TASK DEFINITION: You will be given a trivia clue, and the category it belongs to. You should answer with the best answer that belongs in the category and is described by the clue. For consistency, answers should be in all lower cased letters.
PROBLEM: Category: SCIENCE GUYS 
Clue: Eugene Dubois died in 1940 still believing his "Java Man" to be this legendary connector between man & ape

SOLUTION: the missing link

PROBLEM: Category: TIME FOR A "CON"TEST 
Clue: Though it possibly dates from the 16th century, the origin of this word for a punny riddle is a mystery in itself

SOLUTION: conundrum

PROBLEM: Category: A DATE WITH HISTORY 
Clue: On Jan. 1, 1804 Jean-Jacques Dessalines proclaimed this current nation independent

SOLUTION:
haiti