Name Game Trivia Quiz

Answer: Leon Trotsky

Leon Trotsky was a Soviet politician born in the Ukraine in 1879. He was one of the major forces in the Russian Revolution of 1917, along with Vladimir Lenin, which overthrew Tsar Nicholas II. After the war, he built up the powerful Red Army. They helped to defeat those forces opposed to Bolshevik control of the government. Trotsky wound up in a power struggle with Joseph Stalin and, for all Trotsky's efforts, he was originally exiled in 1927 to what is now know as Kazakhstan and in 1929, he was exiled from the Soviet Union altogether.

He then lived in Turkey, France and Norway before arriving in Mexico City. He continued to criticize Soviet leadership and was assassinated by Soviet agents in 1940.

Answer: Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Macedonia in 1910. She became a Roman Catholic nun and missionary, and founded The Order of the Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa dedicated her life to helping the poor and sick people of India (specifically, Kolkata).

In 1979 she was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for her humanitarian efforts. She died in 1997, and was beatified in October 2003.

Answer: Jamie Foxx

Eric Marlon Bishop is an actor, singer and comedian whom you may know better under his stage name of Jamie Foxx. His breakout role came when he was cast in the 1990 TV show "In Living Color", a sketch comedy show. From 1996 to 2001, he had his own sitcom, appropriately called "The Jamie Foxx Show".

At the 77th Academy Awards, he was nominated for Best Supporting for his role in the 2004 film "Collateral". That same year he won the Best Actor Oscar for his role as Ray Charles in the movie "Ray".

Answer: George Sand

You may not have heard of Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin (1804-1876), but you might have read something by the French novelist George Sand (no final -s on George). She was France's most celebrated nineteenth century female author; among her novels was "Indiana" in 1832.

However, she may have received even greater notoriety for her long love affair with composer Federic Chopin. A woman truly ahead of her time, Sand was a cigar-smoking, cross-dressing woman who engaged in many affairs, mostly with other writers, many of whom were much younger than she was.

Answer: Butch Cassidy

So you think you know Butch Cassidy from the 1969 movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"? Robert Leroy Parker (1866-1908) began his 'career' as a criminal by rustling cattle and stealing horses. He moved up to robbing banks and trains, and became the leader of the outlaw gang known as the 'Wild Bunch'.

He was the oldest of 13 children (no wonder he wanted to leave home!) whose family was among Utah's early Mormon settlers. Early on, he had a mentor named Mike Cassidy from whom he may have taken the last name; he may also have assumed his first (nick)name while working in a butcher shop. All we really know is: he died in Bolivia (and was no Paul Newman!).

Answer: Elizabeth Arden

With a name like Florence Nightingale Graham (1878-1966), you might think she would have become a nurse (or invented 'Liquid Paper') but, instead, she became Elizabeth Arden. Arden was a Canadian born businesswoman who built a cosmetics empire in the United States, and became known worldwide.

She opened her first salon in 1910 in New York City and, literally "changed the face of women's cosmetics". She was one of the few entrepreneurs who continued to profit even during the Depression years, and she became an inspiration to women everywhere.

Answer: Pelé

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé, is a former Brazilian professional footballer, i.e., soccer to us in the US. He rose from the slums of Sao Paulo to lead Brazil to its first World Cup victory in 1958 when he was only 17 years old. He is certainly one of the best to ever play the sport! Now about his nickname of Pelé, he (himself) is not sure how it came about: Pele (without the accent) means 'skin' in Brazilian but, in Hebrew, Pele means miracle. Sidenote - Edson felt it was a "childish, rubbish nickname" which he did not like.

Answer: Bo Derek

Mary Cathleen Collins was born in Long Beach, California. She grew up to become a model and actress, and married handsome film actor and director John Derek when she was 18 (he was 48); they stayed together until his death in 1998. In 1979 she was cast in Blake Edwards' film "10" where she instantly became a star.

Some of her other movies include: "Bolero" (1984) and Tarzan, the Ape Man (1981). She and John Corbett ("My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding") have been 'partners' since 2002.

Answer: Cat Stevens

Steven Demetre Georgiou is a British musician whose first stage name was Cat Stevens. Among Stevens' hit songs were "The First Cut is the Deepest", "Peace Train" and "Morning Has Broken". In 1977 he converted to Islam, and the following year adopted the name Yusuf Islam.

In 1979 he left music to devote his time to educational and philanthropic causes. In 2006, he returned to pop music after 28 years, now under the single name of Yusuf, with an album titled "An Other Cup". He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

Answer: Eva Peron

Maria Eva Duarte de Peron (1919-1952) was the second wife of Juan Domingo Peron, President of Argentina. She was the youngest of five children of Juan Duarte. She moved to Buenos Aires when she was 16 years old, in the hope that she might find work as an actress.

In 1943 she met the widowed Colonel Juan Peron, became his political partner and they married in 1945. Eva or 'Evita', as she was often called, was First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death. She devoted a great deal of her time to helping the poor, and was a strong supporter of women's suffrage. To quote Evita: "My biggest fear in life is to be forgotten".

She needn't have worried!