Splitting 'Adams' Trivia Quiz

Answer: Abigail Adams

Like Barbara Bush, Abigail Adams (1744-1818) was the wife of one president and the mother of another, i.e. John Adams and John Quincy Adams. And like the Roosevelts, Abigail and John were cousins. Abigail was one of the most educated ladies of her day, and is considered one of the most erudite First Ladies. John and Abigail married in 1764 and she gave birth to six children.

The letters they exchanged while they were apart, filled with advice and intellectual concerns, gave us vivid accounts of the Revolutionary War. Amy Adams was in "Enchanted", Louisa Adams was First Lady to John Quincy, and Morticia Addams was a cartoon character from Charles Addams.

Answer: Adam Smith

Adam Smith (1723-1790) was a major figure in the Scottish Enlightenment. He wrote "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of The Wealth of Nations" in 1776. In the book, Smith is one of the first to describe what builds nations' wealth, e.g., division of labor, productivity and free markets.

It is still a basic work of classical economics. The 'wrong' Adams are: Adam Schiff, a Representative from California (Adam Schiff was also the fictional D.A. on "Law and Order" played by Steven Hill); Adam Wylie is an actor who played the youngest son in "Picket Fences" (1992-1996); Adam Goldberg is an actor who starred in "2 Days in Paris" (2007).

Answer: John Walsh

The horrific loss of his son, suffered by John Walsh, spurred him on to found the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. When Adam's head was finally found, he had been murdered and decapitated. Although no one was ever charged with the killing, after 27 years it was determined the killer had been a convicted pedophile and killer named Ottis Toole.

The only 'good' to come out of this was that missing children became a subject of concern for the nation, and the passage of the Federal Missing Children's Assistant Act of 1984.

The other Walshes are: Bill, coach of the San Francisco 49ers, J.T. is an actor from "Sling Blade" (1996), and Brandon who was a character on TV's "90210".

Answer: Joy Adamson

Joy Adamson (1910-1980) was a naturalist who pioneered the preservation of African wildlife and wrote "Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds" in 1960, about an orphaned African cub named Elsa. Joy and her husband George raised Elsa to adulthood and then had to teach her to survive in the Kenyan wilderness.

The inspiring book was made into a 1966 movie and song of the same name which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. As a sad postscript, Joy was murdered in Kenya, as was her conservationist husband George nine years later. Alec Adamson was a college tennis player, and Joseph Adamson was an antitrust attorney.

Answer: Edie Adams

Comedian Ernie Kovacs had a 1954 eponomous TV show which had a great influence on the comedies which followed. Anyone remember the "Nairobi Trio"? Until his death in 1962, Ernie was married to Edie Adams (1927-2008), who was a comedienne, actress, Emmy and Tony winner and a spokesperson for Muriel Cigars, with the tag line "Why don't you pick one up and smoke it sometime?" (a la Mae West). She also appeared in movies like "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963). The 'wrong' Adams: Julie Adams, an actress seen on "Murder, She Wrote", Regina Adams, a Colorado personal injury lawyer, and Jane Adams from "Frazier" where she played Niles' wife Mel.

Answer: Adam Levine

In November 2013, "People Magazine" named Adam Levine "The Sexiest Man Alive". Aside from being the frontman for Maroon 5 ("Moves Like Jagger"), he is also one of the coaches on "The Voice". He has appeared in the 2013 film "Begin Again" opposite Keira Knightly and the 2015 Danish sequel "Klown Forever".

In between all of that, he found time to marry a Victoria's Secret mode, Behati Prinsloo, in 2014. When does this guy sleep? The other Adams: Adam Ant is a British singer named Stuart Leslie Goddard; Adam Duritz is a member of the rock group "Counting Crows", and Adam Nimoy is 'Son of Spock'.

Answer: The Heat Is On

Singer and song-writer Bryan Adams became known with his 1983 album and song "Cuts Like a Knife". He furthered that fame the following year with his album "Reckless" and the song "Summer of '69". In 1991, on an album called "Waking Up the Neighbours", he released the song "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You", which was featured in the film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves".

This hit song has been covered by Brandy Norwood, New Found Glory and Kenny G. As for the song NOT connected with Bryan Adams, that would be "The Heat Is On" from 1984, sung by Glenn Frey (of The Eagles) and featured in the movie "Beverly Hills Cop".

Answer: Adam Vinatieri

I thought this quiz should have an athlete named Adam...so here he is. Adam Vinatieri is a very successful kicker in American football. He has played in five Super Bowls, four with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, and one with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006.

In the 2015 season, Vinatieri turned 42 and was the oldest active player in the National Football League. The 'other' Adams include another football player, i.e., Adam "Pacman" Jones, a cornerback with the Cincinnati Bengals, Adam Arkin, an actor on "Chicago Hope" and "Sons of Anarchy", and Adam Dalgliesh, a fictional detective from author P.D. James.

Answer: Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams (1952-2001) was a British writer and humorist known for "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" which originated in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy. This developed into a "trilogy" of five (sic) books, i.e., "Hitchhiker's Guide..." (1979), "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" (1980), "Life, the Universe and Everything" (1982), "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish" (1984) and "Mostly Harmless" (1992). Scott Adams is the author of the "Dilbert" cartoon series; Patch Adams was a doctor and clown played by Robin Williams in the 1998 movie, and Ansel Adams (1902-1984) was a renowned American photographer (with black and white landscapes of the West).

Answer: Adam Lambert

Anyone remember Kris Allen? No, well he was the winner on the eighth season of "American Idol", while Adam Lambert came in second in 2009. It would appear that the audience got it backwards, because the flamboyant Adam Lambert seems to be the better known singer. Lambert's debut album "For Your Entertainment" came in at number three on the 'Billboard 200'; he was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

His second studio album, "Trespassing" from 2012 premiered at #1, making him the first openly gay artist to top the album charts.

He has also collaborated with the rock band Queen. Adam West was "Batman"; Adam Sandler sang "The Hanukkah Song"; Adam Brody was on "The O.C.".