. In 1949, Autry recorded a Johnny Marks' composition entitled "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer".

The tune concerned an unwanted animal (Rudolph) who eventually became a hero. Autry's rendition of the song became a number one hit in the USA. Autry also wrote another popular Christmas song called "Here Comes Santa Claus". Bing Crosby recorded popular versions of "White Christmas" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas".

The "Christmas Song" was made famous by Nat King Cole.

Answer: Three's Company

John Ritter was an actor who appeared in numerous theatrical productions, Hollywood movies, and made-for TV movies. It was Ritter's work in the TV sitcom "Three's Company" which made him famous. In this comedy, which aired from 1977 to 1984, Ritter played the role of Jack Tripper, a man pretending to be gay so that he could live with his roommates Janet (Joyce DeWitt) and Chrissy (Suzanne Somers). Ritter died in 2003 while rehearsing for a role in a TV series entitled "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter".

Answer: Roger Maris

Roger Maris made Major League Baseball history in 1961 when he broke the immortal Babe Ruth's single-season total of 60 homers; Maris ended the campaign with 61 home runs. Maris, a reserved man, was an extremely reluctant celebrity. He became so nervous during the season that he began to lose large chunks of his hair. Mickey Mantle, Maris' Yankee teammate in 1961, got injured before the end of the season; Mantle ended up with "only" 54 home runs. Mantle was born in October 1931. Joe DiMaggio was born in November 1914, and Yogi Berra was born in May 1925. Maris' home run record would be unmatched until St. Louis Cardinal slugger Mark McGwire belted 70 home runs during the 1998 season.

Answer: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Greta Garbo (Greta Lovisa Gustafsson) studied acting in Stockholm, from 1922 to 1924 and then made silent films in Berlin, Germany. Louis Mayer of MGM (Mayer-Goldwyn-Mayer) was impressed by Garbo's acting ability and brought her to Hollywood soon thereafter. Garbo worked at MGM for many years, acting in such classic movies as "Mata Hari", "Anna Christie", and "Camille." In 1954, Garbo received an Honorary Academy Award for her film achievements.

A well-known recluse, Garbo lived a private life in New York until her death in 1990.

Answer: Ed Sullivan

Ed Sullivan was a major figure on the CBS television network from 1948 until his retirement in 1971. Sullivan's Sunday night variety show attracted a nationwide audience in the USA. In February 1964, Sullivan presented The Beatles to American TV watchers, and a music revolution began in the States. Sullivan also introduced The Beatles when The Fab Four played a concert at New York's Shea Stadium in August 1965. Sullivan was famous for saying in his typical deadpan delivery, "We have a really big show ('shoo') tonight." Jack Paar, born in May 1917, and Johnny Carson, born in October 1925, were both hosts of the NBC Tonight Show. Merv Griffin, born in July 1925, created the popular "Jeopardy!" quiz show.

Answer: Cats

Thomas Sterns Eliot was born in St. Louis, Missouri, but he became a British citizen in 1927. Eliot became famous for such epic poems as "The Wasteland" (1922) and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" (1917). The London musical "Cats" was loosely based on "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats", a collection of poems written by Eliot during the 1930s. Andrew Lloyd Webber composed music for the stories, and a popular musical show was born. "Cats" made its London debut in 1981 and ran for more than 20 years. "Sunday in the Park with George" was inspired by a painting by Georges Seurat. "The Big River" is based on Mark Twain's writing. "Nightingale" is based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen.

Answer: The Mamas and the Papas

Cass Elliott became famous as a member of the Mamas and the Papas singing group in the 1960s. Elliott, Denny Doherty, John Phillips and Michelle Phillips recorded ten hit singles between 1965 and 1968; their most popular tunes were "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin". Elliott's recording of the 1931 song "Dream a Little Dream of Me" became her signature tune.

She would eventually become a TV star as well as a concert singer. Elliott died while on tour in London, England, in 1974.