It Happened in 1963 Trivia Quiz

Answer: De Gaulle's veto of Britain's application to join the Common Market

French President De Gaulle argued that Britain's subsidies to farmers led to artificially low food prices that would hurt European farmers. More importantly, he also said the British would never be "good Europeans" and that the country would be the United States' Trojan horse in the Community.

Answer: I Have a Dream

This most famous of modern speeches was delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Dr. King delivered the short speech he had prepared and started to sit down, but Mahalia Jackson called to him "Tell them about your dream, Martin!" Dr. King had given similar "Dream" speeches earlier that year, so he proceeded to give the great speech we all know.

"The Birth of a New Nation" was a 1957 sermon, and "Our God is Marching On" was given in 1965 in Montgomery, Alabama.

The mountain top speech, almost as well-known as "I Have a Dream," was his last. He gave it mere hours before his assassination in 1968.

Answer: Lev Yashin became the only goalkeeper in the 20th century to win the European Footballer of the Year Award

Football fans will have found this question easy if for no other reason than 1963 is an odd year, and therefore they would have realized it could not have been a World Cup year! England won the World Cup in 1966, and Pelé starred in the Mexico World Cup in 1970. Nike? It didn't even exist in 1963 and has never been a dominant force in football footwear, despite attempts to enter that market.

In my opinion, Lev Yashin was one of the most incredible athletes ever, in any sport. At least I can claim he set the modern standard for goalkeeping. Known as the "Black Panther" for his incredible reflexes, which permitted him to make impossible stops, and his black outfits, Yashin invented new and useful ways to kick the ball away from the penalty area.

Answer: Paul Hindemith

The great composer Paul Hindemith died in 1963, but just barely: December 28. Among many other contributions, Hindemith helped open the door to the use of other musical idioms--such as jazz--in serious compositions.

Writers C. S. Lewis ("The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe") and Aldous Huxley ("Brave New World") both died of natural causes. The death of either writer would have made headlines, had U. S. President Kennedy not been assassinated on that day.

Answer: It lasted less than two years, when Malaysia and the Republic of Singapore separated

On August 6, 1965, Federation of Malaysia Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman told Singapore's Lee Kwan Yew that Singapore would be expelled from the Federation. Sure enough, three days later, with no representative from Singapore present, the Malaysian parliament voted 126 to 0 to separate.

Answer: Greek poet Giorgos Seferis (literature)

Seferis won "for his eminent lyrical writing, inspired by a deep feeling for the Hellenic world of culture."

Rudolph Ludwig Mossbauer shared the 1961 Nobel prize in physics with American Robert Hofstadter. Dag Hammarskjold also won in 1961; Paul Samuelson won in 1970.

Answer: Bali's Gunung Agung erupted

Besakih is a temple complex built right on the side of the sacred volcano Gunang Agung. When the volcano erupted, the lava damaged but largely flowed around Besakih. The Balinese faithful regard the sparing of the temple as a miraculous sign from the gods.

Answer: Elia Kazan won Best Director ("America, America")

"Tom Jones" won only four Oscars, but one of them went to Tony Richardson for Best Director. The other three were Best Picture, Best Musical Score, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Answer: Cancer of the stomach

Born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, Pope John XXIII served as the 261st Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from October 28, 1958 until his death in 1963. His successor was Pope Paul VI.

Answer: The then-British monetary system began the change to a decimal monetary system

This question was a little more obscure than the rest because the transition to decimal currency took Australia more than a single year. The primary decision to adopt a decimal currency was made after much discussion in 1963, but the new money was not in the till until February 1966.

One of the many decisions that made up full implementation was the choice of a name for the new currency. Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies had proposed the 'Royal', but the 'Dollar' was the name eventually adopted.