The Fabulous 1950s

Name:

Date:

Instructions: Test your memory of the Eisenhower era — from sock hops and drive-ins to the birth of rock 'n' roll!

1.
Which singer was known as 'The King of Rock and Roll'?
A
Little Richard
B
Elvis Presley
C
Buddy Holly
D
Chuck Berry
2.
What popular 1950s dance involved couples dancing in their socks on a gym floor?
A
The Bop
B
The Stroll
C
The Twist
D
The Sock Hop
3.
Which TV show featured Ricky and Lucy Ricardo?
A
Leave It to Beaver
B
The Honeymooners
C
Father Knows Best
D
I Love Lucy
4.
What was the name of the first satellite launched into space in 1957?
A
Explorer 1
B
Vanguard 1
C
Luna 1
D
Sputnik
5.
Which U.S. President served throughout most of the 1950s?
A
Harry Truman
B
Richard Nixon
C
Dwight D. Eisenhower
D
John F. Kennedy
6.
What 1955 James Dean movie became a symbol of teenage rebellion?
A
The Wild One
B
Rebel Without a Cause
C
Giant
D
East of Eden
7.
Which rock 'n' roll pioneer recorded 'Johnny B. Goode' in 1958?
A
Chuck Berry
B
Fats Domino
C
Bo Diddley
D
Jerry Lee Lewis
8.
What new type of restaurant became wildly popular in 1950s America, often featuring carhop service?
A
Cafeterias
B
Automats
C
Diners
D
Drive-ins
9.
Which TV host's variety show famously introduced Elvis Presley to a massive national audience in 1956?
A
Ed Sullivan
B
Steve Allen
C
Milton Berle
D
Jack Paar
10.
What was the name of the toy that became a massive craze in 1958, with tens of millions sold in just months?
A
Slinky
B
Hula Hoop
C
Mr. Potato Head
D
Frisbee
11.
Which 1950s TV show featured the Cleaver family and their sons Wally and 'The Beaver'?
A
The Donna Reed Show
B
Father Knows Best
C
Leave It to Beaver
D
Ozzie and Harriet
12.
On February 3, 1959, a plane crash killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and which other musician?
A
Gene Vincent
B
Sam Cooke
C
The Big Bopper
D
Eddie Cochran
13.
What was the name of the 1954 Supreme Court case that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional?
A
Plessy v. Ferguson
B
Brown v. Board of Education
C
Loving v. Virginia
D
Miranda v. Arizona
14.
Which actress starred opposite Marlon Brando in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' (1951)?
A
Vivien Leigh
B
Marilyn Monroe
C
Grace Kelly
D
Audrey Hepburn
15.
Which quiz show scandal rocked television in 1958, involving contestant Charles Van Doren?
A
Twenty-One
B
What's My Line?
C
Dotto
D
The $64,000 Question

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