‘60s Trivia: Pop Culture Edition
How Well Do You Know Your ‘60s Trivia? Let’s Find Out!
Ah, the 1960s. A time of bell bottoms, hot pants and getting down & getting funky. In Boom Again, we include more than 2,200 trivia questions about the movies, music and fun of the Baby Boom era – the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. So here, let’s test your ‘60s trivia talents with a few of the questions culled from our game.
Q: Diet Rite cola was the first diet soda on the market. Coca-Cola came out with a competitor in 1963. What was it called?
A: TaB – and yes, the B was capitalized. The key ingredient in both sodas was an alternative sweetener called cyclamate that was 30 times sweeter than sugar. When Diet Rite hit shelves in 1962, it was a huge success. Within a year and a half of its release, it had rocketed up to number four on the sales chart, behind Coke, Pepsi, and regular RC Cola.
Q: In a 1963 song, Dion said that he loved a girl. What was her name?
A: Her name was Ruby, from his hit song “Ruby Baby.” Although he loves her, it would appear the feeling wasn’t mutual as he sings, “I said I loved a girl and-a Ruby is her name. This girl doesn’t love me but I love her just the same.”
Poor guy didn’t do much better in his love life with his other major hit, “Runaround Sue.”
Now on to some more ‘60s trivia…
Q: Starting in 1966, if you were read your Miranda Rights, you were given two specific rights and one warning. Name all three.
A: Right to remain silent, right to an attorney, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
If you’ve ever watched a police drama – or had a bit of police drama of your own – you probably can recite the Miranda Rights. But did you know…? They are named after the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona.
In the case, Ernesto Miranda was arrested for stealing $8 from an Arizona bank worker. After two hours of questioning, he confessed not only to the robbery, but to additional crimes as well, including kidnapping.
The Supreme Court later ruled that the statements Miranda made to the police could not be used as evidence against him because he had not been advised of his Constitutional rights.
Q: Starting in the ‘60s, a chain of tiny drive-through kiosks with yellow roofs provided a great convenience. What were they called?
A: The answer is…Fotomat, and they did overnight film processing. You might remember these tiny huts set in shopping plaza parking lots, staffed by just one employee. In the early days of the business, management required its female employees (referred to as Fotomates) to wear short-shorts, or “hot pants,” as part of their uniforms.
Q: Name the 1960s Mattel toy for boys that focused on American muscle cars.
A: Hot Wheels were Mattel’s answer to the popular English Matchbox brand of cars. The difference is that Hot Wheels didn’t so much imitate the cars rolling off Detroit assembly lines, but customized, souped up versions. The kind that, when you played with them, you just had to say, “zooooom.” Kids clambered to collect cool miniature Barracudas, Camaros, Corvettes, Cougars, Firebirds and more.
Q: Which convenient breakfast food first jumped onto the shelves in 1964, with the frosted version coming out in 1967?
A: We’re talking about the still popular toaster pastry, Pop Tarts. Originally, Kellogg introduced Pop Tarts in four flavors: Apple Currant Jelly, Strawberry, Blueberry and Brown Sugar-Cinnamon.
Today, there are more than 30 kinds of Pop-Tarts (and many special edition ones).
It’s been said that Pop Tarts name was influenced by Andy Warhol’s Pop-Art in the 1960s—so it’s a shame Warhol chose soup cans and didn’t do any Pop Tart Pop-Art.
For our last ‘60s trivia question, let’s turn to TV…
Q: Which 1965 NBC show was based on the idea of an astronaut finding and moving in with a 2,000-year-old female?
A: The show was I Dream of Jeannie, starring Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman.
The show’s premise is set up in a cartoon opening sequence, accompanied by a zippy tune that, if you were a fan of the show, you can still probably hum along. Astronaut Tony Nelson, while landing in his space capsule near a desert island, bumps into a bottle and releases a beautiful, blonde genie. She smooches him, he’s instantly smitten, and the rest is TV sitcom history.
Surprisingly, considering how famous it is, the catchy theme song didn’t come along until season two.
How well did you do with our ‘60s trivia quiz?
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