Remembering the 50s - 1959 Americana Quiz

Answer: Danny's Donuts

In 1953 Harold Butler founded Danny's Donuts in Lakewood, California. The next year the menu expanded to include sandwiches and other entrees and it was renamed Danny's Coffee Shops. In 1959 the chain was renamed Denny's Restaurants, with 20 stores by year's end.

Answer: Pantyhose

In 1959, Glen Raven Mills of North Carolina introduced pantyhose, that is, underpants and stockings all in one garment. The addition of an opaque nylon top eliminated the need for multiple other garments. In 1965, Glen Raven Mills developed a seamless pantyhose version that coincided with the introduction of the miniskirt.

Answer: Jiffy Pop

Fred Mennen worked for five years to perfect the use of a special yellow hulless hybrid corn. He started his Jiffy Pop sales campaign in 1959, and by the next year was distributing his product in most major American cities.

Answer: Bribery

Freed was caught up in the "Payola" scandal for accepting money to play certain records on his popular radio program.

Answer: BIC pens

Marcel Bich introduced his clear-barreled, smooth-writing, non-leaky, inexpensive ballpoint pen in Europe in 1952. He called it the "Ballpoint Bic" an abbreviated version of his name. First arriving on the American scene in 1959, consumers were skeptical, because so many inferior pens had been introduced in the U.S. market by other manufacturers. To overcome this, BIC created a national television campaign to sell pens for 29 cents.

Answer: Scott Crossfield

Scott Crossfield was the first pilot to fly the X-15. He was also the first pilot to fly at Mach 2 and unofficially, the first to fly at Mach 3 successfully.

Answer: Don McLean

On a cold winter's night a small private plane took off from Clear Lake, Iowa bound for Fargo, N.D. It never made its destination and claimed the lives of three of Rock and Roll's most promising performers. Don McLean wrote in his classic song "American Pie" as "the day the music died."

Answer: Monkeys

Able was a seven-pound female rhesus monkey, and Baker, a one-pound female spider monkey. They were launched into space on May 28, 1959 in the nose cone of Jupiter Missile. This mission marked the first successful recovery of living beings after their return from space.

Answer: Proper security could not be guaranteed

The original plan was for Khrushchev's wife and family to visit Disneyland while he inspected a housing project. At the last minute the Soviet leader wanted to accompany his family, however, the Los Angeles police chief could not assure proper security at such short notice.

Answer: Candlestick Park

"The Stick" was home to the San Francisco Giants as well the San Francisco 49ers. The Beatles played their last concert ever there on August 29, 1966.