A Look Back at 1980 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Soviet Union

The most famous game from that tournament was the second-to-last game for the U.S., in which they beat the Soviet Union 4-3 as Al Michaels screamed "Do you believe in miracles?" The U.S. then beat Finland 4-2 to clinch the gold. But because the medals were actually awarded based on overall record in the tournament, the Soviet Union (6-1-0) got the silver medal that year and Sweden (4-1-2) got the bronze. Finland finished fourth with a 3-3-1 record.

The only team the U.S. did not beat in the tournament was Sweden - the two teams tied 2-2.

Answer: George Bush

After George Bush beat Ronald Reagan in the 1980 Iowa caucuses, he bragged that he had "Big Mo" (big momentum) working for him going into the New Hampshire primaries. Reagan easily beat Bush in NH though and went on to win the Republican nomination that summer, and the US Presidency in the fall.

Answer: New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins

Late in a game in which the Patriots would beat the Dolphins 16-13, ABC sportscaster Howard Cosell announced, "ABC News has confirmed that John Lennon, a member of the famed Beatles, maybe the best-known member, was shot twice in the back outside of his apartment building on the west side of New York tonight, rushed to Roosevelt hospital - dead on arrival," then went on to offer a tribute to Lennon.

Answer: "Sailing" - Christopher Cross

The others did win Grammys that year: Bette Midler for "Best Pop Female Vocal Performance" on "The Rose;" the Police for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" on "Regatta de Blanc;" Bill Joel for "Best Rock Male Vocal Performance" for "Glass Houses." But Christopher Cross and "Sailing" won five Grammys, including Record of the Year.

Answer: John Anderson

John Anderson, an Illinois congressman, ran on the "National Unity Party" ticket for president in 1980 against Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. His moderate-to-liberal voting record, and his selection of former Wisconsin Democratic governor Patrick Lucey as his running mate, caused Carter's organization to complain that, because Anderson would likely draw most of his votes from people who would have otherwise voted for Carter, voting for Anderson would essentially hand the election to Reagan. Anderson countered that "A vote for John Anderson is a vote for John Anderson." Despite this catchy slogan, he lost the election, pulling about 7% of the overall vote.

His best showings came in Massachusetts and Vermont, in which he won around 15% of the popular vote.

Answer: 35

The third season of Dallas concluded on March 21, 1980 with an episode ending with an unseen assailant shooting J.R. Ewing while he worked late in his office. Dallas fans and the CBS publicity department worked this cliffhanger into a huge news story that dominated conversations all summer.

The answer was finally revealed in the fourth episode of the new season, broadcast on November 21. A then-record audience of 41.47 million people (76% of all TV sets in use at the time) tuned in to see Kristin Shephard revealed as the shooter.

The episode remains the second-highest rated episode of a series television show, trailing only the 1983 finale of M*A*S*H.

Answer: The show's director had died earlier in the day

Gower Champion, director of "42nd Street," had died hours before the musical's August 25 debut of a rare blood cancer. Producer David Merrick made this announcement during the curtain call. "42nd Street" went on to win a Tony for "Best Musical" the following year and Champion won for "Best Choreography," although he lost the "Best Musical Director" award to Wilford Leach of "The Pirates of Penzance."

Answer: She was the first woman to graduate from a U.S. service academy

Ensign Butler graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on May 21. Rosie Ruiz was the runner who won the womens Boston Marthon but was disqualified when she was found to have taken the subway for most of the race.

Answer: Rhode Island

Carter won the District of Columbia and six states (Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Rhode Island, West Virginia) in losing the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan.

Answer: Cairo, Egypt

The Shah, who had exiled himself from Iran in January 1979, had lived in Morocco, the Bahamas, and Mexico before being admitted to the United States for medical treatment later that year. The admission of the Shah into the US led to the takeover of the US Embassy in Iran. Egypt's Anwar Sadat attempted to defuse the situation by inviting the Shah to Egypt.

He arrived in Cairo in March and died four months later.