The Silent Generation Trivia Quiz

Answer: Samuel Alito

Justice Alito, appointed in 2006, was born in 1950. Justice Ginsberg was appointed in 1993 and was born in 1933. Justice Kennedy, named in 1988, was born in 1936, and Justice Breyer, born in 1938, was appointed in 1994. Former Justices Sandra Day O'Connor (born 1930, appointed 1981, retired 2006), Antonin Scalia (born 1936, appointed 1986, died 2016), and David Souter (born 1939, appointed 1990, retired 2009) were also members of the Silent Generation.

Answer: Virgil "Gus" Grissom

Grissom was born in 1926, Glenn in 1921, and both Shepard and Schirra in 1923. The other two members from the Silent Generation were Scott Carpenter, born in 1925, and Gordon Cooper, Jr., born in 1927. The other Mercury Seven astronaut was Donald "Deke" Slayton, born in 1924.

Answer: 0

None is the correct answer. George H.W. Bush (1989-1993) and Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) were both born in 1924. Ronald Regan (1981-1989) was born in 1911, Bill Clinton (1993-2001) and George W. Bush (2001-2009) both in 1946, and Barack Obama (2009-2017) in 1961. [President-elect Donald Trump (2017-) was born in 1946.]

Answer: 3

Joseph Brodsky, born 1940, received the Prize for 1987; Toni Morrison, born 1931, received the Prize for 1993; and Bob Dylan, born 1941, was awarded the Prize for 2016. The other American winners and the years for which they won the prize, are: Sinclair Lewis (1930), Eugene O'Neill (1936), Pearl Buck (1938), William Faulkner (1949), Ernest Hemingway (1954), John Steinbeck (1962), Saul Bellow (1976), and Issac Bashevis Singer (1978).

Answer: Dustin Hoffman and Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson won for "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) and "As Good As It Gets" (1997). Dustin Hoffman won for "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1979) and "Rain Man" (1988). The others have each won one Award: Pacino for "Scent of a Woman" (1992), Newman for "The Color of Money" (1986), Steiger for "In The Heat of The Night" (1967), DeNiro for "Raging Bull" (1980), Douglas for "Wall Street" (1987), and Lemmon for "Save the Tiger" (1973).

Other Silent Generation winners include: Maximilian Schell ("Judgement at Nuremberg" (1961), Sidney Poitier ("Lilies of the Field" 1963), George C. Scott ("Patton" 1970--refused), Gene Hackman ("The French Connection" 1971), Jon Voight ("Coming Home" 1978), Ben Kingsley ("Gandhi" 1982), Robert Duvall ("Tender Mercies" 1983), F. Murray Abraham ("Amadeus" 1984), and Anthony Hopkins ("The Silence of the Lambs" 1991). [Note: The years listed are the those used by the Academy, usually the year in which the picture was released; the actors are listed regardless of their nationality.]

Answer: Ray Charles

Ray Charles was born in 1930, Haley in 1925, Belafonte in 1927, and Domino in 1928. Among other Silent Generation members born 1925-1929 were: B.B. King and Marty Robbins (1925); Chuck Berry, Webb Pierce, and Ray Price (1926); Eartha Kitt and Patti Page (1927); Rosemany Clooney, Bo Diddley, and Eddie Fisher (1928); and Edie Adams and Buck Owens (1929).

Answer: Ted Williams

Ted Williams (1918-2002) wore Number 9 for 19 seasons with the Red Sox between 1939 and 1960, while losing nearly five years to military service. In 2292 games, he compiled a lifetime batting average of .344 with 521 home runs, 1839 RBIs, 2654 hits, and an on base percentage of .483 (the major league record through 2016).

In 1941, he hit .406, the last one in the 20th century to do so. An All-star 19 times, he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1966. Carl Yastrzemski was born in 1939. Wearing Number 8, from 1961-1983 he played 23 years and 3308 games with the Red Sox, amassing 3419 hits, 452 home runs, 1844 RBIs, and a lifetime bating average of .285.

He was an All-Star 18 times, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1989. Bill Russell, born in 1934, wore Number 6 for the Boston Celtics from 1956-1969.

In his 13 seasons with the Celtics, he won 11 NBA Championships, was named an All-Star 12 times, and won five MVP awards. During his career he averaged per game 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.

He was named to the Hall of Fame in 1975. John Havlicek was born in 1940. Number 17, he played 16 seasons with the Celtics, 1962-1978. He won 8 NBA championships, and was an All-Star 13 times. His per game stats include 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984. Of interest, all four played their entire careers for one team.

Answer: Eric Fischl

Eric Fischl, born in 1948, is an influential painter and sculptor whose works are on display in major museums around the world; one of his best known works is "Sleepwalker" (1979). Jasper Johns, a major American artist of the twentieth century, was born in 1930; he is known, among other things, for his use of the American flag in such works as "White Flag" (1955) and "Three Flags" (1958). Ernie Barnes (1938-2009) was a professional football player and artist whose works, such as "Sugar Shack" (c.1972), provide glimpses of African American life. Patrick Nagel (1945-1984) was a painter, illustrator, and graphic artist, possibly best remembered for "Carol" (c. 1980s). [Andy Warhol, 1928-1987) was also part of the Silent Generation.]

Answer: Garry Shandling

Garry Shandling (1949-2016) was a comic, writer, actor, and voice artist, possibly best remembered for "It's Garry Shandling's Show" on television 1985-1990. Lenny Bruce (1925-1966) was a comedian and social critic who combined satire and vulgarity to attack politics and religion, among other topics. Joan Rivers (1933-2014) was not only a noted comedian but was also a talk show host, actor, author, and designer. George Carlin (1937-2008) used comedy and vulgarity to satirize nearly all elements of society.

He is best known for his "Seven Dirty Words" routine. Both Bruce and Carlin were the subject of obscenity trials, Carlin's going all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Other Silent Generation comics include Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin, Jerry Lewis, Flip Wilson, and Jonathan Winters.

Answer: McDonald's

McDonald's was founded by two McDonald brothers, Richard (1909-1998) and Maurice (1902-1971) who began franchising their operation in 1953. In 1954, Ray Kroc (1902-1984) bought out the brothers and built the company into a worldwide operation. Wendy's was created in 1969 by Dave Thomas (1932-2002). Taco Bell was establish in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923-2016).

In 1960, two Monaghan brothers bought a pizza restaurant, DomiNick's. The next year, Tom (born is 1937) bought out his brother James and went on to build the Domino's Pizza empire.