Remembering the 60s - 1960 Americana Quiz

Answer: Dwight D. Eisenhower

In the November, 1960 presidential elections, Senator John Kennedy defeated Vice President Richard Nixon by about 100,000 votes out of over 68 million cast. Despite the fact that Nixon won more states than Kennedy, the electoral college awarded the election to Kennedy by a 303-219 margin. Kennedy took office in January, 1961.

Answer: Bonanza

The classic western television series, "Bonanza", was slow to catch on with the American public. The adventures of the Cartwright family ran for fourteen years, but the series ranked only 17th in the 1960 television poll.

Answer: Pittsburgh Pirates

While playing in almost one-half of all World Series since 1921, and winning 26 of them, "New York Yankees" is a relatively safe trivia answer guess. Things turned out differently, however, when the mighty Yankees took on the lowly Pirates in 1960. In seven games, the Yanks had outscored the Bucs 55-27 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, when second baseman Bill Mazeroski hit the second pitch for a home run making the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball's improbable champions.

Answer: Airplane

On May 1, 1960 the United States was spying on the Soviet Union with a high-altitude spy planes, the U-2, piloted by Francis Gary Powers. Using a ground-to-air missle, previously unknown to American intelligence, the spy plane was shot down and the pilot captured. Powers remained a political prisoner for two years, at which time he was 'traded' for captured Russian spy Rudolf Abel.

Answer: Howdy Doody

As everyone in Doodyville is packed and ready to leave, Clarabell, the clown, who for 14 years communicated only by pantomime and horn toots, revealed his big secret. He can speak. "Good-bye kids" were his parting words.

Answer: Psycho

While finishing in a respectful fourth place, Elvis Presley's "G.I. Blues" earned only $4.3 million. According to statistics of the National Association of Theatre Owners, the average movie ticket price in 1958 was $0.68, and $6.03 in 2003.

Answer: Bob Newhart

Bob's "The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart" was also the first comedy album to top the "Billboard" album charts.

Answer: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz

Lucy, 29 years old, and Desi, 23, married in a civil ceremony in 1940. She first filed for divorce in 1944, but they reconciled. They married again in 1949 in a Roman Catholic ceremony. Daughter Lucie was born in 1951 and son Desi, Jr. in 1953. The 1960 divorce was filed right after the final episode of the "Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour".

Answer: Singer

Evans changed his name in 1960 and became better known as Chubby Checker, the "The King of the Twist". Dick Clark's wife came up with the name, a reference to the similarity between the heavy twister and the popular Fats Domino.

Answer: Greensboro, North Carolina

Four black freshmen at North Carolina A&T were refused service at a Woolworth lunch counter because of racially discriminating store rules. The young men refused to leave and remained in their seats until closing time. The 'sit in' form of protest spread rapidly to other U.S. cities.