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What Happened In 1961? |
61 Trivia Questions and Answers for 1961 HistoryTable of Contents (answers) 1. Barbie’s boyfriend first appeared in 1961. What is his name? 2. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1961? 3. What was the highest-grossing film of 1961? 4. This 1961 was based on a 1957 World War II-set novel by Alistair MacLean. Name that film. 5. In 1961, what was the average life expectancy in the United States? 6. Who worked as co-writers with Rob Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show? 7. What was John F. Kennedy’s position before he was inaugurated as President of the United States? 8. How many people lived in the United States in 1961? 9. How many people lived in the World in 1961? 10. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1961? 11. To the nearest quarter, what was the average movie theater ticket price in 1961? 12. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1961? 13. How much was a Dozen Eggs in 1961? 14. How much was a pound of bacon in 1961? 15. Who was the President of the United States in 1961? 16. This man was the original bass guitarist for The Beatles, but he left the band in 1961 to concentrate on his art. Name this musician/artist. 17. Can you name the 17th Disney animated film? It was released in 1961. 18. Her concert appearance at Carnegie Hall on April 23, 1961, was a considerable highlight, called by some people “the greatest night in show business history”. It won 4 Grammys. Name that singer. 19. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1961? 20. Before they signed on with Motown Records, what was the name of the singing group we call The Supremes? 21. What amendment to the United States Constitution extended the right to vote in presidential elections to citizens residing in the District of Columbia (Washington, DC)? 22. Regarded by some as the greatest male ballet dancer of his generation, this ballet dancer and choreographer from the USSR defected to the West in 1961. Name him. 23. Elizabeth Taylor won her first Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in what film? 24. Can you name Chubby Checkers’ second #1 hit? 25. This typewriter used a “typeball,” a sphere with the characters on it, to replace the “typebars” used for decades. It became the most popular typewriter for the next twenty years. What was it called? 26. What candy company used the slogan: “Wotalotigot!”? (What a lot I got) 27. After he signed the band in 1961, who became The Beatles’ manager? 28. On the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, two time travelers use a “way-back” machine. Name those characters. 29. Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, Mike Love, and Al Jardine were best known as The Beach Boys. What did they call themselves before that? 30. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1960/1961 season? 31. This Disney film featured two sisters, Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers, who met at a summer camp for girls. 32. The Parent Trap’s Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers were twins, played by the same actress. Name the actress. 33. Who was the voice of the nearsighted cartoon character Mr. Magoo? 34. Which European Country had the largest population in 1961: France, East Germany, West Germany, Italy, or the United Kingdom? 35. Can you name the first chimp sent into space? He returned safely after lifting off in a Mercury-Redstone rocket on January 31, 1961. 36. On April 12, riding the USSR’s Vostok 1, can you name the first human in space? 37. On May 5, 1951, the first American launched into space. Name him. 38. Who said, “Gee, Mrs. Cleaver?” usually after he did something wrong. 39. What long-running sports program debuted on April 29, 1961, on (ABC)? 40. Milwaukee Braves players Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock, and Frank Thomas achieved what MLB record on June 8, 1961? 41. What company used the slogan “betcha can’t eat just one”? 42. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1961? 43. President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order #10924, which helped American volunteers provide international social and economic development assistance. What do we call that organization? 44. Can you name the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier? 45. Only two US Presidents have hit hole-in-one, although not while in office. Name one of them. 46. This fictional group, which included Ben Grimm, Reed Richards, Susan Storm, and Johnny Storm, was published by Marvel Comics. Name that team. 47. The American League added two expansion teams for the 1961 baseball season. Name them. 48. In 1961, American writer Fritz Leiber coined a short and simple descriptive phrase for the subgenre of fantasy characterized by adventuring sword-wielding heroes like Conan the Barbarian. Name the term. 49. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1961: Robert Downey Jr., Eddie Murphy, Christopher Meloni, or Julia Louis-Dreyfus? 50. Catchphrase: Who said, “The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat”? 51. This Disney black-and-white science-fiction film was released on March 16, 1961. 52. Who won the 1961 World Series? 53. Name the unsuccessful invasion of Cuba that took place over April 17-20, 1961. 54. From 1961 through 1973, the Lutheran Church in America produced a claymation television show. Name that show. 55. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1961? 56. A palomino horse named “Bamboo Harvester” got the starring role in a television show that lasted for 143 black and white episodes from 1961 through 1966. Name that show. 57. FCC chairman Newton N. Minow described commercial television programming with a phrase still sometimes used today: name nickname for television. 58. He is the indisputable leader of the gang. He’s the boss, he’s a VIP, he’s a championship. He’s the most tip-top. Who is he? 59. What did Top Cat’s friends call him? 60. Yogi Bear got his cartoon show in 1961 – The Yogi Bear Show, but his first appearance was on another cartoon show. Name it. 61. In what year did the Broadway version of West Side Story Debut? Trivia Team Bonus Questions: 1. Natalie Wood, as Maria, did not sing on the West Side Story soundtrack. Who provided the singing voice for Maria? 2. On October 30, 1961, The Soviet Union detonated a 58-megaton yield hydrogen bomb. There are two generally well-known facts about that bomb. Name one of those facts. 3. Who were the 1961 NBA Champions? 4. Who was the American Vice-President in 1961? 5. Name the group, founded in 1961, now a large non-governmental organization focused on human rights. 6. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1961? 7. What was the name of Dudley Do-Right’s horse? 8. Who were the 1961 NFL Champions? 9. Who was the Pope in 1961? 10. What was the name of the fictional television show that Rob Petrie, played by Dick Van Dyke, on the Dick Van Dyke Show? |
61 Trivia Questions and Answers for 1961 History1. Barbie’s boyfriend first appeared in 1961. What is his name? 2. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1961? 3. What was the highest-grossing film of 1961? 4. This 1961 was based on a 1957 World War II-set novel by Alistair MacLean. Name that film. 5. In 1961, what was the average life expectancy in the United States? 6. Who worked as co-writers with Rob Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show? 7. What was John F. Kennedy’s position before he was inaugurated as President of the United States? 8. How many people lived in the United States in 1961? 9. How many people lived in the World in 1961? 10. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1961? 11. To the nearest quarter, what was the average movie theater ticket price in 1961? 12. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1961? 13. How much was a Dozen Eggs in 1961? 14. How much was a pound of bacon in 1961? 15. Who was the President of the United States in 1961? 16. This man was the original bass guitarist for The Beatles, but he left the band in 1961 to concentrate on his art. Name this musician/artist. 17. Can you name the 17th Disney animated film? It was released in 1961. 18. Her concert appearance at Carnegie Hall on April 23, 1961, was a considerable highlight, called by some people “the greatest night in show business history”. It won 4 Grammys. Name that singer. 19. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1961? 20. Before they signed on with Motown Records, what was the name of the singing group we call The Supremes? 21. What amendment to the United States Constitution extended the right to vote in presidential elections to citizens residing in the District of Columbia (Washington, DC)? 22. Regarded by some as the greatest male ballet dancer of his generation, this ballet dancer and choreographer from the USSR defected to the West in 1961. Name him. 23. Elizabeth Taylor won her first Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in what film? 24. Can you name Chubby Checkers’ second #1 hit? 25. This typewriter used a “typeball,” a sphere with the characters on it, to replace the “typebars” that had been used for decades. It became the most popular typewriter for the next twenty years. What was it called? 26. What candy company used the slogan: “Wotalotigot!”? (What a lot I got) 27. After he signed the band in 1961, who became The Beatles’ manager? 28. On the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, two time travelers use a “way-back” machine. Name those characters. 29. Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, Mike Love, and Al Jardine were best known as The Beach Boys. What did they call themselves before that? 30. What was the Top-Rated TV Show in the 1960/1961 season? 31. This Disney film featured two sisters, Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers, who met at a summer camp for girls. 32. The Parent Trap’s Sharon McKendrick and Susan Evers were twins, played by the same actress. Name the actress. 33. Who was the voice of the nearsighted cartoon character Mr. Magoo? 34. Which European Country had the largest population in 1961: France, East Germany, West Germany, Italy, or the United Kingdom? 35. Can you name the first chimp sent into space? He returned safely after lifting off in a Mercury-Redstone rocket on January 31, 1961. 36. On April 12, riding the USSR’s Vostok 1, can you name the first human in space? 37. On May 5, 1951, the first American launched into space. Name him. 38. Who said, “Gee, Mrs. Cleaver?”, usually after he did something wrong. 39. What long-running sports program debuted on April 29, 1961, on (ABC)? 40. Milwaukee Braves players Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock, and Frank Thomas achieved what MLB record on June 8, 1961? 41. What company used the slogan “betcha can’t eat just one”? 42. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1961? 43. President John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order #10924, which helped American volunteers provide international social and economic development assistance. What do we call that organization? 44. Can you name the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier? 45. Only two US Presidents have hit hole-in-one, although not while in office. Name one of them. 46. This fictional group, which included Ben Grimm, Reed Richards, Susan Storm, and Johnny Storm, was published by Marvel Comics. Name that team. 47. The American League added two expansion teams for the 1961 baseball season. Name them. 48. In 1961, American writer Fritz Leiber coined a short and simple descriptive phrase for the subgenre of fantasy characterized by adventuring sword-wielding heroes like Conan the Barbarian. Name the term. 49. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1961: Robert Downey Jr., Eddie Murphy, Christopher Meloni, or Julia Louis-Dreyfus? 50. Catchphrase: Who said, “The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat”? 51. This Disney black-and-white science-fiction film was released on March 16, 1961. 52. Who won the 1961 World Series? 53. Name the unsuccessful invasion of Cuba that took place over April 17-20, 1961. 54. From 1961 through 1973, the Lutheran Church in America produced a claymation television show. Name that show. 55. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1961? 56. A palomino horse named “Bamboo Harvester” got the starring role in a television show that lasted for 143 black and white episodes from 1961 through 1966. Name that show. 57. FCC chairman Newton N. Minow described commercial television programming with a phrase still sometimes used today: name nickname for television. 58. He is the indisputable leader of the gang. He’s the boss, he’s a VIP, he’s a championship. He’s the most tip-top. Who is he? 59. What did Top Cat’s friends call him? 60. Yogi Bear got his cartoon show in 1961 – The Yogi Bear Show, but his first appearance was on another cartoon show. Name it. 61. In what year did the Broadway version of West Side Story Debut? Trivia Team Bonus Questions: 1. Natalie Wood, as Maria, did not sing on the West Side Story soundtrack. Who provided the singing voice for Maria? 2. On October 30, 1961, The Soviet Union detonated a 58-megaton yield hydrogen bomb. There are two generally well-known facts about that bomb. Name one of those facts. 3. Who were the 1961 NBA Champions? 4. Who was the American Vice-President in 1961? 5. Name the group, founded in 1961, now a large non-governmental organization focused on human rights. 6. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1961? 7. What was the name of Dudley Do-Right’s horse? 8. Who were the 1961 NFL Champions? 9. Who was the Pope in 1961? 10. What was the name of the fictional television show that Rob Petrie, played by Dick Van Dyke, on the Dick Van Dyke Show? |
