A Whole New World, Part II Trivia Quiz

Answer: 2004, 2007, 2013

Although he did see the Sox lose the World Series, 4-3, to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1946, he was spared the Sox losing the World Series in 1967 (to the St. Louis Cards), 1975 (to the Cincinnati Reds), and 1986 (to the New York Mets). In each series, they lost 4-3!

Answer: Candy bars in their original wrappers

Dad particularly enjoyed putting together a collection of penny candy tied in a napkin. He would also be shocked that children in 2015 were almost always accompanied by at least one adult.

Answer: Thurgood Marshall and Sandra Day O'Connor

Appointed by Lyndon Johnson, Thurgood Marshall served from 1967 until his retirement in 1991. Sandra Day O'Connor, a Ronald Reagan appointee, served from 1981 until her retirement in 2006.

Answer: Dissolution of the Soviet Union (USSR) (1991)

Dad despised Communism in all of its forms. To him, the USSR was the greatest threat to our freedom. He would have been overjoyed at the dissolution, and very interested in how it occurred.

Answer: 49 cents

To put the cost in perspective, in Dad's 53 years, first class postage increased from two cents to five cents. In the 50 years since he passed away, first class postage has gone from five cents to 49 cents! In 1965, Dad could have mailed nine first class letters (with four cents left over) for what he would spend to mail one in 2015!

Answer: Microwave

With a microwave, Dad could have warmed up whatever we had for dinner and enjoyed a hot meal when he got home. Amana introduced the counter top microwave in 1967. In 1971, only 1% of American homes had one. That increased to 90% by 1997. And by 2015, nearly every home had a microwave.

Answer: Medicare

Were Dad to return in 2015, he would have been gratified to see not only Medicare and Medicaid, but also the Affordable Care Act. At the time of his death, all that was available to most Americans was private insurance, either through their employers or on their own. Premiums were very high for senior citizens, co-pays were high, lifetime limits were punitive, exclusions for such things as preconditions were rampant, and cancellations for using the insurance were frequent.

Answer: heart disease and cancer

Dad and his father both died from massive heart attacks. His mother passed away from cancer. At the time Dad died, smallpox, scarlet fever, polio, and measles were under control. If he were alive in 2015, he would not have died as he did in 1965, because his problems would have been diagnosed early on and they would have been successfully treated. And he would have seen his daughter-in-law (my wife) treated for and "cured" of two types of cancer.

Answer: HD/3D TV

As an oldster in 2015, Dad would have still used a landline phone and road maps, and would not have bothered with computers, including Facebook, Skype, and Twitter. He grew up with radio and liked television, particularly when shows were broadcast in color. He would have welcomed modern television, not only programs aired in HD/3D, but also the selection of channels available!

Answer: Bobby Orr

Dad never saw Bobby Orr play. Orr led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 1969-70 (over the St. Louis Blues) and in 1971-72 (over the New York Rangers), scoring the winning goal in each series. He also won such major awards as the Norris Trophy (eight times), Art Ross Trophy (twice), and Hart Trophy (three times), and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979, at the time the youngest player ever inducted. Dad did get to see the other great Bruins' players listed.