Romantic Pairs
Complete the real-life couple: Katharine Ross and this mustachioed leading man.
Who is Sam Elliott? The pair met while filming 1978’s The Legacy and tied the knot in 1984.
It was during this big-hair decade that young inventor Rachel Zimmerman created a symbol communication device called the Blissymbol.
What is the 1980s? The 12-year-old Zimmerman’s invention allowed non-speaking people to communicate using symbols on a touchpad.
Debuting in 1969 and running for decades, this brand’s most famous commercial features an owl asking, “How many licks” to the center of this sweet treat.
What is a Tootsie Pop? This is one of the longest-running commercials in TV ad history and is often aired around candy-centric holidays like Halloween.
Cars driven by this suave spy include the Mustang Mach 1, Aston Martin V8, and BMW Z8.
Who is James Bond? Since 1962’s Dr. No, when the spy drove a simple Sunbeam Alpine, Bond cars have been getting more luxurious and eye-catching across the decades.
The track and field world records for 100 and 200 meters are both held by this American, also called Flo Jo.
Who is Florence Griffith Joyner? Both records were set in 1988, one in Indiana and the other at the Olympics.
Established in 1973, the International Cosmetic Ingredient Nomenclature Committee oversaw standardizing these for cosmetic ingredients.
What are names? Standardized names for ingredients were created in order to help consumers around the world recognize what was in their makeup.
Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei are couple Vinny Gambini and Mona Lisa Vito in this 1992 comedy.
What is My Cousin Vinny? The American Bar Association has ranked the film No. 3 on its top legal movies list.
During the 1970s, Erna Schneider Hoover patented a new switching system that helped manage calls from these devices.
What are telephones? Hoover’s patent helped telephone call centers manage a higher volume of calls.
In the 1990s, a famous commercial for this soft drink featured Cindy Crawford simply walking to a vending machine.
What is Pepsi? The commercial first aired during the 1992 Super Bowl.
These, with shoulder harnesses, were required by U.S. law starting in 1968 in all consumer automobiles.
What are seat belts? Seat belts in their early days were just lap belts, but Volvo began popularizing the three-point belt in the 1960s.
On April 4, 1974, this man tied Babe Ruth’s record with 714 home runs; he would break the record only four days later.
Who is Hank Aaron? Aaron was congratulated for tying the record by Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and Vice President Ford.
Animal lovers rejoiced in 1981, when a research center was founded to find alternatives to this controversial kind of cosmetic testing.
What is animal testing? The Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing funds grants and research for finding animal-safe testing methods.
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell take their romance to the big screen with this 1987 flick about an heiress with amnesia.
What is Overboard? The real-life couple brought their children to the set while filming; the youngest took his first steps there!
Maria Telkes was an inventor nicknamed the “Sun Queen” for her inventions in this kind of energy.
What is solar? Her career spanned the 20th century and spawned creations like a solar distillation device and a home heated entirely through solar energy.
A 1987 Super Bowl commercial from this beer brand featured a goofy bull terrier named Spuds MacKenzie.
What is Bud Light? The commercial was successful but drew criticism for being too child-friendly for a beer brand.
The Swedish automaker Saab made these bottom-warming devices standard in 1972.
What are heated seats (or seat warmers)? Cadillac had debuted a seat warmer option in 1966, but Saab made a heated driver’s seat standard.
A milestone for this chilly sport came in 1972 with the Summit Series, a series of games between Canada and the Soviet Union.
What is ice hockey? The highlight of the series was Canada’s dramatic win during game eight.
Popular since the 1960s, this cosmetic brand is named for its founder and known for its trademark pink cars driven by the company’s salespeople.
What is Mary Kay? Mary Kay Ash decided customers would rather purchase products in a home environment and created her direct sales model.
This “Hound Dog” singer and his wife, Priscilla, were one of the “it” couples of the 1960s and early ’70s.
Who is Elvis? The 2023 movie Priscilla examines their marriage.
This bulletproof material used for vests and other military gear was invented thanks to scientist Stephanie Kwolek.
What is Kevlar? During her time working at DuPont, Kwolek created a solid, lightweight material that became known as Kevlar.
Fittingly, an Apple commercial from this year referenced George Orwell’s most famous book.
What is 1984? The computer brand played off the novel’s idea of conformity to espouse their new PC as breaking the mold.
In the 1980s, French automaker Renault debuted a car that could unlock without the use of these.
What are keys? The Renault Fuego featured a handheld keyless entry system, much like those commonly used today.
A milestone in basketball came in 1976 when the NBA joined forces with the ABA, which stands for this, creating a strengthened front.
What is the American Basketball Association? Importantly, the merger introduced the three-point line to NBA gameplay.
In the 1970s, this eyelash enhancer became popular in colorful varieties like blue, green, and purple.
What is mascara? Mascara innovation continued in the ’80s, when vitamins and growth serums were added to the cosmetic.
In 1984’s Splash, Tom Hanks’ love interest is secretly this type of mythical being, played by Daryl Hannah.
What is a mermaid? The film is credited with introducing the girl’s name Madison, which was popular through the early 2000s.
In this field of STEM, Mary Wilkes is known for creating programs like the LINC software.
What is computing? In 1972, she left this field to pursue a law career, but not before her inventions changed computing for us all.
One of the most famous commercial campaigns of all time, Coca-Cola’s 1971 “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” ad was originally shot in this European nation.
What is Italy? The beautiful Roman hillside was actually the backup location; weather prevented shooting at the Cliffs of Dover.
This Hueytown, Alabama, resident, along with son Davey, is one of NASCAR’s most beloved drivers from the 1970s and ’80s.
Who is Bobby Allison? The Allisons are one example of a racing family; others include the Earnhardts, Bakers, and Elliots.
In 1984, a White Sox–Brewers game set a record for most of these played.
What are innings? The remarkable game was 25 innings and lasted over eight hours, which also set a record for the longest Major League game.
Cover Girl introduced a “crackle” variety of this fingertip-adorning cosmetic in 1999.
What is nail polish? Gals might remember the trend from the ’90s and 2000s of layering crackle nail polish over a contrasting color to create a unique, weathered look.
A late ’90s teen romance, 10 Things I Hate About You is based on a (much) earlier work by this English playwright.
Who is William Shakespeare? The Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles film is based on The Taming of the Shrew.
Inventor Patricia Bath created the Laserphaco Probe in 1986, which allowed eye doctors to safely dissolve this vision-disturbing clouding of the eye lens.
What is a cataract? Bath’s probe is still used today as a painless way to treat cataracts.
In 1996, Budweiser first aired a commercial featuring these large horses, now closely associated with the brand.
What are Clydesdales? In the original Super Bowl commercial, a herd of horses plays football while cowboys look on.
Dashboards got a futuristic makeover in 1976, when the first of this type of display was unveiled. Bye-bye, analog dials!
What is digital? The Aston Martin Lagonda was the first car to feature a digital dashboard, paving the way for today’s touchscreen dashes.
The world record for a hammer throw is held by Yuriy Sedykh, of this nation (at the time), which no longer exists.
What is the Soviet Union? Set on August 30, 1986, the record still stands at 86.74 meters (284.5 feet).
In the 1970s, eyeshadow shades went pearlescent and were called this word, which calls to mind cakes more than makeup.
What is frosted? Cosmetics trends of the decade included highly blended frosted shadows in one shade across the entire lid.