The Fabulous 1950s
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'?
ALittle RichardBElvis PresleyCBuddy HollyDChuck Berry - 2.
What popular 1950s dance involved couples dancing in their socks on a gym floor?
AThe BopBThe StrollCThe TwistDThe Sock Hop - 3.
Which TV show featured Ricky and Lucy Ricardo?
ALeave It to BeaverBThe HoneymoonersCFather Knows BestDI Love Lucy - 4.
What was the name of the first satellite launched into space in 1957?
AExplorer 1BVanguard 1CLuna 1DSputnik - 5.
Which U.S. President served throughout most of the 1950s?
AHarry TrumanBRichard NixonCDwight D. EisenhowerDJohn F. Kennedy - 6.
What 1955 James Dean movie became a symbol of teenage rebellion?
AThe Wild OneBRebel Without a CauseCGiantDEast of Eden - 7.
Which rock 'n' roll pioneer recorded 'Johnny B. Goode' in 1958?
AChuck BerryBFats DominoCBo DiddleyDJerry Lee Lewis - 8.
What new type of restaurant became wildly popular in 1950s America, often featuring carhop service?
ACafeteriasBAutomatsCDinersDDrive-ins - 9.
Which TV host's variety show famously introduced Elvis Presley to a massive national audience in 1956?
AEd SullivanBSteve AllenCMilton BerleDJack Paar - 10.
What was the name of the toy that became a massive craze in 1958, with tens of millions sold in just months?
ASlinkyBHula HoopCMr. Potato HeadDFrisbee - 11.
Which 1950s TV show featured the Cleaver family and their sons Wally and 'The Beaver'?
AThe Donna Reed ShowBFather Knows BestCLeave It to BeaverDOzzie and Harriet - 12.
On February 3, 1959, a plane crash killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and which other musician?
AGene VincentBSam CookeCThe Big BopperDEddie Cochran - 13.
What was the name of the 1954 Supreme Court case that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional?
APlessy v. FergusonBBrown v. Board of EducationCLoving v. VirginiaDMiranda v. Arizona - 14.
Which actress starred opposite Marlon Brando in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' (1951)?
AVivien LeighBMarilyn MonroeCGrace KellyDAudrey Hepburn - 15.
Which quiz show scandal rocked television in 1958, involving contestant Charles Van Doren?
ATwenty-OneBWhat's My Line?CDottoDThe $64,000 Question
Answer Key
Elvis Presley earned the title after hits like 'Heartbreak Hotel' and 'Hound Dog' made him the biggest star of the 1950s.
Sock hops got their name because teens removed their shoes to protect gymnasium floors, dancing in just their socks.
I Love Lucy, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, debuted in 1951 and became one of the most beloved sitcoms in television history.
The Soviet Union launched Sputnik on October 4, 1957, shocking the world and kicking off the Space Race.
Eisenhower served as the 34th President from 1953 to 1961. He oversaw the construction of the Interstate Highway System.
Rebel Without a Cause made James Dean an icon of youthful defiance. Tragically, Dean died in a car crash the same year the film was released.
Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B. Goode' is considered one of the most influential rock songs ever recorded and was included on the Voyager Golden Record sent into space.
Drive-in restaurants boomed in the 1950s, where carhops brought food right to your car window — a perfect match for America's growing car culture.
Elvis appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show three times in 1956-57. His first appearance drew an estimated 60 million viewers — about 82% of the TV audience.
The Hula Hoop, made by Wham-O, became one of the biggest fads of the decade. Over 25 million were sold in the first four months alone.
Leave It to Beaver aired from 1957 to 1963 and became a defining image of idealized suburban American family life in the 1950s.
The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson), known for 'Chantilly Lace,' died alongside Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. Don McLean later called it 'The Day the Music Died.'
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark decision that overturned 'separate but equal' and became a cornerstone of the Civil Rights Movement.
Vivien Leigh won her second Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in the film adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play.
The Twenty-One scandal revealed that producers had been feeding answers to contestants. The story was later dramatized in the 1994 Robert Redford film 'Quiz Show.'