Games Britannica Quizzes Britannica Menu History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture

The Real McCoy

Question: What was Norma Jean Mortenson’s stage name?
Answer: Norma Jean Mortenson was born on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California. During her career she used the name Norma Jean Baker and, finally, Marilyn Monroe.
Question: Which comic actor was born William Claude Dukenfield?
Answer: W.C. Fields shortened his name from William Claude Dukenfield before becoming a comedy legend.
Question: What is Tiger Woods’s real first name?
Answer: Eldrick Woods, the future golfing great, was given the nickname Tiger by his father, Earl, in honor of a friend who had saved Earl’s life during the Vietnam War.
Question: What is U2 singer Bono’s real name?
Answer: Paul Hewson earned his nickname as a teenager. His friends called him Bono Vox, meaning, in (slightly incorrect) Latin, "beautiful voice."
Question: What stage name is Yusuf Islam best known by?
Answer: Born Steven Demetre Georgiou in 1948, Cat Stevens was an international recording star in the 1960s and ’70s. He changed his name to Yusuf Islam in 1978.
Question: What was Groucho Marx’s real first name?
Answer: Groucho Marx, the noted comic actor, was born Julius Henry Marx on October 2, 1890.
Question: What is musician George Michael’s real name?
Answer: George Michael was born in England to Greek parents. His birth name is Georgios Panayiotou.