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1917 Babies

1917 Babies

1917 Babies includes famous singers and musicians.

The year is 1917 and the First World War is entering its fourth year. The ancient city of Baghdad falls to the Anglo-Indian Army and a German air raid on London kills 162 people. Elsewhere the Americans have joined the war and in Russia a revolution to overthrow the Tsar is taking place. Amongst all these events, new lives are beginning and many people destined for fame are born in this year. Here is a quiz about just a few of them.

To see a larger picture, simply click on the image.
1.
Ferdinand Marcos was born on September 11th 1917 and was to become the President and dictator of the Philippines. He and his wife were accused of embezzling billions of pounds from their country to fund their extravagant lifestyle. Ferdinand's wife, Imelda, is said to have owned 2,700 of what item?
Fur coats
Pairs of shoes
Pieces of jewellery
Handbags
Marcos was ousted from power and forced into exile in 1986. He and his wife lived in Hawaii until Ferdinand's death on September 28th 1989, at the age of 72
2.
Anthony Burgess was born on 25th February 1917 and in his life he wrote more than 250 pieces of music. However he is best remembered as a writer of novels, his most famous having what title?
A Clockwork Orange
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Last Temptation of Christ
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The book was made into a film by director Stanley Kubrick, however, it was based on the American version of the book from which the last chapter was missing. Burgess wrote of the film version "[it]... made it easy for readers of the book to misunderstand what it was about, and the misunderstanding will pursue me till I die." He did die on 22nd November 1993, when he was 76 years old
3.
The 3rd Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, was born on 19th November 1917. She was the only child of which political figure?
Politician and journalist, Feroze Gandhi
The 1st Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru
Leader of the Indian independence movement, Mahatma Gandhi
Deputy Prime Minister to Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel
Indira was married to Feroze Gandhi and is not related to the legendary leader Mahatma Gandhi. She was the Prime Minister of India twice, from 24th January 1966 - 24th March 1977, and again from 14th January 1980 - 31st October 1984. She was assassinated by two of her own bodyguards on 31st October 1984 at the age of 66
4.
Hollywood actor Robert Mitchum was born on August 6th 1917 in Connecticut, USA. Before he found success as an actor, Mitchum had many different jobs. Which of these occupations did he not do?
Professional boxing
Song writing
Ditch-digging
Dancing
He was also a ghost-writer, a stagehand, a playwright and a machine operator. As well as acting, later in his life Mitchum was also a singer, releasing two albums. He died on July 1st 1997 when he was 79 years old
5.
Forces sweetheart during World War II, Dame Vera Lynn, was born on 20th March 1917. She has the record for the oldest living artist to hold the No.1 spot in the British album charts. How old was she when she claimed this title?
Photograph courtesy of Allan Warren at Wikipedia
88 years old
90 years old
92 years old
94 years old
Among Dame Vera's best know songs are We'll Meet Again, There'll Always Be an England and The White Cliffs of Dover. She died in 2020 aged 103
6.
The man pictured was born on April 5th 1917 and was a famous science fiction and horror writer. He wrote the book Psycho on which the classic Hitchcock film of the same name is based. What is his name?
Photograph courtesy of Will Hart at Wikipedia
Ray Bradbury
Joseph Payne Brennan
Robert Bloch
William Peter Blatty
Bloch wrote more than 30 novels and countless short stories and he received more than 20 awards for his work. He died on September 23rd 1994, aged 77
7.
Frankie Howerd, a British comedian and actor, was born on 6th March 1917. He appeared in the Carry On films and was the star of the TV series Up Pompei. Renowned for his double entendres, what was Howerd's catchphrase?
Shut that door
Ooh Matron!
Titter ye not
Didn't he do well?
A part of Howerd's act was to pretend that his double entendres were innocent and to mock the audience for finding them funny. He died on 19th April 1992 at the age of 75
8.
John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the USA and was born on May 29th 1917. What does the initial F stand for in his name?
Frederick
Fitzgerald
Francis
Flaherty
Kennedy was descended from Irish immigrants to the USA. He was famously assassinated on November 22nd 1963 at the age of 46. His killer is named as Lee Harvey Oswald, though a government committee in 1979 found that the assassination was probably the result of a conspiracy
9.
John Gillespie was an American jazz musician who was born on October 21st 1917. It is written that, "Arguably Gillespie is remembered, by both critics and fans alike, as one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time." By what nickname was he known?
Cheeks Gillespie
Crazy Gillespie
Lips Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie
Gillespie was unique in that he played with a bent trumpet. It is said that his own trumpet was damaged in an accident and Gillespie preferred the tone made by his crooked instrument. He had his own trumpet made with the 'bell' turned up at a 45o angle. He died on January 6th 1993, aged 75
10.
Born on June 7th 1917, Dino Crocetti became one of the most famous singers and actors of the 1950s and 60s. He is more popularly known by what name?
Dean Martin
Peter Lawford
Frank Sinatra
Joey Bishop
Martin, along with the other names listed, and Sammy Davis Junior, were known as the Rat Pack. Martin first worked as part of a double act with comedian Jerry Lewis before going solo. He died on Christmas Day 1995 when he was 78 years old

 

Author:  Graeme Haw

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