What Happened In 1959?
59 Trivia Questions and Answers for 1959 History
1. 375 people sang The Battle Hymn of the Republic and reached number 13 on the Billboard pop charts. Name that group.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
2. To the nearest quarter, what was the average movie theater ticket price in 1959?
75 cents
3. Released in January 1959, what was the name of Disney’s 16th animated film?
Sleeping Beauty
4. In 1959, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
Men – 66.8 years, Women – 73.2 years.
5. Who was President of the United States in 1959?
Dwight D. Eisenhower (January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961)
6. Her full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, but what do we usually call her?
Barbie
7. Who won the first Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway?
Lee Petty (on February 22, 1959)
8. Where is the first daily operating monorail system in the Western Hemisphere located?
Disneyland, in Anaheim, California. (opened June 14, 1959)
9. Can you name the first spacecraft that landed (actually crashed) on the Moon?
Luna 2 (launched by the Soviet Union)
10. This football team was named New England Patriots in 1971. What were they called in 1959, when it was founded?
The Boston Patriots
11. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1959?
Exodus by Leon Uris
12. This stovetop treat first appeared in supermarkets in 1959.
Jiffy Pop popcorn
13. What was the slogan for Jiffy Pop?
“As much fun to make as it is to eat”
14. What was the highest-grossing film of 1959?
Ben-Hur
15. How many people lived in the United States in 1959?
The population was an estimated 177,829,628 people.
16. How many people lived in the World in 1959?
The estimated world population in 1959 was 2,970,395,814 people.
17. When introduced to America in 1959, the slogan was “writes first time, every time.” Name that product.
BIC Pen (Bic Cristal)
18. What did the MLB team the Cincinnati Reds call themselves from 1953 until 1959?
The Cincinnati Redlegs (to avoid a perceived connection with communism; “reds”)
19. What was on the back of the US Penney before the Lincoln Memorial was introduced in 1959?
Two stalks of wheat (“wheat pennies” were struck 1909–1958)
20. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1959?
In 1959, The Montreal Canadiens won over the Toronto Maple Leafs (4 games to 1)
21. Erected in 1959, it is one of the recognized signs in the world. Definitely the most famous in Nevada. What sign?
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign
22. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1959?
Mack The Knife by Bobby Darin
23. Superman’s cousin was introduced in Action Comics #252, in May 1959. Name that Superhero.
Supergirl (aka Kara Zor-El, aka Linda Danvers)
24. Built in 1959, who designed the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum?
Frank Lloyd Wright
25. What did performer Eddie Fisher do later in the day, after his divorce from Debbie Reynolds was finalized?
He married Elizabeth Taylor.
26. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1959?
$0.30 per gallon
27. The first weather satellite was launched on February 17, 1959
Vanguard 2. It is still in orbit, but not operating. (TIROS-1, launched by NASA on April 1, 1960, was the second)
28. Charlie Brown’s little sister first appeared in the comic strip in 1959. What is her name?
Sally Brown
29. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1959: Val Kilmer, Tracey Ullman, Billy Ray Cyrus, or “Weird Al” Yankovic?
Billy Ray Cyrus (born August 25, 1961)
30. This cartoon horse debuted in 1959, along with his sidekick Baba Looey. Name that western-themed cartoon character.
Quick Draw McGraw
31. How much were a Dozen Eggs in 1959?
53 cents
32. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1959?
20 cents
33. How much was a pound of bacon in 1959?
67 cents
34. Who were the “Russian” antagonists against Rocky and Bulwinkle?
Boris and Natasha (Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale)
35. Canadian Mountie Dudley Do-Right appeared on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. He had a girlfriend. Name her.
Nell (Fenwick)
36. The Ford Motor Company lost $100,000,000 in this car model, last produced in 1959. Name that car.
The Edsel
37. What company used the slogan: “Good to the Last Drop”?
Maxwell House
38. What was the 49th State to join the United States?
Alaska (January 3, 1959)
39. What was the 50th State to join the United States?
Hawaii (joined August 21, 1959)
40. Did the United States make ever make an official 49-star flag?
Yes (July 4, 1959 – July 3, 1960)
41. This Broadway musical was based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers.
The Sound of Music
42. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1958/1959 season?
Gunsmoke (CBS)
43. The popular family film was broadcast on CBS for the second time. The ratings were so good that it became an annual event. Name that film.
The Wizard of Oz
44. In 1959, some popular television quiz shows, like Twenty-One and The $64,000 Challenge were in legal trouble. Why?
Some contestants were given answers ahead of time. (quiz show scandals)
45. This 1959 film was the first to win 11 Academy Awards. Name that Hollywood epic.
Ben-Hur
46. What company used the slogan: “Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun”?
Wrigley’s Doublemint Gum
47. This new fabric, lighter and more durable than conventional elastic, making it ideal for swimsuits, was introduced. Name that fabric.
Spandex (aka Lycra)
48. Created and presented by Rod Serling, and originally on air between 1959 and 1964, this anthology television series is still seen in reruns today. Name that show.
The Twilight Zone
49. Who won the 1959 World Series?
In 1959, The Los Angeles Dodgers won, beating the Chicago White Sox (4 games to 2)
50. The first successful plain paper copying machine, the Xerox 914, was introduced in 1959. Why did they use the number 914?
It fit 9×14 inch “Legal paper”
51. This close-fitting legwear, covering the wearer’s body from the waist to the toes, first went on sale in 1959. Name that undergarment.
Pantyhose
52. Although unsuccessfully tried for a decade, Sir Christopher Cockerell demonstrated a working model of this transportation device in 1959. What device?
Hovercraft
53. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1959?
Dwight D. Eisenhower
54. Phonebooth stuffing was a fad until the late 1950s. How many people fit in a phonebooth to set a world record?
On March 20, 1959, 25 students at the Durban, South Africa YMCA to set a world record.
55. This 1928 novel, written by English author D. H. Lawrence, was banned in the United States until 1959. Name that novel.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover
56. Premiering on September 12, 1959, this show is considered the first regularly scheduled TV program presented in color. Name that show.
Bonanza
57. Bad weather caused pilot Roger Peterson to crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all four people on board. Can you name his three passengers?
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper
58. What company used the slogan: “It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature”?
Chiffon Margarine
59. What was the name of the record company founded by Berry Gordy, Jr.in January 1960?
Motown Records
Trivia Team Bonus Questions:
1. Prior to renaming it to Motown, what was the previous name for Berry Gordy’s record company?
Tamla Records
2. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1959?
Tomy Lee
3. The first Grammy Awards were awarded on May 4, 1959. Where does the word “Grammy” come from?
“Grammy” is an abridgment of the Gramophone Award.
4. Who was the Pope in 1959?
Pope John XXIII, from October 28, 1958 – June 3, 1963
5. On May 28, 1959, a Jupiter AM-18 rocket launched two primates, Miss Baker and Miss Able, into space from Cape Canaveral. They were the first animals to return to Earth alive from a trip to space. What were their names?
Miss Baker and Miss Able
6. Who was the American Vice-President in 1959?
Richard Nixon (January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961)
7. It is a system of locks, canals, and channels in Canada and the United States connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, and it opened in 1959. What is it called?
The Saint Lawrence Seaway
8. Who were the 1959 NBA Champions?
For the 1958-59 Season, Champion Boston Celtics won 4 games to 0 over the Minneapolis Lakers
9. Mike Ilitch and his wife Marian Ilitch opened a Pizza Chain in Michigan. Name that pizza place!!
Little Caesar’s (Little Caesar’s Pizza Treat)
10. Who were the 1959 NFL Champions?
Baltimore Colts
