In Memoriam - 2013 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Michael Winner

Robert Michael Winner was born in Hampstead, North London, in 1935. Although he read law and economics at Cambridge, the movie business was always in his life: he began writing a showbiz gossip column in the "Kensington Post" when he was only 14.
Winner directed numerous British films during the 1960s, working with the likes of Oliver Reed, Michael Crawford and Denholm Elliot. In 1971, he directed his first Hollywood picture, "Lawman" starring Robert Duvall and Burt Lancaster. Then came Marlon Brando in "The Nightcomers" and his first film with Bronson, the western "Chato's Land" in 1972. "Death Wish" followed two years later, forever defining the careers of both director and star.
Always outspoken and a lover of the finer things in life, it should be no surprise that Winner took on the 'job' of restaurant critic for "The Sunday Times" in later life. He also set what may be a world record for a courtship -- he met the 16-year old ballet dancer Geraldine Lynton-Edwards when he was 21. Fifty years later they were engaged, and they finally tied the knot in 2011.
Michael Winner died at his home in London aged 77 on January 21, 2013.

Answer: Edward I. Koch

Edward Irving "Ed" Koch was born in the Bronx NY in 1924. In 1969 he was elected to Congress and served the state of New York for eight years in that capacity. As a Democrat, he was unusual in that he ran his 1977 election campaign for Mayor of New York City on a 'law and order' platform. Rioting and looting after the blackout in July of that year meant that this was just the message the city's electorate wanted to hear. For his re-election campaign in 1981, Koch promoted policies from both the Democrats and Republicans and garnered 75% of the votes. Four years later, he ran on both Democrat and Independent tickets and was again returned to office with a huge majority -- 78%.
When Ed Koch first took office in 1978, New York City was on the verge on bankruptcy. By the time he left twelve years later, the city was in the midst of an unprecedented economic boom. He remains one of the most popular politicians ever to hold what is probably America's most important Mayoral post.
In retirement, Ed Koch remained in the public spotlight as a radio host and as a judge (officially an arbitrator) on the TV's "People's Court".
Ed Koch died of congestive heart failure at the New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan aged 88 on February 1, 2013.

Answer: Hugo Chávez

Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías was born in 1954 in the city of Sabaneta, the capital of the western Venezuelan state of Barinas, where his brother, Adán Chávez, has been governor since 2008.
A career military officer, the failed 1992 coup earned Chavez two years in prison but upon his release he quickly founded the Fifth Republic Movement, a new socialist political party and within five years he was the legitimate elected President of Venezuela. Re-elected in 2000, 2006 and 2012, Chavez's government was responsible for enacting numerous democratic socialist policies aimed at improving economic, cultural and social conditions for the masses. Oil, though, was probably the major factor on the rapid growth of the Venezuelan economy during this period. By the end of his period in office, literacy rates in Venezuela far exceeded those in neighboring countries, and there is little doubt that he was enormously popular with the poorest members of the population, although violent crime and corruption were still massive problems.
On March 5, 2013, Hugo Chavez died aged 58 in a military hospital in Caracas after a two-year battle with cancer.

Answer: Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher was born in 1925 in the market town of Grantham in Lincolnshire. She was reputedly more proud of becoming Prime Minister with her scientific background than she was of being the first female PM or the longest-serving PM of the 20th century. The Member of Parliament for the London constituency of Finchley from 1959 until 1992, Thatcher was Secretary of State for Education and Science in Edward Heath's government from 1970 until 1974. She became leader of the Conservative Party (and thus Leader of the Opposition) in 1975, the first woman to lead a major British political party, and a little less than four years later led them to victory in the 1979 General Election.
Her style of leadership is probably best described as confrontational and is epitomized by the nickname "The Iron Lady", given to her by a Soviet journalist. The UK TV series "Spitting Image" satirized her as a bully who ridiculed her own ministers. Meryl Streep played her in the 2011 bio-pic "The Iron Lady".
Even 20 years after leaving office, just a mention of Margaret Thatcher was still divisive -- like 'Marmite', you either loved her or hated her. Her death was followed by numerous truly disgraceful scenes including parties where people sang "Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead". For many, though, myself included, she vies with Sir Winston Churchill as Britain's greatest ever Prime Minister.
On April 8, 2013, Margaret Thatcher died aged 87 at the Ritz Hotel in London after suffering a stroke.

Answer: Seamus Heaney

Seamus Justin Heaney was born in 1939, the eighth in a family of ten children in the village of Castledawson near Lough Neagh in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. A graduate of Queen's University Belfast, where he earned a first in English language and literature, Heaney's first collection of poetry, "Death of a Naturalist", was published in 1966. For this work he earned his first significant honor, the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize (in 1968).
Although born in Northern Ireland, Heaney regarded himself as 100% Irish. He famously objected (in poetry, of course) to being included in an anthology of "British Poetry" and he turned down an invitation to become Britain's Poet Laureate.
Seamus Heaney died aged 74 in Blackrock Clinic in Dublin on August 30, 2013.

Answer: Ken Norton

Born Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. in 1943 in the city of Jacksonville in central Illinois, the former WBC world heavyweight champion had an unconventional defensive style that made him a particularly awkward opponent. As an amateur, Norton compiled a 24-2 record and is considered the best boxer ever to fight for the U.S. Marine Corp.
Norton went into his first fight against Ali, in San Diego in March 1973, with a 29-1 record as a pro. Ali, also, had lost only once previously, to Joe Frazier. Norton won a split decision to claim the NABF world title, famously breaking Ali's jaw in the process. The two met again less than six months later, in Inglewood CA, and this time it was Ali who earned the split decision.
Norton fought George Foreman for the WBC and WBA titles in Venezuela in 1974, in a fight that was dubbed the "Caracas Caper", but Norton was stopped in two rounds. Over the next two years, Norton won seven straight fights, all within the distance, including a 1975 win against Jerry Quarry at Madison Square Garden that gave him the NABF title earlier vacated by Ali.
The third Norton-vs-Ali fight took place at Yankee Stadium in September 1976 with the unified world title that Ali had won from Foreman at stake. Ali won on points, although a 1998 poll in "Boxing Monthly" listed this fight as fifth in the list of "most disputed title fight decision in boxing history".
Norton became WBC world champion in 1977 when Leon Spinks preferred a re-match against Ali (who he had just beaten) rather than taking on the number one contender, Norton. WBC stripped Spinks of his title and gave it to Norton. Norton kept the title for just six months, though, losing it in his first defense to the up-and-coming Larry Holmes. He retired in 1981 at the age of 37 with with a 42-7-1 record.
Ken Norton suffered a number of strokes in later life and died aged 70 in Las Vegas NV on September 18, 2013.

Answer: Tom Clancy

Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. was born in 1947 in Baltimore MD. He graduated with a degree in English literature from Loyola College in Baltimore before taking over the family insurance agency. He began writing his first novel in 1982 whilst still working in the insurance business by day and two years later he published "The Hunt for Red October". His fourth novel, "Clear and Present Danger", published in 1989, was the highest-selling novel of the 1980s with more than 1.6 million hardcover copies sold.
Some of Clancy's later novels have been collaborations, but those novels he wrote alone have usually (all but two of them) featured one or the other of his best-known creations, Jack Ryan or John Clark. Clark first appeared in the 1988 novel "The Cardinal of the Kremlin" and has been played on screen by Willem Dafoe and Liev Schreiber. Ryan, who has been with Clancy since the beginning, has been portrayed by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck.
In the 1990s, three authors became the first to break the 2 million barrier of copies sold during the first printing, Clancy, John Grisham and J.K. Rowling.
Tom Clancy died at Johns Hopkins Hospital near Baltimore aged 66 on October 1, 2013.

Answer: Lou Reed

Born Lewis Allan Reed in 1942 in Brooklyn NY, Lou Reed was a journalism student at Syracuse University before becoming a radio host and a songwriter for Pickwick Records. The other original members of Velvet Underground in 1965 were Welsh musician John Cale, perhaps best-known today for his cover version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Angus MacLise.
Lou Reed's first solo album, self-titled and released in early 1972, featured session musicians Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe of "Yes" but it was his second album, "Transformer", co-produced by Mick Ronson and David Bowie, that established him as a mainstream artist.
Lou Reed had a liver transplant in May 2013, but died of liver disease aged 71 at his home in Southampton NY on October 27, 2013.

Answer: Nelson Mandela

Born Rolihlahla Mandela in 1918 in the village of Mvezo which was then part of Cape Province in South Africa, his given name (Rolihlahla) meant 'troublemaker' but in latter years he was often known simply as Tata ('father') by the South African people. When he began studying law at the University of Witwatersrand in 1943, he was the only native African student. Devoting more time to politics than to his studies, Mandela left university in 1949 without graduating but the following year he became a member of the ANC National Executive. Along with most other members of the ANC Executive, he was arrested in 1956 on charges of 'high treason against the state', but he was found not guilty after a six-year trial. Arrested again in 1962, Mandela was convicted on 'sabotage' and 'conspiracy' charges in 1964 and sentenced to life imprisonment, and he spent the next 18 years on Robben Island.
Mandela was finally released from prison in December 1990. In 1993, he shared the Nobel Prize for Peace with F.W. de Klerk. Victory by the ANC party in the 1994 general election elevated Mandela to the Presidency, the first native African to hold the post. Mandela retired in 1999.
After suffering from a prolonged respiratory infection, Nelson Mandela died aged 95 at his home in Johannesburg on December 5, 2013.

Answer: Peter O'Toole

The son of a Scottish nurse and an Irish bookmaker, Peter James O'Toole was born in 1932, either in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland or in Leeds, England. O'Toole himself was never sure where he was born, although he grew up in Leeds. He first gained recognition as a stage actor in the mid 1950s and made his film debut in "The Day They Robbed the Bank of England" in 1959. His big break came three years later when he was given the title role in the 1962 blockbuster "Lawrence of Arabia", a role which earned him his first Oscar nomination.
In a film career spanning more than four decade, Peter O'Toole earned a total of eight nominations for Best Actor Oscars: in "Becket" (1964), "The Lion in Winter" (1968), "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969), "The Ruling Class" (1972), "The Stunt Man" (1980), "My Favorite Year" (1982) and "Venus" (2006).
Peter O'Toole died of natural causes aged 81 at Wellington Hospital in London on December 14, 2013.