Here a Ross, There a Ross Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bird

Ross's turaco, sometimes called Lady Ross's turaco (Musophaga rossae) is a non-migratory bird that inhabits lightly wooded areas in such countries as Angola, Botswana, Tanzania, Zambia as well as several others in the central region of Africa. Its conservation status is listed as "least concern" as it continues to do well despite some loss of habitat to agriculture. Both male and female Ross's turaco have deep blue feathers with a red crown and flight feathers, and they can live from eight to twenty years.

Answer: Ross Martin

Born Martin Rosenblatt in Gródek Jagiellonski, Ross Martin (1920-1981) spoke at least seven languages. His first television roles were in the early 1950s, but he became well-known to North American audiences with his portrayal of Artemus Gordon in "The Wild, Wild West" (1965-69) alongside Robert Conrad as Jim West.

Despite a heart condition that nearly killed him in 1968, Martin worked steadily on television and on stage, until his death at the age of 61. His movie roles included one in "Experiment in Terror" (1962) which brought him a Golden Globe nomination.

Answer: Ross-on-Wye

Ross-on-Wye is the anglicised form of the Welsh place name Rhosan-ar-Wy, and refers to the market town in Herefordshire, England that sits on the River Wye and calls itself the "birthplace of British tourism". Its connection to explorer Ross, if any, has nothing to do with the town's name.

Sir James Clark Ross (1800-1862) was involved in the exploration of both the Arctic and the Antarctic regions of the earth, and this is reflected in the many tributes accorded him, including the naming of Ross Island, which sits in the Ross Sea, which is a bay of the Southern Ocean off the coast of Antarctica. The Ross crater on the moon is also named for him, as well as for the American astronomer Frank E. Ross. The Ross seal and Ross's gull are also named for James Clark Ross.

Answer: Amusement park

Ross, Ohio is just north of Cincinnati and the private amusement park called Stricker's Grove is near Ross. The park is family-owned, and was first established in 1924 by Henry Stricker. Open to the public only four times a year, for a total of eight days, the park boasts two wooden roller coasters and a number of other rides, many of them kid-friendly. During the rest of the year the park is rented out for private functions.

Answer: Mangles was a civilian.

Ross Lowis (or Lewis) Mangles (1833-1905) was a civil servant, assistant magistrate at Patna, who volunteered to participate in the attempted relief of the garrison of Arrah which was besieged by a strong force of mutineers. The attempt was unsuccessful, and Mangles made himself useful helping the surgeon with the wounded. One of these begged Mangles not to leave him behind when the retreat was inevitably made, so Mangles carried the man over six miles on his back to safety.

The wounded man recounted the tale to the surgeon, who passed it up the line where it eventually reached the ears of Lord Canning.

At Canning's request, a change was made to the Victoria Cross warrant, allowing for the award of the VC to civilians serving with the armed forces. Mangles was the first civilian to receive the VC under the amendment.

Answer: False

Pacino was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award (Oscar) for the role of Ricky Roma in "Glengarry Glen Ross", but lost that race to Gene Hackman in "Unforgiven" (1992).

Pacino did, however, win the Best Actor Oscar at the same ceremony, but for his portrayal of Lt.Col. Frank Slade in "Scent of a Woman" (1992). It would, perhaps, have been greedy to expect to win both in one year.

Answer: Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday (1915-1959) was the jazz singer portrayed by Diana Ross in "Lady Sings the Blues" (1972). Ross received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for the role, losing to Liza Minnelli in "Cabaret" (1972).

Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Betty McGlown were the original members of the group best known as The Supremes, and all came from the same area of Detroit. McGlown was replaced in 1960 by Barbara Martin, who left after two years, at which time the others continued as a trio. Ballard was replaced by Cindy Birdsong in 1967, and not long after that Ross left the group to pursue a solo career. The Supremes (Ross, Ballard, Wilson) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Ross, born in 1944, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Answer: Malaria

Sir Ronald Ross (1857-1932) was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on the life cycle of the parasite that causes malaria, and the determination that this was transmitted by means of mosquito bites. His experiments were done largely with birds. He was the first British Nobel laureate, and the first born outside Europe, having been born in British India, where his father was a general in the army.

Answer: Steam

Louis S. Ross (1877-1927) had worked for the Stanley Motor Carriage Company before designing, building and racing his Wogglebug at Daytona Beach in the early 1900s. It was powered by two steam engines and although difficult to control prevailed over a Mercedes to win the Dewar Trophy, as fastest over a one mile course. Ross's company also produced a five passenger touring car known as the Ross Steamer, before closing in 1911.

Answer: Ross Macdonald

Ross Macdonald (1915-1983) was born Kenneth Millar in California, and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Lew Archer appeared in at least twenty novels, and the character Lew Harper, played by Paul Newman in "Harper" (1966) and "The Drowning Pool" (1975) was effectively Archer with a different surname as the films were based on Macdonald's books.

Given that the title of this quiz echoes the chorus of the children's song "Old Macdonald", it seemed fitting to include someone of that name in the quiz. Perhaps you caught the reference?