USA by Year: 1960s Sports Trivia

1. On January 23, 1962 Cleveland pitcher Bob Feller was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Who joined Feller in entering the hall that year? Hint: 42

From Quiz 1962 in Sports

Answer: Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play Major League Baseball in the modern age. Robinson played for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1947-1956. "42" was Jackie's number with the Dodgers and the name of a 2013 movie based on his life.

From Quiz The 1960s: Sports in America

Answer: Pittsburgh Pirates

Mazeroski's solo home run came in the bottom of the ninth inning of game seven to give the Pirates a 10-9 win. The Yankees dominated the Pirates in the seven games, scoring 55 runs to Pittsburgh's 27, but the win column is what counts. Although Maz's shot won the World Series, Yankee Bobby Richardson still won the series MVP, setting a record with his 11 hits and 12 RBIs. The year also saw Pete Rozelle named Commissioner of the National Football League. Ohio State won the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Also, boxer Cassius Clay won gold for the United States at the Rome Olympic Games.

From Quiz USA Sports: 1960

Answer: Lamar Clark

Clark went from lettering in baseball, basketball, and football in high school, to being a chicken farmer in Utah, to becoming a boxer. He turned pro in 1958 with a record of 25-2 in amateur fights. Clark was in reality a marketing boxer. When he won his 25th professional fight, they were all against boxers who had never won a match. On October 13, 1958, he KO'd two fighters in the same night. On November 10, Lamar won three more decisions in one night. In March 1960, he met someone real, Bartolo Soni who had a 12-2-2 record, and lost in the ninth round to end his streak. Clark's final fight of his career was against the undefeated Cassius Clay in just Clay's 6th professional fight. Cassius beat him in two rounds.

From Quiz 1960s All-American Sports

Answer: The entire US team died in a plane crash

The plane carrying the US team crashed in Belgium en route to the event. Among those on board was reigning US champion and heavily favored women's skater Laurence Owen. It wasn't until the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble, France that the US team fully recovered from the tragedy.

From Quiz Sports in 1967

Answer: Max McGee

Max McGee, who had caught only four passes in the regular season, was filling in for the injured Boyd Dowler. Otis Taylor, one of the more dangerous receivers at the time, was on the other side of the field with the Chiefs. James Lofton was a leading pass catcher for the Packers for many years, but he did not appear in the NFL until 1978.

From Quiz Sports in 1966

Answer: Miners

The Miners of Texas Western, coached by Don Haskins, beat the University of Kentucky 72-65. The following year, the school's name was changed to the University of Texas at El Paso.

From Quiz 1962 in Sports

Answer: Arnold Palmer

Palmer won two legs of the Grand Slam in 1962 with Nicklaus winning the U.S. Open and Player the PGA Championships. Palmer won four Masters, two Open Championships (British) and one U.S. Open in his career. He never won the PGA Championship. Nicklaus is from Ohio, Nelson from Texas and Player from South Africa.

From Quiz The 1960s: Sports in America

Answer: Gary Player

Gary was born in Johannesburg. He went on to win three U.S. Masters and nine major tournaments in his career overall. Players was later inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. In women's golf, Mickey Wright won the LPGA Championship. In the NHL, the Chicago Black Hawks defeated the Detroit Red Wings four games to two. Also in the year in Formula One racing, Phil Hill of the United States won the World Drivers' Championship.

From Quiz USA Sports: 1960

Answer: Pete Rozelle

Rozelle was commissioner from January 1960 to November 1989. Rozelle was instrumental in making the NFL what it is today, including making the merger happen of the AFL, and helping with the creation of "Monday Night Football".

From Quiz 1960s All-American Sports

Answer: Billie Jean King

Martina Navratilova had since tied Billie Jean's record.

From Quiz Sports in 1966

Answer: Red Auerbach

The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, four games to three, in the NBA finals, winning their eighth consecutive title for Red Auerbach in his final year as coach. Lighting a cigar moments before the end of a winning game was Auerbach's signature flourish.

From Quiz Sports in 1964

Answer: Gail Goodrich

Gail Goodrich led all scorers with 27 points, while teammate Kenny Washington tallied 26, and Walt Hazzard who was voted MVP of the tournament, scored 11. Goodrich was even more impressive in 1965 when he scored 42 points in the finals against Michigan to ensure UCLA's second championship. Lew Alcindor and Lucius Allen, future UCLA greats, were still in high school at the time, while Willie Naulls who went to UCLA in the 50s, was a star for the New York Knicks in the early 1960s.

From Quiz 1962 in Sports

Answer: Graham Hill

Graham Hill of Great Britain won the championship in 1962 winning four of the nine races. He won again in 1968. Graham Hill's son Damon won the 1996 championship winning eight of the sixteen races that year.

From Quiz The 1960s: Sports in America

Answer: Philadelphia Warriors

Wilt played in five seasons for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors before being traded to the 76ers in the 1964-65 season. He became a Laker in 1968, then retired in 1973 with 31,419 career points. Chamberlain died in 1999. In 1962 baseball, the Dodgers lost to the Giants in a season-ending playoff series for the National League crown. The Giants went on to lose the World Series to the Yankees. Also, the NHLs Bobby Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks won the Art Ross Memorial Trophy by being the leading scorer in the season.

From Quiz USA Sports: 1960

Answer: Soviet Union

It was the first Winter Olympics in North American since the Lake Placid Winter Olympics in 1932. The Soviet Union would walk away with seven golds, five silver, and nine bronze medals for a total of 21. They more than doubled the total of the runner-up United States with 10.

From Quiz 1960s All-American Sports

Answer: The Indianapolis 500

Rathman, Jones, and Hill each won the Indy 500 once (In 1960, 1963, and 1966 respectively).

From Quiz Sports in 1966

Answer: Bobby Hull

Bobby Hull, of the Chicago Black Hawks, surpassed his own record of 50 (made in 1962), which he shared with Montreal's Maurice "Rocket" Richard (1945) and Bernie Geoffrion (1961). Hull finished the season with 54 goals. Teammate Stan Mikita, who generally had more assists than goals, was the NHL overall scoring leader (Art Ross Trophy) in 1964, 1965, 1967, and 1968. Hockey legend Gordie Howe never scored more than 49 goals in a season. Phil Esposito, who starred with the Boston Bruins, smashed Hull's record in 1971 with 76 goals.

From Quiz Sports in 1965

Answer: Jean Beliveau

Jean Beliveau spurred the Montreal Canadiens to a four games to three victory in the finals over the Chicago Blackhawks, who were led by Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull. Norm Ullman of the Detroit Red Wings led the NHL in goals that season.

From Quiz Sports in 1964

Answer: Terry McDermott

Terry McDermott, a barber from Essexville, Michigan, beat out the favored Evgeni Girshin of Russia in the 500 meter speed skating event. Alpine skier Billy Kidd won a silver medal in the slalom, while the 14-year old figure skater Peggy Fleming placed sixth in her first Olympic competition. Eric Heiden, speed skating star of the future, turned six in 1964.

From Quiz 1962 in Sports

Answer: Rod Laver

In 1962, Rod Laver became only the second man in tennis history to win the Grand Slam in tennis (American Don Budge was the first in 1938). Laver turned pro after 1962 and was not allowed to play the Grand Slam tournaments until the open era began in 1968. Laver responded by again winning all four Grand Slam tournaments in 1969. Laver finished with 11 Grand Slams despite missing those years.

From Quiz The 1960s: Sports in America

Answer: Joe Weatherly

Weatherly took his two championships in the number 8 Pontiac, racing for Bud Moore. Joe's life was cut short just months later, when in January 1964 he was killed in a racing accident at Riverside International Raceway. Also in 1963, Sonny Liston won boxing's Heavyweight Championship of the World by knocking out Floyd Patterson. College football's Heisman Trophy was won by Roger Staubach of Navy. Also in NCAA basketball, Loyola (Illinois) won the championship over Cincinnati 60-58.

From Quiz USA Sports: 1960

Answer: Boston Celtics

The Celtics ended the 1950s decade with a win against the 1959 Lakers, then 1960 and 1961 against the St. Louis Hawks. When their streak stopped in 1967, they had already defeated the Lakers five times in the finals, and would beat them twice more in the finals before the decade ended. The team was led by Bob Cousy and Bill Russell, and coached by the great Red Auerbach.

From Quiz 1960s All-American Sports

Answer: Walt Frazier

It is said Frazier acquired his nickname because he wore fedoras similar to those worn by Warren Beatty in his portrayal of Clyde Barrow in the 1967 film "Bonnie and Clyde".

From Quiz Sports in 1967

Answer: Zora Folley

Ali knocked out Zora Folley in seven rounds. Frazier, Norton, and Quarry, did not face Ali until after his reinstatement as an active boxer in 1970.

From Quiz Sports in 1966

Answer: Moffit

Billie Jean Moffit married Lawrence King in 1965 and the following year won her first Wimbledon singles title, defeating Maria Bueno, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

From Quiz Sports in 1965

Answer: Jack Nicklaus

Jack Nicklaus' score was not eclipsed until 1997, when Tiger Woods shot 270 for 18-under par.

From Quiz Sports in 1964

Answer: Sonny Liston

The big brooding Sonny Liston ran out of steam, frustrated by his quicker adversary. Cassius Clay became known to the world as Muhammad Ali the following year, after he converted to the Nation of Islam. He defeated Sonny Liston in a rematch with the famous "phantom punch", and then successfully took on former champion Floyd Patterson. Clay KO'd Britsh champion Henry Cooper in a fight preceding his title match with Liston, although he was knocked down for the first time in his career. Joe Frazier won a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics; he and Ali would not meet until 1971.

From Quiz 1962 in Sports

Answer: Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs, coached by Punch Imlach, defeated the Chicago Black Hawks 4 games to 2 in the 1962 Stanley Cup finals. It was the first title for Toronto since 1951 and began a streak where the Leafs won four out of six titles.

From Quiz USA Sports: 1960

Answer: Chicago Cardinals

The Cardinals began their franchise in 1920 in the APFA before joining the NFL in 1922. The franchise moved to St. Louis and became the St. Louis Cardinals, played there for 28 seasons, then moved again to Phoenix in 1988.

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