1970 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Apollo 13

April 11, 1970 saw Apollo 13 launched. It was to be the third manned mission to the Moon. Apollo 11 and 12, had made the moon flights seem almost routine with flawless lunar landings. April 14, 1970, however, was far from routine. A violent explosion nearly destroys the fragile craft with three astronauts on board. Too late to turn directly back to earth, Lovell, Swigert and Haise, have no choice but to ride their seriously damaged space ship around the moon first.

The blast has seriously depleted power, oxygen and water, the men survive in part by making use of the Lunar Landing Module as their main craft. On April 17, 1970 they splash land which was due in no small measure to the courage and resourcefulness of the astronauts themselves. In addition the ground crew worked around the clock coming up with solutions to almost insurmountable problems.

When it was over,the world began to breathe again happily.

Answer: Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was found dead in London on the morning of September 18th by his girlfriend. It later became public knowledge that Hendrix had sufficated on his own vomit and it was alleged that it was brought on by a drug overdose.

Answer: 74.8 years

Women could expect to reach the age of 74.8 years while men could expect to live to an average of just over 67 years.

Answer: 205

It was 205 million a huge jump from the 1960 census of 190 million.

Answer: MASH

MASH was a big box office success. It later became an award-winning television series seen in over 50 countries worldwide.

Answer: true

This Classic TV series, the cornerstone of the MTM Enterprises television empire, had its first viewing September 19 1970 and ended its lifespan on September 3, 1977. Nearly seven years of quality saturday night viewing. Thank you CBS :)

Answer: Jesus Christ Superstar

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice unveil their "rock opera" 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. Its controversial nature provided a delay in its showing and a formal production was not shown until October 12, 1971 at the Hellinger Theatre in New York.

Answer: Earth Day

Originally, Earth Day was set for 21 March to coincide with the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. However, US Senator Gaylord Nelson came out in favour of 22nd April instead, on the grounds that it was an ideal date for schools and colleges in the US. The 'rivalry' between the two days was settled in favour of the latter.

Answer: The removal of troops from Cambodia

In 1969 the Vietnam war apparently began to escalate, combat units were sent into Cambodia by President Nixon. Large numbers of North Vietnamese troops had entered Cambodia. The Cambodian government requested their removal in March 1970. Premier Lon Nol had taken control of the government while Prince Norodom Sihanouk was in Peking and pledges to force the removal of the Vietnamese troops.

Initially, the Vietnamese agreed to withdraw, but then announce their support for Sihanouk, who had promised to fight the new government. Then, on April 30, President Nixon announced that US troops would join with South Vietnamese troops to invade the border area of Cambodia and eliminate Communist sanctuaries. He also pledged that all US troops would be out by the end of June. Meanwhile, Communist forces advanced on Phnom Penh.

Answer: Kent State

On May 4, 1970 in Kent, Ohio, an ugly turn of events happen in one of the many anti-Vietnam war protests happening across the nation. At the normally tranquil Kent State University campus, a mass student demonstration combined with a number of troublesome persons began to get out of control. In an atmosphere that was becoming very heated, the National Guard were summoned. On that fateful day the unthinkable happened and things went terribly wrong.

With the guardsmen on campus and the usual milling about of students, excitement had generated considerably. Confusion was rampant. Then, at about 12:30 P.M. shots were fired by a number of guardsmen at a small group of students. When it was over four students lay dead. Nine more were injured. America was in shock. Amazingly no major investigation was carried out and no answers had been produced as to why it happened.

Answer: Salvador Allende Gossens

Salvador Allende Gossens wass elected President. It was significant in that Allende was the first Marxist ever elected in free elections. He immediately established diplomatic relations with Cuba and China, and nationalised a number of U.S. owned companies. The US congress was less than happy and impossed sanctions which were not lifted until 1994.

Answer: The Aswan High Dam

In Egypt, Anwar Sadat was elected president. He succeeded Gamal Abdel Nasser who died suddenly of a heart attack on September 28th, 1970. A grateful nation in mourning dedicates the newly completed Aswan High Dam to his memory and names the reservoir created by the huge dam, Lake Nasser. At 364 feet high and 121,565 feet long and taking ten years to build, the world can see the amazing feat of Egyptian architecture yet again!

Answer: Charles de Gaulle

On November 9th, former President of France General Charles-André-Joseph-Marie de Gaulle died at Colombey-les-deux-Eglises from a ruptured aneurism. He was a fervent patriot who stood for a strong France for the French people. A saddened nation buries their beloved leader on November 12.

Answer: Brazil

Brazil beat Italy 4-1 in the final. The World breathes a collective sigh of amazement as legendary Pele inspires the boys from the Copacobana to a breath taking display of foootball that had not been seen before. West Germany had been knocked out by Italy in the previous round, and England had succumbed to the Germans in dramatic fashion in the Quarter finals.

Answer: Germaine Greer

'The Female Eunuch' is the work of Germaine Greer, an Australian academic working in England. In it she argued among other things that traditional marriage was just a legalised form of slavery for women. The book was a watershed and was bought in its millions.