In Memoriam -- 2010 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Erich Segal

Erich Wolf Segal was born in Brooklyn NY in 1937. An accomplished marathon runner (he ran every Boston marathon between 1955 and 1975) he was one of the TV commentators for Frank Shorter's historic win at the 1972 Olympics. Besides penning the screenplay for "Yellow Submarine", Segal wrote the best-selling American novel of 1970, "Love Story" and the screenplay for the subsequent hit movie.

He died of a heart attack aged 72 in 2010. Two of the alternatives also produced best-selling 1970 books, James Dickey wrote "Deliverance" and Richard Bach wrote "Jonathan Livingston Seagull". Anthony Shaffer wrote the screenplay for one of the great movies of the 1970s, the 1970 classic "Sleuth".

Answer: Michael Foot

Michael Mackintosh Foot was born in Plymouth, Devon in 1913. He began as a journalist and writer. In addition to the biographies, he also wrote "Guilty Men", a criticism of the policy of appeasement adopted by Neville Chamberlain towards the Nazis. He was first elected to Parliament as the MP for Plymouth Devonport in July 1945 but lost his seat 10 years later.

He was re-elected in 1960, taking over the Ebbw Vale constituency from Bevan. Boundary changes saw his constituency disappear in 1983, and for his last decade in Parliament he represented Blaenau Gwent.

Whilst Leader of the Labour Party from November 1980 until October 1983, he was also the Leader of the Opposition to Margaret Thatcher's government. Foot died in March 2010 aged 96.

Answer: Manute Bol

Manute Bol was born in Gogrial, Sudan (now in South Sudan) in 1962. Drafted by the Washington Bullets in the 2nd round in 1985, Bol played 10 seasons in the NBA for the Bullets, the Golden State Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat. Perhaps the sport's greatest shot-blocker of all time, he ended his career with 2,086 blocks -- his average of 8.6 blocks/48 minutes played is more than 50% higher than the all-time best ratio.

His 2,086 blocks far exceeds his 1,599 points scored -- the only player in NBA history to have more blocks than points scored. Bol died of kidney failure in 2010 aged just 47. Of the alternatives, two are former NBA stars, Hakeem Olajuwon is from Nigeria and Dikembe Mutombo is from DR of Congo. Hamady N'Diaye, who joined the Washington Wizards in 2010, is from Senegal.

Answer: Sir Norman Wisdom

Norman Joseph Wisdom was born in Marleybone, London in 1915. Western films were generally banned in much of the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War, and Wisdom's movies were the only ones permitted in Albania by President Hoxha. Consequently, he became a cult hero in the country and it is rumored that he was once even invited to replace the deposed King Zog.

His final screen appearances were in popular TV series "Last of the Summer Wine" and "Coronation Street" when he was in his late 80s. He died on the Isle of Man in October 2010 aged 95.

Answer: Wales

Richard Stanley Francis was born on October 21, 1920 in Coedcanlas, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The son of a jockey and stable manager, his intention to become a jockey was initially halted by WWII. He joined the RAF and spent most of the war in Africa, working as ground crew as well as piloting both bombers and fighters. Francis was the Champion Jockey in the 1953-54 season and was jockey for both Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother from 1953 until 1957.

He followed a successful riding career by writing more than 40 bestselling novels, most set in the horse racing world.

Answer: Ronnie James Dio

Born Ronald James Padavona in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1942, Ronnie James Dio was the lead singer for Black Sabbath from 1979-1982 and then later from 1991-1992 and for a brief spell in 2007. He had previously been the lead vocalist for Elf and Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow.

He formed his own band, names 'Dio' in 1982. Ronnie James Dio died in Houston TX aged 67 after a 6-month battle with stomach cancer. The alternatives all fronted Black Sabbath at some point -- Osbourne from 1969-77, 1978-79, 1985 and 1997-onwards; Martin from 1987-90 and 1993-97; and Gillian from 1982-84. All three, though, were still very much alive at the end of 2010.

Answer: Alex Higgins

Born Alexander Gordon Higgins in Belfast on March 18, 1949, Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins twice won the World Snooker Championship. He became the youngest ever winner when Higgins beat John Spencer in the 1972 final in his first appearance at The Crucible aged just 22. (Stephen Hendry broke this record aged 21 in 1990.) He reached the final in 1976 (losing to Ray Reardon) and again in 1980 (losing to Cliff Thorburn) before his victory over Reardon in the 1982 final.

Answer: Tony Curtis

A veteran of more than 100 films spanning six decades, Tony Curtis received his only Oscar nomination for the 1958 film 'The Defiant Ones'. His co-star, Sidney Poitier, was also nominated for the same film. Other classic Curtis movies include 'Some Like it Hot' in 1959 with Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon, 'Spartacus' in 1960 with Laurence Olivier and Kirk Douglas, 'The Great Race' in 1965 with Lemmon and Natalie Wood, and 'The Boston Strangler' in 1968 with Henry Fonda.
Curtis was married six times, most famously to Janet Leigh. Together, the couple produced actress Jamie Lee Curtis.
The alternatives are three more actors also born in 1925. All pre-deceased Curtis: Van Cleef died in 1989, Lemmon in 2001 and Newman in 2008.

Answer: J. D. Salinger

Jerome David Salinger was born in New York City on New Year's Day 1919. Salinger served in the U.S. Infantry during WWII, he was involved in the Battle of the Bulge and was on Utah Beach on D-Day. Salinger's 1951 novel 'The Catcher in the Rye' is now considered a classic of American literature. Written through the eyes of 16-year old Holden Caulfield, Salinger admitted that the novel was "sort of autobiographical".

Although 'Catcher in the Rye' was the only full-length novel written by Salinger, his short-story collection 'Nine Stories' and various novellas were popular sellers.

More and more reclusive and time went by, he published his last original work in 1965 and gave his interview in 1980.

Answer: Bill McLaren

William Pollock McLaren CBE was born in Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scotland on October 16, 1923. He served in the Royal Artillery during WWII and was involved in the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy. After the war he returned to rugby and was on the verge of the Scottish team when he contracted TB, which almost killed him and effectively ended his playing career.

The 'voice of rugby' was honored with an MBE in 1992, and OBE in 1995 and a CBE in 2003. He was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Face in 2001 -- the first inductee who had never played international rugby. The alternatives are three more legendary commentators: Ted Lowe, the 'voice of snooker', died in 2011; Harry Carpenter, 'the voice of boxing' did die in 2010 but he was a Londoner; and Murray Walker, the 'voice of motor racing', who was also born in 1923, was very much alive going into his 90s.