Strange Endings Trivia Quiz

Answer: a stingray

Remember the warm, quirky Australian "Crocodile Hunter", Steve Irwin? Steve was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1962. He was a nature lover, zoo owner and television personality. He co-hosted his show, "The Crocodile Hunter", with his wife Terri, and operated Australia Zoo which was started by Steve's parents. On September 4, 2006, Irwin was shooting an underwater documentary, prophetically called "Ocean's Deadliest", when he was struck in the chest by a stingray barb.

The barb penetrated his heart and he bled to death.

Answer: his father

"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" that Motown singer and record-producer Marvin Gaye, "Prince of Soul" and "Prince of Motown", was shot and killed by his father. Marvin Gaye was born in 1939 in Washington, D.C. One of his many hits (besides the aforementioned "Grapevine") was "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" which was released in 1964.

In the 1970s, Gaye produced the albums "What's Going On?" and "Let's Get It On" and, in 1982, he had the monster hit "Sexual Healing". On April 1, 1984, Marvin had had a "physical altercation" with his father (Marvin Gaye Sr.); he went to his room, but came back when he heard his parents arguing.

It was then that his father shot Marvin twice, at point-blank range.

Answer: blank gun cartridge

Handsome hunk, model and actor Jon-Erik Hexum seemed to have it all. He was born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1957 and had already starred in the time-traveling TV show "Voyagers!" in 1982 and 1983. The following year, he was cast opposite the beautiful Jennifer O'Neill in an action adventure series called "Cover Up", where he was an agent posing as a model. Episodes began airing on September 22nd. On October 12, 1984, there was a break in filming and Hexum decided to use the spare time to play Russian roulette with the gun (and one of the blanks) provided for his role.

He put the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. Six days later, on October 16th, he was pronounced brain dead.

Answer: a scarf

Dancer Isadora Duncan had a fascinating life and a most bizarre death. She was born in San Francisco, California in 1877 or 1878. While young, she helped her mother and siblings make ends meet by teaching dance to the children in the neighborhood. She got a job with a theater company in New York but felt constricted by the style.

She moved to London in 1898. At the age of 22, Duncan emigrated to France and much later to the Soviet Union. Her style emphasized natural motion over the rigidity of ballet. On September 14, 1927, while riding in an open car in Nice, France, her long scarf got tangled in the rear wheels and strangled her.

Answer: a tree

Michael Lemoyne Kennedy was the sixth child of Robert and Ethel Kennedy. He was born in 1958, in Washington, D.C. Like so many of his relatives, Kennedy got his law degree; he graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1984. He headed his brother's company, Citizens Energy Corporation, and helped his uncle with his reelection campaign in 1994. Michael had some personal issues but, like the family he was born into, he enjoyed outdoor activities. On December 31, 1997, while skiing (and playing football at the same time) in Aspen, Colorado, he skied into a tree and lost his life.

Answer: propofol

Well, I could have put down Dr. Conrad Murray as the "instrument" of Michael Jackson's death, but it was actually the drug propofol that took the life of the "King of Pop". Propofol is a strong anesthetic, often used before surgery or other medical procedures. We lost this great singer, dancer, songwriter and cultural icon on June 25, 2009, at the age of fifty. No more Jackson 5, no more "moonwalks", no more Michael.

Answer: a "Spyder"

OK, so I cheated a little on this one...clearly it was not an arachnid that ended the life of the young star, James Dean. James Dean was born in Marian, Indiana in 1931. He was the poster child for youthful disillusionment, as evidenced in the films "East of Eden" and "Rebel Without a Cause", both released in 1955. Aside from acting, one of Dean's other passions was racing cars. On September 30, 1955, James Dean was driving his Porsche 550 Spyder to a race in Salinas, California.

It seems that at 3:30 PM, he was stopped at Bakersfield and given a speeding ticket.

A little later, he was involved in a collision. The Spyder was demolished and Dean was dead.

Answer: fan club president

Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez was born in Lake Jackson, Texas in 1971. She was nicknamed "The Queen of Tejano Music". Selena was the first Hispanic artist to have a (mainly) Spanish-speaking album debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. That 1995 album was called "Dreaming of You".

She had a bright future ahead of her, with hundreds of fans and a large fan club, founded in 1991 by her "biggest fan", Yolanda Saldivar. Saldivar was also promoted in 1994 to manager of Selena's boutiques. Shortly after, fans started complaining they were not getting the merchandise they paid for; an examination pointed to Saldivar as an embezzler.

After being confronted, she lured Selena to a motel where Saldivar shot Selena in the back on March 31, 1995.

Answer: his wife

Born in Canada in 1948, Phil Hartman was an actor, a screenwriter and a comedian. He was one of the cast members of "Saturday Night Live" from 1985 through 2014. Phil was also the voice of Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz on "The Simpsons" throughout the 1990s.

He was one of the leads on the sitcom "NewsRadio" from 1995-1998. Then came that fateful early morning of May 28, 1998. For reasons we may never fully know, Brynn Hartman, Phil's wife of 11 years went into their bedroom, where Phil was sleeping, and shot him three times.

Answer: a tortoise

One of the strangest deaths of all time may be that of the playwright Aeschylus. The writer, known as "The Father of Greek Tragedy", ironically had quite a tragic end in 455 BC. What makes it ironic is that fact that Aeschylus was staying outdoors to avoid the fate of the prophecy which said he would be killed by a falling object.

As the story goes, as Aeschylus was just hanging out, an eagle with a tortoise in its mouth happen to fly over Aeschylus' bald head. Thinking the bald head was a rock on which it could shatter the shell, the eagle dropped the tortoise and that, as they say, was the end (of the tortoise AND the playwright)!