What Happened In 1949?
49 Trivia Questions and Answers for 1949 History
1. Who was President of the United States in 1949?
Harry S. Truman (April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1953)
2. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1949?
Riders In The Sky (A Cowboy Legend) by Vaughn Monroe
3. To the nearest quarter, what was the average movie theater ticket price in 1949?
50 cents
4. Who was the author of 1984, which came out in 1949?
George Orwell
5. In 1949, this a mysterious person began an annual tradition of leaving three roses in a distinctive arrangement and a bottle of cognac at what famous writer’s grave?
Edgar Allen Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849)
6. What was the highest-grossing film of 1949?
Samson and Delilah
7. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1949?
14 cents
8. How much did a Gallon of Milk cost 1949?
84 cents
9. White Christmas bu Bing Crosby was the first Christmas song to reach the number one position on the Billboard Music Charts. What was the second one?
All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth) by Spike Jones
10. How many people lived in the United States in 1949?
The population was an estimated 149,188,130 people.
11. The Warner Brothers cartoon Fast and Furry-ous introduced what two iconic characters?
The Road Runner and the Coyote
12. What was the Coyote’s full name?
Wile E. Coyote
13. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1949?
In 1949, The Toronto Maple Leafs won over the Detroit Red Wings (4 games to 0)
14. In 1949, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
Men – 65.2 years, Women – 70.7 years.
15. Making his TV debut on LA’s KTTV, he was called “The World’s Most Famous Clown”… who was he?
Bozo The Clown
16. This automobile, introduced by Oldsmobile in 1949, has been called the ‘first muscle car’. Name that car.
Oldsmobile 88 (Rocket 88)
17. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1949?
The Egyptian by Mika Waltari
18. This baseball star’s $90,000 contract made him seem like the highest-paid star of the 1949 season. Name that Yankee.
Joe DiMaggio
19. Just a few weeks later, another baseball star received an even higher contract for the season, almost $100,000. Name that Boston Baseball Hitter.
Ted Williams
20. This 1949 film, based on a 2 volume novel, starred June Allyson, Margaret O’Brien, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh, and Peter Lawford.
Little Women
21. This film, starring Laurence Olivier, won four Academy Awards in 1949, including Best Picture. It was the first non-Hollywood production to win the award. Name that film.
Hamlet
22. Founded in 1949, the North Atlantic Alliance is better known by what name?
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
23. Who was named the winner of the Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award for the National League?
Jackie Robison (Ted Williams won for the American League)
24. First presented in 1949, what was the Volkswagen Type 2 vehicle?
Microbus (small bus)
25. Who won the 1949 World Series?
In 1949, The New York Yankees won, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers (4 games to 1)
26. On February 7, 1949, This Arthur Miller tragedy opened at the Morosco Theatre in New York City and ran for 742 performances.
Death of a Salesman
27. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1949: Elton John, Billy Joel, Hank Williams Jr, or Lionel Richie?
Elton John (born March 25, 1947)
28. English Astronomer Fred Hoyle did not agree with a particular theory of how the universe began, but he gave it the nickname we use today. Name that theory.
The Big Bang
29. The first television western aired on NBC in the United States. Name that cowboy.
Hopalong Cassidy
30. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1949?
Winston Churchill
31. On May 9, 1949, Rainier III became Prince of Monaco. A few years later, he married a Hollywood star. Name his wife.
Grace Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982)
32. The first telethon took place in April 1949, raising over $1,000,000 fro the Damon Runyan Memorial Fund. over 16 hours. Name the TV star who hosted the event.
Milton Berle
33. Airing from June 1949 to April 1955, this was the first American live-action Science Fiction television show.
Captain Video and His Video Rangers
34. Opened in Rochester, New York, what is the George Eastman Museum dedicated to?
Photography
35. Who were the 1949 NFL Champions?
Philadelphia Eagles
36. This Major League Baseball player reached base safely for the 84th consecutive game, a record. Name that player.
Ted Williams
37. This musical comedy was the last film starring the Marx Brothers. What was the name of the movie?
Love Happy
38. The title of this 1949 Abbot and Costello film mentions the other co-star by name. What is the film title?
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff
39. This 1949 film, directed by Raoul Walsh and starring James Cagney, is considered by many to be the best gangster movie of all time. Name that film.
White Heat
40. How much did an average Volkswagen Beetle cost in 1949?
$1280
41. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1949?
$0.27 per gallon
42. This reality/documentary show started as a newspaper comic strip feature in 1918, originally called Champs and Chumps. It has been revived several times. Name that show!
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
43. This American soldier, actor, and songwriter was one of the most decorated combat soldiers of World War II. His book titled To Hell and Back. Name this American hero.
Audie Murphy
44. How much did a dozen eggs cost in 1949?
70 cents
45. It only lasted a month on NBC, but TC historians call this program “the first daytime soap opera”. can you name that program?
These Are My Children
46. Staring as a 1929 radio dramedy, this came back as a television show on CBS and was one of the very first sitcoms. Name that show.
The Goldbergs
47. RCA Victor introduced a 7-inch product that changed music for the next 70 years. What was it?
The 45 RPM Record.
48. The country of Jordan had a different name before 1949. What was the old name of the country?
Transjordan
49. The biggest hit from this 1949 musical is “Some Enchanted Evening”. What is the name of the musical?
South Pacific
Trivia Team Bonus Questions:
1. Who were the composers of South Pacific?
Richard Rodgers (music), Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics)
2. Who was the American Vice-President in 1949?
Alben W. Barkley (January 20, 1949 – January 20, 1953)
The office of vice president was vacant from April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1949
3. What did fictional Book, Film, and Television Cowboy Hopalong Cassidy like to drink?
Sarsaparilla.
4. Who were the 1949 NBA Champions?
For the 1948-49 Season, Champion Minneapolis Lakers won 4 games to 2 over the Washington Capitals
5. On March 21, 1949, WTVJ signs on the air as the first television station in what state?.
Florida
6. The unfortunate death of 3-year-old Kathy Fiscus, was one of the first ongoing television stories. What happened to her?
She fell down a well. (in San Marino, California.)
7. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1949?
Ponder
8. America’s National Security Agency (NSA) was founded in 1952, but the agency it replaced as formed in 1949. Name the prior agency.
Armed Forces Security Agency (AFSA)
9. What two leagues merged in 1949 to form the National Basketball Association (NBA)?
Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League
10. Who was the Pope in 1949?
Pope Pius XII, March 2, 1939 – October 9, 1958
