It Happened 9/11 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Johnny Unitas

Johnny Unitas, who helped elevate the NFL into the forefront of American consciousness through his electrifying performances quarterbacking the Baltimore Colts, died of a heart attack one year after the 9/11 attacks.

Golfer Sam Snead and baseball legends Wilhelm and Williams also passed away in 2002.

Answer: Oh Susanna!

Composer Stephen Foster's performance of his song at Pittsburgh's Eagle Saloon earned him a bottle of whiskey for his efforts. 25 cents bought the patrons a dish of ice cream and an evening's entertainment from Foster.

Answer: The Miss America Pageant

The 28th Miss America Pageant, hosted by Bob Russell, and with actress Grace Kelly among the judges, was the first live national broadcast of the event. 27 million viewers tuned in to watch Lee Meriwether of California crowned Miss America.

Answer: The Pentagon

The Pentagon, headquarters for the United States defense department, was conceived as a way to consolidate military leadership into one building from the more than 20 they were occupying in the late 1930s.

Pentagon construction began on September 11, 1941 and the first occupants moved into the building in late April 1942. The building was completed in January 1943.

The Pentagon became the third target hit by a hijacked airplane on 9/11/01, the 60th anniversary of the start of its construction, killing 125 people in the building, plus 59 innocent passengers and crew on the plane.

A massive reconstruction project followed the attack, and people moved into the newly-repaired area less than one year later.

Answer: Tennis player Jimmy Connors

Bryant, Marcos, and Landry were born on September 11, 1913, 1917, and 1924 respectively. Jimmy Connors was born on September 2, 1952.

Lawyer, author, and television pundit Barbara Olson was one of the passengers on Flight 77, which hit the Pentagon. She had been scheduled to fly the night before and changed her plans so that she could be with her husband, US Solicitor General Ted Olson the next morning on his birthday: 9/11/01.

Answer: Henry Hudson

Hudson led four expeditions attempting to find a way through the Arctic Ocean to Asia. In 1609, his travels took him to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Cape Cod, Maine, and much of the east coast of North America - and, on September 11, Manhattan Island.

Answer: Pete Rose became the game's all-time leader in base hits

On September 11, 1985, Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds hit a single against the San Diego Padres, recording the 4,192nd hit of his career and passing Ty Cobb as baseball's all-time leader in base hits.

Ten years later, almost to the day, Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles played in his 2,131st consecutive game on September 6, 1995, breaking Lou Gehrig's 56-year-old record.

McGwire's 62nd home run came on September 8, 1998.

Koufax's perfect game, his fourth no-hitter in four seasons, was September 9, 1965.

Answer: It was the first time the American stars and stripes flag was carried into battle

In the early days of the American Revolution, the US used a variety of flags based on the British Union Jack.

Extensive tinkering with the flag design occurred in 1776 and 1777, with the flag eventually conforming to a June 14, 1777 edict from the Continental Congress: "Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."

The stars and stripes flag first flew over an American fort on August 3, 1777, Fort Stanwix in central New York. The stars and stripes was carried into battle for the first time in the September 11, 1777 Battle of Brandywine Creek in Delaware.

This battle is also significant because Marquis de LaFayette accompanied George Washington through much of it, and his favorable reports to the French government were instrumental in winning France's support for the Americans.

Answer: The closing ceremonies

The September 5 kidnapping of many of the Israeli Olympic team - 11 athletes in all were killed - suspended competition at the games for that day, but they resumed the next day, pushing the closing ceremonies from September 10 as originally scheduled to September 11.

Answer: David Bowie

Crosby's US Christmas specials had been running almost as long as the existence of television, and typically featured him appearing either with well-known stars from his own era (Bob Hope, Jackie Gleason) or "safe" contemporary US performers, like Michael Landon or Carol Burnett.

In 1977, he wanted to have an edgier guest, and Bowie was suggested to him. At the time, Bowie was known for appearing onstage in makeup and feminine clothing - an odd choice to appear with someone like Bing Crosby.

But the segment, taped 9/11/77, worked. Crosby and Bowie bantered about their kids, music (Bowie mentioned John Lennon, not quite 37 at the time, as one of the "older" musicians whose work he liked!), and Christmas, and then sang a duet of "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Peace on Earth":

"Peace on Earth, can it be
Years from now, perhaps we'll see
See the day of glory
See the day, when men of good will
Live in peace, live in peace again"

Crosby died five weeks later of a heart attack; the show aired November 30, 1977