It Happened in the 1970s Trivia Quiz

Answer: It pitted western states against federal land managers

The Sagebrush Rebellion took place in the western states for most of the decade. During the regulation-happy 1960s the federal government regulated herd size, grazing rights, mining, and logging which severely impacted the economies in those states. Ranchers had to lease the land from the federal government, which, for example, owned 90% of the land in Nevada. Tensions rose between these ranchers and the federal government.

Several western states demanded state control of federal lands. The Reagan Administration rolled back many of the regulations. While it is no longer considered a "rebellion", discussions are ongoing between some of the western states and the federal government over land use, herd size, and environmental concerns.

Answer: Middle class moderate conservatives

The term generally referred to moderate conservative voters who were overlooked because they did not publicly express their views. It received widespread use during the Nixon campaign and later during the Reagan and Trump campaigns. Examples might have included middle class conservatives in traditionally democratic states like California or Maryland or financially disadvantaged rural voters in states like West Virginia and Mississippi.

Answer: An ultra-conservative activist

Phyllis Schlafly was an attorney and author of over 25 books. She was an ultra-conservative activist. She was anti-communist, anti-feminist, anti-ERA, anti-gay rights, and anti-abortion. She was very vocal in her political views. She was chosen as a delegate from Illinois to several Republican National Conventions, and ran for Congress twice winning the Republican primaries in Illinois, only to lose in the general election. Schlafly was a key supporter of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

Answer: Skylab

Skylab was the only space station operated solely by the U.S. It had an intended nine-year lifespan. The problem was that NASA spent so much on its systems and launch that they compromised its re-entry. NASA fired Skylab's booster rockets to send it into higher orbit when it began to fall.

But fall it did in 1979. It spread debris from the Indian Ocean to western Australia. Skylab's imminent crash led to numerous Skylab parties in the U.S.

Answer: True

True. Diane von Furstenberg was born in Belgium and later married into royalty. Very much involved in the women's movement, she designed the wrap dress in 1974. It was a simple design that was extremely successful because it was designed for working women at a time when more women were entering the workplace. It is credited with changing women's fashion.

Answer: Nadia Comaneci

Nadia Comaneci, who was 15 years old at the time, was the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 at the Olympic Games. She also won 3 gold medals in the 1976 Olympics. In 1989 she defected from her native Romania and settled in the United States. She contributes her expertise to numerous sports-related programs as well as philanthropic organizations.

Answer: A tennis match between Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs

Over 30,000 spectators plus TV viewers witnessed a tennis match, intended to show a woman's equality with her male counterpart, in the Houston Astrodome in September 1973. The highly anticipated match was between 55 year-old Bobby Riggs and 29 year-old Billy Jean King. Both entered the court to great fanfare, but the tennis was over quickly as King won in three straight sets.

Answer: Affirmed

The first time that the Triple Crown was won in consecutive years (Seattle Slew won it in 1977) occurred in 1978. The Triple Crown consists of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. Affirmed was ridden by jockey Steve Cauthen who became the youngest jockey to win the Triple Crown. Affirmed, like Secretariat (1973) before him, dominated in the mid to late 1970s.

The next Triple Crown wasn't won until 2015.

Answer: Me

The culture of the 1970s epitomized self and individuality. Books that dealt with self-help and self-improvement were popular. Also, clothing, hair styles, and the like expressed individualism. People were more into exploring their inner selves than caring about social and political issues. Thus, the term "Me" generation, which was coined by author Tom Wolfe, was applied to those who were born roughly between 1946-1964.

Answer: Dan White

Dan White had been a former supervisor. White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and received a 92 month prison sentence. He was released in 1984 after serving 60 months. He committed suicide in 1985.

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay politician elected to public office in California. Diane Feinstein was elected to replace Mayor Moscone.
Investigators learned that White had entered City Hall through a basement window. No motive was found for Moscone's shooting, but White, being a former supervisor, shot Milk because he wanted his job back. White's defense was one of diminished capacity due to his consumption of too much junk food (the Twinkie Defense).