This month’s quiz features 27 famous people born in or near Pittsburgh. Some have made historically significantly contributions to our city, state, or nation. Others are artists, entertainers, entrepreneurs, or athletes. One is even a famous astronaut. Can you match each Pittsburgher to his/her claim to fame by answering the question, “Who am I?”
Answers to this quiz can be found on the last page of this issue or by clicking this link, https://www.thisawfulawesomelife.com/home/2022/6/30/next-month-in-this-awful-awesome-life-august-2022
Fred Rogers August Wilson David O. Selznick
Andy Warhol Rachel Carson Stephen Chbosky
Gene Kelly Mary Cassatt Joe Montana
George Benson H.J. Heinz Gertrude Stein
Joe Manganiello Andrew Mellon Sophie Masloff
James Irwin David McCullough Jane Grey Swisshelm
Jeff Goldblum Dan Marino Jackie Evancho
Joe Namath Myron Cope
Mark Cuban Johnny Unitas
Gillian Jacobs Antoine Fuqua
Who Am I?
1. I am an American guitarist who was considered a child prodigy. I began my professional career as a jazz guitarist at 19 years old. __________________________
2. After a successful college career at the University of Pittsburgh and being named First team All American in 1981, I was the last quarterback taken in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft. I played 17 seasons in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins. __________________________
3. I was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. I hosted gatherings for intellectuals in my Paris salon and I’m known for the quotations, “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose,” and “There is no there there.” __________________________
4. I am an American billionaire entrepreneur, TV personality, and media proprietor. I own the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA and I started the Cost-Plus Drug Company, an online pharmacy, to provide needed medications at low prices, shipped directly to your door. __________________
5. I was a famous Hollywood producer, screenwriter, and film studio executive during the golden age of Hollywood. I earned Best Picture Academy Awards for Rebecca and Gone with the Wind. __________________________
6. I was an American artist and printmaker. Gustave Geffroy once described me as “one of the three great ladies of Impressionism. __________________________
7. I was an America astronaut, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and a USAF pilot. I was the Apollo Lunar Module pilot for Apollo 15 and the eighth person to walk on the moon. __________________________
8. I was an American TV host, author, producer, puppeteer, and Presbyterian minister. I dedicated my life to helping children feel valued and loved. __________________________
9. I am an American film director, producer, and actor. I directed Training Day and Southpaw. __________________________
10. I am an American actress and director. You may know me as Brita Perry on Community, but did you also know I directed the 2015 documentary short, The Queen of Code, about U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Grace Hopper? __________________________
11. I am an American screenwriter, film producer, film director, novelist, and television producer. I graduated from Upper St. Clair High School, in 1988 and I am best known for writing the novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, writing the screenplay and directing the movie of the same name. __________________________
12. I was an American entrepreneur, but you probably just like me for my ketchup. __________________________
13. I was an American journalist, publisher, abolitionist, and women’s rights advocate. I was one of the first female journalists hired by Horace Greeley. I also worked for the federal government before losing my job for criticizing President Andrew Johnson. __________________________
14. I was an American artist, film director, and producer. I was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. __________________________
15. I was an American football quarterback who played in the NFL for 18 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Colts, and the San Diego Chargers. __________________________
16. I was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist. My book, Silent Spring is credited with advancing the global environmental movement. __________________________
17. I am an American actor of Armenian, Austrian, Croatian, and Italian ancestry. I graduated with honors from Mt. Lebanon High School, and I have a BFA in acting from Carnegie Mellon University, but you probably know me from my roles in True Blood and Magic Mike. __________________________
18. I was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright. I am often called the “theater’s poet of Black America.” I’m best known for the series of ten plays called The Pittsburgh Cycle. __________________________
19. I am an American classical crossover singer. In 2010 with the holiday release of my O Holy Night EP, I became the youngest solo artist ever to go platinum in the United States. __________________________
20. I was an American banker, businessman, industrialist, art collector, philanthropist, and politician. I served as Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents, Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover. __________________________
21. I played professional football as a quarterback in the AFL and NFL for 13 seasons for the New York Jets and the Los Angeles Rams. I led the New York Jets to victory in Superbowl III in 1968. __________________________
22. I was an American actor, singer, dancer, filmmaker, and choreographer. I am best known for my energetic and athletic dance performances in musicals like An American in Paris and Singin’ in the Rain. __________________________
23. I was an American politician. I was the first woman and the first Jewish person to be elected mayor of Pittsburgh. __________________________
24. I was an American sports journalist, radio personality, and sportscaster. I was the “voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers” for 35 years. __________________________
25. I am an American actor and musician. I am probably best known for my roles in the Jurassic Park franchise, Independence Day, and The Big Chill. __________________________
26. I am an American author, narrator, popular historian, and lecturer. I am a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. My first book was The Johnstown Flood, and I have written award-winning biographies of John Adams and Harry Truman. __________________________
27. I won a national championship as the quarterback for Notre Dame, and I played in the NFL for 16 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. I have won four Super Bowls. __________________________
Image of George Benson:
By Raúl Ranz - https://www.flickr.com/photos/misfitkid/3697792072/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8169285