What Happened In 1946?
46 Trivia Questions and Answers for 1946 History
1. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1946?
The Gypsy by The Ink Spots
2. At Club 500 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, this comedy duo performed their first show as a comedy team. Name them.
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
3. This woman was the first American saint to be canonized. Name that American Saint.
Mother Cabrini (Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini)
4. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1946?
The King’s General by Daphne du Maurier
5. In 1946, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
Men – 64.4 years, Women – 69.4 years.
6. What was the highest-grossing film of 1946?
The Best Years of Our Lives
7. This club, exclusive to very smart people, opened on October 1, 1946. Name that club.
Mensa
8. Starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, and Alaska as the destination, name the Fourth “Road To…” film.
Road to Utopia
9. Who was President of the United States in 1946?
Harry S. Truman (April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1953)
10. Who was the American Vice-President in 1946?
The office of vice president was vacant from April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1949
11. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1946?
In 1946, The Montreal Canadiens won over the Boston Bruins (4 games to 1)
12. The “2-way wrist radio” was introduced in what popular comic strip?
Dick Tracy
13. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1946?
10 cents
14. How many people lived in the United States in 1946?
The population was an estimated 141,388,566 people.
15. This television network rivaled NBC and CBS when it started broadcasting, but they ended operating in 1956. Name that almost-forgotten TV network.
The DuMont Television Network
16. Now called ‘Holiday World’ in a town called Santa Clause in Indiana, this was America’s First Theme Park. (Not just amusement park). What was it called when it opened in 1946?
Santa Claus Land
17. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1946: Diane Keaton, Naomi Judd, Joy Behar, Dolly Parton, or Susan Lucci?
Joy Behar (born October 7, 1942)
18. In September 1946, this film festival debuted in France.
The Cannes Film Festival
19. This NHL player started his career in 1946 and played into 1980, with 1,767 games. Name that National Hockey League legend.
Gordie Howe
20. Who first mentioned the “Iron Curtain” at Westminster College, in Fulton, Missouri in 1946?
Winston Churchill
21. This 1946 Disney film, a mix of live-action and animation, won an Academy Award for Best Song. Name that film.
Song of the South (Song: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah)
22. The name of this vehicle means ‘wasp’ in Italian. What is the vehicle?
Vespa (scooter).
23. UNICEF was founded in 1946. What is the full name of the organization?
United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund
24. This secret US Government program brought more than 1,600 German scientists, engineers, and technicians from Germany to the United States. Name that secret program.
Project Paperclip
25. Who won the US Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1946?
Assault
26. This future rock star was born as Farrokh Bulsara, in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Name that rock star.
Freddie Mercury (September 5, 1946 – November 24, 1991)
27. A young actress decided to use a stage name, Marilyn Monroe, instead of her given name. What was this actress’s real name?
Norma Jean Baker
28. In this area, the United Kingdom granted what we now call Jordan, its independence. What was it called then?
Transjordan
29. Who won the 1946 World Series?
In 1946, The St. Louis Cardinals won, beating the Boston Red Sox (4 games to 3)
30. Eventually selling over 50 million copies, what was the name of the book about raising small children by pediatrician Benjamin Spock?
The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care
31. A song about a road was recorded for the first time by the Nat King Cole Trio, making that road one of the most famous in America. Name that road.
(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
32. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1946?
James F. Byrnes
33. This South Pacific area, part of the Marshall Islands, became a testing area for American atomic bombs…
Bikini Atoll
34. Marguerite Perey discovered Actinium K, also known as ‘francium’, what is francium’s Atomic Number?
87
35. This flight demonstration team was formed by the US Navy in 1946. Name that squadron.
The Blue Angels
36. This very large professional wrestler was born on May 19, 1946, in Grenoble, France.
Andre the Giant (died on January 27, 1993))
37. This musical, starring Ethel Merman, premiered on Broadway, at the Imperial Theatre
Annie Get Your Gun
38. Originally founded to help support people affected in World War II, this organization still offers packages of aid to those in need. Name that organization.
CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, originally the Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe)
39. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1946?
$0.21 per gallon
40. This American fast food company started as ‘Dwarf Grill’ in 1946, changed the name to ‘Dwarf House’, and changed its name again in 1967. What is that company?
Chick-fil-A
41. In 1942, Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering was founded, with about 20 employees. What is the name of that company today?
SONY
42. To the nearest dime, what was the average movie theater ticket price in 1946?
40 cents
43. The Roosevelt dime was released in 1946. What was the dime used from 1916 thru 1945?
The Mercury Dime
44. Although seldom seen today, this product was first produced in 1946, and a major part of the plot in the 1983 film, Trading Places.
Frozen concentrated orange juice
45. Directed by Howard Hughes, this film made Jane Russell a Hollywood sex symbol.
The Outlaw
46. This film, starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, opened in December 1946.
It’s a Wonderful Life
Trivia Team Bonus Questions:
1. Who directed It’s a Wonderful Life?
Frank Capra
2. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1946?
Assault
3. This early film noir based on the 1934 novel of the same name by James M. Cain, features Lana Turner and John Garfield. Name
The Postman Always Rings Twice
4. Although the United Nations eventually settled in New York City, what was their American first choice town?
Greenwich, Connecticut
5. What was the American foreign policy whose primary purpose was to contain Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War?
The Truman Doctrine
6. What was the first official Formula One Race?
1946 Turin Grand Prix
7. Weighing 60,0000 pounds, what was the name of the computer unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania in February 1946?
ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer)
8. Who were the 1946 NFL Champions?
Chicago Bears
9. This space project bounced radar waves off the Moon, proving that communication is possible between Earth and outer space. Name that US government project.
Project Diana. Some say that it started The Space Age.
10. Who was the Pope in 1946?
Pope Pius XII, March 2, 1939 – October 9, 1958
