Quiz: Test your knowledge of second-borns
Prince William and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, have welcomed their second child into the world. Because the baby is a spare (so to speak) and not a direct heir to the throne, her arrival hasn’t garnered near the publicity of her older brother, Prince George, whose birth two years ago created a media frenzy.
Second-born children are often overshadowed by their older siblings (sometimes called “second child syndrome”), especially when it comes to celebrities, but some have captured enough attention to carve out names of their own. Only time will tell if baby Charlotte Elizabeth Diana will wilt or prosper in Prince George’s kingly shadow.
Meanwhile, take this quiz of famous second-born children — royals, politicians, singers, actors, athletes and the like — and see how you scored at the end. Give yourself a point for each correct answer.
1. How many wives did Henry VIII of England, the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, have?
a) 4
b) 5
c) 6
d) 8
2. Second born to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Princess Anne has two children. What are their names?
a) William and Harry
b) Peter and Zara
c) Peter and Louise
d) Charles and Diane
3. Abraham Lincoln lived much longer than his little brother, Thomas, and big sister, Sarah. How old was Honest Abe when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth?
a) 51
b) 56
c) 61
d) 66
4. John F. Kennedy was the second child of Joseph Patrick “Joe” Kennedy Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy, who had nine kids. JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy had four children. Who was their second?
a) Caroline Kennedy
b) Arabella Kennedy
c) John F. Kennedy Jr.
d) Patrick Bouvier Kennedy
5. The younger brother of comedian Dick Van Dyke, Jerry Van Dyke was nominated for four consecutive Emmy awards for a role on which TV show?
a) The Golden Girls
b) According to Jim
c) Newhart
d) Coach
6. Kim Kardashian, the most famous of the Kardashian clan, filed for divorce from a New Jersey Nets power forward after just 72 days of marriage. What was the NBA star’s name?
a) Dirk Nowitzki
b) Blake Griffin
c) Kris Humphries
d) Kevin Love
7. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who has an older sister and a younger sister, received an honorary doctorate from what university in 2007? Hint: He dropped out of this school in 1975 to focus on software design.
a) MIT
b) Harvard
c) Princeton
d) California Institute of Technology
8. Pop star Britney Spears is the second (and by far the most famous) of three celebrity children, sandwiched between film and TV producer Bryan and actress and singer Jamie Lynn. What was the name of Britney’s first album?
a) Oops! … I Did It Again
b) Britney
c) Britney Jean
d) … Baby One More Time
9. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is the second child of Archie Manning, who gained fame during the 1970s with the New Orleans Saints. Peyton’s younger brother Eli has won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants. How many Super Bowls has Peyton won?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 4
10. Sigmund Esco “Jackie” Jackson was the second of nine children in the famous Jackson musical family, which also included Janet, Tito, La Toya and, of course, Michael. According to Margaret Maldonado, author of Jackson Family Values, Jackie had an affair with which of these singers?
a) Mariah Carey
b) Paula Abdul
c) Madonna
d) Whitney Houston
11. Which of these brothers from the famous Baldwin family is the second-born child? Hint: He starred with Daryl Hannah in the 1993 remake of Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman.
a) Alec
b) William
c) Daniel
d) Stephen
12. Born in Dallas, Owen Wilson, star of such popular films as Marley & Me (2008) and Midnight in Paris (2011), is arguably more famous than older brother Andrew and younger brother Luke combined. What is his highest-grossing film in terms of worldwide box office numbers?
a) Cars (2006)
b) Cars 2 (2011)
c) Night at the Museum (2006)
d) Meet the Fockers (2004)
13. Although frequently overshadowed by her older sister Barbara, Louise Mandrell carved out a successful country music career of her own. One of her biggest hits was Reunited, which she recorded with then-husband Dannie Shipley in 1979. What was Shipley’s stage name?
a) T. Graham Brown
b) Mel Tillis
c) Jerry Jeff Walker
d) R.C. Bannon
14. Keenan Ivory Wayans of In Living Color fame has nine brothers and sisters, most of whom are in show business. In 2000, he directed a horror comedy that was, at the time, the highest-grossing film ever directed by an African-American. What is the name of that film?
a) Scary Movie
b) Bride of Chucky
c) Vampire in Brooklyn
d) Scream
15. In the world of video games, Mario is the foremost mascot, first appearing in Nintendo’s 1981 arcade classic Donkey Kong. In what game did Mario’s lesser known but increasingly popular younger brother, Luigi, first appear?
a) Donkey Kong Jr.
b) Mario Bros.
c) Super Mario Bros.
d) Luigi’s Mansion
Answers:
1. C, 6. A notorious figure, Henry VIII is infamous for having two of his six wives executed.
2. B, Peter and Zara. Peter was born in 1977, Zara in 1981. They lack royal titles because Anne and former husband Mark wanted them to have a normal life.
3. B, 56, which is ancient compared to his siblings. Thomas died in infancy, while Sarah, who became Abe’s primary caretaker after their mother passed away, died when she was 21.
4. A, Caroline. Born approximately a year after the Kennedys’ stillborn daughter, Arabella, Caroline Kennedy is currently the U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
5. D, Coach. Jerry played Luther Van Dam for eight seasons of the popular sitcom starring Craig T. Nelson.
6. C, Kris Humphries. Kim also has familial ties to former Dallas Maverick Lamar Odom — he was married to her younger sister Khloe from 2009 to 2013.
7. B, Harvard. After dropping out, Gates co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975.
8. D, … Baby One More Time. The album hit stores in 1999 and was an astonishing success, selling more than 30 million copies worldwide. It is the top-selling record of all time by a teenage solo artist.
9. A, 1. In 2007, the Indianapolis Colts, with Peyton at quarterback, won Super Bowl XLI over the Chicago Bears. Peyton was voted the game’s MVP. Sadly, his older brother, Cooper, had to quit football during his senior year of high school because of a spinal condition.
10. B, Paula Abdul. Maldonado, the mother of two of Jermaine Jackson’s children, wrote in her book that Jackie’s wife, Enid, caught Jackie and Paula together at a drive-in movie theater and proceeded to drive over Jackie’s leg, forcing him to sit out most of the Jacksons’ Victory Tour.
11. C, Daniel. He’s best known for playing Detective Beau Felton in the NBC TV series Homicide: Life on the Street. He’s also known for various personal problems, including a drug-related arrest and a contentious divorce from his third wife, Joanne.
12. C, Night at the Museum. According to The Numbers (www.the-numbers.com), the adventure comedy grossed a whopping $581,570,293.
13. D, R.C. Bannon. The Dallas-born singer-songwriter was married to Louise Mandrell from 1979 to 1991. Louise appeared with Barbara and younger sibling Irlene on the show Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters.
14. A, Scary Movie, which grossed $278 million. Tim Story passed Wayans in 2005 with The Fantastic Four, which broke the $330 million mark.
15. B, Mario Bros. Released to the arcades in 1983, Mario Bros., in which Mario and Luigi cooperate or compete on a nonscrolling screen, is one of the most ported games in the history of the industry, appearing on such platforms as the Atari 2600, NES and Game Boy Advance.
How did you score?
0-5 points: Thanks for playing, bro, but you kinda blew it.
6-10: Pretty decent score, sis. You should be proud.
11-14: Great job, kid — you sure know your second-born siblings.
15: Perfect! A score fit for a king!
This story was originally published May 5, 2015 at 1:36 PM with the headline "Quiz: Test your knowledge of second-borns."