Deaths In The News -- 2007 Quiz | Death Becomes Them

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Actress Jane Wyman died of natural causes at her home in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 90. Wyman won the Best Actress Oscar for her work in which motion picture?

Answer: Johnny Belinda

Jane Wyman earned nominations for the Best Actress Oscar in all four movies listed here, but it was her turn in "Johnny Belinda", as the deaf-mute Belinda McDonald, that earned her the Oscar in 1948. She also won the Golden Globe for the same role, as well as a Golden Globe for her work in "The Blue Veil" in 1952. Wyman is also well known for her work on the long-running CBS-TV drama "Falcon Crest".

2. Hotelier and real-estate magnate Leona Helmsley died of congestive heart failure in Greenwich, Connecticut on August 20, at age 87. Nicknamed "The Queen of Mean", Helmsley served over a year in prison for what crime?

Answer: Tax evasion

Helmsley's undoing came about as the result of a vacation home that she and her husband, Harry, had purchased and renovated in Connecticut. After contractors found out that the Helmsleys were trying to write off the renovation expenses as business expenses, which would allow them to write those expenses off their taxes, they took their invoices to the New York Post.

The Post's story on the issue ultimately led to an indictment from U.S. Attorney (and future New York mayor) Rudy Guliani. Helmsley's original sentence of 16 years was dramatically reduced after several charges were dropped.

3. Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Doug Marlette died near Holly Springs, Mississippi, on July 10, in an automobile accident. In addition to drawing the syndicated comic strip "Kudzu", Marlette was, at the time of his death, the editorial cartoonist for which newspaper?

Answer: The Tulsa World

North Carolina governor Mike Easley conferred the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the state's highest civilian honor, upon Marlette, a native of Greensboro and a part-time resident of the state, two days after his death. Marlette was riding with a friend in his pickup truck en route from Memphis to Oxford, Mississippi, to help students at a high school there prepare their version of a musical based on "Kudzu".

4. Long-time NBA point guard Dennis Johnson died of a heart attack on February 22 in Austin, Texas, at age 52. How many NBA championships did Johnson win during his career?

Answer: 3

Dennis Johnson led the Seattle Supersonics to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 1978 and 1979, winning MVP honors when they defeated the Washington Bullets in 1979. He was also an integral part of the Boston Celtics teams that won two titles in a three-year span (1984 and 1986).

At the time of his death, Johnson was the head coach of the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.

5. Entrepreneur Warren Avis died on April 24 of natural causes at his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at age 92. In 1946, Avis opened his first two rental car locations, one in his native Michigan and the other in which state?

Answer: Florida

During his days as a military bomber pilot, Warren Avis became frustrated when he couldn't easily access ground transportation at civilian airports. He turned that idea into a business, opening rental-car locations in Ypsilanti, Michigan and Miami, Florida in 1946. Today, Avis has over 4,000 locations worldwide, and is part of a company that also includes Budget Rent-A-Car.

6. Former NFL star Max McGee died of injuries sustained in a fall from the roof of his Minnesota home on October 21, at age 75. Which of the following statements about McGee is false?

Answer: He was a co-founder of Outback Steakhouse.

During his 12 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Max McGee amassed 6,346 receiving yards and 50 touchdowns on 345 receptions. He also boasted a 41.6 yard punting average during his career on 256 punts. After his playing days ended, McGee co-founded the Chi-Chi's chain of Mexican restaurants, which operated in the United States from 1975 to 2004.

At the time of his death, McGee was using a blower to remove leaves from his roof.

7. Legendary opera singer and administrator Beverly Sills died from complications of lung cancer in New York City on July 2, at age 78. As a child, Sills earned what nickname, under which she briefly performed on the radio?

Answer: Bubbles

Born Belle Silverman in Brooklyn, New York, in 1929, Beverly Sills broke into show business in at the age of four, when she began singing on a Saturday-morning radio program. Her operatic debut came in 1947, when she appeared in the Philadelphia Civic Opera's presentation of Georges Bizet's famous work, "Carmen". Both of her children with Cleveland newspaper journalist Peter Greenough suffered from disabilities, which forced her to restrict her performance schedules and kept her working primarily in the United States. Among the many honors Sills received during her career were two Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Kennedy Center Honors.

8. Jack Valenti, the longtime head of the Motion Picture Association of America, died on April 26 from complications of a stroke, in Washington, DC, at age 85. Prior to serving as the head of the MPAA, Valenti served as special assistant to which President?

Answer: Lyndon B. Johnson

Under Jack Valenti's watch, the old Hays Code of motion picture industry self-governance was revised into the basis of the current MPAA Ratings System. The original ratings as implemented November 1, 1968, were G (General Audiences), M (Mature, the forerunner of PG), R (Restricted, under 16 not admitted without a parent or guardian) and X (Adults Only, no one under 17 admitted). Valenti also campaigned unsuccessfully against VCRs (which brought about the home video market) and successfully for the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (to protect motion picture studios against copyright infringement in the era of the Internet).

9. Former Major League Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn died of complications from pneumonia on March 15, in Jacksonville, at age 80. How long did Kuhn serve as commissioner?

Answer: 15 years

Succeeding William Eckert in 1969, Bowie Kuhn held tenure at baseball's helm longer than anyone except the legendary Kennesaw Mountain Landis, who spent 24 years in the post. That tenure was marked by numerous controversies, including work stoppages, alleged insensitivity toward Negro League players and recreational drug usage among players.

It was also marked by the introduction of free agency, World Series games played at night, and lifetime passes for the Iran hostages.

10. Actress Lois Maxwell died on September 29 at Fremantle Hospital in Australia, at age 80. In which of the following James Bond movies did Maxwell NOT appear in the role of Miss Moneypenny?

Answer: The Living Daylights

A classmate of Roger Moore's at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and boasting a screen resume that includes appearances with Shirley Temple and Sophia Loren, Lois Maxwell appeared in a total of 14 James Bond movies. She made her debut in "Dr. No" and her final appearance in "A View To A Kill".

She also had extensive experience in television, notably the British series "The Avengers" and "The Saint".

Source: Author cag1970

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor DakotaNorth before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Deaths In The News -- 2007 Trivia Quiz

This quiz celebrates some of the well-known people who passed on in 2007.

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