It Happened in the 30s Trivia Quiz

Answer: The stock market crashed

On October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed. Americans became very worried about money, so they stopped spending it. That means they didn't buy cars, which means the car companies had to go out of business. The men who worked in the car companies didn't have jobs, so they couldn't pay the doctors, so the doctors had to go out of business, and so on.

Answer: Franklin Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, also known as FDR, was elected as President of the United States in 1932, replacing Herbert Hoover. He ran against Herbert Hoover, but FDR carried 57% of the popular vote and won. He's the only president to serve more than two terms. He died in April 1945 during his 4th term in office.

Answer: Shirley Temple

Shirley Temple was born in 1928 and was easily one of the world's biggest film stars of the 1930's. In fact, Shirley was the box-office champion for the years 1936, 1937 and 1938, beating stars such as Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Bing Crosby, Joan Crawford and Robert Taylor.

She appeared in 43 films throughout the decade, and did several more films in the 1940's, before retiring in 1949, at the age of 21!

Answer: 1930

It was discovered by Cloyed Tombaugh, a U.S. astronomer. Thought of as a planet until 2006, many scientists believe Pluto is made entirely out of ice.

An eleven-year-old girl from Oxford, England thought of the name "Pluto". She suggested the name to her grandfather who told it to Professor Herbert Hall Turner who then told it to his colleagues. Pluto was officially named on March 24, 1930.

Answer: January 5th, 1939

Amelia Earhart, born in 1897, was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, and is often mistaken to be the first woman to fly around the world, a title that belongs to Jerrie Mock.

Earhart actually attempted to fly around the world in 1937. Her fuel began to run low and she never arrived at Howland Island, where she was expected to re-fuel. It is assumed that her plane crashed into the ocean - it has never been found, and she was officially declared dead on January 5th, 1939.

Answer: Bonnie and Clyde

Bonnie and Clyde were criminals. They robbed banks, kidnapping and killing people in the process.

They both died on May 23, 1934. Some people claim that they were each shot 25 times before they died. Bonnie was buried at Crown Hill Memorial Park and Clyde was buried at Western Heights Cemetery, despite their wishes to be buried side by side.

Answer: 255

There were 255 carpenters, 249 elevator installers, 290 bricklayers, 107 derrick men, 192 plumbers, 285 steel men and 105 electricians, amongst hundreds of other workers.

The building, designed by Gregory Johnson, weighs approximately 365,000 tons and is 1,453 feet tall, to the tip of the lightening rod on top.

Answer: "Little Orphan Annie"

"Little Orphan Annie" was created by Harold Gray in 1924 as a cartoon character. Interestingly enough, it started out as "Little Orphan Otto", but Mr. Gray changed the lead to a girl soon enough, as there were no cartoons about boys.

Annie didn't sing on the radio program - she spent her time solving mysteries, blowing up Nazi submarines, and meeting ghosts and leprechauns! After Harold Gray died in 1968, the radio program and cartoon eventually evolved into a Broadway musical, and the rest is history.

Answer: The Hindenburg

The Hindenburg set fire right before landing in New Jersey on May 6th, 1937. The spark the caused the great disaster was the size of an ant - the rigid aircraft was burnt to a crisp in under two minutes.

Herbert Morrison and Charlie Nielsen were filming the landing of the aircraft when it burst into flames. Morrison narrated the entire event, and it was turned into a popular newsreel.

The Hindenburg had 97 people on board, and there were 36 deaths. The exact cause of the disaster remains unknown.

Answer: Elvis Presley

Elvis Aron Presley was born on January 8th, 1935 to Vernon and Gladys Presley. Born an identical twin, his twin brother was stillborn. Elvis made his first singing appearance in 1945 singing "Old Shep" at the fair and won second place. The rest is history.

John Lennon (The Beatles) was a British musician born in 1940, Bob Dylan was born in 1941, and Mike Nesmith (The Monkees) was born in 1942. All three of them were born after 1935.