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The Reagan Years Trivia Quiz

Ronald Reagan's two terms saw many changes in America. Test your medium-term memory with this one.

A multiple-choice quiz by dirksav. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
dirksav

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
147,440

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
1106

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. A lone gunman tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan in his first term. What was the date of the attempt? Hint

March 30, 1981

March 30, 1982

March 15, 1981

March 15, 1983

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Question 2 of 10

2. Who tried to kill Reagan? Hint

Morton Downey Jr.

Thomas O'Neill

John Hinckley Jr.

John David Stutz

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Question 3 of 10

3. Reagan pushed through Congress what was then the biggest tax cut in American history. What was the overall percentage rate of tax reduction over three years? Hint

4. Some people credit Reagan with the eventual break-up of the Soviet Union because he pushed for a space-based, anti-missile system. It was known popularly as "Star Wars". What was its official name?

Answer: (Three Words)

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Question 5 of 10

5. Republicans controlled the U.S. Senate throughout Reagan's two terms.

True

False

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Question 6 of 10

6. Amid the Iran-Contra scandal and fights over the federal budget deficit, a company made its initial public offering on Wall Street for $21 a share in March 1986. What was its name? Hint

Intel Inc.

Microsoft Corp.

Starbucks Co.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

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Question 7 of 10

7. The man who ran against Reagan in 1984, Walter Mondale, carried two locales. Which were they? Hint

Washington, D.C., California

Washington, D.C., Massachusetts

Washington, D.C., Minnesota

Washington, D.C., New Jersey

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Question 8 of 10

8. Suburban families everywhere flocked to buy the new minivans, after they were introduced by Dodge. Which year did they come on the market?

Answer: (A year)

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Question 9 of 10

9. During Reagan's two terms, which pro football team appeared in the Super Bowl the most? Hint

San Francisco Forty Niners

Oakland/L.A. Raiders

Denver Broncos

Washington Redskins

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Question 10 of 10

10. In the early battles over the budget, Reagan's proposals were co-sponsored by a young Democratic representative from Texas. For his perceived treachery, the Democratic leadership kicked him off plum committee assignments. So he resigned and ran as a Republican and won. His name? Hint

Philip Crane

James Jeffords

Charles Stenholm

Phil Gramm

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. A lone gunman tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan in his first term. What was the date of the attempt?

Answer: March 30, 1981

The gunman was unsuccessful, but it was a near thing.

2. Who tried to kill Reagan?

Answer: John Hinckley Jr.

Hinckley was judged insane and now spends his time in St. Elizabeth's mental hospital in Washington, D.C. O'Neill, then Speaker of the House, actually liked Reagan as a person. Stutz was the fictional killer of Buckwheat on "Saturday Night Live" and Downey was a conservative talk show host.

3. Reagan pushed through Congress what was then the biggest tax cut in American history. What was the overall percentage rate of tax reduction over three years?

Answer: 25

Reagan actually wanted a 30% cut but compromised with Congress, which was concerned about deficit spending.

Answer: Strategic Defense Initiative

Or SDI. The then Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, at their 1986 summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, tried to get Reagan to agree to discontinue work on it. Reagan refused, and Gorbachev later wrote that he knew that his country would be forced to change because it couldn't afford to match the SDI program.

5. Republicans controlled the U.S. Senate throughout Reagan's two terms.

Answer: false

The GOP held the Senate from 1981 to 1986, when many in the Reagan class of 1980 were defeated for re-election.

6. Amid the Iran-Contra scandal and fights over the federal budget deficit, a company made its initial public offering on Wall Street for $21 a share in March 1986. What was its name?

Answer: Microsoft Corp.

Oh, if only we'd only bought a few shares then!

7. The man who ran against Reagan in 1984, Walter Mondale, carried two locales. Which were they?

Answer: Washington, D.C., Minnesota

And there were some questions whether Mondale even carried his home state of Minnesota. But the landslide was so big that the GOP didn't challenge some of the alleged voting irregularities.

8. Suburban families everywhere flocked to buy the new minivans, after they were introduced by Dodge. Which year did they come on the market?

Answer: 1984

Federal mileage efficiency rules forced out the station wagon from automakers' fleets, but minivans were classed as light trucks and therefore didn't have to meet the tougher standards that cars did. Voila! The Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager were born.

9. During Reagan's two terms, which pro football team appeared in the Super Bowl the most?

Answer: Washington Redskins

The 'Skins were in three from 1981 to 1988, winning two, while the other teams were in two. The Niners and the Raiders won their two, but Denver lost both of its tries.

Answer: Phil Gramm

Gramm went on to win a seat in the U.S. Senate, and run for president in 1996. He bowed out early in that race and retired from the Senate in 2002.

Source: Author dirksav

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