QUIZ: How Well Do You Remember The 1960s?
The 1960s were a tumultuous time for people in the United States. While the Civil Rights Movement raged through the South, women were fighting for their rights and exercising their freedom. Americans saw three major assassinations happen, not to mention even more casualties as a result of the strongly objected Vietnam War. Sure there were some positive things that happened in the ’60s, but times were definitely changing and gave way to an era that is now looked upon as the “Radical ’60s.” A lot certainly happened during this decade, but do you remember all of it? Put your knowledge to the test here.
Apollo 11 made a historic landing on the moon on July 20, 1969, because it was carrying __________.
A. A lunar rover with camera capabilities
B. John Glenn
C. A satellite
D. Neil Armstrong
Answer: Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon in 1969 and famously said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
On September 26, 1960, America saw the first televised presidential debate. Who were the two candidates involved?
A. Lyndon B. Johnson and Hubert Humphrey
B. Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey
C. John F. Kennedy and Barry Goldwater
D. John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon
Answer: John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon
70 million Americans tuned in to watch Kennedy and Nixon go head to head.
Which year did Martin Luther King, Jr. deliver his famous “I Have A Dream” speech?
A. 1962
B. 1963
C. 1965
D. 1964
Answer: 1963
Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech in 1963 at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington.
Who was sent to invade Cuba’s Bay of Pigs in 1961?
A. Cuban exiles
B. U.S. Navy Seals
C. U.S. Marines
D. Felons of U.S. prisons
Answer: Cuban exiles
Around 1,400 Cuban exiles were recruited and trained as a part of Eisenhower’s CIA campaign to overthrow Fidel Castro. The Bay of Pigs invasion was a complete failure. The CIA overlooked a radio station on that beach, who broadcasted details of the operation to all of Cuba.
Who became the host of The Tonight Show in 1962?
A. Jack Paar
B. Groucho Marx
C. Johnny Carson
D. Steve Allen
Answer: Johnny Carson
In 1962, Johnny Carson took over Jack Paar’s position as host of The Tonight Show. Carson was introduced by Groucho Marx and his guests that night included Joan Crawford and Rudy Vallee.
In 1964, which British band performed for the first time in America?
A. The Who
B. The Rolling Stones
C. Led Zeppelin
D. The Beatles
Answer: The Beatles
The Beatles debuted to American audiences in 1964 on The Ed Sullivan Show. Their popularity skyrocketed and prompted the phenomenon known as Beatlemania.
In 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr. led a march to Montgomery, Alabama to register black voters in the South. From where did the march start?
A. Selma, Alabama
B. Birmingham, Alabama
C. Little Rock, Arkansas
D. Greensboro, North Carolina
Answer: Selma, Alabama
On March 25, 1965, Dr. King and over 20,000 marchers completed the four-day trek from Selma to Montgomery in one of a series of protests throughout the Civil Rights Movement.
Upon its publishing in 1966, this provocative novel of fiction was proclaimed as the world’s most popular novel by Guinness Book of World Records.
A. The Feminine Mystique
B. Valley of the Dolls
C. Sex and the Single Girl
D. A Bunny’s Tale
Answer: Valley of the Dolls
Valley of the Dolls was written by Jacqueline Susann and was the novel of that decade. Having sold more than 30 million copies to date, it has since become one of the best-selling works in publishing history according to Wikipedia.
1967 was the year of the first-ever Super Bowl. Who played?
A. Green Bay Packers vs. Oakland Raiders
B. Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
C. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Minnesota Vikings
D. New York Jets vs. Baltimore Colts
Answer: Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
61,946 gathered at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and 60 million viewers tuned in to watch the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs go head to head in Super Bowl I. Green Bay ended up annihilating Kansas City, 35-10.
Sean Connery debuted as James Bond in 1962. Which was the very first Bond film?
A. Thunderball
B. Goldfinger
C. Dr. No
D. From Russia with Love
Answer: Dr. No
Dr. No was the first official James Bond film based on Ian Fleming’s 1958 novel of the same name. Though it was made with a low budget, Dr. No was a financial success, having made almost $60 million at the box office.
On October 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered a televised address to alert the American public of what?
A. The Cuban Missile Crisis
B. He established the Peace Corps
C. The University of Mississippi was desegregated
D. He pledged to land a man on the moon
Answer: The Cuban Missile Crisis
While JFK did have a hand in all of those things, he appeared on TV in late October 1962 to notify the public of nuclear-armed Soviet missiles that were installed on Cuba.
What was the U.S. government’s immediate response to the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A. The U.S. declared nuclear war on the Soviet Union
B. The U.S. invaded Cuba
C. The U.S. took no action
D. The U.S. enacted a naval blockade around Cuba
Answer: The U.S. enacted a naval blockade around Cuba
In addition to the blockade, the U.S. was ready to use military force to neutralize the threat of the missiles, resulting in a 13-day standoff during which Nikita Khrushchev offered to remove the missiles if the U.S. wouldn’t invade Cuba, while JFK quietly agreed to remove U.S. missiles in Turkey.
In 1962, who became the new anchor of the CBS Evening News?
A. Barbara Walters
B. Douglas Edwards
C. Walter Cronkite
D. David Brinkley
Answer: Walter Cronkite
It wasn’t officially called the CBS Evening News until 1963, but it was the first half-hour nightly news broadcast. Cronkite was the host until 1981.
This car was debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. What kind of car is it?
A. Chevy Camaro
B. Plymouth Road Runner
C. Volkswagen Bus
D. Ford Mustang
Answer: Ford Mustang
First produced in 1964, the Ford Mustang became an instant classic and was so popular that it’s still in production. Back then, you could buy one for just under $2,400.
Which of the following did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 not do?
A. Banned discrimination by employers and labor unions
B. Ended segregation in public places
C. Authorized the Office of Education to assist with desegregating schools
D. Prohibited discriminatory voting practices
Answer: Prohibited discriminatory voting practices
Discriminatory voting practices weren’t prohibited by law until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. JFK first proposed the Civil Rights Act saying the U.S. “will not be fully free until all of its citizens are free.” President Johnson signed both of these revolutionary acts into law.
In 1969, the Woodstock Music Festival was open to the public, free of charge.
A. False, tickets to Woodstock were $6.50 for one day or $18 for all three days.
B. False, the festival was exclusive only to musicians and whoever they invited.
C. True, there were no tickets for sale since it was free.
D. True, except there were tickets for sale at first.
Answer: True, except there were tickets for sale at first.
Before the festival began, organizers sold a reported 186,000 tickets but because hordes of people were showing up and they couldn’t control the crowds, festival promoters decided to open the concert to everyone free of charge. An estimated 400,000 people attended Woodstock.
The Graduate was released in December 1967. Who did not star in the film?
A. Dustin Hoffman
B. Mike Nichols
C. Anne Bancroft
D. Katherine Ross
Answer: Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols was actually the director of The Graduate, which was based on Charles Webb’s novel of the same name from 1963. The film grossed almost $105 million in North American box offices.
February 25, 1964, was a historic day in boxing when the reigning champion Sonny Liston lost the heavyweight crown to whom?
A. Cassius Clay
B. Floyd Patterson
C. Leon Spinks
D. George Foreman
Answer: Cassius Clay
22-year-old Cassius Clay defeated Liston in a technical knockout that day and would go on to become the first three-time heavyweight champion. He would also later join the Nation of Islam and take his new Muslim name, Muhammad Ali.
Which one of these fashion trends emerged in the ’60s?
A. Miniskirts
B. Pencil skirts
C. Hot pants
D. Crewneck cardigan
Answer: Miniskirts
Miniskirts became all the rage in the ’60s. Up until then, most hemlines ended just above the knees, but miniskirts hacked those hemlines up, going as much as eight inches above the knee.
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey premiered in 1968, starring who?
A. Malcolm McDowell
B. Peter Sellers
C. Keir Dullea
D. James Mason
Answer: Keir Dullea
Keir Dullea played the main character, Dr. David Bowman, in 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is regarded by some as one of the best movies ever made.
