QUIZ: Can You Guess The Decade From A Single Photo?
How well do you know the decades of the twentieth century? Chances are that if you were born sometime during the 1950s you’ll have the best shot at recognizing and defining each decade. But if you were born in the ’80s or later, this quiz may prove to be quite difficult! It might sound easy to identify the decade in which a photo was taken, but some of these questions could give you trouble! Keep in mind that some of the pictures contain more than one clue, and they’re all from the 1920s to the 1990s. Have fun with this quiz, and good luck!
That’s a lot of star power in one picture. If you recognize the nightclub, this question should be easy for you.
A. Fifties
B. Sixties
C. Forties
D. Seventies
Answer: Seventies
This photo was taken at Studio 54 in New York, during the peak of the disco age in the ’70s. Pictured are Jerry Hall, Andy Warhol, Debbie Harry, writer Truman Capote, and designer Paloma Picasso.
Which decade is this sweet activity most closely associated with?
A. Forties
B. Sixties
C. Thirties
D. Fifties
Answer: Fifties
Although ice cream milkshakes have been around since the ’30s, the frosty beverages became hugely popular by the 1950s. Establishments such as diners, lunch counters, and drugstores lured teenagers in with displays of shining chrome milkshake mixers. Scenes like this one were common.
Here we see throngs of people in New York City lining up to see City Lights. Charlie Chaplin continued to make silent films for years after the movie industry had transitioned to “talkies.” City Lights was one of his last. In which decade did this film premiere?
A. Fifties
B. Forties
C. Twenties
D. Thirties
Answer: Thirties
After “City Lights,” Chaplin made one more silent movie, “Modern Times.” It included sound effects but no dialogue. “Modern Times” was released on February 5, 1936. Chaplin’s first true sound film was 1940’s “The Great Dictator.”
This woman is clearly not happy about her Ford Pinto. What decade is this?
A. Seventies
B. Sixties
C. Fifties
D. Forties
Answer: Seventies
The Ford Motor Company unveiled the Pinto in 1971. The cars are now notorious for their defective fuel systems, which led many of them to catch fire or explode upon rear collision impacts.
There are two hints in this photo. What decade is this?
A. Forties
B. Twenties
C. Fifties
D. Thirties
Answer: Twenties
This photo was taken in 1924. The “Hollywoodland” sign was originally created in 1923 as an advertisement for a local real estate development company. During repairs to the sign in 1949, the “land” part was dropped. The other hint here is the foreground vehicle, which is a Ford Model A. The other car is a Ford Model T. Both vehicles were produced in the 1920s.
This family is listening to President Roosevelt’s “Address to the International Student Assembly.” What is the decade?
A. Twenties
B. Thirties
C. Fifties
D. Forties
Answer: Forties
Radio broadcasting was introduced to the public in the 1920s and grew in importance with each decade until television came along in the 1950s. Roosevelt was known for his “fireside chats,” a series of 31 evening broadcasts. This particular one, addressed to the world’s youth, aired on September 3, 1942.
These men are dumping liquor into the street. What’s the decade?
A. Twenties
B. Thirties
C. Forties
D. Nineteen tens
Answer: Twenties
Between 1920 and the early ’30s, the United States went through a period called Prohibition, which was the legal prevention of the manufacture and sale of alcohol. This photo was taken in 1920.
What’s the decade?
A. Seventies
B. Fifties
C. Forties
D. Sixties
Answer: Sixties
1966: mini mini! This one also had two clues. Here are several young British women in miniskirts who are about to break the previous year’s world record for passengers in a Mini vehicle. Cramming people into objects became a huge fad at the end of the 1950s and throughout the ’60s. Miniskirts were also wildly popular throughout the ’60s.
These people are crowding around an electronics store to watch the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. What decade was this?
A. Fifties
B. Thirties
C. Forties
D. Sixties
Answer: Fifties
On June 2, 1953, Queen Elizabeth II was coronated as Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. The ceremony took place at Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth is now the world’s longest-reigning queen regnant.
This is the Mission Operations Control Room at the Houston Space Center, during the Apollo II lunar landing mission. What decade was this?
A. Forties
B. Fifties
C. Seventies
D. Sixties
Answer: Sixties
This photo was taken on July 17, 1969. The image on the television shows astronaut Neil Armstrong. The spacecraft he was traveling in was about 130,000 miles from earth when this photo was taken.
This is the first commercial flight of the Concorde. Which decade is this from?
A. Eighties
B. Seventies
C. Sixties
D. Fifties
Answer: Seventies
On January 21, 1976, the first commercial Concordes took off at Heathrow Airport in London and Orly outside of Paris. The supersonic jet made this first journey with passengers from London to Bahrain and Paris to Rio de Janeiro. It took its last flight in 2003.
You can guess the decade based on two things here: the people depicted and the clothes they’re wearing.
A. Eighties
B. Seventies
C. Fifties
D. Sixties
Answer: Sixties
Sonny and Cher first became famous in 1965, with the hit songs “Baby Don’t Go” and “I Got You Babe.” Here, they’re shown in matching supermod checkerboard outfits. During a 1966 tour of Europe, the husband-and-wife duo was repeatedly refused admission to hotels and restaurants because of their unusual outfits.
What decade was this?
A. Thirties
B. Nineteen tens
C. Twenties
D. Forties
Answer: Twenties
This photo was taken in 1920. The styles these women are wearing are good indicators of the era. They have on drop-waisted dresses topped by coats featuring wide fur collars. They’re also wearing the bell-shaped cloche hats that were popular during the time.
If you know when Twister was first released, you’ll be able to guess the decade easily.
A. Forties
B. Fifties
C. Seventies
D. Sixties
Answer: Sixties
The colorful party game Twister was first unveiled to the public in 1966. This photo was taken in 1967, although the game is still popular today. The wood-paneled walls in the picture might have been another clue for you.
Guess the decade these ladies are saluting from
A. Forties
B. Twenties
C. Thirties
D. Fifties
Answer: Forties
The military uniforms and glamorous hair and makeup are a dead giveaway that this photo was taken in the ’40s.
Here we see the World Trade Center partially through construction. What was the decade?
A. Forties
B. Fifties
C. Sixties
D. Seventies
Answer: Seventies
Construction of the Twin Towers began in 1968 (North Tower first, South Tower second), but by the time the buildings were this tall, it was 1970. The complex’s other four buildings were completed by 1973.
What decade is this?
A. Sixties
B. Forties
C. Fifties
D. Thirties
Answer: Fifties
The popularity of drive-ins peaked in the 1950s. As Jim Kopp, a drive-in owner, states, “They offered family entertainment. People could sit in their cars, they could bring their babies, they could smoke. Drive-ins offered more flexibility than indoor theaters.”
Look at this gas line! What decade is this?
A. Forties
B. Fifties
C. Sixties
D. Seventies
Answer: Seventies
There were two separate oil crises during the 1970s; in 1973 and again in 1979. Both caused major gas shortages, and people were forced to wait in line for blocks just to fill up. Some states even started rationing gasoline based on license plate numbers.
Which decade are these gentlemen in Zoot suits strolling through?
A. Twenties
B. Forties
C. Thirties
D. Fifties
Answer: Forties
Zoot suits feature long coats with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders and high-waisted pants with cuffed trousers. The suits became especially popular during the 1940s. Jazz bandleader Cab Calloway was a famous fan of the style.
This photo was taken at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. What’s the decade? Hint: the park is home to a meadow known as “Hippie Hill.”
A. Forties
B. Fifties
C. Seventies
D. Sixties
Answer: Sixties
Here we see a group of hippies gathered around a tree during a “happening” at the park in the 1960s. Golden Gate Park served as one of the city’s most popular gathering spots and is still a popular place to spend an afternoon.
