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Quiz about When I Was a Kid American 1940s and 50s

When I Was a Kid (American) 1940s and 50s Quiz

I cringed when my Mom and Dad said it. Now I'm saying it. And my kids and grandkids are wincing. See what you know about the 1940s and 50s.

A multiple-choice quiz by Pick61. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
Pick61

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
354,886

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Easy

Avg Score
9 / 10

Plays
2788

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 35 (10/10), Guest 68 (6/10), Guest 148 (9/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, what would you be buying if you had to choose from among a Philco, Dumont, Airline or Admiral? Hint

a television or a radio

a lawn mower

a stove

a baseball glove

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Suppose you stopped into a showroom in the 1940s or 50s and looked over a REO, Graham, Kaiser, Frazer or Henry J. What would you be seeing? Hint

refrigerators

automobiles

sofas and chairs

motorcycles

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Suppose you had some Viceroys in your shirt pocket in the 1940s or 50s and your friend had some Luckys. What were they? Hint

chewing gum

pencils

candy

cigarettes

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. As a kid in the 1940s and 40s, one of my favorite things at the breakfast table was Ranger Joe. What was Ranger Joe? Hint

a cereal

a radio program

a book

my uncle

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Do you remember what a 5 and 10 was in the 1940s and 50s? Hint

candy

an admission to the movies

a five and ten cent store

a bicycle

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. If you went to the store in the 1940s or 50s and bought an "Oh Henry" or a "5th Avenue", what would you have? Hint

a comic book

bubble gum

a soft drink

a candy bar

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. I'll bet your town had one or more of these in the 1940s or 50s - Strand, Columbia or Bijou. What were they? Hint

hotels

electric companies

hardware stores

movie theatres

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Feeling a little raspy? Maybe you should take one of these. Smith Brothers, Ludens, or Vicks. What were they inthe 1940s and 50s? Hint

cough drops

a pill

gum

an eye drop

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Sometime in the 1940s or 50s, on a Saturday, my Mom would drag me to the A&P to help with a certain chore. Or it might have been a Big Bear or a Piggly Wiggly. Where was I? Hint

a laundry

one of the first grocery chain stores

a clothing store

a place to pay bills

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. If you told Santa you wanted an American, a Chicago, a J.C. Higgins or a Schwinn for Christmas, what would you hopefully wind up with (1940s and 50s)? Hint

a sled

a b.b. gun

a model plane

a bicycle

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Most Recent Scores

Oct 11 2026 : Guest 35: 10/10
Oct 05 2026 : Guest 68: 6/10
Oct 01 2026 : Guest 148: 9/10
Sep 18 2026 : Guest 136: 8/10
Sep 16 2026 : Guest 104: 8/10
Sep 04 2026 : curdman: 10/10
Aug 31 2026 : sarryman: 7/10
Aug 30 2026 : Guest 99: 9/10
Aug 25 2026 : Guest 76: 9/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, what would you be buying if you had to choose from among a Philco, Dumont, Airline or Admiral?

Answer: a television or a radio

These were brands of American made electronic items. They were heavy, had 10 or 12 inch black and white screens and were full of vacuum tubes. They required an antenna on the roof. And they were awe-inspiring!

2. Suppose you stopped into a showroom in the 1940s or 50s and looked over a REO, Graham, Kaiser, Frazer or Henry J. What would you be seeing?

Answer: automobiles

REO stopped producing cars in the 1940s. Kaiser Frazer and Henry Js were produced by the same company from 1949 to about 1953, when they accepted an offer to move to Argentina. There were others, such as Hupmobile and Star. Although not in production in the 40s there were still plenty of these autos around, used. One thing these cars had in common, along with those produced by the big three auto makers - they had a character all their own.

3. Suppose you had some Viceroys in your shirt pocket in the 1940s or 50s and your friend had some Luckys. What were they?

Answer: cigarettes

Known to be a bad and unhealthy habit now, the consequences were not widely suspected back then. You could choose from a whole raft of different brands, including Camels, Wings, Spuds, Kools, Chesterfields, Old Gold, and many others.

4. As a kid in the 1940s and 40s, one of my favorite things at the breakfast table was Ranger Joe. What was Ranger Joe?

Answer: a cereal

Ranger Joe was notable as the first sugar coated cereal and probably contributed to the cavities I later developed. It was invented in 1940 and produced until 1953, when the company was sold to Nabisco and the cereal renamed.

5. Do you remember what a 5 and 10 was in the 1940s and 50s?

Answer: a five and ten cent store

Woolworth, Kresge, and Murphy's all operated what was referred to as a five and ten, or a five and dime. Supposedly, most of the merchandise could be purchased for a nickel or a dime. Malls and superstores were their death knell, but there are lots of stores now calling themselves 'Dollar Stores'.

6. If you went to the store in the 1940s or 50s and bought an "Oh Henry" or a "5th Avenue", what would you have?

Answer: a candy bar

There are still a lot of candy bars being made today. Back then you could get a Clark bar, Rolos or Mars bar for a nickel.

7. I'll bet your town had one or more of these in the 1940s or 50s - Strand, Columbia or Bijou. What were they?

Answer: movie theatres

There seemed to be at least one of them in every town then. You didn't go to a mall to see a movie, you went to a theatre and plunked down a dime for the matinee or a quarter for the evening double feature, perhaps an Abbott and Costello movie or an oater.

8. Feeling a little raspy? Maybe you should take one of these. Smith Brothers, Ludens, or Vicks. What were they inthe 1940s and 50s?

Answer: cough drops

These three brands were by far the most popular aid to a sore throat or a cough. They were candy like, didn't require a prescription, and cost about a nickel. Smith Brothers had pictures of two bearded gentlemen, under them were the words "Trade" and "Mark". I thought that was their names.

9. Sometime in the 1940s or 50s, on a Saturday, my Mom would drag me to the A&P to help with a certain chore. Or it might have been a Big Bear or a Piggly Wiggly. Where was I?

Answer: one of the first grocery chain stores

Kroger's was still around in the 2010s, and A&P is much reduced in size. (In its heyday - c. 1930 - it had had about 16,000 stores, but by 2011 this number had fallen to 338). Piggly Wiggly has also survived.

10. If you told Santa you wanted an American, a Chicago, a J.C. Higgins or a Schwinn for Christmas, what would you hopefully wind up with (1940s and 50s)?

Answer: a bicycle

Schwinn survived into the 21st century (though as a subsidiary), but the others all became defunct. All were examples of good craftmanship.

Source: Author Pick61

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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