They Died on the Same Day Trivia Quiz

Answer: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson

Former Presidents of the United States of America John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4th, 1826. Former President of the United States of America James Monroe died on July 4, 1831. Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Adams were both founding fathers of the United States of America but never held the office of President.

Answer: Waylon Jennings

Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and the pilot, Roger Peterson died in an airplane crash on February 3, 1959 near Clear Lake, Iowa. This crash was known as "The Day the Music Died". These musicians chartered a plane to fly from Clear Lake, Iowa to Moorhead, Minnesota for their next performance.

The plane crashed due to the wintry conditions in Iowa that night. Waylon Jennings was scheduled for this flight but gave his seat to J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson while Tommy Allsup, also scheduled for this flight, lost his seat on the airplane to Ritchie Valens on a coin toss.

This tragedy was the subject of Don McLean's 1971 hit song "American Pie".

Answer: Freddie Mercury

After several years of suspicion by the public, on November 23, 1991 Queen singer and keyboardist Freddie Mercury announced to the world that he had been stricken with the AIDS virus. He died the next day of bronchopneumonia, a complication of the AIDS virus.

Answer: John F. Kennedy

President John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley all died on Nov. 22, 1963. President Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas. C.S. Lewis, author of the 1950s "The Chronicles of Narnia" series, died after battling kidney problems for two years while Aldous Huxley, author of the 1931 novel "Brave New World", died after a battle with laryngeal cancer.

Answer: Yul Brynner

Actor Yul Brynner died of lung cancer in New York City, New York on Oct. 10, 1985. The same day, director Orson Welles died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California. Orson Welles and Yul Brynner starred together in the 1969 film "Battle of Neretva".

Answer: Sammy Davis Jr

"Rat Pack" member Sammy Davis Jr died on May 16, 1990 due to complications from throat cancer. Sammy Davis Jr was a versatile entertainer with many performances on stage, television, movies and music. Sammy Davis Jr died on the same day as puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of "the Muppets" and puppeteer on the television show "Sesame Street".

Answer: Michael Jackson

On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson was found in his room and not breathing and with a faint pulse. He was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Jackson's official cause of death was propofol intoxication after suffering a respiratory arrest.

Answer: Mahatma Gandhi

On January 30, 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was shot by assassin Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist with ties to the extremist Hindu Mahasabha party. Mahatma Gandhi led the movement for Indian independence from British rule using non-violent civil disobedience. Mahatma Gandhi also worked to end the violence between the Hindus and Muslims on the India and Pakistan border which led to his assassination by a Hindu nationalist.

Mahatma Gandhi died on the same day as Orville Wright. Orville Wright along with his brother Wilbur Wright were credited for inventing the first airplane in 1903.

Answer: Milton Berle

Milton Berle, known as "Mr. Television" during "The Golden Age of Television" of the 1950's, died in Los Angeles, California from colon cancer. He hosted NBC's television show "Texaco Star Theater" from 1948 to 1955.

Milton Berle died on the same day as film director Billy Wilder and actor Dudley Moore. Billy Wilder won the Academy Award for Best Director for the movie "The Lost Weekend" in 1945 and the movie "The Apartment" in 1960. Billy Wilder also directed the 1959 movie "Some Like It Hot". Dudley Moore starred in the 1979 film "10" and the 1981 film "Arthur".

Answer: Charles Schulz

Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry and comic strip cartoonist Charles Schulz both died on Feb. 12, 2000. Charles Schulz was best known for creating the comic strip "Peanuts" which ran from October 2, 1950 to February 13, 2000.