1950s All American History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Scientology

Celebrity followers of Sceintology include John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Leah Remini, Kirstie Alley, Isaac Hayes and, most famously, Tom Cruise.

Answer: The Shot Heard 'Round the World

It's said the home run received this name from the many servicemen who listened to the game on Armed Services Radio. It refers to a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson about the Revolutionary War.

Answer: Buckminster Fuller

Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) was an architect, author, humanist and futurist. He was described by "Time Magazine" as "the greatest living genius of industrial-technical realization in building, an anticipator of the world to come, and a seminal thinker." The article went on to say that "for most of his life, R. Buckminster Fuller was known simply as a crackpot." As with many people whose visions are ahead of their time, Buckminster Fuller is now viewed as a genius.

The carbon allotropes "Fullerenes" are named for Fuller; when spherical in shape they are called "buckyballs."

Answer: "I Love Lucy" - Lucy Ricardo giving birth to Little Ricky

President Eisenhower was sworn in the next day, January 20th (US Presidential inaugurations are always held on January 20th unless it's a Sunday) but in the morning and with about half of the viewers of Lucy. Elvis premiered on the Sullivan Show (which aired on Sunday nights for its entire run) in 1956 with a whopping 82% of Americans watching.

In 1953 Winston Churchill was the British prime minister; he died in 1965.

Answer: Thurgood Marshall

Marshall was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson as the first African American Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court in 1967.

Answer: Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton

Mother Elizabeth Anne Seton was born was born in New York in 1774, converted to Catholicism after the death of her husband and founded the American Sisters of Charity. She was beatified by Pope John XXIII on 17th March 1963. She was canonized in 1974.
Mother Cabrini was the first American citizen to be canonized a saint, however she was born in Italy.

Answer: David Brinkley

The Huntley-Brinkley Report ended with Chet Huntley's retirement. He returned to his native Montana and one of his ventures was founding the Big Sky Ski Resort near Bozeman.

Answer: Delivering the longest filibuster

Thurmond filibustered against the Civil Rights Act of 1957 for 24 hours, 18 minutes. He did switch political parties in 1964, from Democrat to Republican because he objected to the Dem's support of civil rights. 66 year old Thurmond married 23 year old former Miss South Carolina Nancy Moore in 1968 and they had four children.

After his death it was revealed that Thurmond had fathered a child with a member of his parent's household staff who was of African American heritage.

Answer: Tupperware

Earl Tupper developed the hard plastic shells with airtight lids in the late 1940s. After his unsuccessful attempts at selling Tupperware through traditional retail outlets, Ms. Wise came to him with her idea of letting women run their own small businesses from their homes, offices and schools and thus the birth of the "Tupperware Party." Tupper sold the company for almost $100 million in 1958, after he fired Brownie Wise.

Answer: Prohibition of liquor

The Volstead Act of 1919 prohibiting most phases in the distribution chain of alcohol was repealed by the 21st Amedment on December 5, 1933. While Oklahoma was a "dry state" the illegal liquor trade was vibrant. In fact, knowing their livelihood depended on prohibition remaining state law, bootleggers gave financial support to the cause until the law was finally enforced in the 1950s.

When conventions and other businesses suffered because of no liquor, repeal of prohibition became imminent. Native Oklahoman Will Rogers is said to have remarked "Oklahoma will be a dry state as long as the voters can stagger to the polls." (Information from the Oklahoma Historical Society)