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1950s America Quiz

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Date: 

Instructions: Poodle skirts, sock hops, and the dawn of the suburbs. How well do you remember the fabulous fifties?

  1. 1.

    Who was President of the United States for most of the 1950s?

    A
    John F. Kennedy
    B
    Dwight D. Eisenhower
    C
    Richard Nixon
    D
    Harry Truman
  2. 2.

    What phrase described the conformist, prosperous middle-class lifestyle of the 1950s?

    A
    Keeping up with the Joneses
    B
    The American Dream
    C
    The Good Life
    D
    The Silent Majority
  3. 3.

    What famous fast-food chain opened its first franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1955?

    A
    Wendy's
    B
    White Castle
    C
    McDonald's
    D
    Burger King
  4. 4.

    What toy, introduced in 1958, became one of the biggest fads of the decade?

    A
    The Frisbee
    B
    Mr. Potato Head
    C
    The Hula Hoop
    D
    Silly Putty
  5. 5.

    What did teenagers call informal dances held in school gymnasiums?

    A
    Twist parties
    B
    Dance halls
    C
    Sock hops
    D
    Jive sessions
  6. 6.

    Which TV show host brought rock and roll to millions of American living rooms?

    A
    Dick Clark on American Bandstand
    B
    Milton Berle on Texaco Star Theater
    C
    Steve Allen on The Tonight Show
    D
    Ed Sullivan on Toast of the Town
  7. 7.

    What was the name of the vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1955?

    A
    Polio vaccine
    B
    Tuberculosis vaccine
    C
    Measles vaccine
    D
    Smallpox vaccine
  8. 8.

    What new type of highway system was authorized by Congress in 1956?

    A
    Toll roads
    B
    State highways
    C
    County roads
    D
    The Interstate Highway System
  9. 9.

    Which movie star epitomized 1950s rebellion in films like 'Rebel Without a Cause'?

    A
    James Dean
    B
    Elvis Presley
    C
    Marlon Brando
    D
    Paul Newman
  10. 10.

    What was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954?

    A
    'One nation'
    B
    'Under God'
    C
    'With liberty and justice for all'
    D
    'Indivisible'
  11. 11.

    Alaska and Hawaii became the 49th and 50th states in what year?

    A
    1957
    B
    1959
    C
    1958
    D
    1960
  12. 12.

    What popular hairstyle did many 1950s men sport, slicked back on the sides?

    A
    The Ducktail (D.A.)
    B
    The Crew Cut
    C
    The Flat Top
    D
    The Pompadour
  13. 13.

    Which quiz show scandal shocked the nation when it was revealed that contestants were given answers?

    A
    Dotto
    B
    The $64,000 Question
    C
    Twenty-One
    D
    The Price Is Right
  14. 14.

    What did families gather around in their living rooms to watch together every evening?

    A
    The television
    B
    The newspaper
    C
    The record player
    D
    The radio
  15. 15.

    What pre-made meal, sold in aluminum trays, became a symbol of modern convenience?

    A
    Boxed lunches
    B
    Canned dinners
    C
    Frozen pies
    D
    TV dinners

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