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Quiz about A Slice in Time 1950s History Part 2

A Slice in Time: 1950s History Part 2 Quiz

This is the second of my quizzes that salutes the decade of the Baby Boom, bomb shelters and the birth McDonalds. Good luck!

A multiple-choice quiz by brewster76. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
brewster76

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
293,281

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
1701

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 98 (5/10), Guest 121 (4/10), colbymanram (6/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What was the first song Elvis Presley sang in his debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in September 1956? Hint

"Great Balls of Fire"

"Little Sister"

"Don't Be Cruel"

"Blue Suede Shoes"

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Question 2 of 10

2. In July 1951 King Abdullah of Jordan was assassinated. He was succeeded by his son Talal, father of King Hussein. All were members of the Hashemite family. To what does the word "Hashemite" refer? Hint

Descended from the first ruler of Jordan, King Hashem

Lion of Jordan

Directly descended from the Prophet Muhammed

Warrior of Islam

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Question 3 of 10

3. In April of 1953 the United Nations elected a new Secretary General. In 1961 he became the first person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously. Can you name him? Hint

Dag Hammarskj�ld

U Thant

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Trygve Lie

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which fashion item made its debut in 1959? Hint

Go-Go boots

Pantyhose

Strapless bra

The LaCoste polo shirt

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which of the following events did NOT occur in 1958? Hint

Pope Pius XII named Saint Clare the patron saint of television

Datsun and Toyota sold their first cars in the US

The first "Cod War" between UK and Iceland took place

Jerry Lewis was made a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (French Medal of Honor)

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Question 6 of 10

6. In 1957 which man declared martial law in Indonesia? Hint

Haile Selassie

Kim Il-sung

Syngman Rhee

Sukarno

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which company is credited with being both the first to make more than $1 billion per year and with being the largest employer in the world in 1955? Hint

General Motors

Boeing

Merck Pharmaceuticals

Phillip Morris Tobacco

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Question 8 of 10

8. According to David Halberstam's book "The Coldest Winter" the US lost about 33,000 troops during the Korean War from 1950-53. What were the approximate number of combined casualties of North Korea and China? Hint

500,000

1,500,000

50,000

150,000

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Question 9 of 10

9. In 1954 "Sports Illustrated" published its first issue and one of its most famous swimsuit cover girls also made her debut into the world. Which beauty was born 1954? Hint

Cheryl Tiegs

Iman

Kathy Ireland

Christie Brinkley

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. In 1953 this Irish writer's famous play "Waiting for Godot" premiered in Paris. In his review of the play's American debut, New York Times critic Brooks Atkinson called it a "mystery wrapped in an enigma". Who was this playwright who wrote the stage classic? Hint

Samuel Beckett

Brendan Behan

John O'Hara

James Joyce

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Most Recent Scores

Nov 11 2024 : Guest 98: 5/10
Oct 15 2024 : Guest 121: 4/10
Oct 05 2024 : colbymanram: 6/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What was the first song Elvis Presley sang in his debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in September 1956?

Answer: "Don't Be Cruel"

For his premiere on the "The Ed Sullivan Show" Elvis was actually introduced by the actor Charles Laughton as Sullivan was recovering from an auto accident. The second song he sang that night was "Love Me Tender", the title song from the movie he was then filming. "Blue Suede Shoes" was recorded by Carl Perkins; "Great Balls of Fire" was a hit for Jerry Lee Lewis; Elvis released "Little Sister" in 1961.

2. In July 1951 King Abdullah of Jordan was assassinated. He was succeeded by his son Talal, father of King Hussein. All were members of the Hashemite family. To what does the word "Hashemite" refer?

Answer: Directly descended from the Prophet Muhammed

King Hussein's son, King Abdullah, ascended the throne in 1998.

3. In April of 1953 the United Nations elected a new Secretary General. In 1961 he became the first person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously. Can you name him?

Answer: Dag Hammarskj�ld

Dag Hammarskj�ld (from Sweden) was the UN's second Secretary-General. In 1960 he undertook the first of four trips to the Congo in response to that government's request for military assistance to quell violent unrest. Hammarskj�ld's plane crashed on the fourth good will mission, killing all on board.

4. Which fashion item made its debut in 1959?

Answer: Pantyhose

Go-Go boots made their debut in the Swinging Sixties; the strapless bra had already been introduced in the 1930s; tennis star Rene LaCoste made his "alligator" shirt with the stand-up collar famous in the 1920s.

5. Which of the following events did NOT occur in 1958?

Answer: Jerry Lewis was made a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (French Medal of Honor)

Yes, there really is a patron saint of television, the UK and Iceland had three "Cod Wars". Japanese cars were available in the US as early as 1958, but they just didn't begin to sell well until the oil price hikes of the early 70s. And while the French love Jerry Lewis, the French Medal of Honor is awarded mainly for military, scientific and academic achievements, not for comedic "genius".

6. In 1957 which man declared martial law in Indonesia?

Answer: Sukarno

Sukarno (no first name) was elected the first president of Indonesia in 1945 after 350 years of Dutch colonial rule and more than three years of Japanese occupation during WWII. Sukarno was ousted in a military coup in 1965 and replaced by Suharto. Kim Il-Sung and Syngman Rhee were, respectively, the leaders of North and South Korea at the outset of the Korean War. Haile Selassie was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930-1974 and claimed to be the descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

7. Which company is credited with being both the first to make more than $1 billion per year and with being the largest employer in the world in 1955?

Answer: General Motors

GM achieved its phenomenal success under the innovative and daring leadership of Alfred P. Sloan, Chairman of the Board from 1937-1956. He is credited with establishing the priniciple of planned obsolescence by making yearly changes to the style of each vehicle.

The Business Schools at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford have programs named for him. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York is also named for the philanthropist.

Answer: 1,500,000

Pulitzer Prize winner David Halberstam died in an auto accident 2007 in California. He was on his way to interview former American football quarterback Y.A. Tittle for his next book on the 1958 game between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts.

9. In 1954 "Sports Illustrated" published its first issue and one of its most famous swimsuit cover girls also made her debut into the world. Which beauty was born 1954?

Answer: Christie Brinkley

The Uptown Girl was born Christie Lee Hudson in Michigan and was later adopted by her mother's second husband. She is NOT related to former NBC anchroman David Brinkley. SI cover girls Cheryl Tiegs and Kathy Ireland were born in 1949 and 1963, respectively. Iman, who did not appear on a swimsuit edition cover, was born in 1955.

Answer: Samuel Beckett

Fun facts about "Waiting for Godot": Bert Lahr of "The Wizard of Oz" fame and veteran actor E. G. Marshall starred in the Broadway premiere; Samuel Becket once worked as James Joyce's secretary; while Christopher Guest's 1997 film "Waiting for Guffman" is a play on the words of the famous Beckett title, its plot has very little to do with "Waiting for Godot" other than both involve a character who never appears.

Source: Author brewster76

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