Pop stars, actors and politicians we lost in 2023 – take the Thursday quiz

Glenda Jackson, Matthew Perry and Tina Turner all feature in this week’s quiz, which is dedicated to those we lost this year. Photograph: The Guardian and Getty

Something slightly different from the Thursday quiz this week, as we present the first annual in memoriam edition. To begin December, here are 15 questions about notable pop culture and political figures we lost this year. As ever, there are no prizes, but let us know how you get on in the comments.

The Thursday quiz, No 137

1. 

   TINA TURNER: We lost the legendary Tina Turner in May. What was her given name when she was born?

   1. Melissa Jefferson

   2. Alecia Beth Moore

   3. Kathryn Hudson

   4. Anna Mae Bullock

2. 

   MATTHEW PERRY: There was a huge outpouring of love when we lost the Friends star Matthew Perry. In which year did the sitcom make its debut on US television?

   1. 1988

   2. 1990

   3. 1992

   4. 1994

3. 

   PAUL O'GRADY: Battersea Dogs and Cats Home named its vet hospital after Paul O'Grady after his death in March. What was the name of his incredible drag act with which he first found widespread fame?

   1. Phiona Phierce

   2. Lily Savage

   3. Katy Vicious

   4. Trudy Feral

4. 

   BOBBY CHARLTON: Football hero Bobby Charlton left us in October. In which year did he win the Ballon d'Or?

   1. 1957

   2. 1966

   3. 1975

   4. 1984

5. 

   DAVID McCALLUM: The star had a long TV history, including roles as the Invisible Man, Steel in Sapphire & Steel, and on NCIS. But what was the name of his Man from UNCLE character?

   1. Napoleon Solo

   2. Arkady Ourumov

   3. Illya Kuryakin

   4. Daniel Barton

6. 

   MYSTIC MEG: She was a mainstay of astrology in the UK, so you probably should have seen it coming that Mystic Meg would feature in the Thursday quiz one day. What was her real name?

   1. Emma Grayling

   2. Jenny Flint

   3. Vivien Fay

   4. Margaret Anne Lake

7. 

   ANDY ROURKE: He was one of the rhythmic mainstays of 1980s indie darlings the Smiths. What was the name of their final studio album in 1987?

   1. Strangeways, Here We Come

   2. The World Won't Listen

   3. Louder Than Bombs

   4. Meat Is Murder

8. 

   GLENDA JACKSON: One of the most celebrated British actors, Glenda Jackson was also an MP. Where was she first elected?

   1. Brighton Pavilion

   2. Hampstead and Highgate

   3. Wirral West

   4. Islington South and Finsbury

9. 

   MARY QUANT: The designer who in many ways defined the look of 1960s London opened her first shop on Kings Road in 1955. What was it called?

   1. Regatta

   2. Modes

   3. Sharp

   4. Bazaar

10. 

    CORMAC McCARTHY: He was regarded as one of the great American writers. Which of Cormac McCarthy's novels won the Pulitzer prize for fiction?

    1. Child of God

    2. No Country for Old Men

    3. The Pyramid at the End of the World

    4. The Road

11. 

    MICHAEL GAMBON: Michael Gambon is known for his incredible performance in The Singing Detective. What was his character's name?

    1. Philip Marlow

    2. Mark Binney

    3. Richard Lazarus

    4. Geoffrey Tupton

12. 

    BETTY BOOTHROYD: When did Betty Boothroyd become the first woman to be speaker of the House of Commons in Westminster?

    1. 1978

    2. 1982

    3. 1988

    4. 1992

13. 

    ALISTAIR DARLING: The former chancellor passed away last week. Which of these jobs in government DIDN'T he do?

    1. Secretary of state for Scotland

    2. Secretary of state for culture, media and sport

    3. Secretary of state for transport

    4. Secretary of state for work and pensions

14. 

    SHANE MACGOWAN: One of Ireland's greatest songwriters, Shane MacGowan also passed away last week. Where was MacGowan born?

    1. Preston, Lancashire

    2. Pembury, Kent

    3. Dawlish, Devon

    4. Macclesfield, Cheshire

15. 

    SINÉAD O’CONNOR: We lost the wonderful Sinéad O'Connor this year. On which of her albums did Nothing Compares 2 U appear?

    1. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

    2. The Lion and the Cobra

    3. Throw Down Your Arms

    4. Am I Not Your Girl?

Solutions

1:D - Born 26 November 1939, she made her recording debut under the name Little Ann, before adopting the moniker with which she would achieve global stardom. As of May 2023, Turner had reportedly sold about 100m-150m records worldwide., 2:D - The show made its first appearance on NBC on 22 September 1994 and ran for 10 seasons., 3:B - O'Grady's appearances as Savage at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London helped propel him towards becoming a national treasure., 4:B - He won with Eusébio da Silva Ferreira in second place and Franz Beckenbauer third, in the same year that Charlton won the World Cup with England., 5:C - Originally, the show was intended just as a vehicle for Robert Vaughn's Napoleon Solo, but McCallum's character earned joint billing after proving popular with fans., 6:D - Aside from her regular newspaper columns, she also used to appear on the national lottery show. , 7:A - By the time Strangeways, Here We Come was released in September that year, the Smiths had split., 8:B - She was an MP from 1992 to 2015, later representing Hampstead and Kilburn after boundary changes., 9:D - Quant initially bought fabric from Harrods at retail prices, and had to sell each batch of clothes before she could buy more. When she ran out of stock, she simply shut up shop and started sewing., 10:D - It won the 2007 Pulitzer and also the James Tait Black Memorial prize for fiction in 2006. It was adapted into a film in 2009., 11:A - The Dennis Potter series was incredibly influential on future British TV drama., 12:D - She was only the third Labour MP ever to take the chair and she did so by defeating the Conservative candidate, Peter Brooke, by 372 votes to 238 in the first contested election for speaker in more than 40 years., 13:B - He started as work and pensions secretary under Tony Blair, then added the Scotland role to his portfolio. He later moved to be transport secretary, before becoming chancellor under Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010., 14:B - He was born on Christmas Day in 1957. His father was from Dublin and his mother was from Tipperary, where he was raised until he was six., 15:A - It was the lead single from O'Connor's second album.

Scores

1. 0 and above.

   Let us know how you got on in the comments!

If you think there has been an egregious error in one of the questions or answers, please feel free to email martin.belam@theguardian.com but remember the quiz master’s word is final and this week is a respectful week.