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1930s (Mostly American) #1 Trivia Quiz

This is my second quiz covering the decade 1930-1939. This one requires general knowledge of US and some European history.

A multiple-choice quiz by brewster76. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
brewster76

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
281,186

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
2127

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Nazi Germany's September 1, 1939 invasion of which country is generally regarded as the beginning of WWII in Europe? Hint

Poland

Holland

France

Norway

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Question 2 of 10

2. Who was Pope during the 1930s? Hint

Pius XI

John XXIII

Benedict XVI

John Paul I

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Question 3 of 10

3. In 1934 American gangster John Dillinger was shot by the FBI as he emerged from a Chicago theater after seeing which movie? Hint

Casablanca

Grand Hotel

Manhattan Melodrama

Gone With the Wind

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Question 4 of 10

4. When the Dionne quintuplets were born in 1934 they were the first set of quints known to survive their infancy. Where were they born? Hint

Reims, France

Bern, Switzerland

Maine, USA

Ontario, Canada

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Question 5 of 10

5. What were the most popular names for girls and boys born in the US in the early 1930s? Hint

Shirley and James

Wilma and Fred

Barbara and John

Mary and Robert

6. The decade from 1929 to 1939 found Winston Churchill out of power and out of favor, as he tried to rouse the British people to the growing German threat. What is this period of Churchill's life often called? Hint

The Trying Time

The Wilderness Years

The Era of Disenchantment

The Lost Weekend

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Question 7 of 10

7. In 1939 American inventor Philo Farnsworth sold his patents for which invention to RCA Victor for $1 million? Hint

33 1/3 rpm "LP" records

FM radio

Television

Stereophonic recording

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which Broadway show won the Tony Award for Best Musical of 1936? Hint

On Your Toes

None - the Tonys weren't awarded until 1948

Babes In Arms

Shake A Leg

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Question 9 of 10

9. This performer is often credited with saving Twentieth Century-Fox movie studio from near bankruptcy in 1934. Hint

Rin-Tin-Tin

Clark Gable

Shirley Temple

Bette Davis

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Question 10 of 10

10. During the 1932-1937 US Supreme Court terms a group of justices were called "The Three Musketeers" because they were thought to be the most liberal and supportive of President Roosevelt's New Deal programs. These three judges were Harlan Fiske Stone, Benjamin Cardozo and which other man? Hint

Warren Cheese Burger

Charles Evans Hughes

Louis Brandeis

Oliver Wendall Holmes

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Nazi Germany's September 1, 1939 invasion of which country is generally regarded as the beginning of WWII in Europe?

Answer: Poland

Ironically, it was Polish cryptographers who broke the code on the vaunted "Enigma" machine, a cipher machine used widely by the German Navy to encrypt and decrypt secret messages. This allowed the Allies to intercept German messages which proved vital in the Battle of the Atlantic.

2. Who was Pope during the 1930s?

Answer: Pius XI

Pius XI was Pope from 1922-1939. Benedict XVI is the current Pope (as of 2008). John XXIII served from 1958 - 1963 and opened the Second Vatican Council ("Vatican II"). John Paul I was Pope for only a month in 1978. He was succeeded by John Paul II, 1978 - 2005.

3. In 1934 American gangster John Dillinger was shot by the FBI as he emerged from a Chicago theater after seeing which movie?

Answer: Manhattan Melodrama

"Manhattan Melodrama" starred clark Gable, Myrna Loy and William Powell. Coincidentally, it was a film about gangsters!

4. When the Dionne quintuplets were born in 1934 they were the first set of quints known to survive their infancy. Where were they born?

Answer: Ontario, Canada

Annette, C�cile, Emilie, Marie and Yvonne Dionne were featured in an exhibit at the Century of Progress Exposition, a World's Fair being held in Chicago. Public outcry over this apparent exploitation led to condemnation of the parents and custody of the five was given to the government. Ironically, the government quickly realized the massive interest in the girls and proceeded to exploit them for financial gain anyway.

5. What were the most popular names for girls and boys born in the US in the early 1930s?

Answer: Mary and Robert

The name Shirley wasn't even in the Top 10 of girls names in 1930, but shot up to #2 in 1935 after the wildly popular Shirley Temple hit the scene.

Answer: The Wilderness Years

On the outbreak of the World War II Churchill was re-appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. The Navy, according to myth, sent out the signal: "Winston is back."

7. In 1939 American inventor Philo Farnsworth sold his patents for which invention to RCA Victor for $1 million?

Answer: Television

The New York World's Fair showcased electronic television sets in April 1939. Soon afterward, RCA electronic televisions went on sale to the public.

8. Which Broadway show won the Tony Award for Best Musical of 1936?

Answer: None - the Tonys weren't awarded until 1948

Even when the Tonys were established in 1948 there was no Best Musical award. That didn't come until 1949 when "Kiss Me Kate" won.

9. This performer is often credited with saving Twentieth Century-Fox movie studio from near bankruptcy in 1934.

Answer: Shirley Temple

During the depths of the Depression President Roosevelt is reported to have proclaimed that "as long as our country has Shirley Temple, we will be all right." Shirley made 30 films in seven years for Fox and was the top-grossing box-office star in America for four years.

Answer: Louis Brandeis

Appointed by President Woodrow Wilson, Brandeis was the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice in its history. Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts was named after him.

Source: Author brewster76

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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