Surnames ending in -SON Trivia Quiz

Answer: Wallis Simpson

Wallis Simpson (born Bessie Wallis Warfield) (1896-1986) was an American socialite whose intended marriage to King Edward VIII caused him to abdicate his throne. She had been married twice before being Wallis Spencer, then Wallis Simpson. Prince Edward (1894-1972) became the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson the Duchess of Windsor.

They were married from 1937 until the death of the Duke in 1972.

Answer: Born Free

Joy Adamson (1910-1980) was a naturalist, artist and author. She wrote the book "Born Free" (1960) about her experiences of raising a lion cub named Elsa. The book was translated into a number of languages and made into an Academy Award winning movie in 1977.

Answer: British Prime Minister

Harold Wilson (1916-1995) was the Labour Party Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1964-1970 and from 1974-1976. He entered politics in 1946 and was a Member of the House of Lords from 1983-1995.

Answer: Jim Anderson

Robert Young (1907-1998) was an American radio, film and television He is best remembered as the fatherly head of the household as Jim Anderson in the TV sitcom "Father Knows Best" (1954-1960). Robert Young also acted as Jim Anderson on the radio series of "Father Knows Best" (1949-1954).

The show followed the lives of the Andersons who were a middle-class family living in the Midwest. Robert Young also appeared as the main character in the series "Marcus Welby MD." (1969-1976).

Answer: World Boxing Champion 1950s

Floyd Patterson (1935-2006) was an American professional boxer who was active in the ring from 1952-1972. He turned professional in 1952 after winning the gold medal in the middleweight division at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games. He was twice World Heavyweight Champion from 1956-1962.

Answer: Bat Masterson

Bat Masterson (1853-1921) was an American was not only a gambler, lawman and gunfighter but also a buffalo hunter and civilian scout for the U.S. Army. The first part of his life was during the era of the "Wild West" and later he was involved in prize fighting.

He then became a leading sports writer and celebrity becoming a close friend of US President Theodore Roosevelt. Gene Barry (1910-2009) portrayed Bat Masterson in the TV series of the same name from 1958-1961.

Answer: Mr. Bean

Rowan Atkinson is a English actor, comedian and screenwriter. He is well known for his role in the British sitcom "Mr. Bean". The 16 episodes were co-written by Atkinson and Mr. Bean is described by him as "a child in a grown man's body". The show has inspired an animated spin-off and two feature films. Rowan has also appeared in a number of films as Johnny English, a British government agent.

Answer: James Madison

James Madison (1751-1836) was an American politician and Founding Father. He served as the fourth US President from 1809-1817. Prior to the presidency he served as the fifth United States Secretary of State from 1801-1809 under President Thomas Jefferson.

Answer: The Tonight Show

Johnny Carson (1925-2005) was an American talk show host and comedian. He is best known for his role of hosting "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" from 1962-1992. He receive six Emmy Awards during his career.

Answer: Ralph Richardson

Ralph Richardson (1902-1983) was an English actor who dominated the stage during the mid 20th century with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier. Besides his stage performances he appeared in a number of films and was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was knighted in 1947 by King George VI.

Answer: Canadian Jazz pianist and composer

Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. Duke Ellington called him the "Maharaja of the keyboard". He won numerous musical awards including eight Grammy Awards. He travelled the world playing thousands of concerts in a career spanning from 1945-2007.

Answer: Brooklyn Dodgers

Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) was the first African-American to play Major League Baseball when he started on first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. He played for the Dodgers from 1947-1956 hitting 137 home runs. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

Answer: Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was an American soldier and statesman. He served as the seventh US President from 1829-1837. He achieved the rank of Major General and fought in the American Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, the First Seminole War and the Conquest of Florida.

Answer: Kathryn Grayson

Kathryn Grayson (1922-2010) was an American actress and soprano. She mainly appeared in musical films including "Thousands Cheer" (1943), "Anchors Aweigh" (1945) with Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly and "Kiss Ne Kate" (1953) with Howard Keel. During the 1960s she performed in a number of operas including "Carmen", La Bohème", "Madame Butterfly" and "La traviata".

Answer: Arthur Davidson

Arthur Davidson (1881-1950) was one of the four original founders of the Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Together with his brothers Walter and William plus William Harley (1880-1943) they founded in 1903 the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company. They built motorcycles in the Davidson family shed and during WWI they diverted the production to support US troops.

The same thing happened in WWII and returning troops from both wars were willing to buy the brand motorcycles.