Quiz 1: THE 1980s CHAPTER 15
My Generation: From Boomers to Gen X
Quiz 1: THE 1980s
Join us as we recall the 1980s and everything from valley girls and Reaganomics to MTV ’s debut and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
This quiz should help reacquaint you with the wild ride that was the eighties.
1.In the mid-1980s, NBC ’s powerful “must see TV” lineup included four comedies. The Cosby Show, Cheers, and Night Court were joined by another sitcom starring Michael J. Fox. Name it.
2. Fill in the blanks to complete the titles of these 1980s bestsellers (authors’ names in parentheses):
a) Real Men Don’t Eat _____ (Bruce Feirstein)
b) _______ of the Vanities (Tom Wolfe)
c) A ______ History of Time (Stephen Hawking)
d) Clear and ______ Danger (Tom Clancy)
3. When Walter Mondale lost the 1984 presidential election to Ronald Reagan, who was Mondale’s running mate?
a) Geraldine Ferraro
b) Gary Hart
c) Lloyd Bentsen
d) Michael Dukakis
4. At the 1984 Academy Awards, Sally Field won the Best Actress Award and gave her memorable speech about how people in the audience “like me, right now you like me.” What movie did she win for?
a) Norma Rae
b) Murphy’s Romance
c) Places in the Heart
d) Absence of Malice
5. Between 1980 and 1989, this NFL team won three Super Bowls, more than any other team during that decade. Was it the
a) Washington Redskins
b) Los Angeles Raiders
c) New York Giants
d) San Francisco 49ers
6. Which one of the following performers did NOT sing on the 1985 mega hit “We Are the World,” which was recorded to raise money to aid Africa?
a) Michael Jackson
b) Paul Simon
c) Bruce Springsteen
d) Tina Turner
e) Madonna
7. In 1982, Frank Sinatra did some promotional work for an American automaker and in recognition, the company named one of its models The Frank Sinatra Edition. Was the car company Ford, Chrysler, or General Motors?
8. The spaceship Challenger explodes, the Red Sox lose the World Series to the Mets, nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, Haley’s comet returns, America celebrates the national holiday Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day for the first time, and Turner Broadcasting begins to colourize black and white classic movies. What year am I?
a) 1984
b) 1985
c) 1986
d) 1987
9. Unscramble the following three words to reveal what was called the “Holy Grail” of children’s toys for the 1983 holiday shopping season.
bacgabe ctahp lsodl
10. This musical debuted on Broadway in October 1982 and ran for more than 7,400 performances. Was it
a) La Cage Aux Folles
b) Phantom of the Opera
c) Les Miserables
d) Cats
11. Which of these sporting successes by American athletes is known as The Miracle on Ice: the U.S. men’s ice hockey team’s gold medal win at the Olympic Winter Games in 1980 or Scott Hamilton’s gold medal victory at the 1981 World Figure Skating Championships?
12. At the 1985 Academy Awards, this Steven Spielberg film was nominated for eleven Oscars, but ironically Spielberg was not nominated in the Best Director category. Was this film
a) Empire of the Sun
b) The Color Purple
c) E.T.
d) Raiders of the Lost Ark
QUIZ 2: THE OSCAR/GRAMMY QUIZ
You want glitz and glamour? Each February, acting and singing stars head down the red carpets for the Oscars and Grammys. If you know enough about these awards, you just may be giving your own acceptance speech.
1. Only one of these groups won Grammys. Which one?
a) Led Zeppelin
b) The Kinks
c) The Who
d) Simon and Garfunkel
2. Marlon Brando won two Academy Awards for Best Actor. One was for The Godfather, which he didn’t accept. What was the other for?
a) A Streetcar Named Desire
b) On the Waterfront
c) Last Tango in Paris
d) Mutiny on the Bounty
3.True or false. Mary Poppins won the Grammy over The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night for best motion picture soundtrack.
4. Randy Travis received a 2009 Grammy nomination in the Best Country Album category for his album Around The Bend. What is his real name?
a) Randy Ray
b) Randy Brown
c) Randy Traywick
d) Frankie Travis
5. The 51st Grammy Awards were held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the ninth time since 2000. Who is the building named after?
a) The Staple Singers
b) the Staples office-supply company
c) record producer Jerry Staples
d) Barry Staples, who build the facility in the late 1990s
6. The Grammys have received their share of criticism over the years. Which artist made this scathing comment: “We called them ‘The Grannys.’ Snobs, we did not want to hear anything about music from anyone older than us.”
a) Paul McCartney
b) Cher
c) Bono
d) Madonna
7. At the 1974, 1975, and 1976 Oscar ceremonies, two actors were in the running for Best Actor each year. One of them was Jack Nicholson. Who was the other?
a) Al Pacino
b) Dustin Hoffman
c} Jack Lemmon
d) Robert De Niro
8. Woody Allen achieved the rare feat of being nominated as Best Actor, Director, and Screenwriter for the same picture, in his case Annie Hall. The following year this actor/director/writer matched it. Who was he?
a) Robert Redford
b) Sylvester Stallone
c) Warren Beatty
d) Paul Newman
9. Which comedian hosted the most Oscar ceremonies in the 1980s?
a) Bob Hope
b) Johnny Carson
c) Chevy Chase
d) Billy Crystal
Trivia BITE!
The O-Pee-Chee company, which was famous in Canada for making such gum as Bazooka and Thrills, took its name from a line in the Longfellow poem “The Song of Hiawatha.” O-Pee-Chee is a Native word meaning “robin.”
QUIZ 3: ADVERTISING
Remember when you didn’t (or couldn’t) zap through TV commercials but actually paid attention to them? Then sit back in your comfiest TV -watching chair and try out this quiz on advertisements from baby boomers’ early years.
1. The 1970s ad for this brand of margarine told us “it’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.” Was it
a) Chiffon
b) Imperial
c) Parkay
d) Blue Bonnet
2. Margaret Hamilton was best known as the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz, but in the 1970s she enjoyed a resurgence in the role of “Cora” pitching this brand of coffee.
a) Yuban
b) Sanka
c) Maxwell House
d) Nescafe
3. “A little dab’ll do ya” of this hair product that peaked in the 50s and 60s but that has undergone something of a resurgence lately. It was once mentioned in a Seinfeld episode when George admitted to having some in his medicine cabinet. Name it.
4. Nothing came between Brooke Shields and this brand of jeans in these 1980s ads. Were they
a) Levi’s
b) Calvin Klein
c) Lee’s
d) Wrangler
5. A couple of actors pitching Polaroid cameras were so convincing, viewers mistakenly thought they were married. The guy was James Garner; who was his female counterpart?
a) Meryl Streep
b) Mary Tyler Moore
c) Michelle Phillips
d) Mariette Hartley
6. This product purported to consume forty-seven times its weight in excess stomach acid. How do you spell relief?
a) Tums
b) Rolaids
c) Alka Seltzer
d) Bromo Seltzer
7. Star-Kist Tuna always rejected this fish in its commercials by saying “Sorry, ___________. (the character’s name).
8. Madge the manicurist surprised her clients by telling them their hands were “soaking in it.” What dishwashing liquid was it?
a) Palmolive
b) Lux
c) Joy
d) Dove
9. Karl Malden had a long and distinguished career as an actor, but he became even more familiar to TV viewers telling us “don’t leave home without them.” Were they?
a) Pepto-Bismol pills
b) Tylenol liquid capsules
c) Foster Grant sunglasses
d) American Express Traveller’s Checks
10. Fill in the blanks on these popular slogans:
a) Please don’t _______ the Charmin.
b) (Miller Lite) Tastes great, less _________.
c) Bounty, the quicker picker ___________.
d) (Lay’s potato chips) Betcha can’t ___–______ just one.
Trivia BITE!
Until the 1960s, about 95 percent of milk consumed in Canadian homes was delivered door to door. With the advent of supermarkets and three-quart jugs, home delivery now accounts for about 1 percent of milk purchased.
QUIZ 4: HOLIDAYS
Hang your ornaments, dig out the dreidel, or pop open some festive champagne. When the holiday season is upon us, it’s time to celebrate. As part of the fun, sharpen your pencils and your wits and try our latest quiz.
1. On December 31 of what year did Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve make its debut on ABC ?
a) 1970
b) 1972
c) 1976
d) 1978
2. Match the lead actor with the holiday-themed film he appeared in:
| a) Bill Murray | i) The Santa Clause |
| b) Chevy Chase | ii) Scrooged |
| c) Tim Allen | iii) The Muppet Christmas Carol |
| d) Michael Caine | iv) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation |
3. Name the holiday the Constanzas from the TV show Seinfeld celebrated instead of Christmas or Hanukkah.
4. This children’s toy was panned at the 1988 Toy Fair but by Christmas of that year sales had topped $40 million. Was it:
a) Tickle Me Elmo
b) The Pet Rock
c) Super Ball
d) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
5. Score a point for each singer or group you match correctly with their hit holiday songs:
| a) "Jingle Bell Rock" | i) Brenda Lee |
| b) "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" | ii) Band Aid |
| c) "Do They Know It's Christmas" | iii) Royal Guardsmen |
| d) "Snoopy's Christmas" | iv) Bobby Helms |
6. Which of the following celebrities did NOT die on Christmas Day?
a) Dean Martin
b) Ray Walston
c) Charlie Chaplin
d) James Brown
7. In a famous holiday episode of Friends, Ross tries to teach his son Ben about Hanukkah by dressing up as what kind of animal?
a) aardvark
b) alligator
c) armadillo
d) antelope
8. Shortly before he died in 1977, Bing Crosby recorded for a TV Christmas special a famous duet of “Little Drummer Boy” with this rock star. Was it
a) Sting
b) Bob Seger
c) John Lennon
d) David Bowie
9. Jimmy Buffet, Annie Lennox, and Sissy Spacek all share something in common with December 25. They
a) were all born on Christmas Day
b) all had a child born on Christmas
c) all appeared together in the 1985 Bob Hope Christmas special
d) all of the above.
10. On Christmas Day, 1971, the Miami Dolphins won the longest playoff game in NFL history with a field goal in the second overtime period. Which team did they defeat?
a) Kansas City Chiefs
b) Oakland Raiders
c) New York Jets
d) San Diego Chargers
QUIZ 5: MUSIC
Disco, new wave, glam rock, punk rock, synth rock, and music videos. The 1970s and 80s were watershed years in pop music history.
Think back to your dancing days or dig out those old albums — yes, albums — to see what your recall of that era in pop music.
1. Match these successful soloists with their former bands:
| a) Sting | i) The Commodores |
| b) Don Henley | ii) Wham! |
| c) George Michael | iii) The Police |
| d) Lionel Richie | iv) Eagles |
2. Of the following 1970s songs by Elton John, which was the only one to reach Billboard’s number one?
a) “Your Song”
b) “Rocket Man”
c) “Philadelphia Freedom”
d) “Daniel”
3. In the fall of 1975, what New Jersey-based rocker, though still relatively unknown at the time, landed on the covers of Time and Newsweek simultaneously?
4. Before the release of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, this was the best-selling album of all time. Was it
a) Bridge over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel
b) Frampton Comes Alive, Peter Frampton
c) Abbey Road, The Beatles
d) Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, Various Artists
5. In 1976, what singing duo became the first divorced couple to co-host a television variety series? (Hint: she later won an Oscar and he became a congressman).
6. Given its repetitive name, it only make sense that this band hit number one with “Broken Wings” in late 1985 and then repeated at number one a few months later with “Kyrie”. Was it
a) Mr. Mister
b) Talk Talk
c) Frou Frou
d) Duran Duran
7. I used to be in the band Genesis, but in the early 1980s, “Against All Odds,” I tried a solo career. I performed a lot more than “One More Night” during my career, and I resisted the urge for fans to “Take Me Home.” A few years ago I won an Oscar for Best Song. Who am I?
8. What was Madonna’s first number one single?
a) “Papa Don’t Preach”
b) “Like a Virgin”
c) “Material Girl”
d) “Holiday”
9. The Paradise Garage, a notable club in the history of modern nightclub culture, operated from 1977 to 1987. Where was it located?
a) Philadelphia
b) New York City
c) Detroit
d) Atlanta
10. What did music industry personalities Jim Burgess, Walter Gibbons, John “Jellybean” Benitez, and Richie Kaczar have in common in the 1970s and 80s?
a) rap pioneers
b) DJs who popularized disco music
c) Grammy-winning record producers
d) members of the band Kool and the Gang
11. Of these musicians, who won Best New Artist at the 1980 Grammy awards?
a) Rickie Lee Jones
b) The Blues Brothers
c) The Knack
d) Dire Straits
QUIZ 6: MUSIC 2
The music we grew up with continues to play on radio stations and can often be heard in concert halls thanks to solo artists and bands that refuse to hang up their guitars. Test your power of recall with our 70s and 80s music quiz.
1. Fill in the missing words from these popular songs (artists in brackets):
a) “I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain. I’ve seen ____ days that I thought would never end.” (James Taylor)
b) “The Mississippi delta was _____ like a National guitar.” (Paul Simon)
c) “If you fall, I will catch you, I’ll be _____, time after time.” (Cyndi Lauper)
d) “I’m easy … easy like _____ morning.” (The Commodores)
2. This number one 1979 hit by Rupert Holmes was called “Escape” but most would remember it for the type of alcoholic drink he wondered if his would-be lover would like. Name the drink.
3. The Bee Gees were three Gibb brothers. Two were named Robin and Barry. Name the third.
4. In Billy Joel’s 1973 hit single “Piano Man,” we are told about an old man, who is making love in the bar. Who or what is he making love to?
a) his tonic and gin
b) the reflection in his beer glass
c) his imaginary girlfriend
d) his wife
5. Which of the following LPs was not released by Pat Benatar?
a) Crimes of Passion
b) In the Heat of the Night
c) Paradise Theater
d) Precious Time
6. Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson teamed up in the early 1980s for two hits songs, “The Girl Is Mine” and “Say Say Say.” Which one of the two made it to number one?
7. In 1981 alone, Hall and Oates had three number one hits. Which one of the following “only” made it to number five?
a) “Kiss on My List”
b) “You Make My Dreams”
c) “Private Eyes”
d) “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)”
8. Billy Ocean, who had a 1984 hit with the song “Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run),” was born in New Orleans. True or false?
9. When Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys died in December 1983, President Ronald Reagan had to intervene to allow this to take place. Was it
a) burial at sea
b) scattering Wilson’s ashes on Malibu Beach
c) having Wilson buried at Arlington Cemetery
d) awarding a posthumous Congressional Medal of Freedom
10. In 1979, this British band truly enjoyed its breakfast in America with three top fifteen singles including “Take the Long Way Home” and “The Logical Song.” Name the group.
QUIZ 7: TRAVEL
There’s more to the holiday season than family gatherings, enjoying food, and unwrapping the odd gift or two. It’s also a popular time for boomers to travel. With that in mind, we hit the research road to test your knowledge of all things travel related.
1. More than seven million visitors have walked through my doors since I opened in 1995. Am I:
a) The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
b) The National Baseball Hall of Fame
c) Canada’s Wonderland
d) Elvis Presley’s Graceland Mansion
2. Match the following singers with the travel-related hit they had.
| a) Ricky Nelson | i) “Holiday” |
| b) Ray Charles | ii) “On the Road Again” |
| c) Madonna | iii) “Travelin’ Man” |
| d) Willie Nelson | iv) “Hit the Road Jack” |
3. True or false? The founder of Hertz Rent-a-Car got his start in the taxicab business.
4. When packing for a holiday trip that involves air travel, which of the following does American Airlines NOT recommend?
a) Placing contact information on the inside and outside of your bag
b) Packing medications and other valuables such as cameras and electronics in your checked baggage
c) Leaving gifts unwrapped in your luggage
d) Using your camera phone to get a shot of your parking location at the airport to ensure you can find your vehicle when you return.
5. If you take a ski vacation during the winter holidays, where would you find a resort that in 1936 installed the world’s first motorized chairlift?
a) Vermont
b) Idaho
c) California
d) British Columbia
6. Unscramble the following letters to identify the former Saturday Night Live performer who was the star of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and other Lampoon vacation movies.
vcyhe acshe
7. What occupation did budget travel expert Arthur Frommer give up in the early 1960s when he became the full-time publisher of the Frommer series of travel guides?
a) book store owner
b) cruise line operator
c) lawyer
d) hotelier
8. Las Vegas has 14 of the 15 largest hotels in North America. Where is the other one?
a) New York City
b) Orlando
c) Honolulu
d) Niagara Falls
9. Florida is the most popular winter destination in the eastern U.S. but what is the most popular in the western U.S.?
a) Las Vegas
b) Phoenix
c) Palm Springs
d) Aspen
QUIZ 8: TRIVIA HODGE PODGE
1. For what movie did Jack Nicholson receive his first Academy Award?
a) Chinatown
b) One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
c) Five Easy Pieces
d) The Last Detail
2. Which of the following baby boomers has yet to celebrate his or her 60th birthday (as of March, 2009)?
a) George W. Bush
b) Patty Hearst
c) Cher
d) Dolly Parton
e) Art Garfunkel
3. According to the Nielsen annual ratings, how many times was The Mary Tyler Moore Show the number one show on TV during its seven year run?
a) four
b) three
c) two
d) never
4. What sports team, in 1971, lost their first game in over eight years after winning 2,495 consecutive games?
5. Match the following British Invasion bands with their hit songs.
| a) Herman’s Hermits | i) “Bits and Pieces” |
| b) The Kinks | ii) “Don’t let the Sun Catch You Crying?” |
| c) The Zombies | iii) “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat” |
| d) Gerry and the Pacemakers | iv) “You Really Got Me” |
| e) Dave Clark Five | v) “She’s Not There” |
6. While boomers remember Neil Armstrong being the first man on the moon in 1969, astronaut Gene Cernan has his own lunar claim to fame. Was he
a) the second man on the moon
b) the only astronaut to fly to the moon twice without stepping on the surface
c) the last man on the moon
d) the first man to orbit the moon
7. She was born Leslie Hornby, but this British supermodel, once christened “The Face of 1966,” is better known by what one-word moniker?
8. In 1966, this group and the song they recorded held the number one spot for seven weeks, longer than anyone else that year. Was it:
a) The Beatles and “We Can Work it Out”
b) The Beach Boys and “Good Vibrations”
c) The Monkees with “I’m a Believer”
d) The Lovin’ Spoonful and “Summer in the City”
9. In 1974, this former star of The Honeymooners beat out distinguished actors Albert Finney, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, and Al Pacino for the Best Actor Oscar. Name him.
10. In 1946, James and Mary were the most popular baby names in the United States. Which of the following ranked number two?
a) Robert and Linda
b) William and Barbara
c) Richard and Carol
d) Kenneth and Karen
QUIZ 9: BOOMER CAR QUIZ
If you want to put a little vroom into your boomer life, take a test drive with our auto quiz on everything from muscle cars to the music we played as we sailed down the highways.
1. What was Chevy’s Camaro known as before the Camaro name was officially adopted?
a) Cobra
b) Panther
c) Cheetah
d) Lynx
2. True or false. The Beach Boys followed up their car-inspired 1963 hit “Little Deuce Coupe” with the even bigger song, “G.T.O.,” the following year.
3. To what film/television production company did Plymouth reportedly pay $50,000 for the rights to use the name, cartoon likeness and “beep-beep” horn for its Road Runner model?
a) Warner Brothers
b) MGM
c) Looney Toons
d) Hanna-Barbera
4. Still with the Road Runner: True or false. The car was reputedly a favourite of moonshiners because it was faster than most police cars and built to handle practically any kind of bump.
5. Unscramble the following letters to identify these car models from the 1970s:
a) srdute
b) mlegnir
c) theron
d) geav
6. A ppropriately enough, this rock band had a Top Five hit in 1984 with the song “Drive.” Was it:
a) The Cadillacs
b) Bachman-Turner Overdrive
c) The Cars
d) The Highwaymen
7. The engine of this 1970s small model car was described by John DeLorean as “noisy, expensive to manufacture, and top heavy.” Was it the
a) Astre
b) Pinto
c) Colt
d) Vega
8. The British have different automobile lingo than Americans. Match our terms with the corresponding British ones.
| a) trunk | i) wing |
| b) gasoline | ii) boot |
| c) hood | iii) damper |
| d) shock absorber | iv) bonnet |
| e) fender | v) petrol |
9. This car manufacturer was responsible for such 1970s model cars as the Hornet, Gremlin, and Pacer. Was it
a) GM
b) American Motors
c) Ford
d) Volkswagen
