During, but not About: The Apollo 11 Mission Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. From July 16 to the 24, what apocalyptic song, the only Hot 100 hit by Zager and Evans, reigned at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100?

Answer: In The Year 2525

"In The Year 2525" is a song about mankind's deterioration and extinction, from 2,525 CE to 10,000 CE, after the Judgment Day has occurred. This song has been covered in more than 50 languages, and was parodied in the sci-fi comedy show "Futurama".

The U.K. Top 50 charts had two songs reach #1 during the Apollo 11 mission, neither of them being "In The Year 2525": "Something in the Air" by Thunderclap Newman, and "Honky Tonk Woman" by The Rolling Stones.

2. One day after the spacecraft Columbia launched from pad 39A, the "New York Times" published a correction to a 1920 edition where they criticized rocket engineer Robert Goddard. The paper acknowledged that he was correct in saying that rockets could work in a vacuum. The next day (the 18th), what American football player decided to sell his bar, the Bachelor III, and return to play for the New York Jets?

Answer: Joe Namath

"Broadway" Joe Namath is most famous for being the MVP of Super Bowl III, where he helped lead the Jets to victory against the more-favored Colts 16-7. In 1969, he opened his own bar, the Bachelor III, but sold it in July to return to the Jets. He would continue to play as quarterback until 1977, when he officially retired from knee injuries.

At the time of his retirement, he led the NFL in most passing yards in a single season ('67) with 4,007, as well as holding many records with the Jets.

3. July 18th saw the world nearing the Moon for peace for all mankind; that same night, Mary Jo Kopechne was killed in a car accident in Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts. Who was driving the car when it crashed, killing Kopechne?

Answer: Ted Kennedy

Ted Kennedy pleaded guilty to abandoning the crime scene after the crash had happened, and was sentenced by the judge to the minimum amount of time allowed. The stress the event caused in the family is a likely reason Ted's wife miscarried the child she was carrying at the time. Nevertheless, many people continued to encourage Kennedy to pursue a political career, including Kopechne's mother.

He remained a Massachusetts senator until his death in 2009.

4. On July 18th again, a 100-hour war, often called the 100 Hours War or the Football War, came to an end. What two countries participated in this conflict?

Answer: Honduras and El Salvador

Rising tensions over El Salvadorian immigration to Honduras accumulated leading up to the 1970 World Cup, where the two countries were vying for a place in the CONCACAF position of the cup. After repeated attacks, including some on El Salvadorian residents in Honduras and the Honduran football team in El Salvador, El Salvador invaded the larger country on July 14th. The fighting didn't end until July 18th, with 2,000 casualties and tens of thousands of El-Salvadorians displaced.

In the end, El Salvador won the place in the World Cup. It ended up being knocked out with a 0-3 record, and Brazil won its third cup that tournament.

5. Apollo 11 entered the Lunar orbit on July 19th, and made preparations to set foot on the surface of the Moon. On the same day, Gloria Diaz became Miss Universe, becoming the first winner to represent what country?

Answer: The Philippines

Since Diaz's victory, two more Filipino women have won the contest: Margarita Moran in 1973, and Pia Wurtzback in 2015. She was not the first woman to win a major beauty pageant; Gemma Cruz won Miss International in 1964. The Philippines is one of only three countries to win all of the Big Four international beauty pageants (also including Miss World and Miss Earth), the other two being Brazil and the most-successful-by-far Venezuela.

The other three choices had Miss Universe winners before The Philippines did: Peru in 1957, Colombia in 1958, and Argentina in 1962.

6. July 20, 1969: the historic "one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." Armstrong and Aldrin make touchdown on the Moon's soft, powdery surface, Nixon delivers to them "the most historic telephone call ever made from the White House," and the trio of astronauts leave a plaque on the Moon wishing for peace for all of mankind. That same day, one of the greatest cyclists ever, Eddy Merckx wins his first Tour de France. From which country was Mr. Merckx?

Answer: Belgium

"The Cannibal" Merckx's first Tour de France was only one of eleven total Tours that he would end up winning. When he retired in 1978, he had amassed a whopping 525 profession victories, including four gold medals in the Union Cycliste Internationale Road World Championships.

For people into television, July 20th, 1969 also saw the birth of Josh Holloway, known for his work in the TV shows "Lost" and "Colony."

7. Armstrong and Aldrin spent a total of 21 hours 36 minutes on the Moon's surface, 2 hours and 34 minutes in person (by Armstrong; Aldrin spent 1 hour 33 minutes on the surface on foot). July 21 saw the two astronauts leave the Moon's surface to reunite with Collins in the Columbia for their return trip to Earth. July 21st also saw a violent death of Lillie Belle Allen in the York, Pennsylvania race riots. Who ended up killing her?

Answer: White gang members

Allen's car had over one hundred bullets in it, and Allen was fatally wounded by several of those. The case for justice for Allen was not resolved until 2002, when ten men were tried for her murder; two of them were found guilty, one was acquitted, and one pleaded no contest. At least seven of them took plea deals in exchange for information about the deadly shooting.

Tensions between white and black citizens of York, concerning all-white police racism and brutality, spiraled out of control in 1969, but calmed down shortly after Allen's death. Also within the timeline of the Apollo 11 mission AND the York riots was the death of police officer Henry Schaad; justice for him wouldn't be seen until the 21st century, like Allen.

8. As the Columbia carried the three astronauts back down to Earth, the Spanish ruler Francisco Franco announced his heir to the throne, which was made official on July 22nd. Who was this person?

Answer: Juan Carlos I

Francisco Franco overthrew the Spanish democracy in 1939, after the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s, and established himself as sole ruler. Known as a dictator, he banned political parties, banned Catalan and Basque from being spoken, and made Catholicism Spain's sole religion. He favoured the Axis's side during World War II, but avoided fighting. He was anti-Communist during the Cold War.

As he neared death, he announced prince Juan Carlos I as future king of Spain, hoping that he would maintain the status quo. However, after Franco's death six years later in 1975, Juan Carlos immediately set out to undo the regime that Franco had set up. Juan Carlos I would remain King of Spain until he put his successor, Felipe VI, on the throne in 2014.

9. One day before the Columbia landed on Earth saw the release of a movie by director Sydney Pollack. Starring Burt Lancaster as "The One-Eyed Falcon," Patrick O'Neal as "The Dove," and Peter Falk as "The Baker," among other characters, the movie centers around eight soldiers as they try to survive the days up to the Battle of the Bulge. What movie was this?

Answer: Castle Keep

"Castle Keep," based on the book by William Eastlake, made less than 25% of its total budget in the box office. Pollack's big hit "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?", which was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won one of them (best supporting actor), came out immediately after "Castle Keep".

And believe it or not, "Bambi Meets Godzilla" is actually a thing, from 1969 no less.

10. Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins landed in the Pacific Ocean, a few miles away from the USS Hornet, on July 24th. They would spend three weeks in medical quarantine in case they brought over any germs from the Moon, and then proceed to several parades and a feast with Richard Nixon in honor of their accomplishment. July 24th, 1969 also saw the birth of a young lady to Puerto Rican parents in the Bronx, NY, who would revolutionize pop music. Who is this pop star?

Answer: Jennifer Lopez

Although Mariah Carey was also born in New York close to that time, she was born in 1970 in Huntington. Jennifer Lopez starred in 1995's "Mi Familia," and audiences saw her in the title role two years later with "Selena." Her music career took off two years after that with the release of her first album, "On the 6" (the 6 being the subway she used to take to work.

She has been considered one of the most influential artists in terms of bringing Latin American music to the mainstream.

Source: Author Not_Worthy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Apollo 11 mission took off from Earth on July 16, 1969; it returned to Earth on July 24 that same year. This quiz is about events that happened in this time, but are not about the mission itself.

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