Pop Culture Trivia Quiz: 1953

What Happened In 1953?

53 Trivia Questions and Answers for 1953 History

(answers)

1. A very influential country music star died at 29 in his car on January 1, 1953. Name him.

2. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1953?

3. What was the highest-grossing film of 1953?

4. In 1953, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?

5. Released in 1953, this was Disney’s 14th animated film. Name that movie.

6. This vehicle was produced by Chevrolet from 1953 through 2019…

7. What was the average household income in 1953?

8. How many people lived in the United States in 1953?

9. How many people lived in the World in 1953?

10. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1953?

11. To the nearest quarter, what was the average movie theater ticket price in 1953?

12. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1953?

13. Founded in 1953, what does UNICEF stand for?

14. What was the first color, wide-release 3D movie?

15. Who was the President of the United States in 1953?

16. This processed food spread by Kraft began to be sold nationwide in 1953. Name that food product!

17. Ray Bradbury titled his 1953 dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, based on what?

18. Name the Howard Hawks’ musical film starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, released by 20th Century Fox.

19. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1953?

20. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1952/1953 season?

21. Who was crowned queen of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953?

22. The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the upgrade using the “NTSC standard.” Just about every American household has at least one.
HINT: The first ones sold for about $1,175. Name that product.

23. This air traffic control sign was given to a specific aircraft in 1953 to protect America’s Commander-in-Chief…

24. What is the air traffic control sign for the vice president’s plane?

25. This 1953 film, Starring Marlon Brando as Johnny Strabler, is considered by many to be the first “outlaw biker movie.” Name that film.

26. For decades, this publication, which got nationwide distribution in 1953, had one of the largest circulations in America. Name that magazine.

27. Why did all radios manufactured in the US between 1953 and 1963 have a white triangle on the dial at 640 AM?

28. Pre-dating Godzilla, Ray Bradbury wrote a short story about a giant, fire-breathing lizard, which was made into what 1953 film?

29. Name the couple who were convicted in 1951 of selling American atomic secrets to the Soviet Union and executed in 1953.

30. True or False? The first radio operator to pick up news of Stalin’s death was future rock pioneer Johnny Cash, who was serving with the US Air Force in Germany in 1953

31. What product was sold featuring a very young blonde girl and a sneaky Cocker Spaniel puppy?

32. The term originated in 1953, defining someone who is both a friend and a rival…

33. Arthur Compton was a physicist and winner of the Nobel Prize in physics in 1927. He was chancellor at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He also invented what traffic-slowing device in 1953?

34. Authorities at the Natural History Museum, London, announce that what famous skull, allegedly an early human discovered in 1912, was a hoax in studying evolution?

35. The discovery of human sleep patterns was first published by researchers Eugene Aserinsky and Nathaniel Kleitman.

36. Sidney Rosenthal created it, which consisted of a glass tube of ink with a felt wick. What did he call it?

37. This sports toy was named after what the inventor’s son called a “strike out.”

38. Who won the 1953 World Series?

39. Which actor was NOT born in 1953: Bill Pullman, Kim Basinger, Lynda Carter, or John Malkovich?

40. Where is (and what is) the line between North and South Korea?

41. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first men to accomplish what?

42. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1953?

43. This 1953 invention, in a can, is good for lubricating and loosening joints and hinges and removing dirt and residue.

44. This organization uses a 12-step model developed for people with varied substance use disorders…

45. Who was the Pope in 1953?

46. Who was Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on October 5th, 1953?

47. Name the Soviet leader who died of a stroke on March 5, 1953.

48. Ian Fleming published his first James Bond novel in the United Kingdom; what was the book’s name?

49. What company used the slogan: “Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh What a Relief It Is”?

50. What was the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) called before 1953?

51. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1953?

52. This magazine, for adults, sold almost 55,000 copies of its first issue at 50 cents each.

Trivia Team Bonus Questions:

1. Who was the first Playboy centerfold?

2. The Cincinnati Reds temporarily requested the team name to (what?) to avoid any association with communism in 1953.

3. Who was the American Vice-President in 1953?

4. British physicist Francis Crick and American biologist James Watson made what biological discovery in 1953?

5. It calls itself “the world’s southernmost city.” Name that city.

6. Who were the 1953 NBA Champions?

7. Who were the 1953 NFL Champions?

8. What was the first commercial computer to use random-access memory?

9. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1953?

10. Transsexual Christine Jorgensen returned to New York after successful sex reassignment surgery from what country?

The Answers:

53 Trivia Questions and Answers for 1953 History

1. A very influential country music star died at 29 in his car on January 1, 1953. Name him.
Hank Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953)

2. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1953?
Voya Con Dios (May God Be With You) by Les Paul and Mary Ford

3. What was the highest-grossing film of 1953?
The Robe (2nd place: From Here to Eternity)

4. In 1953, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
Men – 66.0 years, Women – 72.0 years.

5. Released in 1953, this was Disney’s 14th animated film. Name that movie.
Peter Pan

6. This vehicle was produced by Chevrolet from 1953 through 2019…
Chevrolet Corvette

7. What was the average household income in 1953?
$3,900.

8. How many people lived in the United States in 1953?
The population was an estimated 160,184,192 people.

9. How many people lived in the World in 1953?
The estimated world population in 1953 was 2,665,865,392 people.

10. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1953?
The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas

11. To the nearest quarter, what was the average movie theater ticket price in 1953?
50 cents

12. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1953?
16 cents

13. Founded in 1953, what does UNICEF stand for?
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

14. What was the first color, wide-release 3D movie?
The House of Wax, starring Vincent Price

15. Who was the President of the United States in 1953?
Harry S. Truman (April 12, 1945January 20, 1953) and Dwight D. Eisenhower (January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961)

16. This processed food spread by Kraft began to be sold nationwide in 1953. Name that food product!
Cheez Whiz

17. Ray Bradbury titled his 1953 dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, based on what?
“Fahrenheit 451 – the temperature at which book paper catches fire and burns…”

18. Name the Howard Hawks’ musical film starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, released by 20th Century Fox.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

19. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1953?
In 1953, The Montreal Canadiens won over the Boston Bruins (4 games to 1)

20. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1952/1953 season?
I Love Lucy (CBS)

21. Who was crowned queen of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953?
Elizabeth II

22. The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the upgrade using the “NTSC standard.” Just about every American household has at least one.
HINT: The first ones sold for about $1,175. Name that product.
Color television

23. This air traffic control sign was given to a specific aircraft in 1953 to protect America’s Commander-in-Chief…
Air Force One

24. What is the air traffic control sign for the vice president’s plane?
Air Force Two

25. This 1953 film, Starring Marlon Brando as Johnny Strabler, is considered by many to be the first “outlaw biker movie.” Name that film.
The Wild One

26. For decades, this publication, which got nationwide distribution in 1953, had one of the largest circulations in America. Name that magazine.
TV Guide

27. Why did all radios manufactured in the US between 1953 and 1963 have a white triangle on the dial at 640 AM?
This indicates where Civil Defense information would be broadcast due to the Cold War.

28. Pre-dating Godzilla, Ray Bradbury wrote a short story about a giant, fire-breathing lizard, which was made into what 1953 film?
The  Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

29. Name the couple who were convicted in 1951 of selling American atomic secrets to the Soviet Union and executed in 1953.
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg

30. True or False? The first radio operator to pick up news of Stalin’s death was future rock pioneer Johnny Cash, who was serving with the US Air Force in Germany in 1953
True

31. What product was sold featuring a very young blonde girl and a sneaky Cocker Spaniel puppy?
Coppertone sunscreen

32. The term originated in 1953, defining someone who is both a friend and a rival…
Frenemy

33. Arthur Compton was a physicist and winner of the Nobel Prize in physics in 1927. He was chancellor at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He also invented what traffic-slowing device in 1953?
The Speed Bump

34. Authorities at the Natural History Museum, London, announce that what famous skull, allegedly an early human discovered in 1912, was a hoax in studying evolution?
Piltdown Man

35. The discovery of human sleep patterns was first published by researchers Eugene Aserinsky and Nathaniel Kleitman.
REM sleep

36. Sidney Rosenthal created it, which consisted of a glass tube of ink with a felt wick. What did he call it?
Magic Marker

37. This sports toy was named after what the inventor’s son called a “strike out.”
Wiffleball (Inventor David N. Mullany’s son called it a “whiff.”)

38. Who won the 1953 World Series?
In 1953, The New York Yankees won, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers (4 games to 2)

39. Which actor was NOT born in 1953: Bill Pullman, Kim Basinger, Lynda Carter, or John Malkovich?
Lynda Carter (born July 24, 1951)

40. Where is (and what is) the line between North and South Korea?
The 38th parallel. (The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude 38 degrees north of the Earth’s equatorial plane.)

41. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first men to accomplish what?
They were the first men to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

42. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1953?
$0.29 per gallon

43. This 1953 invention, in a can, is good for lubricating and loosening joints and hinges and removing dirt and residue.
WD-40 (it was for commercial use only until 1958)

44. This organization uses a 12-step model developed for people with varied substance use disorders…
Narcotics Anonymous

45. Who was the Pope in 1953?
Pope Pius XII, March 2, 1939October 9, 1958

46. Who was Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on October 5th, 1953?
Earl Warren

47. Name the Soviet leader who died of a stroke on March 5, 1953.
Joseph Stalin (18 December 18, 1878 – March 5, 1953)

48. Ian Fleming published his first James Bond novel in the United Kingdom; what was the book’s name?
Casino Royale

49. What company used the slogan: “Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh What a Relief It Is”?
Alka Seltzer

50. What was the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) called before 1953?
The Bureau of Internal Revenue

51. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1953?
Konrad Adenauer

52. This magazine, for adults, sold almost 55,000 copies of its first issue at 50 cents each.
Playboy

Trivia Team Bonus Questions:

1. Who was the first Playboy centerfold?
Marilyn Monroe (the photograph was not taken specifically for the magazine)

2. The Cincinnati Reds temporarily requested the team name to (what?) to avoid any association with communism in 1953.
The Redlegs

3. Who was the American Vice-President in 1953?
Alben W. Barkley (January 20, 1949 – January 20, 1953) and Richard Nixon (January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961)

4. British physicist Francis Crick and American biologist James Watson made what biological discovery in 1953?
The double-helix structure of human DNA

5. It calls itself “the world’s southernmost city.” Name that city.
Puerto Williams, in Chile.

6. Who were the 1953 NBA Champions?
For the 1952-53 Season, Champion Minneapolis Lakers won 4 games to 1 over the New York Knicks

7. Who were the 1953 NFL Champions?
Detroit Lions

8. What was the first commercial computer to use random-access memory?
UNIVAC (1103)

9. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1953?
Dark Star

10. Transsexual Christine Jorgensen returned to New York after successful sex reassignment surgery from what country?
Denmark