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1970s Trivia Questions and Answers

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1. The Camp David Peace Accords, signed by Anwar El Sadat and Menachem Begin in 1978, led to a peace treaty between which two nations in 1979?


answer Answer: Israel and Egypt

Interesting Information:
Begin and Sadat signed the two agreements after twelve days of negotiations chaired by then US President, Jimmy Carter. Their efforts were rewarded not only with peace between the two nations, formalised in a treaty a year later, but also by the award of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1978 to both leaders. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
USA and Israel, Iran and Iraq, Russia and Afghanistan

2. Originally on TV from 1970 to 1981, who were Tim-Brooke Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie?


answer Answer: "The Goodies"

Interesting Information:
The Goodies' motto of "We do Anything, Anytime" allowed for great flexibility of situations, providing sometimes thought-provoking, but mostly very silly plot-lines. Much of the slightly surreal humour in the show came from the interplay between the characters of Bill the bearded scruffy hippy, Tim the Royalist cry-baby, and Graeme the geek genius who literally fell in love with his computer. Re-runs are constantly shown throughout the world, but still not often enough I say! Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
"The Monkees", "The Partridge Family", "The Munsters"

3. Launched in 1973, what was the first space station owned and operated by NASA?


answer Answer: Skylab

Interesting Information:
Skylab orbited Earth from May 14, 1973, to July 11, 1979. Of that time, it was occupied for a total of 171 days by three separate three-man crews. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Salyut, Mir, International Space Station

4. Which heavy metal rock group had a number 2 hit in the United Kingdom in 1970 with the song "Black Night"?


answer Answer: Deep Purple

Interesting Information:
"Black Night" was Deep Purple's most successful UK single. The band at the time consisted of Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover, Jon Lord and Ian Paice. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Motorhead

5. Which actor received his first acting Oscar in the 1980s, but received an Oscar in the 1970s as a co-producer for 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest'?


answer Answer: Michael Douglas

Interesting Information:
Michael secured the rights ten years earlier, with the intent of giving the lead to his father, Kirk. After many delays, Kirk was deemed too old for the part. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Rob Reiner

6. What color were the official basketballs in the American Basketball Association before its dissolution and merger with the NBA in 1976?


answer Answer: Red, white, and blue

Interesting Information:
The old ABA did indeed have red, white, and blue basketballs, plus a more inventive, flashier style of action, which gave rise to such stars as Dr. J, Julius Erving. The league lasted from 1967 to 1976. At its demise, four of its teams merged with the National Basketball Association (the New York Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs). The standard NBA basketball, by the way, is brownish orange.
Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Bright yellow, Brownish-orange, Red

7. Ayatollah Khomeini was a Shi'a Muslim leader who led an Islamic revolution in 1979. In which country did this revolution take place?


answer Answer: Iran

Interesting Information:
Ayatollah Khomeini was an Iranian Shi'a Muslim leader who returned from exile in 1979 and led the Islamic revolution to overthrow the Pahlavi monarchy that had ruled for about 54 years. He relentlessly pursued the war with Iraq which lasted from 1980 to 1988. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait

8. Which famous drummer released a solo album called 'Goodnight Vienna' in 1974?


answer Answer: Ringo Starr

Interesting Information:
This was Ringo's fourth solo album after the break-up of the Beatles. Despite an all-star line-up of musicians contributing to the recording, including John Lennon, Dr. John, Elton John (no relation) and Harry Nilsson, the album only reached number 30 in the UK album charts. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Buddy Rich, Keith Moon, John Bonham

9. Which food item connects a 1970s American band featuring David Gates and a 1980s British sitcom written by Carla Lane?


answer Answer: Bread

Interesting Information:
David Gates was the main songwriter for the American band Bread. They had hits with such songs as "If", "It Don't Matter To Me" and "Guitar Man".
Carla Lane's sitcom "Bread" was set in Liverpool and featured the machinations of the Boswell family. The grown-up children all lived at home with their parents and survived with a combination of dodgy dealings, benefit fraud and occasionally legitimate employment. Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Rice, Potato, Chocolate

10. In 1979 Janet Parker, a medical photographer, achieved the dubious distinction of being the last known person to die from which infectious disease?


answer Answer: Smallpox

Interesting Information:
Ms Parker worked in the University of Birmingham Medical School. Her darkroom was situated above a laboratory where smallpox was being studied, and it is thought that the virus may have travelled via a service duct. Ms Parker's mother also developed smallpox, but recovered. Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Polio, Rabies, Impetigo

11. What communist political party of Cambodia from 1975-79 shares part of its name with the make-up females use to color their cheeks?


answer Answer: Khmer Rouge

Interesting Information:
Pol Pot was the leader of the Khmer Rouge, which subjected Cambodia to a radical social reform process aimed at creating a purely agrarian (advancement of agricultural groups)-based communist society. Approximately 1.5 million Cambodians died in waves of murder, torture and starvation, in addition to forced labor. Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Cambodian Communists, Asian Red Front, Yangtze Yellows

12. In the 1970 movie "Love Story", what are the name of the two main characters who fall in love?


answer Answer: Oliver and Jennifer

Interesting Information:
Oliver and Jennifer are two Harvard students, who fall in love with one another. Oliver is rich and prominent. Jennifer is poor and ambitious. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Oliver and Ali, Ryan and Jennifer, Barrett and Susan

13. Which musical act performed the most songs at Woodstock? (Hint - The famous drummer for this band died in 1978).


answer Answer: The Who

Interesting Information:
The Who performed 24 songs in total, Jefferson Airplane nine songs, and The Band ten songs. Led Zeppelin never did play at Woodstock, they turned down their invitation. Some other notable acts that turned down invitations were Bob Dylan, The Byrds, and The Moody Blues. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
The Band, Jefferson Airplane, Led Zeppelin

14. Which member of the British Royal Family was the victim of a failed kidnap attempt on 20th March 1974?


answer Answer: Princess Anne

Interesting Information:
Ian Ball attempted to kidnap Princess Anne for a ransom of 2-3 million pounds. As he tried to coax her out of the car her response was, "Not bloody likely!" Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Prince Edward, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II

15. Which actor refused an Oscar in 1971?


answer Answer: George C. Scott

Interesting Information:
Scott, having already refused an Oscar nomination for "The Hustler" in 1961, returned the Best Actor Oscar he was awarded in 1971 for "Patton" to the Motion Picture Academy, saying he didn't want to be in competition with other actors. Marlon Brando refused his Oscar (for "The Godfather") in 1973. Jane Fonda and Gene Hackman both accepted theirs in 1972. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, Gene Hackman

16. After the 1972 Munich Massacre, Israel launched a covert operation to assassinate those involved with the massacre. What was this operation called?


answer Answer: Operation Wrath of God

Interesting Information:
Their targets were all members of the Palestinian extremist group Black September. This operation also gave rise to a sub-operation, Operation Spring of Youth, in which Mossad agents went to Lebanon to assassinate several prominent members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. The film "Munich", directed by Steven Spielberg, was based on these events. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Operation Magic Carpet, Operation Defensive Shield, Operation Determined Path

17. What song in the 1970s made household words of several of the "10-codes" used by CB radio operators?


answer Answer: Convoy

Interesting Information:
The 1975 song "Convoy" by C. W. McCall brought the language of police officers and truckers to national attention. A later movie called "Convoy" and the "Smokey and the Bandit" series further entrenched many phrases based on the 10-codes into American slang. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Six Days on the Road, American Pie, Fire and Rain

18. Which famous actor lent his voice talents to the narration of Jeff Wayne's 1978 version of 'War of the Worlds'?


answer Answer: Richard Burton

Interesting Information:
Richard Burton, probably most famous for his role in 'Anthony and Cleopatra' and for being married to Elizabeth Taylor twice, was the narrator for this ground-breaking album. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Bobcat Goldthwaite, Orson Welles, James Earl Jones

19. Which United States government department refused to pay a $400 fine for littering Western Australia in 1979?


answer Answer: NASA

Interesting Information:
In 1979 when the US space station Skylab re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, it disintegrated, spreading burned bits of the space station all over the south-west corner of Western Australia. Most of it landed in the Shire of Esperance. One of the shire rangers issued a $400 infringement notice for littering to NASA as a joke. NASA declined to pay but the fine was paid 30 years later (2009) by a US radio station which collected donations to the cause from its listeners. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
National Parks Service, Food and Drug Administration, Federal Housing Administration

20. Which figure skating great won a gold medal for her short program at the 1976 Winter Games at Innsbruck?


answer Answer: Dorothy Hamill

Interesting Information:
The 19-year old took the gold with her perfect 6.0 score. 1976 was Hamill's year as she was number one in the World Championships, U.S. Championships, and the Winter Olympics. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Brian Orser, Johnny Weir, Michelle Kwan

21. Which well known British rock singer once portrayed Ned Kelly in a 1970 movie of the same name?


answer Answer: Mick Jagger

Interesting Information:
This particular version of the Ned Kelly story was a British production filmed entirely in Australia in 1970. The casting of Mick Jagger caused some angst amongst descendents of Ned Kelly, and was neither well received nor successful upon release. Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Paul McCartney, Dave Navarro, Rob Thomas

22. Who directed the horror film classics 'Nightmare on Elm Street', 'The Hills Have Eyes (1977)' and 'The Scream Trilogy'?


answer Answer: Wes Craven

Interesting Information:
Before becoming a horror film director Wes Craven was both a teacher and a taxi driver. Difficulty: Average.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, Kevin Williamson

23. What were the name of the two NASA probes that were sent to Mars, in the 1970s, to land and search for evidence of microbes in the soil?


answer Answer: Viking 1 and Viking 2

Interesting Information:
Viking 1 landed on July 20, 1976, and Viking 2 arrvied two months later and took the first photos from the surface of Mars showing a rock-filled landscape. Both lander probes completed experiments on collected soil samples, but found no conclusive evidence of past life. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Apollo 1 and Apollo 2, Space Shuttles Enterprise and Columbia, Voyager 7 and Voyager 8

24. Famous for their butter tarts and maple syrup, where did the 1976 Summer Olympic Games take place?


answer Answer: Montreal, Canada

Interesting Information:
1976 was the first time Canada had ever had the pleasure of hosting the Olympic Games, but were disappointed at becoming the first-ever country during the Summer Olympics to not win a gold medal on home soil. The Canadian Olympic team brought home five silver and six bronze medals. The 1976 Summer Olympic Games also saw Nadia Comaneci of Romania win her seven perfect 10 scores in gymnastics, giving her 3 gold medals. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Calgary, Canada, Melbourne, Australia, Rome, Italy

25. The film "The Godfather"(1972), one the best movies of all times, was based on a book with the same title. Who was the author?


answer Answer: Mario Puzo

Interesting Information:
Mario Gianluigi Puzo (1920-1999) was an Italian-American author and screenwriter. He wrote a lot of novels about the Mafia, but "The Godfather"(1969) was his masterpiece. He was the screenwriter of the whole trilogy of "The Godfather" movies and also for two "Superman" movies (1978 and 1980). Difficulty: Very Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Bugsy Siegel, Al Capone, Francis Ford Coppola

26. Which Hall of Fame player became the first defenseman in National Hockey League history to win a regular season scoring title in 1970?


answer Answer: Bobby Orr

Interesting Information:
Orr scored an unbelievable 120 points playing defense for the Boston Bruins in 1970. He won the Art Ross Trophy as top scorer a second time in 1975 with an incredible 135 points. Orr also won 8 straight Norris Trophies as the league's top defenseman (1968-1975), and 3 straight Hart Trophies as MVP from 1970-1972. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Brad Park, Serge Savard, Harry Howell

27. Muhammad Ali took on boxing great George Foreman in 1974. In one of the sport's greatest boxing matches, what was this fight called?


answer Answer: Rumble in the Jungle

Interesting Information:
The match took place in October 1974 in Zaire. Ali, going into the ring, had been stripped of his heavyweight crown seven years earlier for refusing Army induction. The match had been delayed one month due to Foreman receiving a cut over his eye during sparring. The Rumble in the Jungle ended in the eighth round when Ali KO'd Foreman. A note of history was Zack Clayton who refereed the bout. He was the first African-American to referee a World Heavyweight Championship. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
No Mas Fight, Thrilla in Manila, No Way Out

28. In 1975's blockbuster movie "Jaws", what's the famous line Chief Brody says to Quint, after seeing the shark for the first time?


answer Answer: "You're going to need a bigger boat."

Interesting Information:
The shark makes his first appearance while Brody is chumming. Brody calmly steps back into the Orca's pilot house and tells Quint, "You're gonna need a bigger boat". Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
"We're gonna need a bigger fishing pole.", "I need to make a phone call.", "We're gonna need a bigger ship."

29. Who was the first featured solo entertainment act at the half-time show during Super Bowl IV in 1970?


answer Answer: Carol Channing

Interesting Information:
Prior to 1970, Collegiate and University bands entertained during half-time for the most popular game of the season. It evolved when actress and singer Carol Channing performed and paid tribute to Mardi Gras at Tulane Stadium, where the game was played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Carol Burnett, Carol Lawrence, Carole King

30. In August 1979, which sport saw 15 participants die in one event?


answer Answer: Yachting

Interesting Information:
In the last of five series in the Admiral's Cup, the Fastnet Race first began in 1925. This race in 1979 saw 306 yachts begin the race. Horrendous storms in the English Channel wreaked havoc on the yachts; 69 yachts did not finish the race, and 23 were sunk or abandoned. The Royal Navy rescued 136 crew members. The winner of the race was Tenacious, and was helmed by American philanthropist Ted Turner. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Soccer, Rugby, Mountain Climbing

31. BASEBALL - Which Pittsburgh Pirates player set a record in the 1979 World Series for going to the plate 33 times and not striking out once?


answer Answer: Tim Foli

Interesting Information:
Tim Foli's batting average in the 1979 series was .333 and he was able to amass 10 hits. As a shortstop in Major League Baseball, Tim played for 6 teams; the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, and New York Yankees from 1970-1985. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Phil Garner, Willie Stargell, Manny Sanguillan

32. Since 1973, baseball's American League has employed hundreds of designated hitters, but only one could be the first. Can you name him?


answer Answer: Ron Blomberg

Interesting Information:
Of the four major U.S. sports, baseball is the only one where not all the teams compete by the same rules. If I had my way, the DH would be no more and American League pitchers would hit. The National League has no designated hitter rule, except for postseason play. Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Carlton Fisk, Alan Trammell, Kirk Gibson

33. What psychological syndrome, made famous after a bank siege in 1973, shares its name with a capital city?


answer Answer: Stockholm syndrome

Interesting Information:
Stockholm syndrome describes a condition where a hostage begins to feel sympathetic towards the abductors and often their cause. It is so-named because the first described case involved a hostage drama in Stockholm. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Canberra syndrome, Mexico City syndrome, Abu Dhabi syndrome

34. What famous author and playwright was portrayed by Jane Fonda in the 1977 film "Julia"?


answer Answer: Lillian Hellman

Interesting Information:
Lillian Hellman was the author of "The Children's Hour" (1934) and "Toys in the Attic" (1960). The movie "Julia" was based on a portion of Hellman's memoir "Pentimento". Jane Fonda received an Academy Award nomination for her work in "Julia".

Difficulty: Hard.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Dorothy Parker, Edna Ferber, Carson McCullers

35. In what 1978 movie did Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta claim "You're the One That I Want"?


answer Answer: Grease

Interesting Information:
The movie "Grease" was directed by Randal Kleiser and was based on the musical "Grease" by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. "You're the One That I Want" was sung by both leads and appeared late in the movie. It was released as a hugely successful single, reaching number one in the US and UK. Difficulty: Easy.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Saturday Night Fever, Xanadu, Grease 2
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