60'S
In 1967 tens of thousands “flower children” flooded the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of which city during the “Summer of Love” .
A. San Francisco, California
B. Los Angeles, California
C. Woodstock, New York
A. San Francisco, California
In January 1967 San Francisco hosted a demonstration called the Human Be-In, where Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary spoke to a crowd of 20,000. The city became a counterculture hotspot that attracted an overwhelming influx of people, many of them teenage runaways.
Debuting in 1963, the Easy-Bake Oven allowed children to cook using which as a heating element?
A. Sterno cans
B. magnified sunlight
C. light bulbs
C. light bulbs
Designers at Kenner Products were inspired to make the Easy-Bake Oven by pretzel vendors of New York City. The first 500,000 ovens were released in November 1963 and were sold out by December. More than 50 million Easy-Bake Ovens have been sold, though the light bulbs were replaced with traditional heating elements in the early 21st century.
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin achieved which of these famous firsts?
A. first person to break the sound barrier
B. first Soviet citizen to defect to the United States
C. first person in outer space
C. first person in outer space
The Soviet Union took an early lead in the space race, including putting the first man in space. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev placed an emphasis on quickly achieved missions that would assert the U.S.S.R.’s dominance in space while eschewing long-term goals, such as putting a person on the Moon.
What was the first national monument in the United States?
A. Fort Sumter National Monument
B. Devils Tower National Monument
C. Statue of Liberty
B. Devils Tower National Monument
Devils Tower National Monument was the first U.S. national monument. It was established in 1906 in Wyoming, near the Belle Fourche River. It encompasses 2.1 square miles (5.4 square km) and features a natural rock tower, the remnant of a volcanic intrusion now exposed by erosion.
Which of these is known as the "Gateway to the West"?
A. Gateway Arch
B. Lincoln Memorial
C. Washington Monument
A. Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch is a monument in St. Louis, Missouri, that sits along the west bank of the Mississippi River. It takes its name from the city’s role as the "Gateway to the West" during the westward expansion of the United States in the 19th century.
In 1967 Radaranges were sold to households across the United States. What is the Radarange better known as today?
A. computer mouse
B. pocket calculator
C. microwave oven
C. microwave oven
Debuting in the late 1940s, the first Radaranges (so-named because the heating power of microwaves were discovered while working on radar technology) were about six feet tall and were marketed to restaurants and commercial kitchens.
In April 1964 the Beatles had a record five songs in the top five spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Which of these was not among them?
A. “Can’t Buy Me Love”
B. “Let It Be”
C. “Twist and Shout”
B. “Let It Be”
More than doubling the preceding record holder’s budget, which film was the most expensive ever made when it was released in 1963?
A. Spartacus
B. Cleopatra
C. 2001: A Space Odyssey
B. Cleopatra
Cleopatra began filming in 1960 with a budget of $5 million, which spiraled up to $44 million by the time it was released in 1963 (equaling approximately $453.8 million in 2024)
In which city was the first practical subway line in the United States constructed?
A. Boston
B. Philadelphia
C. New York City
A. Boston
The first practical subway line in the United States was constructed in Boston between 1895 and 1897. It was 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and at first used trolley streetcars, or tramcars. Later, Boston acquired conventional subway trains.
Which U.S. president signed the Equal Pay Act, which mandated equal pay for equal work?
A. John F. Kennedy
B. Dwight D. Eisenhower
C. Franklin D. Roosevelt
A. John F. Kennedy
Attempting to soften his image for the upcoming U.S. presidential election, in 1968 Richard Nixon appeared on Laugh-In and delivered what TV catchphrase?
A. “Nip it in the bud.”
B. “I see nothing; I know nothing.”
C. “Sock it to me.”
C. “Sock it to me.”
Today it isn’t uncommon for politicians to appear on comedy programs such as Saturday Night Live, but in the 1960s it was a rarity. Richard Nixon was first offered one of Laugh-In’s other catchphrases, “You bet your sweet bippy,” but declined because he didn’t know what a “bippy” was.
Inspired by a novel timer at a pub he frequented, Edward Craven Walker invented which of the following in 1963?
A. tie-dye
B. lava lamp
C. lazy Susan
B. lava lamp
Edward Craven Walker was inspired to create the lava lamp (initially called Astro Lamp) after seeing a clear cocktail shaker filled with oil and water that was used as a timer.
Published in 1962, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring highlighted the dangers of which of the following?
A. gambling
B. Agent Orange
C. pesticides
C. pesticides
Often cited as one of the greatest science books of all time, Silent Spring called attention to the dangers of overusing chemical pesticides. The book was instrumental in the banning of DDT in 1972.
Which of these skyscrapers was formerly known as the Sears Tower?
A. Wilshire Grand Center
B. Seagram Building
C. Willis Tower
C. Willis Tower
The Willis Tower, formerly (1973–2009) Sears Tower, is a skyscraper office building in Chicago, Illinois; it is one of the world’s tallest buildings. The Sears Tower opened to tenants in 1973, though construction was not actually completed until 1974.
Which Teton Dakota Indian chief participated in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show?
A. Sitting Bull
B, Lone Horn
C. Spotted Elk
A. Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull was a Teton Dakota Indian chief under whom the Sioux peoples united in their struggle for survival on the North American Great Plains. In 1885 Sitting Bull joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, in which he gained international fame.
In 1965, which of these forms of protest was specifically made a federal crime?
A. burning a draft card
B. burning yourself
C. burning a U.S. flag
A. burning a draft card
In the early 1960s young men who wanted to protest the Vietnam War or the draft would burn their Selective Service registration certificates, commonly called draft cards. In 1965 it became illegal to destroy a draft card, though many were still burned.
In 1967 Muhammad Ali was sentenced to five years in prison for what crime?
A. marijuana possession
B. tax evasion
C. refusing to join the army
C. refusing to join the army
Muhammad Ali was selected for service in the United States armed forces in 1967 but refused, claiming to be a conscientious objector for religious reasons. The draft board rejected his claim, and Ali was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to five years in prison.
During the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove nuclear weapons from Cuba if the United States did what?
A. stop financially supporting Finland
B. hand over a captured Soviet spy
C. remove missiles from Turkey
C. remove missiles from Turkey
In what year did the Liberty Bell ring for the last time?
A. 1846
B. 1753
C. 2003
A. 1846
The Liberty Bell was rung for the last time for George Washington’s birthday in 1846, when the bell cracked irreparably. It is a traditional symbol of U.S. freedom, commissioned in 1751 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly to hang in the new State House (renamed Independence Hall) in Philadelphia.
Which war interrupted construction of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.?
A. American Civil War
B. Persian Gulf War
C. World War II
A. American Civil War
Construction of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., began in 1848. It was interrupted by the Civil War. The monument was officially dedicated in 1885 and opened to the public in 1888.
In a December 1963 interview, Jackie Kennedy compared the Kennedy administration to which legendary place?
A. Valhalla
B. Camelot
C. Shangri-La
B. Camelot
Noting that her husband was a fan of the musical Camelot, which had debuted in 1960, the former first lady likened her deceased husband’s administration to King Arthur’s court, both lasting “one brief shining moment.” The Kennedy era would be referred to as “Camelot” for decades afterward.
What important role did dairy farmer Max Yasgur’s property play in 1969?
A. home to the Manson family cult
B. set of the pilot episode of Star Trek
C. site of the Woodstock music festival
C. site of the Woodstock music festival
What was the name of the first James Bond movie released in 1962 starring Sean Connery & Ursula Andrews?
A. Dr. No
B. From Russia with Love
C. Goldfinger
A. Dr. No
Who was the chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge?
A. Benjamin Baker
B. John A. Roebling
C. Joseph B. Strauss
C. Joseph B. Strauss
The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began under the supervision of chief engineer Joseph B. Strauss in January 1933. Upon the Golden Gate Bridge''s completion in 1937, it was the tallest and longest suspension bridge in the world.
In which city is Elfreth''s Alley, the oldest continuously inhabited street in the United States, located?
A. New York City
B. Philadelphia
C. Jersey City
B. Philadelphia
Elfreth''s Alley, which dates back to 1702, is located in Philadelphia. It contains 33 houses. Included in the complex are Carpenter''s Hall, the site of the meeting of the First Continental Congress, and Philosophical Hall, home of the American Philosophical Society.