1950s History Trivia

1. In 1956 a surprising new novel was #1 on the "New York Times" best seller list. It was written by a new author and changed the way we viewed a subject that still makes us uncomfortable. What was this best-selling novel?

From Quiz A Decade of Optimism-The 1950s

Answer: Peyton Place

"Peyton Place" was written by Grace Metalious, who had never published a word before it was released. It was #1 on the best seller list for 17 straight weeks. It was successful primarily because it dealt bluntly with sexuality, secrets, lies, and hypocrisy in a small fictional town in New Hampshire. Metalious later wrote "Return to Peyton Place" (1959) and a few other novels which were not widely read. The book spawned a major feature film and a television series.

From Quiz Ten Major Events from 1950-1959

Answer: Sigingstone

On March 12, 1950, an Avro 689 Tudor V airplane, flying out of Dublin Airport in Ireland to return the Welsh Rugby team to Wales, which initially only held 72 people, was renovated to fit 78 people and took off with good weather clearance. It was preparing to land too low in Llanddow in Sigingstone, South Wales, when the pilot managed to get the plane back up, but the airplane then stalled. It then just fell to the ground. The right wing of the aircraft hit the ground first, then the left wing and nose, which got separated from the main part of the plane. Two passengers in the add-on seats were completely unharmed. Another man, who was using the airplane bathroom, was hospitalized for four months after being knocked out, but also survived. Everyone else, eighty passengers died, 72 died instantly, and the other eight died later in the hospitals from injuries obtained in the crash. The cause of the plane crashing was determined to be the renovating to add the extra people.

From Quiz 20th-Century History in the 1950s

Answer: Hainan

The Battle of Hainan Island was fought from March 5 to May 1 in 1950. Although the Nationalist Army was equipped with superior weapons, they were decisively defeated by the PLA, and had to withdraw to Taiwan. The Fall of Hainan Island signaled the end of the Chinese Civil War. In the same year, the Korean War broke out on June 25 when North Korea invaded the south.

From Quiz What Happened in the 1950s

Answer: Casino Royale

The seven novels in order of publication were "Casino Royale" (1953), "Live and Let Die" (1954), "Moonracker" (1955), "Diamonds are Forever" (1956), "From Russia with Love" (1957), "Doctor No" (1958) and the last of the decade was "Goldfinger" (1959).

From Quiz Where Did This Happen, 1950s Edition

Answer: Korea

Korea had previously been divided after the end of World War II. North Korea was a Communist country and the South Korea was a capitalist country. A civil war began after the North launched an invasion and captured the South's capital of Seoul. It became an international conflict when the United States and United Nations sent troops to help the South and China began helping the North. A ceasefire was established in 1953 when the two countries settled on the 38th parallel as a border.

From Quiz The 60th Anniversary of 1957

Answer: Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley made his first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1956. During all three appearances, producers of the show only allowed Elvis to be filmed from the waist up.

From Quiz What Else Happened In 1954

Answer: Bikini Atoll

The main reason that the Dooesday Clock ticked forward ... the USA began testing a series of hydrogen bombs. On 1st March the bomb known as Castle Bravo was the first in a series of high-yield thermonuclear weapon tests conducted by the USA as part of an operation known as 'Castle'. It turned out that Castle Bravo's yield was 15 megatons of TNT, 2.5 times more than was anticipated. As a consequence it led to unexpected radioactive contamination of a large area around the Marshall Islands. Fallout affected many, including 23 Japanese fishermen who had acute radiation syndrome.

From Quiz It Happened in 1950

Answer: Joseph McCarthy

Joseph R. McCarthy (1908-1957) served as US Senator from Wisconsin from 1947 until his death. His 1950 speech to the Republican Women's club of Wheeling, WV, is seen by many as the start of the second "Red Scare" in US history. Over time, the number of people on McCarthy's "list" varied. On December 2, 1954, he was officially censured by the US Senate. Although the other three men were also anti-Communist, it was McCarthy who made this particular speech.

From Quiz Let's Walk Down Memory Lane

Answer: Brussels, Belgium

Expo 58 (The Brussels World's Fair) was the first major World's Fair following World War II. Over 41 million visitors came to view such pavilions as those from Czechoslovakia (Awarded the prize for Best Pavilion), Mexico (given the Star of Gold), the USSR (awarded a Grand Prix), Austria (featuring the Vienna Philharmonic), and the USA (with a fashion show, a computer exhibit, and a color television studio). The other three cities also hosted World's Fairs: New York in 1964, Osaka in 1970, and Spokane in 1974.

From Quiz Back in My Day

Answer: July 27, 1953

The armistice created the Korean Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, (at the 38th parallel, the original dividing line) and allowed for an exchange of prisoners. No peace treaty has ever been signed, and the two Koreas are technically still at war. Before the armistice at least 2.5 million persons were killed, including approximately 40,000 Americans. (I recall the daily "body counts" in the newspaper, the firing of General Douglas MacArthur by President Harry Truman, and the endless sessions of negotiation, including what shape table the negotiators would sit at, leading up to the armistice.)

From Quiz Back to the 1950s

Answer: Uruguay

The tournament winner was decided by the last four teams playing in a final round-robin which was contested by Brazil, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay. Uruguay's 2-1 win against Brazil enabled them to finish top of the group on points. The 1950 World Cup "final" was held in the Estadio do Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (the game was actually the last round-robin game and, coincidentally, determined the winner and runner-up). Uruguay beat Brazil 2-1 in their match, which enabled them to win the World Cup for the second time. The first World Cup competition was held in the Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1930.

From Quiz The 1950s

Answer: Althea Gibson

It was August of 1950, when Althea made history becoming the first African American professional tennis player. Althea was also the first to win a grand slam title, achieving this milestone in 1956.

From Quiz 1952 - Year of Change

Answer: Oslo, Norway

The VI Olympic Winter Games were held in Oslo, Norway from 14th - 25th February. 694 (585 men, 109 women) competed in 6 sports - 22 events, over the 10 days of the games. Due to the death of King George VI on the 6th February all of the national flags at the opening ceremony were flown at half mast.

From Quiz So You Want to Know What Happened in 1955

Answer: Winston Churchill

In May 1940, the then Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, resigned his position. King George VI asked Churchill to take over. Churchill, with a military background and a gift for oratory, was undoubtedly the best choice. He had foreseen the German military build-up and had the ability to bolster citizen morale with speeches such as his "we shall never surrender" and "if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'this was their finest hour'." The first was given after British troops had successfully been withdrawn from Dunkirk in the face of a massive German onslaught. The second was given at the height of the Battle of Britain. He was elected to his second term as Prime Minister, at the age of 76, in the 1951 general election. Two years later he suffered a stroke which affected his speech and movement. Realizing that his faculties were failing, Churchill resigned in 1955, to be succeeded by Anthony Eden. Did you know Winston Churchill, in referring to Charles de Gaulle, said that he looked like a llama that had been surprised in the bath? What do you suppose Mr. Churchill had against llamas?

From Quiz A Slice in Time: 1950s History Part 2

Answer: "Don't Be Cruel"

For his premiere on the "The Ed Sullivan Show" Elvis was actually introduced by the actor Charles Laughton as Sullivan was recovering from an auto accident. The second song he sang that night was "Love Me Tender", the title song from the movie he was then filming. "Blue Suede Shoes" was recorded by Carl Perkins; "Great Balls of Fire" was a hit for Jerry Lee Lewis; Elvis released "Little Sister" in 1961.

From Quiz A Slice in Time: 1950s History

Answer: Ingrid Bergman

Bergman, already the winner of an Oscar for "Gaslight" (1945), survived the scandal and went on to win two more Academy Awards for "Anastasia" (1956) and "Murder on the Orient Express" (1975). Model, actress and busineswoman Isabella Rossellini is her daughter.

From Quiz The 1950s

Answer: Korean War

On 25th June 1950, North Korean forces began their assault across the 38th parallel (the line of latitude that had become the boundary between the newly independent countries of North and South Korea). The North Koreans had been supplied by the Soviets and the vast number of soldiers made the surprise attack a devastating success, forcing South Korean forces to retreat within days. The United Nations authorised its members, which included the United States and its allies to use force against North Korea. Although a cease-fire was established in 1953, technically the Korean War continues.

From Quiz Other Events In Coronation Year

Answer: Mary of Teck

Queen Mary outlived her son, King George VI, by 13 months but died before Elizabeth was crowned.

From Quiz A Decade of Optimism-The 1950s

Answer: ranch

In the average ranch style home the living area was 1,342 square feet, and add to that a 379 square foot porch and a 225 square foot one car garage. These homes sold for $6,000-$7,000 and with the GI Bill, low down payments (5% or 0% for veterans) they were gobbled up. Many of them still stand today.

From Quiz Ten Major Events from 1950-1959

Answer: Winter of Terror

During the winter of 1950-1951, 649 avalanches killed more than 265 people and destroyed much property. Austria lost the most people with 135 deaths. Along with people and property, Austria and Switzerland lost a lot of forests. Switzerland also lost five hundred cattle.

From Quiz 20th-Century History in the 1950s

Answer: San Francisco

On behalf of the United Nations, 49 nations signed the Treaty of San Francisco on September 8, 1951, to establish peaceful relations between Japan and the Allied Powers. The treaty officially ended the legal state of WWII.

From Quiz Where Did This Happen, 1950s Edition

Answer: USA

I doubt any television show could represent the 1950s better than "I Love Lucy". The show starred red headed comedienne Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo. Cuban entertainer Desi Arnaz, and Lucille Ball's real-life husband, starred as Lucy's husband Ricky Ricardo. The storyline revolved around Lucy's comic antics. The show was based on a popular radio series that Ball had previously starred in. "I Love Lucy" was filmed in Hollywood using a live audience rather than a laugh track. It also made history as the first scripted television show to be filmed using three different cameras. I think it is still funny over 60 years later.

From Quiz The 60th Anniversary of 1957

Answer: New Zealand

Walter James Bolton was convicted of killing his wife, Beatrice Mabel Jones using arsenic. Another suspect was Beatrice's sister. Many also believed that the family's water pipes could have accidentally contained arsenic.

From Quiz What Else Happened In 1954

Answer: The 4 minute mile

For years many considered that running a mile in under 4 minutes was a human impossibility but on 6th May 1954 medical student Roger Bannister became the first person to do just that, in 3:59.4. His record was short-lived when Australian John Landy broke it a couple of weeks later. In 1968 sprinter Jim Hines broke the long-standing 10-second barrier in the 100 metre event. Roger Bannister's father only ever broke into a sweat running for the train and Roger Bannister did not break any bones whilst running.

From Quiz It Happened in 1950

Answer: California

If I had told you that the research laboratory was part of the University of California at Berkeley, that would have been a big tip off. The team of physics researchers (Stanley G. Thompson, Kenneth Street, Jr., Albert Ghiorso, and Glenn T. Seaborg) first synthesized the element, californium, on February 09, 1950. californium has the atomic number of 98 and is radioactive in its various forms. Neutrons from californium are used to treat some cancers.

From Quiz Back to the 1950s

Answer: Richard M. Nixon

Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower won a landslide victory over democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson in 1952 to become the 34th President of the USA. Richard Milhous Nixon was President Dwight D. Eisenhower's vice president from 1953 to 1961. He then stood as the republican candidate for president in 1960. He was narrowly beaten by democratic candidate John F. Kennedy, who at 43 years old became the youngest person to be elected as president. Nixon again stood as the republican candidate for president in 1968. He won the election by beating the democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey. Nixon resigned the presidency in 1974 to avoid the possibility of impeachment and removal from office, becoming the first US President to do so. His Vice President and successor as President Gerald Ford, later pardoned him for all offenses against the United States of America.

From Quiz The 1950s

Answer: Will K. Kellogg

It's Will Keith Kellogg, and the Kellogg company. Kellogg's has its headquarters based in Battle Creek, Michigan. Which is why the city is known as "the cereal city". Henry Parsons Crowell was the founder of the Quaker Oats Company. C. W. Post is associated with Post cereal, who also started out in Battle Creek, before moving their headquarters to St. Louis, Missouri. James Ford Bell was the founder of General Mills company.

From Quiz 1952 - Year of Change

Answer: St George's Chapel, Windsor

The King was buried at St George's Chapel, Windsor, on 15th February. St George's Chapel was started by Edward IV in 1475 and took 50 years to complete. 10 monarchs are buried there including Edward IV and George VI. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was buried alongside her husband following her death at the age of 101 in 2002.

From Quiz So You Want to Know What Happened in 1955

Answer: Salk

Poliomyelitis, or polio, primarily strikes children up to nine years of age. The U.S. saw its worst outbreak of polio in 1952 with almost 58,000 cases. Over 3,100 died. Dr. Jonas Salk of the University of Pittsburgh worked to create a vaccine to prevent this crippling and killing disease. He developed an injectable vaccine in 1952. After it became commercially available in 1955, polio incidents dropped by almost 90% by 1958. Albert Sabin developed an oral polio vaccine in 1957 while working at the University of Cincinnati. It became available in 1962. It was later discovered that, in rare cases, the oral vaccine could result in another form of polio: vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis. While Sabin's vaccine continues to be used in some parts of the world, by the year 2000 it was out of use in the U.S. for that reason. Did you know that when Dr. Salk needed to hire a new secretary he blood-tested all the applicants? He wanted to eliminate type-Os.

From Quiz A Slice in Time: 1950s History Part 2

Answer: Directly descended from the Prophet Muhammed

King Hussein's son, King Abdullah, ascended the throne in 1998.

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Last Updated Oct 25 2025 5:45 AM

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