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1960s History Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
1960s History Quizzes, Trivia

1960s History Trivia

1960s History Trivia Quizzes

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30 1960s History quizzes and 325 1960s History trivia questions.
1.
  It Was the Best of Times ... The 1960s   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
This 'Tale of Two Sixties' quiz recalls some of the historic highs and lows of the decade to show: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times'.
Average, 20 Qns, looney_tunes, May 13 24
Average
looney_tunes editor
May 13 24
9308 plays
2.
  Firsts in the 1960s (Part 1)   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
This quiz asks you to identify newsworthy items of that explosive decade, the 1960s, such as inventions, cultural icons, and events. Enjoy your trip down memory lane. I enjoyed mine.
Average, 15 Qns, Windswept, Jul 03 13
Average
Windswept gold member
7606 plays
3.
  What Happened in ...? (1960s edition)   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
We're back to our decade-by-decade history test, this time in the psychedelic Sixties. Good luck!
Average, 10 Qns, john_sunseri, Jan 10 13
Average
john_sunseri
6283 plays
4.
  'The Summer of Love' - 1967   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
You'd think with a nickname like that, it was a good time ... What do you remember of 1967?
Average, 15 Qns, Oddball, Apr 05 12
Average
Oddball
6636 plays
5.
  Where Did This Happen?: 1960s Edition   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Highlights of the 1960's decade are touched on in this quiz, which forms part of the 10 quiz series, "Where Did This Happen? 19x0s Edition", crafted by Team Blue in April 2019.
Easier, 10 Qns, windrush, Apr 05 19
Easier
windrush gold member
Apr 05 19
1730 plays
6.
  The 1960s Counter Culture (USA)   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
In the 1960s, all kinds of new stars were born. People became famous for all sorts of new reasons. It was the rise of what we now call counter culture. This change was a creater and receiver of mass media, increasing digitalization, and globalization.
Average, 10 Qns, Windswept, May 06 20
Average
Windswept gold member
May 06 20
5289 plays
7.
  Fun Facts About the Year 1961   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Please enjoy this tour around the year 1961. This quiz will hopefully be the first of a number of quizzes that delve into events that happened in specific years.
Easier, 10 Qns, adam36, Feb 15 14
Easier
adam36 gold member
3042 plays
8.
  Zipping up the Zips editor best quiz   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Zip up those zips on your jackets, pull on your crash helmet, zip up your boots, and come with me into the 1960s world of Mods and Rockers.
Average, 10 Qns, Christinap, Aug 05 14
Average
Christinap
2823 plays
9.
  The Late 1960s    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Here are some questions about the late 1960s (1965-69) - a turbulent, but 'loving' time in the world. Good luck!
Average, 10 Qns, Jendy, Sep 22 13
Average
Jendy
11399 plays
10.
  20th-Century History in the 1960s    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The Swinging 1960s were dominated by Civil Rights Movement in the USA and man's first landing on the moon.
Average, 10 Qns, sw11, May 09 21
Average
sw11 gold member
May 09 21
1139 plays
trivia question Quick Question
In 1963 what numerical routing system was introduced which greatly helped the US Postal System?

From Quiz "Firsts in the 1960s (Part 1)"




11.
  The 20th Century - 1961-1970   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Yet another in the series, this quiz covers the decade of the 1960's. One question per year. Good Luck!
Tough, 10 Qns, sportcon, Jun 20 17
Tough
sportcon
12225 plays
12.
  Firsts in the 1960s (Part 2)   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz asks you to identify newsworthy items of that explosive decade, the 1960s, such as inventions, cultural icons, and events. Enjoy your trip down memory lane. I enjoyed this second trip too.
Average, 10 Qns, Windswept, Sep 14 09
Average
Windswept gold member
2661 plays
13.
  The 1960s - A Very Inventive Decade!   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Take a walk through a fascinating decade of inventions on a year by year basis. Yes, the 60's were more than hippy beads, rock concerts, and protests. Some people actually invented items that are still used today. Can you pick them?
Average, 10 Qns, mixit, Oct 27 17
Average
mixit
3770 plays
14.
  Stayin' Alive in '65   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
1965 was a year of great change. Fifty years on, Team Old Farts and Team The Misplaced bring you another World First! Ta - daa! A joint team quiz, demonstrating that it IS possible to form inter-team coalitions. We hope you enjoy our first offering.
Average, 10 Qns, Hermit007, Oct 22 15
Average
Hermit007
1552 plays
15.
  It Happened In 1968    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
1968 was a year of war and assassinations but it was also the years when we as humans began to see ourselves differently.
Tough, 15 Qns, philipstevens, Dec 03 09
Tough
philipstevens
4184 plays
16.
  The Transitional Early 1960s    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
So much happened in the early 1960s. This quiz tries to pull some of that together. The questions are mostly general knowledge about the people, politics, music, and events that influenced the latter half of the 60s and changed America forever. Have fun!
Average, 10 Qns, Jendy, Oct 15 16
Average
Jendy
8439 plays
17.
  It happened in 1960   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
1960 was the year that I was born, but, apart from that, some other important events also took place that year.
Average, 10 Qns, Dizart, May 10 15
Average
Dizart gold member
2056 plays
18.
  A Slice In Time: 1960s History   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
How much do you know about the days of Viet Nam, Camelot and the British Invasion?
Average, 10 Qns, brewster76, Jun 18 12
Average
brewster76
3779 plays
19.
  A Slice in Time: 1960s History 2   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
More questions about the people, places and events from around the world that helped shape the era of flower power.
Average, 10 Qns, brewster76, Feb 03 09
Average
brewster76
2906 plays
20.
  The Hippies   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The hippies were a colorful culture of young people who first appeared in the U.S. during the 1960's. While many people scorned them for their use of illegal drugs, they were also admired by many others for their innocence, love, and peace.
Difficult, 10 Qns, star_gazer, Sep 21 09
Difficult
star_gazer
1875 plays
21.
  It Happened in 1963    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
1963 was packed full of major events that few of us alive then will forget. Most you should know even if just from school.
Very Difficult, 10 Qns, NormanW5, Mar 30 13
Very Difficult
NormanW5
2246 plays
22.
  1962    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz dedicated to all those born in this eventful year. How much do you know about 1962?
Difficult, 10 Qns, dericpw, Mar 24 11
Difficult
dericpw
1931 plays
23.
  A Sixties Sampler (mainly US)    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
It was the best of times... it was the worst of times. It was the 60's. Here is one question based on an event in each year of that turbulent decade.
Tough, 10 Qns, JRooowe, Jan 21 11
Tough
JRooowe gold member
1310 plays
24.
  1964 - A Year to Remember    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I thought I'd share some interesting facts I learned about the year I was born.
Average, 10 Qns, Booklover17, Jun 08 11
Average
Booklover17
1888 plays
25.
  1965: A Year To Remember    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
1965 is the year I was born, but that was not the only memorable thing to happen then!
Average, 10 Qns, allmine, Feb 15 12
Average
allmine
3419 plays
26.
  What Else Happened In 1966    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Mention 1966 to most Brits and we'll instantly recall that we beat Germany in the final of the World Cup! But see if you know, or can guess, what else happened in the world that year. If you're not from the UK you may struggle. Good Luck!
Average, 10 Qns, Daisybod, Apr 25 17
Average
Daisybod
565 plays
27.
  Are You a '60s Radical?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
How much do you know about the radical '60s?
Difficult, 10 Qns, sku, Jun 07 10
Difficult
sku
3706 plays
28.
  Match The Headline    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
I give you ten "Headline" news items from 1960 through 1969; your chore is to match the event with the year it happened.
Difficult, 10 Qns, luckytrim, Mar 14 17
Difficult
luckytrim gold member
384 plays
29.
  1968    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
1968 is a year full of important events in history. See how much do you know about them.
Average, 10 Qns, ivailo, Mar 19 11
Average
ivailo
1427 plays
30.
  1964 World's Fair    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The 1964 World's Fair was a wonderful memory. Most people remember the Belgium Waffle! Yum!
Tough, 10 Qns, lucy54, Mar 24 11
Tough
lucy54 gold member
718 plays
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1960s History Trivia Questions

1. 1960 was designated as the Year of ______ , where many countries achieved independence.

From Quiz
20th-Century History in the 1960s

Answer: Africa

17 African countries gained independence in 1960: Cameroon, Togo, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, and Mauritania.

2. In 1960, John F. Kennedy won the US Presidential election and the oil cartel, OPEC was created. During this year, a number of African countries, including Togo, Senegal and Chad gained independence from which European colonial power?

From Quiz Where Did This Happen?: 1960s Edition

Answer: France

Although decolonisation of Africa had a slow start, beginning with Liberia (USA) in 1847, the process accelerated during the 1950s and 1960s. 1960 was an extraordinary year, in which seventeen countries shook off their colonial masters. France's lost African colonies during 1960 were, in chronological order, (giving their conventional modern names): Cameroon, Togo, Mali, Senegal, Madagascar, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Gabon and Mauritania. The transfer of power seemed to be mostly by consultation, unlike the violent revolution and bloody conflict which was the Algerian War. Algeria did not gain its independence from France until July, 1962.

3. Costing sixty five times more in mid-2016, at the time the Brexit vote was carried, how much was the average price of a house in the UK fifty years earlier in 1966?

From Quiz What Else Happened In 1966

Answer: £3,600

The average price for a house in the UK in mid-2016 is around £234,000. Back in the swinging sixties you could get yourself a reasonable roof over your head for just over three and a half grand. In today's money that's about £60,000. Proving that investing in bricks and mortar was a solid idea.

4. In March 1965 over 100 US aircraft attacked targets in North Vietnam. This operation, while originally designed to last eight weeks, continued for over three years. What was the name of this booming military operation?

From Quiz Stayin' Alive in '65

Answer: Operation Rolling Thunder

Operation Rolling Thunder. Over 600,000 tons of bombs were dropped, at a cost of more than 900 aircraft in the time frame of the operation. Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation to capture bridges over the Meuse and the Rhine river in 1944. Operation Mongoose was a top secret program against Cuba aimed at removing Castro from power. Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union. Question by Hermit007, Team Old Farts

5. Rockers rode motorbikes. What did Mods ride?

From Quiz Zipping up the Zips

Answer: Scooters

Mods always rode scooters. Vespa or Lambretta were the two most popular makes and many were customised with mirrors, fringed saddles or custom paint jobs. Where rockers wore black leather jackets mods wore big parkas. On a night out separating a rocker from his black leather jacket was almost impossible. A mod however would remove his parka to reveal a sharply tailored suit, often of Italian design. Although the roots of the mod culture can be difficult to define they were essentially working class, fashion conscious teenagers who preferred R & B or Soul to Rock and Roll.

6. Who "launched" into the first human space flight on April 12, 1961?

From Quiz Fun Facts About the Year 1961

Answer: Yuri Gagarin

Gagarin's flight lasted 1 hour and 48 minutes. Alan Shepard was the second person and first American in space on May 5, 1961. Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth on February 20, 1962. Ms. Tereshkova was the first woman to fly in space on June 16, 1963.

7. The Prague Spring happened in 1968. Who was the leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring?

From Quiz 1968

Answer: Alexander Dubcek

The Prague Spring was very important a period of liberalization, which continued until USSR along with Bulgaria, the then East Germany, Hungary and Poland, all members of the Warsaw Pact, invaded Czechoslovakia. The Prague Spring is associated with the slogan 'socialism with a human face'.

8. 1960. This familar item was first patented in 1959 and released in 1960 by General Electric.

From Quiz The 1960s - A Very Inventive Decade!

Answer: Halogen lamp

The halogen lamp was considered brighter than previous lamps. The other forms of lighting are all older. Vapor lamps were first around in 1901, neon signs in 1911, and fluorescent lamps hit the stores in 1927.

9. On February 13, 1960, what country exploded its first atomic bomb?

From Quiz A Sixties Sampler (mainly US)

Answer: France

It was exploded over the Sahara Desert in southwestern Algeria. This successful test made France the fourth nation in the "atomic club", joining the U.S. (1945), Russia (1949) and Great Britian (1952). China "became a member" in 1964. A number of other countries now have some level of nuclear capability including Pakistan, Israel, India and who knows ...?

10. The 1964 World's Fair was imaginative and futuristic. What was its theme?

From Quiz 1964 World's Fair

Answer: Peace Through Understanding

The Fair was dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe".

11. What first occurred on a Pan-Am flight in 1962?

From Quiz Firsts in the 1960s (Part 2)

Answer: first television monitors

Pan-American World Airways (Pan-Am) installed the monitors in the first class section of their Lockheed 1011 aircraft. The first ever film shown on a commercial flight was "Howdy Chicago" in 1921, shown by Aeromarine Airways on an amphibious flight near Chicago.

12. In the age of Camelot, what idea of a group of young people acting throughout the world did a youthful president introduce during his presidential campaign in 1960?

From Quiz Firsts in the 1960s (Part 1)

Answer: The Peace Corps

In keeping with idealist spirit of the times, young idealists actively volunteered to work with the Peace Corps to become useful throughout the world.

13. On May 1, 1960 an American U-2 spy plane was shot down over Sverdlovsk, USSR (now called Yekaterinburg). Who was the pilot of the plane who the Soviets accused of espionage and sentenced to seven years of hard labor?

From Quiz A Slice In Time: 1960s History

Answer: Francis Gary Powers

Powers was returned to the US in a swap for a Soviet prisoner in 1962. He became a helicopter traffic reporter for Los Angeles television station KNBC and died when his craft crashed while returning from covering brush fires in 1977.

14. 1963 was a tense year for the European Union, with some political commentators going so far as to suggest that the Union was doomed to fail. One particular cause for concern was:

From Quiz It Happened in 1963

Answer: De Gaulle's veto of Britain's application to join the Common Market

French President De Gaulle argued that Britain's subsidies to farmers led to artificially low food prices that would hurt European farmers. More importantly, he also said the British would never be "good Europeans" and that the country would be the United States' Trojan horse in the Community.

15. 1962 was the height of the Cold War and saw the release of the first Bond movie, "Dr. No". However, which Bond book was published in this year?

From Quiz 1962

Answer: The Spy Who Loved Me

The Spy Who Loved Me was published in 1962 and was the tenth of the fourteen James Bond books. The others were: Casino Royale (1953) Live and Let Die (1954) Moonraker (1955) Diamonds Are Forever (1956) From Russia, with Love (1957) Doctor No (1958) Goldfinger (1959) For Your Eyes Only (1960) Thunderball (1961) On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1963) You Only Live Twice (1964) The Man with the Golden Gun (1965) Octopussy (1966) Also published in 1962 was Len Deighton's first spy novel, "The Ipcress File" which became an instant bestseller and the first of a series of 'Harry Palmer' films starring Micheal Caine.

16. In January which military operation was launched in Vietnam?

From Quiz It Happened In 1968

Answer: Tet Offensive

The Têt Offensive was a succession of attacks on most of the major cities in Southern Vietnam from January 31-February 24 1968. Launched by the Viet Cong, its objective was to catch the South Vietnamese and US armies by surprise by starting the attack on the Vietnamese holiday of Têt Nguyên Dán.

17. In 1961, a passenger on a National Airlines flight threatened the crew and passengers with a knife and gun in the first successful skyjacking. To what country was the plane forced to fly?

From Quiz The 20th Century - 1961-1970

Answer: Cuba

A Cuban using the name 'The Pirate Cofresi' skyjacked a flight from Miami to Key West and demanded to be taken to Havana.

18. The summer of what year was given the name 'Summer of Love'?

From Quiz The Late 1960s

Answer: 1967

The 'Summer of Love' was marked by the June 1, 1967 release of the Beatles' album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'.

19. Whose assassination marked what some historians call a turning point in American History from idealism to cynicism in the way Americans viewed their government and country?

From Quiz The Transitional Early 1960s

Answer: John F. Kennedy & John F Kennedy & John Fitzgerald Kennedy & JFK & Kennedy & J. F. Kennedy & J F Kennedy

President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas. Of course, you probably knew that already.

20. In 1961, which UN General Secretary was killed in an air crash?

From Quiz 20th-Century History in the 1960s

Answer: Dag Hammarskjold

Dag Hammarskjold (1905-1961) from Norway was the second UN General Secretary serving from 1953 to 1961. He was killed in a plane crash near Ndola, Northern Rhodesia, on his way to negotiate a cease fire during the Congo Crisis.

21. An extraordinary event took place on April 12, 1961. The first man in space orbited the earth in under 90 minutes. Which nation managed this feat?

From Quiz Where Did This Happen?: 1960s Edition

Answer: Soviet Union

Yuri Gagarin, the first Cosmonaut, was 27 when he orbited the planet, reaching an altitude of 203 miles above the earth. The total flight took 108 minutes, and on re-entry the extremely fit Air Force pilot was subjected to up to 8 times the force of gravity (8G's), which may well have rendered an average person unconscious. The Russians had no means of returning the Vostok 1 to earth intact, so Gagarin ejected from his spacecraft about 4 miles up, and parachuted to earth. Alan Shepard became the first US astronaut in May 1961, flying Freedom 7, the first Project Mercury flight.

22. What children's TV programme, first appearing in 1966, featured stop motion puppets and started with the words, 'Here is a box, a musical box, wound up and ready to play...'?

From Quiz What Else Happened In 1966

Answer: Camberwick Green

The Trumptonshire Trilogy first arrived on our screens in the form of Camberwick Green as part of the Watch with Mother programmes in 1966. The following year Trumpton appeared -- who can forget Hugh Pugh Barney McGrew Cuthbert Dibble and Grub? After Trumpton came Chigley, which I can't recall at all...

23. Although rockers could be found all over the UK which London café was a mecca for those who could get there?

From Quiz Zipping up the Zips

Answer: Ace Cafe

The Ace Café first opened in 1938 to take advantage of the traffic on the then new North Circular Road. After suffering bomb damage during WW2 it was rebuilt, and re-opened in 1949. By the 1960s it had become the gathering place for motorcyclists. It was open 24 hours a day, it was on a long straight stretch of road, ideal for speed hungry bikers, and it often had live music. Rockers gathered there in large numbers. It closed in 1969, but a rocker reunion movement started in the 1980s and the success of this led to the re-opening of the Ace in 1997. Rockers from all over the world now gather there to compare bikes, swap stories, and it is the centre from which many organised bike runs start during the summer months.

24. This was the name of a failed attempt by the American CIA to remove Fidel Castro from power in Cuba?

From Quiz Fun Facts About the Year 1961

Answer: The Bay of Pigs

The CIA recruited 1,500 men, mostly Cuban expatriates to invade the island between April 17, 1961 and April 19, 1961. Of these 1,500 men, 118 were reportedly killed and over 1,200 captured by the Cubans. This was not a highlight of John Kennedy's term as President of the United States. The Watergate and Teapot Dome are scandals that effected other US Presidents. The Cuban Missile Crisis refers to events in October 1962 relating to missiles that the USSR was planning to place in Cuba.

25. Why will August 12, 1964 be remembered by 007 fans worldwide?

From Quiz 1964 - A Year to Remember

Answer: Author Ian Fleming died

Ian Fleming was a heavy smoker and drinker, and suffered a fatal heart attack on the morning of his son Caspar's 12th birthday.

26. The Tet Offensive in Vietnam began on January 31st, 1968. Who attacked whom in this offense?

From Quiz 1968

Answer: The Viet Cong attacked Republic of Vietnam and their allies

The offensive is know as the Tet Offensive because of the day it started - the first day of the year in the traditional Vietnamese lunar calendar. In this offensive the Viet Cong attacked Republic of Vietnam and their allies with the main goal to strike military and civilian control centers in South Vietnam. The offensive was a military defeat for the Communists in the end.

27. 1961. What special event happened on April 12, 1961 that changed the world of flight?

From Quiz The 1960s - A Very Inventive Decade!

Answer: First human in space

Yuri Gagarin was the first human to complete a full orbit around the earth, in the Vostok 1. Man did not land on the moon till eight years later.

28. On October 1, 1961 Babe Ruth's 34 year old home run record was broken when New York Yankee star Roger Maris hit number 61. Who caught it?

From Quiz A Sixties Sampler (mainly US)

Answer: Sal Durante

Shame on any baseball fan who missed this one; only someone in the stands (or in the bullpen) can catch a home run ball. Sal offered to give the ball to Maris but Roger told him to take the $5,000 offered by a restauranteur for the ball. He did and the ball eventually found it's way to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Double shame if you said Yogi Berra!

29. Which South African township was the site of an infamous massacre in March, 1960?

From Quiz It happened in 1960

Answer: Sharpeville

Sixty-nine Black protesters were shot dead by South African police in Sharpeville on March 21st. Around 20,000 people, protesting against the country's pass laws, had congregated outside a police station in the community, near Johannesburg.

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