What Happened In 1958?
58 Trivia Questions and Answers for 1958 History
1. Name the first #1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart.
Poor Little Fool by Ricky Nelson
2. How many people lived in the United States in 1958?
The population was an estimated 174,881,904 people.
3. How many people lived in the World in 1958?
The estimated world population in 1958 was 2,916,030,167 people.
4. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1958?
In 1958, The Montreal Canadiens won over the Boston Bruins (4 games to 2)
5. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1958?
At The Hop by Danny and The Juniors
6. Who was President of the United States in 1958?
Dwight D. Eisenhower (January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961)
7. What company used the slogan: “Look, Ma, no cavities!”?
Crest toothpaste
8. Name the Soviet leader who became the Premier of the Soviet Union in March, 1958.
Nikita Khrushchev
9. To the nearest quarter, what was the average movie theater ticket price in 1958?
75 cents
10. This popular symbol was designed and created by Gerald Holtom and commissioned by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Name it.
The Peace Symbol
11. What was the highest-grossing film of 1958?
South Pacific
12. Dan and Frank Carney opened their pizza restaurant in Wichita, Kansas. Name that pizza place.
Pizza Hut
13. Who received the first Gold record from the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America)?
Perry Como for his hit single, Catch A Falling Star
14. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1958?
Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
15. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1958?
19 cents
16. How much did a Gallon of Milk cost 1958?
$1.01
17. How much did a Round Steak (one pound) cost in 1958?
$1.04
18. Although the idea had been around for centuries, by Arthur K. “Spud” Melin and Richard Knerr made them out of plastic. It was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1999. Name that toy.
Hula Hoop
19. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1958? Jane Lynch, Megan Mullally, Jamie Lee Curtis, or Tanya Tucker?
Jane Lynch (born July 14, 1960)
20. In 1958, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
Men – 66.6 years, Women – 72.9 years.
21. This book, published in the US and banned in the USSR, won author Boris Pasternak the Nobel Prize.
Dr. Zhivago
22. In 1958, the price of a US Postage stamp increased for the first time in 26 years. What was the cost of a First-Class Stamp effective August 1958?
4 cents
23. Which company did not start processing credit cards in 1958: American Express, Diner’s Club, or Visa?
The Diner’s Club card launched in 1950
24. What was the name of the first dry cat food sold nationwide?
Friskies (Little Friskies for Cats)
25. Who was the American Vice-President in 1958?
Richard Nixon (January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961)
26. Harry Winston, Inc. donated what 45.52-carat famous jewel to the Smithsonian Institution?
The Hope Diamond
27. This 1958 musical-romance film, called the last of the great MGM musicals, was a huge critical and box office success. Name that film.
Gigi
28. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1958?
$0.30 per gallon
29. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1958?
Charles de Gaulle
30. What company introduced the first diet cola?
Royal Crown introduced “Diet Rite”
31. An adhesive product called “Eastman #910” went on sale in 1958. What do we call this sticky product today?
Super Glue
32. Kellogg’s Cornflakes’ mascot is a rooster. What is his name?
Cornelius “Corny” Rooster
33. The tallest tsunami ever, 1720 feet high, struck on July 9, 1958. Where did it crash?
Alaska (Lituya Bay)
34. Phil Spector wrote and recorded his first song in 1958, and it spent 3 weeks at number one. What was the name of that song?
To Know Him Is to Love Him by The Teddy Bears
35. This type of advertising has been banned in the UK, America, and Australia since 1958. What type of advertising?
Subliminal advertising
36. This symbol was designed in 1958 by Robert Heft as a junior high history project, he got a B- for it. Later, it was one of the most displayed objects of all time. What did he design?
The 50-star American Flag.
37. What improvement made the Crayola ’64’ crayons even more fun for kids?
It included a built-in sharpener on the back.
38. This east coast disc jockey invented the term “Rock and Roll” but got in trouble over “payola” taking money to play new records. Name that DJ.
Alan Freed
39. How much did a dozen eggs cost in 1958?
60 cents
40. This peanut butter has been among the most popular since it hit store shelves in 1958. How quickly can you name that peanut butter brand?
Jif
41. Launched in 1958, what is the oldest man-made satellite still orbiting the Earth?
Vanguard 1
42. First produced in 1949, the modern design was patented in 1958. This toy has associated theme parks, movies, and traveling displays. Name this very popular toy.
Lego
43. What was the name of the first vessel to cross the North Pole underwater?
USS Nautilus
44. This word was created in 1958 to Spacecraft and Aeroplanes, to consider conquering Earth’s atmosphere and outer space as a single entity. What word?
Aerospace
45. This character, introduced in 1958, was played by character actor House Peters Jr. in the earliest commercials. Today he is animated and still sells his Procter & Gamble product. Name him.
Mr. Clean
46. Founded by a major film company, this major music label was started on March 19, 1958.
Warner Records
47. Who won the 1958 World Series?
In 1958, The New York Yankees won, beating the Milwaukee Braves (4 games to 3)
48. This 1958 creation is helpful for holding items together, primarily electrical cables or wires.
A cable tie (or hose tie, zip tie, or Ty-Rap)
49. Californians Bill and Mark Richards are credited with inventing what mode of transportation in 1958?
Skateboards
50. This American anti-communist, anti-big government group was founded by Robert W. Welch Jr in Indiana.
John Birch Society
51. Who was the Pope in 1958?
Pope Pius XII, from March 2, 1939 – October 9, 1958, and Pope John XXIII, October 28, 1958 – June 3, 1963
52. Now known as LG Electronics, this company was founded in South Korea with another name. What was LG called before renaming itself in 1995?
GoldStar
53. Broadcast on NBC and winning nine Emmy awards, it was the first major television show to be recorded on color videotape. It starred one of the most famous and influential dancers on film. Who was the star of this television special?
Fred Astaire (on An Evening with Fred Astaire)
54. While working at Texas Instruments, Jack Kilby invented what electronic device?
The first integrated circuit
55. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1957/1958 season?
Gunsmoke (CBS)
56. Before they were The Beatles, that group had another name. What was that other name?
The Quarrymen
57. This satellite was the first successfully launched by the United States, and part of the US participation in the International Geophysical Year.
Explorer I
58. Created by cartoonist Johnny Hart, this daily comic strip features cavemen. Name that long-running comic.
B.C.
Trivia Team Bonus Questions:
1. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created in 1958. What federal agency did NASA replace?
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA, formed in 1915)
2. Who were the 1958 NBA Champions?
For the 1957-58 Season, Champion St. Louis Hawks won 4 games to 2 over the Boston Celtics
3. When US President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal Aviation Act, what governmental agency did he form?
Federal Aviation Agency (FAA, aka Federal Aviation Administration).
4. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1958?
Tim Tam
5. Where was the first Major League Baseball regular-season game ever played in California?
On April 15, The San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8–0 at San Francisco’s Seals Stadium
6.What team won the FIFA World Cup in 1958?
Brazil
7. Pope Pius XII declared someone the patron saint of television. Name that saint.
Saint Clare (of Assisi)
8. Mad Magazine has a drawn mascot named Alfred E. Newman. Cracked Magazine, a Mad rival, had a mascot too. Can you name him?
Sylvester P. Smythe
9. Who were the 1958 NFL Champions?
Baltimore Colts
10. Who won the United States Chess Championship at age 14, the youngest player ever?
Bobby Fischer
