Deaths In The News, 2006 Quiz | Death Becomes Them

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Versatile film and television actress June Allyson died on July 8, at age 88. In her later years, Allyson became a well-recognized pitchperson for what product?

Answer: Depends

June Allyson was a vocal supporter of researching urological and gynecological issues for seniors in her later years. This was evident in the many commercials she did for Depends-brand undergarments.

2. Singer Lou Rawls died on January 6, at the age of 72. Which of the following statements about Rawls is FALSE?

Answer: He was a high-school classmate of Otis Redding

The legendary Frank Sinatra once said of Lou Rawls that he had "the silkiest chops in the singing game". Rawls's vocal stylings and his devotion to helping African-Americans get college educations earned him a faithful following. He was also a cartoon voiceover actor, lending his talent to such animated skeins as "Garfield" and "The Proud Family".

He did have a famous high-school classmate, but it wasn't Otis Redding. It was another fellow singer, Sam Cooke, with whom he performed in a teenaged gospel group in Chicago.

3. Author Bebe Moore Campbell died on November 27, at the age of 56. What was responsible for causing Campbell's death?

Answer: Brain cancer

A prolific author with publishing credits in periodicals like Ebony, Essence, and The Washington Post, Campbell's novels and children's stories took on such topics as race relation and mental illness. The novels "Your Blues Ain't Like Mine" and "Singing in the Comeback Choir" rank among her best-known works.

4. Scientist James Van Allen died on August 9, at the age of 91. Van Allen was a native of and professor in which state?

Answer: Iowa

The namesake of the radiation belts that encircle the Earth, James Van Allen was born in the community of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in 1914, taught at the University of Iowa, and died in Iowa City. Van Allen's work was honored with numerous awards, including the National Medal of Science and the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society.

5. Politician Ann Richards died on September 13, at the age of 73. Richards made history in 1991, when she began serving as governor of which U.S. state?

Answer: Texas

Although Miriam Ferguson was the first woman to serve as governor of Texas, Ann Richards was the first to serve in her own right. That is, she did not replace her husband or follow him into office. She was known for her sharp wit and her activism in civil rights. Richards served one term, having been defeated in her reelection bid by future President George W. Bush.

6. U.S. Game-show host Peter Tomarken died on March 13, at the age of 63. Which of the following game shows did Tomarken NOT host during his career?

Answer: The Joker's Wild

At the time of his death, Peter Tomarken and his wife, Kathleen, were en route from Santa Monica to San Diego on board their private aircraft, a Beech A36. The Tomarkens, who were volunteers for Angel Flight West, were on a mission to pick up a patient who needed treatment at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Tomarken was best known for hosting "Press Your Luck" on CBS from 1983 to 1986.

7. Noted science fiction author Octavia Butler died on February 24, at the age of 58. What was the name of Butler's first novel, which was published in 1976?

Answer: Patternmaster

Octavia Butler distinguished herself by not only winning the prestigious Hugo and Nebula Awards, but also by becoming the first science-fiction writer to win the coveted MacArthur Fellowship (or Genius Grant, as it is popularly known). Butler's Patternmaster series consisted of five novels published between 1976 and 1984.

8. Photographer Joe Rosenthal died on August 20, at age 94. Rosenthal took his best-known photograph on which Pacific island?

Answer: Iwo Jima

When Joe Rosenthal took the Pulitzer Prize-winning picture of soldiers raising the flag on Iwo Jima during World War II, he was working as a photographer for the Associated Press. After leaving AP later on in 1945, he spent 35 years as a photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle.

9. Actress Jane Wyatt died on October 20, at the age of 96. Although best known for playing Margaret Anderson on the popular sitcom "Father Knows Best", Wyatt was also known for playing Mom to which "Star Trek" character?

Answer: Mr. Spock

According to the Internet Movie Database, Wyatt appeared in the episode "Journey to Babel", originally broadcast on November 17, 1967, as Amanda, Mr. Spock's mom. She would reprise that role in the theatrical feature "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home".

10. Long-serving U.S. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger died on March 28, at the age of 88. After serving in the Reagan administration, Weinberger became publisher of which well-known magazine?

Answer: Forbes

Weinberger's six years as U.S. Secretary of Defense was the third-longest tenure in the history of the office. Only Robert McNamara and Donald Rumsfeld had spent more time in the position. Weinberger started in 1981 and resigned in 1987 as a result of the Iran-Contra Affair. Reagan rewarded his lengthy government service by giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1987.

In 1989, Weinberger joined Forbes as its publisher and took over as chairman of Forbes, Inc., in 1993.

Source: Author cag1970

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Deaths In The News, 2006 Trivia Quiz

A number of notable people passed away during 2006. This quiz celebrates the lives of ten of those people.

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