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About This Quiz
Many of us who grew up in the 1990s look back on that decade with fond memories — one filled with slap bracelets, Game Boys and Walkmans! It was a time of childhood innocence and fun for most children. So what do you remember most from that last decade before the new millennium?
Perhaps the thing that sticks out in your mind are the major buzz words from that decade. What about the most popular movies and television shows back then? Or the hottest artists? If you're a pop culture junkie, you should have no trouble answering these questions!
You probably remember some of the must-have toys from that period as well. In fact, you probably were the coolest kid on the playground if you had a Tamagotchi or Pokemon cards — not to mention Moon Shoes!
Without a doubt, the '90s was filled with gadgets, hit songs and movies that bring back lots of nostalgia for kids of that decade. And what about those boy bands, right?
Now that the details are coming back, let's not waste any more time. Take this quiz and enjoy the trip down memory lane!
Name the Latin-influenced song that became a worldwide dance hit during a good part of the ‘90s.
"Lambada"
"Bailando"
"La Macarena"
"La Macarena" was first performed by the Spanish Latin pop duo Los Del Rio in 1993, though other versions were released in subsequent years. The popularity of the song — and accompanying dance moves — hit mainstream U.S. airwaves in 1996.
"Danza Kuduro"
Which of these presidents was elected twice to the Oval Office during the final decade of the last century?
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton, a Democrat, served as U.S. president from January 1993 to January 2001. He was the nation's 42nd president. His wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, later ran for and lost twice in her bids for the presidency.
Ronald Reagan
George H.W. Bush
George W. Bush
What was the popular primetime animated television series that aired throughout the '90s that appealed not only to kids?
"American Dad!"
"The Jetsons"
"Rick and Morty"
"The Simpsons"
"The Simpsons" debuted at the tail end of 1989 and garnered worldwide popularity throughout the '90s. The show, which continues to air new episodes, holds the record as the longest-running comedy series to appear on prime time in the United States.
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What major space launch occurred in 1990, with the instrument launched still in operation in 2019?
Columbia space shuttle
Challenger space shuttle
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope — the first major optical telescope in space — was launched in April 1990. Its deployment, which has deepened scientists' understanding of the universe, has been described by NASA as "the most significant advance in astronomy since Galileo's telescope" in 1610.
Mars Pathfinder
Name the rapper who shot to stardom with his song "Ice Ice Baby."
Ice Cube
Ice-T
Ice MC
Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice rose to fame in 1991 with "Ice Ice Baby," which became the first rap single to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He was born Robert Van Winkle, but, as a white rapper, chose to go with "Vanilla Ice" as his stage name.
Which member of the British royal family died in 1997?
Princess Kate
Princess Diana
Princess Diana, mother of Prince William and Prince Harry, died on Aug. 31, 1997, as the result of a car crash in Paris while she, her companion and their driver tried to outrun the paparazzi. Diana became the princess of Wales after marrying Prince Charles in 1981, though the two later divorced.
Princess Georgia
Princess Anne
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Who is the computer magnate who ruled the '90s?
Steve Wozniak
Bill Gates
Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft Corp., is one of the richest people in the world, with a reported net worth of more than $102 billion. He stepped down as chair of Microsoft's board in 2014 to focus on his philanthropic work through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Jack Dorsey
Mark Zuckerberg
This popular '90s sitcom revolved around a man and his group of wacky friends. Name the show.
"The Big Bang Theory"
"Seinfeld"
"Seinfeld," which starred stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld, ran for nine seasons, from 1989 to 1998. The winner of three Golden Globes and numerous Emmy awards, the show followed the lives of four New Yorkers.
"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"
"Everybody Loves Raymond"
Name the HBO series starring Sarah Jessica Parker that centered around four friends trying to navigate their careers, love life and friendships.
"Gossip Girl"
"Sex and the City"
"Sex and the City" premiered in 1998 and ran for six seasons. It starred Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw, a New Yorker who writes a column about sex and relationships, drawing on experiences she and her friends go through for material.
"Girlfriends"
"Living Single"
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Pager codes were all the rage in the '90s. What did "143" stand for?
"How's it going?"
"Where you at?"
"Free to talk?"
"I love you."
"I love you" was represented as "143" — for the number of letters in each word. Of course, the need for pager codes became obsolete as society switched over to texting on their smartphones.
These mini-stuffed toys were famous in the '90s. What were they called?
Beanie Babies
The Beanie Babies were stuffed animals filled with small plastic pellets or beans. They became popular in the '90s not only as toys, but as collectible items for investors who believed "Beanie Babies" would be worth much more in the future.
Cabbage Patch Kids
Troll dolls
Care Bears
Name the actress who made a name for herself by starring in three Aerosmith music videos before landing another starring role in the movie "Clueless."
Liv Tyler
Keri Russell
Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone first played a seductive teen villain in the 1993 movie "The Crush." That bad-girl image led to her getting cast in a trilogy of Aerosmith videos from 1993-94, followed by her role as Cher, a popular yet superficial and naive high school student, in "Clueless."
Reese Witherspoon
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What was the most popular format used to watch movies at home throughout most of the '90s?
VCD
VHS
VHS, which stands for "Video Home System," was the primary way of recording and watching movies at home throughout the '80s and '90s. Movies recorded on VHS tapes could be played on a VCR, short for videocassette recorder.
LaserDisc
DVR
What was the name of the sitcom that gave the world Steve Urkel?
"Family Ties"
"Family Matters"
Viewers would tune in to "Family Matters" every week from 1989-98 to catch America's favorite geek, Steve Urkel. Played by Jaleel White, the character was supposed to appear as a one-time guest on the show but became a regular due to Urkel's popularity.
"Step By Step"
"Boy Meets World"
Before the iPod, people listened to music using this portable device made by Sony. What was it called?
Sony Discman
The Sony Discman was the company's first portable CD player. The Discman replaced the Walkman, which was used to play cassette tapes. In turn, the Discman was replaced by newer devices, such as Apple's iPod.
Sony VAIO
Sony Creative
Sony VTR
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Name this popular ‘90s sitcom that featured a group of single adults living in New York City as young professionals.
"How I Met Your Mother"
"Friends"
"Friends" was a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1994 to 2004, documenting the lives of six friends. The show became such a smashing success that the six principal actors were able to negotiate a salary of $1 million per episode per actor by the end of the series.
"Reality Bites"
"Singles"
What was the name of this '90s sci-fi film that was actually a sequel to a 1980s film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger?
"RoboCop 2"
"Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones"
"Terminator 2: Judgement Day"
"Terminator 2," or "T2," dominated the Box Office in 1991, ultimately grossing more than $520 million worldwide. Along with Schwarzenegger, the movie starred Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong. Directed by James Cameron, the movie took home four Oscars.
"The Matrix Reloaded"
Name the 1994 movie starring Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke that was about life as a Gen Xer.
"Reality Bites"
"Reality Bites" tells the story of Lelaina, a girl films her 20-something-year-old friends as they grapple with life issues after college. Directed by Ben Stiller, the movie grossed more than $33 million worldwide at the Box Office.
"Empire Records"
"Singles"
"Girl, Interrupted"
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What was the name of the hit series about a group of high school friends that starred actors Luke Perry, Jason Priestley, Shannon Doherty and Jennie Garth?
"One Tree Hill"
"Dawson's Creek"
"Beverly Hills, 90210"
"Beverly Hills, 90210," which aired from 1990 to 2000, followed a group of popular, cool kids at the fictitious West Beverly Hills High School in Southern California. The show dealt with sex, alcohol and drug use, and other social issues of the time.
"Melrose Place"
Rap music became linked to what term during the ‘90s?
Grunge
Hip hop
While the term "hip hop" had already existed by the '70s, it became part of mainstream vernacular in the '90s as a way to refer to a subculture known for its rapping, dancing and fashion style. African Americans living in the South Bronx of New York City are credited with the founding of hip hop.
Metal
Punk
What's the name of the MTV series that launched in the 1990s and helped popularize reality TV?
"The Real World"
MTV's "The Real World" debuted in 1992, documenting the lives of several strangers thrown together as housemates — a precursor to "Big Brother" and other reality shows today. After airing its 32nd season in 2017, the show went on hiatus and returned in 2019 with a reboot on "Facebook Watch."
"The Bachelor"
"Big Brother"
"Keeping Up With the Kardashians"
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These twin girls won the hearts of Hollywood as child actors in the sitcom "Full House." What are their names?
Hilary and Haylie Duff
Tia and Tamera Mowry
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were just 9 months old when they were cast to share the role of "Michelle Tanner" on ABC's "Full House." The Olsen twins have retired from acting and, now in their 30s, are focused on their careers as fashion designers.
Jessica and Ashlee Simpson
What was the Y2K hysteria all about?
Concern over a newly identified disease
A new diet fad
A fear that computer programs would stop working
Y2K referred to the "Year 2000." Many were scared that computer programs all around the world would stop working as the calendar reset to '00 with the dawn of the new millenium. Of course, this did not happen, causing some to then call the Y2K threat a hoax.
Fan reaction to a boy band
Identify the writer/director whose 1994 film, "Pulp Fiction," was a smashing success.
Wes Craven
Spike Lee
Martin Scorsese
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino is one of Hollywood's most successful writers/directors today. After "Pulp Fiction" won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, Tarantino went on to work on several other successful films, including the "Kill Bill" series, "Inglourious Basterds" and "Django Unchained."
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Name the band which, led by frontman Kurt Cobain, helped usher in a new genre of rock music known as grunge.
Hole
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Nirvana
Nirvana helped shape music in the first half of the ‘90s until the untimely death of their lead singer and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. Their No. 1 hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," rocked the alternative music scene in 1991 and brought grunge to a mainstream audience.
Pearl Jam
Who scored the game-winning penalty kick during the 1999 World Cup final and redefined what it meant to be a female athlete when, in the midst of celebrating, she took off her jersey, thus revealing her sports bra?
Mia Hamm
Kristine Lilly
Brandi Chastain
Brandi Chastain's unfiltered reaction after scoring the game-winning goal was an iconic moment not just for loyal followers of women's soccer. The moment was pivotal for what it represented to all young girls about female empowerment in general.
Michelle Akers
What was the Steven Spielberg film that gave life to a popular book about dinosaurs being revived?
"100 Million BC"
"Lord of the Flies"
"Land of the Lost"
"Jurassic Park"
"Jurassic Park" was a 1993 movie about how things went horribly wrong on an island when dinosaurs that were brought back to life using prehistoric DNA roamed free. The movie was a blockbuster hit, taking home three Oscars — for best sound, best sound effects and best visual effects.
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Before he went solo, Justin Timberlake was the lead singer in which boy band?
New Kids on the Block
98 Degrees
Backstreet Boys
*NSYNC
*NSYNC was a five-member band made up of Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick. The band, which formed in Florida, was active from 1995 to 2002.
Name the series of novellas by R.L. Stine that became popular with young readers in the '90s.
"The Baby-Sitters Club"
"Scary Stories"
"Harry Potter"
"Goosebumps"
R.L. Stine is known for writing children's horror stories under the series title "Goosebumps." The original series, written from 1992-97, included 62 books. There have been other spinoff series since.
Who was the actress who popularized a hairstyle in the '90s known as "the Rachel"?
Rachel McAdams
Rachel Bilson
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston played the role of Rachel Green on the sitcom "Friends." Her ultra-layered 'do in the early episodes inspired a wave of women to request the same hairstyle at the salons.
Halle Berry
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What's the name of the Comedy Central-produced animated sitcom intended for adults?
"Robot Chicken"
"Futurama"
"South Central"
"South Park"
"South Park" characters may be depicted as children, but the show deals with issues such as racism, adultery, politics and other social issues of the time. Created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the show first aired in 1997.
Fill in the blank: In 1993, ________, also known as the "King of Pop," performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Prince
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson, the "King of Pop," performed his "Heal the World" single during the 1993 Super Bowl Halftime Show. The song was part of his "Dangerous" album, which he released in 1991.
Billy Joel
Stevie Wonder
What 3D animated film rocked the movie industry during the ‘90s and paved the way for similar animation styles in the world of cinema?
"Beauty and the Beast"
"Toy Story"
"Toy Story," which came out in 1995, was notable as the first computer-animated film that was of feature length. The movie grossed more than $406 million worldwide at the Box Office and made Pixar, the studio that specializes in 3D animation, a household name.
"A Bug's Life"
"The Rugrats Movie"
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Initially released in 1999, this peer-to-peer file sharing online service revolutionized the way we acquire and share music in the digital era. What was this service called?
Orpheus
BBnet
Napster
Napster, launched in 1999, paved the way for the development of file-sharing devices that are common today. Back then, musicians and representatives from the recording industry raised concerns that Napster enabled people to "steal" music for free without properly compensating the artists.
LimeWire
Name the 1999 film, starring Keanu Reeves, about a computer hacker who is confronted with what "reality" means.
"The Fifth Element"
"The Matrix"
The first movie in "The Matrix" trilogy came out in 1999. Directed by the duo then known as the Wachowski Brothers, the sci-fi film took home four Oscars, including for best sound and visual effects and upped the ante of how special effects could be executed in Hollywood.
"Blade Runner"
"Armageddon"
You Got:
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