Deaths in the News, 2004: Part I Quiz

Answer: Fidel Castro

Cuba's leader since 1959, Fidel Castro's name has been tied to e-mails claiming that he tried out for (and was rejected by) a couple Major League Baseball teams, as a pitcher. Though Castro did play baseball in his native land, he proved to be much better at leading the revolution that overthrew the Batista government. Castro wouldn't be Paar's only controversy during his legendary run as "Tonight Show" host. (Thanks to jackpaar.com and the Internet Movie Database for additional information.)

Answer: Michigan

Hirsch got his nickname from a Chicago sports reporter, Francis Powers, who covered a game between Wisconsin and Great Lakes Naval Station in 1942. Powers described Hirsch as running like a demented duck, "his crazy legs...gyrating in six different directions at the same time", on a long touchdown run.

As a pro, Hirsch played wide receiver opposite the prolific Tom Fears, and caught passes from the likes of Norm Van Brocklin and Bob Waterfield. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968, Hirsch went on to spend 18 years as the athletic director at Wisconsin and helped restore a football program that had fallen on hard times. (Thanks to sportsencyclopedia.com for additional information.)

Answer: "All The King's Men"

A versatile actress who worked on radio for many years, McCambridge received her Oscar in her motion picture debut, playing journalist Sadie Burke in Columbia Pictures' 1949 adaptation of Robert Penn Warren's novel. She won a second nomination for her role as Luz Benedict in the sweeping Western epic "Giant".

But McCambridge drew a cult following after Warner Bros. released "The Exorcist" in 1973. In that movie, she provided the low, raspy voice of the demon-possessed Regan MacNeil (played by Linda Blair). (Thanks to the Internet Movie Database and Reel Classics for additional information.)

Answer: TimeWise

The Lauder business, which today boasts a number of different brands for a wide variety of cosmetic products, started in 1946 with a simple jar of skin cream developed by Estee Lauder's chemist uncle. The TimeWise line of anti-aging cosmetics belongs to one of the company's chief rivals, Mary Kay. (Thanks to the Estee Lauder and Mary Kay websites for additional information.)

Answer: Archibald Cox

Both Sam Dash and Archibald Cox were instrumental in leading the push for President Nixon to hand over the now-infamous secret White House recordings related to the Watergate scandal. Cox was so adamant about their release that, five months into his job as special prosecutor, Nixon moved to have him dismissed. Attorney General Elliot Richardson, a former student under Cox, resigned in protest, and his assistant, William Ruckleshaus, was fired himself for refusing to fire Cox. Solicitor General Robert Bork ended up firing Cox, who was succeeded by Leon Jaworski. (Thanks to the New York Times website for additional information.)

Answer: Playing tennis

Before he and his twin brother, Ross, began their now-famous compendium of amazing feats, Norris McWhirter was a sportscaster for the BBC, and was on the microphone on May 6, 1954, the day Roger Bannister ran his historic sub-four-minute mile. They wrote and edited the Guinness Book together from 1955 until 1975, when Ross was gunned down by the Irish Republican Army. Norris continued on until 1985, and also hosted the BBC series "Record Breakers" until 1994. (Thanks to wikipedia.org for additional information.)

Answer: "High Rollers"

Kenny Williams, better known as the announcer for "The Hollywood Squares", was on the microphone for the first incarnation of "High Rollers", which aired on NBC from 1974 to 1980 and featured Alex Trebek as the host. Dean Goss, who served as an announcer for "Let's Make A Deal", worked on the syndicated "High Rollers" on the air during the 1987-88 season, with Wink Martindale as host. (Thanks to the Internet Movie Database for additional information.)

Answer: Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid

As wisecracking Madge the Manicurist, Jan Miner convinced women everywhere that Palmolive was tough on grease dishes and soft on their hands. She spent nearly three decades in that role, while maintaining a busy schedule of stage and screen acting. (Thanks to the Internet Movie Database for additional information.)

Answer: She was born in Amsterdam in 1909.

The only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Hendrik, Juliana was actually born in The Hague on April 30, 1909. Beloved by many in the Netherlands, she was known to do her own shopping at the local grocery store and personally serve tea to her guests.

She was also very active in charitable causes and disaster relief efforts. Juliana abdicated the throne in favor of her oldest daughter, Beatrix, on her 71st birthday, April 30, 1980. (Thanks to wikipedia.org for additional information.)

Answer: Memphis Belle

A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Morgan was a 24-year old Air Corps captain when he took command of the Memphis Belle, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. After finishing his 25 missions on the Belle, he flew 25 more missions in the Pacific Theater on board Dauntless Dotty, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, including a bombing raid on Tokyo in 1944. He retired from the US Air Force in 1965 with the rank of colonel.

Bock's Car, also a B-29, was the bomber that dropped the Fat Man atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945. And Glamourous Glennis is the Bell X-1 rocket plane in which Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier on October 15, 1947. (Thanks to memphis-belle.com for additional information.)