Pop Culture Quiz: 1996
96 Trivia Questions for 1996 History
(answers)
1. Who was People Magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People cover star in 1996?
2. Pinky and the Brain first appeared as a recurring segment on what other cartoon?
3. Can you name Walt Disney Pictures’ 34th feature film?
HINT: It was animated
4. Name the famous wrestler who “turned heel” for the first time in 15 years and announced the formation of the New World Order with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
5. These toys caused retail riots for Christmas shoppers in 1996. What were they?
6. Who illustrated the original Little Bear books that inspired the show?
7. What handheld digital toy, first released in Japan in 1996, let users care for a needy pixelated creature and became a global ’90s obsession?
8. Bob Dole was the Republican nominee for President in 1996. Who was his running mate?
9. Who was the Reform Party candidate in 1996?
10. How many episodes were produced for the 1987–1996 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series?
11. The “Deep Blue” computer won one, drew two, and lost three games of chess against a chess master in 1996. Who beat “Big Blue” in the tournament?
12. This popular fifth-generation gaming console primarily competed with Sony’s PlayStation and the Sega Saturn when released in 1996. Name it.
13. Name the celebrity born in 1996:
Sydney Sweeney, Dove Cameron, Justin Bieber, or Rebecca Black?
14. Who is the cartoon character ‘Usagi Tsukino’ (Serena Tsukino in the English dub) better known as?
15. New York City’s public schools closed for the first time in 18 years on January 7, 1996. Why?
16. EchoStar launched a Direct Broadcast Satellite service. Name it.
17. Name the very famous golfer who made his professional PGA Tour debut at the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open.
18. What year was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty?
19. TV Trivia – What was Dick Solomon’s human cover job when he first arrived on Earth?
20. There was an apartment switch in season 3 of Friends. Who switched?
21. Name the author of the Arthur books and TV series.
22. What is the species of the title character, Arthur Read, and how old is he in the show?
23. This character made her debut in “Archie’s Madhouse” comic book, issue #22. She got her first TV show in 1996. Name that character.
24. This product, introduced in 1996, can store up to 4.7 GB of data. Name the product.
25. What catchphrase is Michelangelo famous for?
26. Name the kid’s TV Show that, in a 1996 episode, has a creature marching out of a video store after a typewriter manifests it?
Goosebumps
27. TV Trivia. What unique shape is Arnold’s head known for?
28. What was the name of Nickelodeon’s first feature film?
39. Competitors for this service, established in 1996, include Apple Maps and Google Maps. Name that service.
30. Which huge ’90s musical group made a guest appearance in Season 4 of Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper?
31. Who was the first host on The Daily Show?
32. Name the character played by Tom Cruise in the Mission Impossible movie series.
33. What fictional corporation is responsible for creating the T-Virus?
34. Launched in 1996, this Japanese product is estimated to be the world’s highest-grossing media franchise today. Name it.
35. Translated to English, what are Pokémon?
36. On Frasier, what is the name of Niles Crane’s wife, whom we never see?
37. Often called Bugs Bunny’s girlfriend, this character first appeared in the 1996 film Space Jam. What is her name?
38. TV Trivia. What drink is Kel (from Kenan & Kel)obsessed with?
39. Children’s TV Question: What does Blue leave behind to help solve each episode’s puzzle?s
40. Who was the biggest musical artist of 1996?
41. Name the classic cartoon production company that created Pinky and the Brain.
42. What real-life public figure (actor & filmmaker) was reportedly the inspiration for the Brain’s voice?
43. What is the collective name for the main setting where most of the story of Game of Thrones unfolds?
44. What was the popular line of graphing calculators produced by Texas Instruments before the TI-84 Plus?
45. On The Simpsons episode “You Only Move Twice,” who is Homer’s boss at Globex Corporation?
46. Name the popular Broadway Musical loosely based on the 1896 opera La bohème.
47. Chris Isaak and Brooke Shields make guest appearances on a post-Super Bowl episode of this very popular NBC show. Name that show.
48. Movie Trivia. Who said ‘You had me at hello’?
49. Played by Kurt Russell, name the character who served as the protagonist of the film Escape from L.A.
50. Who won the World Series in 1996?
51. What TV network aired the World Series in 1996?
52. Name the digital person who represented Ask.com.
53. The “Unabomber” was arrested at his Montana cabin. What was his name?
54. What is the first rule of Fight Club?
60. Who was the President in 1996?
61. Who was People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1996?
62. Who won the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey (WCH), by defeating Canada?
63. Who is NOT a Pokémon character?
Charizard, Steelix, Ignatz, Eevee, or Dwebble?
64. Who said, “A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.”
65. Who were the NBA Champions in 1996?
66. TV Catchphrase: Who said “Holy crap!”?
67. Starring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, the 1996 TV Movie was the last television appearance by The Doctor until 2005. What network aired the Doctor Who film?
68. In what city did Sportacus live?
HINT: It is in Iceland
69. What song popularized the term “Zig-a-zig-ahhh?
70. Name the Simpson’s character devoted to in the 1970s.
71. Name the Awards show co-hosted by Whitney Houston and Rosie O’Donnel in 1996.
72. This video game character was genetically enhanced by the series’ main antagonist, Doctor Neo Cortex. Name that video game character.
73. Name the character played by Neve Campbell in the Scream film franchise.
74. Who was the original human host of Blue’s Clues from 1996 until his departure in 2002?
75. Who was the Pope in 1996?
76. What can summon Pegasus for Super transformations in Sailor Moon?
77. Who were the Stanley Cup Champions in 1996?
78. What was the name of the fictional town Arnold lived in in Hey, Arnold!?
79. What U.S. city primarily inspired the urban setting of Hey Arnold!’s fictional town?
80. What team won the Super Bowl in 1996?
81. Name the first NFL franchise to win 3 Super Bowls in a span of 4 seasons.
82. This CBS program featured the only time that Mr. Fred Rogers portrayed a fictional character on television. Name that western drama.
83. What show did Xena originally appear in before getting her own series?
84. Who was the primary villain of Sailor Moon SuperS?
85. Who is the official spokestoon for the National Crime Prevention Council?
86. This CBS program ran through 262 episodes and four films. Name that program.
HINT: The final episode was titled “Death By Demographics.”
87. Portable Network Graphics is a raster-graphics file format that supports lossless data compression. What is it commonly known as?
88. Name the rapper who was critically wounded in a drive-by shooting while cruising the Las Vegas Strip on September 7, 1996.
89. Name the actor who played Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty on Spin City.
90. Who was the Vice-President in 1996?
91. What iconic quote from Dexter is often repeated and became a meme: “You are stupid, and you make me…” – what?
92. Born in Skopje, Ottoman Empire, this woman received an honorary U.S. citizenship in 1996. Name that nun.
93. Name the first mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult cell, born at the Roslin Institute in Midlothian, Scotland, UK.
94. What is Kramer’s business idea in “The Muffin Tops” on Seinfeld?
95. Please complete this cartoon phrase: “Same thing we do every night, Pinky…”
96. What kind of creature is Earthworm Jim before he gets his super suit?
Bonus Team Trivia Questions
1. Which gaming console first featured the original Earthworm Jim video game in 1994, just before the show aired in 1995?
2. Can you name the element (#112) that was discovered in 1996?
3. In the “I, Whoops, There It Is,” of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, who hosts the blooper reel episode?
4. These two brothers were found guilty of first-degree murder for the shotgun killing of their parents in California. Name them.
5. CBS affiliate WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina, was awarded a special broadcast license in 1996. What was it for?
HINT: We still use this today.
6. What is the name of the sentient island that the X-Men encounter in X-Men: The Animated Series?
7. The Mandalay Bay resort, on the Las Vegas Strip, replaced what former landmark hotel and casino?
8. Played by Joe Rogan, who is the station’s nerdy and lovable handyman introduced in Season 2 of NewsRadio?
9. On Friends, what is Phoebe Buffay’s father’s name?
10. In “The Bizarro Jerry” episode, who does Elaine meet who is the opposite of Jerry Seinfeld?
96 Trivia Answers for 1996 History
1. Who was People Magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People cover star in 1996?
Mel Gibson
2. Pinky and the Brain first appeared as a recurring segment on what other cartoon?
The Animaniacs
3. Can you name Walt Disney Pictures’ 34th feature film?
HINT: It was animated
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
4. Name the famous wrestler who “turned heel” for the first time in 15 years and announced the formation of the New World Order with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
Hulk Hogan
5. These toys caused retail riots for Christmas shoppers in 1996. What were they?
Tickle me Elmo
6. Who illustrated the original Little Bear books that inspired the show?
Maurice Sendak
7. What handheld digital toy, first released in Japan in 1996, let users care for a needy pixelated creature and became a global ’90s obsession?
Tamagotchi virtual pets
8. Bob Dole was the Republican nominee for President in 1996. Who was his running mate?
Jack Kemp
9. Who was the Reform Party candidate in 1996?
Ross Perot
10. How many episodes were produced for the 1987–1996 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series?
193 episodes
11. The “Deep Blue” computer won one, drew two, and lost three games of chess against a chess master in 1996. Who beat “Big Blue” in the tournament?
Garry Kasparov
12. This popular fifth-generation gaming console primarily competed with Sony’s PlayStation and the Sega Saturn when released in 1996. Name it.
Nintendo 64
13. Name the celebrity born in 1996:
Sydney Sweeney, Dove Cameron, Justin Bieber, or Rebecca Black?
Dove Cameron was born on January 15, 1996
14. Who is the cartoon character ‘Usagi Tsukino’ (Serena Tsukino in the English dub) better known as?
Sailor Moon
15. New York City’s public schools closed for the first time in 18 years on January 7, 1996. Why?
A blizzard with over 24 inches of snow hit the Northeastern USA.
16. EchoStar launched a Direct Broadcast Satellite service. Name it.
DISH Network
17. Name the very famous golfer who made his professional PGA Tour debut at the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open.
Tiger Woods
18. What year was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty?
1996
19. TV Trivia – What was Dick Solomon’s human cover job when he first arrived on Earth?
A physics professor at Pendleton State University. (played by John Lithgow, on Third Rock From The Sun)
20. There was an apartment switch in season 3 of Friends. Who switched?
Chandler and Joey temporarily switch apartments with Monica and Rachel
21. Name the author of the Arthur books and TV series.
Marc Brown
22. What is the species of the title character Arthur Read, and how old is he in the show?
Arthur is an 8‑year‑old aardvark.
23. This character made her debut in “Archie’s Madhouse” comic book, issue #22. She got her first TV show in 1996. Name that character.
Sabrina (The Teenage Witch)
24. This product, introduced in 1996, can store up to 4.7 GB of data. Name the product.
DVD
25. What catchphrase is Michelangelo famous for?
“Cowabunga!”
26. Name the kid’s TV Show that, in a 1996 episode, has a creature marching out of a video store after a typewriter manifests it?
HINT: “The Blob That Ate Everyone”
Goosebumps
27. TV Trivia. What unique shape is Arnold’s head known for?
A football
28. What was the name of Nickelodeon’s first feature film?
Harriet The Spy
39. Competitors for this service, established in 1996, include Apple Maps and Google Maps. Name that service.
MapQuest
30. Which huge ’90s musical group made a guest appearance in Season 4 of Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper?
Boyz II Men
31. Who was the first host on The Daily Show?
Craig Kilborn
32. Name the character played by Tom Cruise in the Mission Impossible movie series.
Ethan Hunt (Ethan Matthew Hunt)
33. What fictional corporation is responsible for creating the T-Virus?
The Umbrella Corporation
34. Launched in 1996, this Japanese product is estimated to be the world’s highest-grossing media franchise today. Name it.
Pokémon
35. Translated to English, what are Pokémon?
Pocket Monsters
36. On Frasier, what is the name of Niles Crane’s wife, whom we never see?
Maris
37. Often called Bugs Bunny’s girlfriend, this character first appeared in the 1996 film Space Jam. What is her name?
Lola Bunny
38. TV Trivia. What drink is Kel (from Kenan & Kel)obsessed with?
Orange soda
39. Children’s TV Question: What does Blue leave behind to help solve each episode’s puzzle?
Pawprint clues
40. Who was the biggest musical artist of 1996?
No Doubt
41. Name the classic cartoon production company that created Pinky and the Brain.
Warner Bros. Animation (Bonus: in association with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment)
42. What real-life public figure (actor & filmmaker) was reportedly the inspiration for the Brain’s voice?
Orson Welles
43. What is the collective name for the main setting where most of the story of Game of Thrones unfolds?
Westeros
44. What was the popular line of graphing calculators produced by Texas Instruments before the TI-84 Plus?
TI-83 (TI-83 Plus)
45. On The Simpsons episode “You Only Move Twice,” who is Homer’s boss at Globex Corporation?
Hank Scorpio
46. Name the popular Broadway Musical loosely based on the 1896 opera La bohème.
Rent
47. Chris Isaak and Brooke Shields make guest appearances on a post-Super Bowl episode of this very popular NBC show. Name that show.
Friends
48. Movie Trivia. Who said ‘You had me at hello’?
Renée Zellweger’s character, Dorothy Boyd, in Jerry Maguire
49. Played by Kurt Russell, name the character who served as the protagonist of the film Escape from L.A.
Snake Plissken
50. Who won the World Series in 1996?
New York Yankees
51. What TV network aired the World Series in 1996?
Fox
52. Name the digital person who represented Ask.com.
Jeeves
53. The “Unabomber” was arrested at his Montana cabin. What was his name?
Theodore (Ted) Kaczynski
54. What is the first rule of Fight Club?
You do not talk about Fight Club
60. Who was the President in 1996?
Bill Clinton (January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001)
61. Who was People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1996?
Denzel Washington
62. Who won the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey (WCH), by defeating Canada?
The United States
63. Who is NOT a Pokémon character?
Charizard, Steelix, Ignatz, Eevee, or Dwebble?
Ignatz
64. Who said, “A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.”
Jebediah Springfield (on The Simpsons)
65. Who were the NBA Champions in 1996?
Chicago Bulls
66. TV Catchphrase: Who said “Holy crap!”?
Frank Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond
67. Starring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, the 1996 TV Movie was the last television appearance by The Doctor until 2005. What network aired the Doctor Who film?
Fox
68. In what city did Sportacus live?
HINT: It is in Iceland
LazyTown
69. What song popularized the term “Zig-a-zig-ahhh?
Wannabe by the Spice Girls
70. Name the Simpson’s character devoted to in the 1970s.
Disco Stu
71. Name the Awards show co-hosted by Whitney Houston and Rosie O’Donnel in 1996.
The 1996 Kids’ Choice Awards, on Nickelodeon
72. This video game character was genetically enhanced by the series’ main antagonist, Doctor Neo Cortex. Name that video game character.
Crash Bandicoot
73. Name the character played by Neve Campbell in the Scream film franchise.
Sidney Prescott
74. Who was the original human host of Blue’s Clues from 1996 until his departure in 2002?
Steve Burns.
75. Who was the Pope in 1996?
John Paul II (October 16, 1978 – April 2, 2005)
76. What can summon Pegasus for Super transformations in Sailor Moon?
The Crystal Carillon
77. Who were the Stanley Cup Champions in 1996?
Colorado Avalanche
78. What was the name of the fictional town Arnold lived in in Hey, Arnold!?
Hillwood
79. What U.S. city primarily inspired the urban setting of Hey Arnold!’s fictional town?
Seattle, Washington (also: Brooklyn, NY and Portland, OR)
80. What team won the Super Bowl in 1996?
Dallas Cowboys
81. Name the first NFL franchise to win 3 Super Bowls in a span of 4 seasons.
The Dallas Cowboys
82. This CBS program featured the only time that Mr. Fred Rogers portrayed a fictional character on television. Name that western drama.
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
83. What show did Xena originally appear in before getting her own series?
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995)
84. Who was the primary villain of Sailor Moon SuperS?
Queen Nehelenia
85. Who is the official spokestoon for the National Crime Prevention Council?
McGruff The Crime Dog
86. This CBS program ran through 262 episodes and four films. Name that program.
HINT: The final episode was titled “Death By Demographics.”
Murder, She Wrote
87. Portable Network Graphics is a raster-graphics file format that supports lossless data compression. What is it commonly known as?
PNG (Ping)
88. Name the rapper who was critically wounded in a drive-by shooting while cruising the Las Vegas Strip on September 7, 1996.
Tupac Shakur
89. Name the actor who played Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty on Spin City.
Michael J. Fox
90. Who was the Vice-President in 1996?
Al Gore (January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001)
91. What iconic quote from Dexter is often repeated and became a meme: “You are stupid, and you make me…” – what?
“Very angry!”
92. Born in Skopje, Ottoman Empire, this woman received an honorary U.S. citizenship in 1996. Name that nun.
Mother Teresa (Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu)
93. Name the first mammal to be successfully cloned from an adult cell, born at the Roslin Institute in Midlothian, Scotland, UK.
Dolly the Sheep
94. What is Kramer’s business idea in “The Muffin Tops” on Seinfeld?
Selling only the tops of muffins.
95. Please complete this cartoon phrase: “Same thing we do every night, Pinky…”
(try) to take over the world!
96. What kind of creature is Earthworm Jim before he gets his super suit?
A regular earthworm.
Bonus Team Trivia Answers
1. Which gaming console first featured the original Earthworm Jim video game in 1994, just before the show aired in 1995?
Sega Genesis. (It was also released for SNES shortly after.)
2. Can you name the element (#112) that was discovered in 1996?
Copernicium
3. In the “I, Whoops, There It Is,” of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, who hosts the blooper reel episode?
Dick Clark
4. These two brothers were found guilty of first-degree murder for the shotgun killing of their parents in California. Name them.
Lyle and Erik Menendez (The Menendez Brothers)
5. CBS affiliate WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina, was awarded a special broadcast license in 1996. What was it for?
HINT: We still use this today.
It received the first “experimental” high-definition television license in the United States.
6. What is the name of the sentient island that the X-Men encounter in X-Men: The Animated Series?
Krakoa
7. The Mandalay Bay resort, on the Las Vegas Strip, replaced what former landmark hotel and casino?
The Hacienda
8. Played by Joe Rogan, who is the station’s nerdy and lovable handyman introduced in Season 2 of NewsRadio?
Joe Garrelli
9. On Friends, what is Phoebe Buffay’s father’s name?
Frank Buffay, Jr.
10. In “The Bizarro Jerry” episode, who does Elaine meet who is the opposite of Jerry Seinfeld?
Kevin, Jerry’s kind and polite counterpart