Iconic News Moments

Name:

Date:

Instructions: From breaking news bulletins to unforgettable broadcasts, test your memory of the news moments that stopped the nation.

1.
Which trusted news anchor was known as 'the most trusted man in America'?
A
Chet Huntley
B
David Brinkley
C
Walter Cronkite
D
Edward R. Murrow
2.
What 1974 event was the first presidential resignation in U.S. history?
A
Richard Nixon's resignation
B
Gerald Ford's pardon
C
The Saturday Night Massacre
D
Spiro Agnew's resignation
3.
What phrase did Walter Cronkite famously sign off his broadcasts with?
A
'Until next time'
B
'And that's the way it is'
C
'That's all for tonight'
D
'Good night and good luck'
4.
What shocking event in Jonestown, Guyana in 1978 claimed over 900 lives?
A
A volcanic eruption
B
A mass suicide at a cult compound
C
A military coup
D
An earthquake
5.
What event in December 1980 was announced by Howard Cosell during Monday Night Football?
A
The election of Ronald Reagan
B
The eruption of Mt. St. Helens
C
The murder of John Lennon
D
The Iran hostage rescue attempt
6.
Which volcano erupted catastrophically in Washington State on May 18, 1980?
A
Mount St. Helens
B
Mount Baker
C
Mount Rainier
D
Mount Hood
7.
What natural disaster struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast in August 1969?
A
Hurricane Betsy
B
Hurricane Camille
C
Hurricane Agnes
D
Hurricane Andrew
8.
What broadcast journalist confronted Senator McCarthy on his show 'See It Now' in 1954?
A
Edward R. Murrow
B
Walter Cronkite
C
David Brinkley
D
Howard K. Smith
9.
What major event in 1977 caused a massive blackout in New York City?
A
A blizzard
B
A lightning strike on power infrastructure
C
A workers' strike
D
A heat wave
10.
What hostage situation at the 1972 Munich Olympics stunned the world?
A
Soviet athletes were detained
B
East German athletes defected
C
American athletes were kidnapped
D
Palestinian terrorists seized Israeli athletes
11.
What was the first war to be extensively covered on television, bringing combat footage into American homes?
A
The Gulf War
B
World War II
C
The Korean War
D
The Vietnam War
12.
In 1981, who were the 52 Americans released after 444 days of captivity?
A
Hostages from the U.S. Embassy in Iran
B
Prisoners from North Korea
C
POWs from Vietnam
D
Aid workers from Lebanon
13.
What deadly gas leak in Bhopal, India in 1984 became one of the worst industrial disasters?
A
A chemical plant explosion
B
A methyl isocyanate gas leak at a Union Carbide plant
C
A nuclear power plant meltdown
D
An oil refinery fire
14.
What was Three Mile Island, the site of a major 1979 incident near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
A
A chemical factory
B
A nuclear power plant
C
An oil refinery
D
A military base
15.
What 1985 earthquake devastated Mexico City and was felt as far away as Texas?
A
A 9.0 magnitude quake
B
An 8.0 magnitude quake
C
A 6.5 magnitude quake
D
A 7.2 magnitude quake

Answer Key

Question 1

C. Walter Cronkite

Question 2

A. Richard Nixon's resignation

Question 3

B. 'And that's the way it is'

Question 4

B. A mass suicide at a cult compound

Question 5

C. The murder of John Lennon

Question 6

A. Mount St. Helens

Question 7

B. Hurricane Camille

Question 8

A. Edward R. Murrow

Question 9

B. A lightning strike on power infrastructure

Question 10

D. Palestinian terrorists seized Israeli athletes

Question 11

D. The Vietnam War

Question 12

A. Hostages from the U.S. Embassy in Iran

Question 13

B. A methyl isocyanate gas leak at a Union Carbide plant

Question 14

B. A nuclear power plant

Question 15

B. An 8.0 magnitude quake

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