New Years Through the Decades
This navy special operations force was created on January 1, 1962.
What is the Navy SEALs? Originally, there were two SEAL teams: one in California and the other in Virginia.
This mellow phrase is closely associated with the 1960s hippie movement: “Go with the _____.
What is flow? This expression encapsulates the easygoing hippie mentality, though similar sayings date back to the time of Marcus Aurelius.
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”
Who is Cassius Clay (or Muhammad Ali)? He first uttered the iconic line before his 1964 fight with Sonny Liston
In 1973, Congress passed a law allowing citizens to elect a mayor and a city council for this capital city for the first time.
What is Washington, D.C.? Prior to this law, the president chose the mayor of the city. Walter Washington was the first person elected by the citizens of D.C. and the first Black mayor.
M is for this first female prime minister of the U.K. who served as the “Iron Lady” from 1979 until 1990.
Who is Margaret Thatcher? She started her career as a research chemist and first entered politics in 1950.
At the Cotton Bowl stadium on January 1, 1967, this team from Green Bay won a 34–27 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
Who are the Packers? The game was lauded as one of the best NFL championship games of all time.
This is a rhyming term for a hairstyle like that of John, Paul, Ringo, and George.
What is mop top? The iconic Beatles hairstyle, with its long bangs, became a popular look in the 1960s.
Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.
Who is John F. Kennedy? One of his most famous quotes comes from his 1961 inaugural address, in which he talked about defending freedom.
On April 15, 1983, the first Disney park outside of the United States, opened its gates in this capital city in Japan.
What is Tokyo? The theme park was built on land reclaimed from the Tokyo Bay and designed to mimic the look of an American theme park.
J is for this 1975 hit film about a seaside town beset by a shark.
What is Jaws? The film is considered the first summer blockbuster, as it attracted an audience of over 67 million people upon release.
This Star Trek actor known for playing Spock married Susan Bay on New Year’s Day in 1989.
Who is Leonard Nimoy? Did you know Nimoy was best man at his Star Trek costar William Shatner’s 1997 wedding?
Also called punch buggy, slug bug is a childhood game inspired by this classic car
What is the Volkswagen Beetle? This car was popular during the ’60s and ’70s and spawned a road trip game where children would punch their siblings and friends if they spotted one first.
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Who is Neil Armstrong? This quote from the historic 1969 moon landing is one of the defining moments of the decade.
Sir Laurence Olivier opened the National Theatre Company in 1963 in this English capital city
What is London? Originally housed in the Old Vic Theatre, the company’s first play was Hamlet, starring Peter O’Toole.
A is for this NASA mission that landed a rover on the moon for the first time.
What is Apollo 15? In addition to the first lunar rover, the mission broke ground with the first satellite placed in lunar orbit by a crewed spacecraft.
On January 1, 1966, “The Sound of Silence” by this duo topped the Billboard charts.
Who are Simon and Garfunkel? The duo first met in 1953 and began making music together at the age of 16.
This two-word rhyme was coined by Allen Ginsburg to describe the anti-war demonstrators of the 1960s.
What is “flower power”? Ginsburg used the term to invite everyone to join a movement of peace, hope, and unity.
“You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?
Who is Clint Eastwood (or Dirty Harry)? The iconic movie line is often misquoted as “Do you feel lucky?”
The 1984 Olympic games were held in this capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hert-suh-go-VEE-nuh).
What is Sarajevo (ser-uh-YAE-voe)? This winter Olympics was the first time a woman had competed in six winter Olympic games. Marja-Liisa (Hämäläinen) Kirvesniemi (MAR-ya-LEE-sah HAM-alAIN-en KEER-ves-nee-EM-ee) from Finland made a splash at the games that year.
P is for this video game, whose simple design was based on a game of table tennis.
What is Pong? Pong is considered the first commercially successful video game and was sold as an arcade game as well as a console system.
On January 1, 1974, Lee MacPhail took over as the president of this baseball organization, succeeding Joe Cronin.
What is the AL (American League)? MacPhail was later elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.
This actress with a rhyming name is known for her role as Bonnie Parker in 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde.
Who is Faye Dunaway? Dunaway is known as one of the stars of Hollywood’s “second Golden Age.”
From a brochure at his 1968 art exhibition in Sweden: “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.”
Who is Andy Warhol? Once attributed to the artist himself, the quote may have first been uttered by a colleague or friend and then associated with Warhol.
Picasso’s painting Guernica was displayed in this Spanish capital in 1981 to celebrate his 100th birth anniversary
What is Madrid? The painting was returned to Madrid after spending decades on loan to the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
V is for this publication, which in 1974 became the first major fashion magazine to feature a Black cover model.
What is Vogue? Beverly Johnson was the cover model for the August 1974 issue and went on to be a cover model several more times throughout her career.