Mayor Who? Trivia Quiz

Answer: The first directly-elected mayor in England

Until the year 2000, there were no directly-elected mayors in England. The Greater London Authority Act of 1999 created the first municipal government based on an an elected Mayor and a municipal legislature (the Greater London Assembly). The office of Mayor of Greater London is very different from the ceremonial position of Lord Mayor of the City of London.

Answer: Fiorello La Guardia

The harried pilot flew Mayor La Guardia to a small airfield in Brooklyn, where he held a news conference rallying support for a proper airport. The facility was dubbed "The New York Municipal Airport" when it opened in late 1939. Its present and fitting name, "La Guardia Airport," dates from 1953.

Answer: He was fatally wounded by an assassin

Mayor Cermack was elected on a reformist platform in 1931, becoming the first of many Democratic Party Mayors of Chicago in the modern era.

On February 15, 1933, Mayor Cermack was greeting President-elect Franklin Roosevelt at a press event in Miami when a would-be assassin fired multiple shots at the Presidential party. FDR was unhurt, but Mayor Cermack and several bystanders were wounded. Although the assassin stated that he intended to kill the President, rumors persisted that Mayor Cermack was the target of disgruntled gangsters from Chicago.

Answer: Los Angeles, California

California mayoral elections are "non-partisan", and Mayor Sam Yorty (in office 1961-1973) took full advantage. Although a Democrat, Yorty endorsed fellow Californian Richard Nixon over the Democratic nominee John Kennedy in the 1960 Presidential election. He survived the wrath of his party to win numerous mayoral elections, but never attained higher office as either a Democrat or, later, a Republican.

Yorty was succeeded by the even longer-serving Mayor Tom Bradley (in office 1973-1993), the first African-American Mayor of a major U.S. city. Bradley's 20 year tenure will never be exceeded in California: the State legislature imposed term limits in 1990.

Answer: Willy Brandt

Willy Brandt (in office 1957-1966) served thereafter as West Germany's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Vice-Chancellor. In 1969, he became the first Social Democrat to serve as Chancellor since 1930. In 1971, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in improving relations with East Germany and the Soviet Union. Ironically, as Mayor of Berlin in 1961, Brandt had publicly chastized Western leaders for not taking a firmer stance against construction of the Berlin Wall.

Answer: Robert F. Wagner Jr.

Robert Wagner Jr. (in office 1954-1965) doesn't have a nickname or catchphrase, but he left a legacy of New York institutions and events. His tenure saw the development of Lincoln Center, the 1964-65 World's Fair, the birth of the New York Mets (to replace the departed Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants baseball teams), the creation of the City University of New York, and the "Shakespeare in the Park" theatrical series.

Answer: Richard Whittington

The real Richard Whittington (ca. 1354-1423) bore little resemblance to the fictional rags-to-riches character "Dick Whittington" first portrayed on stage in the early 17th century. Fictional accounts tell of a poor lad who comes to London with a faithful feline companion, and makes his fortune.

The real Whittington was a younger son of a well-to-do Gloucestershire family. He prospered in the cloth trade, gave generously to his adopted city during his lifetime, died childless, and left his wealth to various charitable causes.

There's no historical evidence for the cat.

Answer: Grover Cleveland and Calvin Coolidge

Grover Cleveland was the Mayor of Buffalo, New York before becoming Governor and later President. Calvin Coolidge was the Mayor of the small city of Northampton, Massachusetts early in his political career. Like Cleveland, Coolidge later served as a Governor before becoming President.

Other popular mayors, such as New York's John Lindsay and (to date) Rudolph Giuliani, sought but could not secure their party's Presidential nomination.

Answer: Jacques Chirac

The office of Mayor of Paris was abolished in 1871, with the resignation of Jules Ferry. Ferry had been mayor during the Prussian siege of the city and the "Paris Commune". The resulting chaos likely led to the abolition of the office. Remarkably, it was not re-established until 1977.

Jacques Chirac had been the Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976. He became the first Mayor of Paris in over a century on March 20, 1977. During his lengthy tenure, he served again as Prime Minister in 1986-1988, holding both offices simultaneously. In May of 1995, he went directly from the office of mayor to the presidency.

Answer: Daniel O'Connell

Daniel O'Connell was a controversial figure in Anglo-Irish politics during the mid-19th century - and perhaps even today. He campaigned against the union of Britain and Ireland. He often condemned Dublin's municipal government as a bastion of Protestant power, making his election as Lord Mayor particularly pungent.

He may have chafed wearing the official chain of office: it had been presented to the city by King William III (William of Orange) in 1698.