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About This Quiz
Whatever generation you belong to, we're sure you're very familiar and acquainted with the so-called Baby Boomers. Either these "boomers" are your parents, grandparents, or even you! No matter what your relationship with this generational segment may be, care to test your knowledge of what a typical baby boomer ought to know? Then take this quiz!
The term "Baby Boomer" -- as well as this generational segmentation -- is said to have been used in the '90s, but some point to different sources that date back to the '70s. In essence, a baby boomer is someone born after World War II, a time when surviving soldiers returned home to their wives and, well, made love, not war. And of course, you know what happened next!
Social scientists and experts noticed a significant increase in the birth rate during those post-war years. It's not such a surprise, actually, since many lives had been lost during the way, and humankind perhaps had this uncanny inner instinct to procreate and propagate the species. Wouldn't Darwin be proud! Thus, this "baby boom" during the early to mid-'40s are the years identified as the start of the boomer generation while the early to mid-'60s are considered the last of the boomer years.
Now, growing up and maturing into the world, we're sure that each Baby Boomer could identify and pick out nostalgic trivia, historical info, and pop culture references that boomers grew up with. Curious? Even if you're not a boomer, let's see if you pass as one by answering some choice questions in this quiz!
Which spacecraft landed on the moon in 1969?
Pegasus 2
Star Gazer 4
Apollo 11
People around the world were glued to their televisions in 1969 when the Apollo 11 spacecraft landed on the moon and Neil Armstrong took a couple of small steps.
Which director scared viewers out of the water when he released "Jaws" in 1975?
Steven Spielberg
If you were afraid to even set foot on the beach in 1975, thank Steven Spielberg. His classic film, "Jaws," made him a movie legend, but spelled bad news for beach towns filled with people afraid to go in the water.
Woody Allen
Mel Brooks
What was the name of Lucy's husband on "I Love Lucy"?
Ricky
Real-life couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz played husband and wife Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on the very successful sitcom "I Love Lucy," which ran from 1951 to 1957.
Bobby
Wally
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On which show did The Beatles make their first American appearance?
"The Tonight Show"
"The Merv Griffin Show"
"The Ed Sullivan Show"
"The Ed Sullivan Show" featured hundreds of famous musicians during its run from 1948 to 1971, but perhaps no one drew more attention than The Beatles, who made their American debut on the show in 1964.
Which '70s TV show starred Carroll O'Connor as Archie Bunker?
"Leave it to Beaver"
"All in the Family"
"All in the Family" was a trailblazing show that ran from 1971 to 1979. Thanks to the big mouth and strong opinions of main character Archie Bunker, the series opened up discussions about powerful issues, from racism to rape.
"Bewitched"
Which TV series from the 1950s famously asked for "Just the facts, m'am?"
"Dragnet"
Viewers eagerly tuned in to solve the case with Sgt. Joe Friday on "Dragnet," who kept things simple by requesting just the facts as he worked to close the case. Interestingly, Friday never uttered the exact phrase, "Just the facts, ma'am," but rather something along the lines of, "All we want are the facts, ma'am." The stereotypical quote came from Stan Freberg's parody of the show.
"Perry Mason"
"Peter Gunn"
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Which 1969 film starred Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper as a pair of biker outlaws?
"The Wild Bunch"
"Easy Rider"
Fonda and Hopper not only wrote "Easy Rider," but also starred in the film, which embraced counter-culture in a way that was oh-so-'60s.
"True Grit"
Which long-running TV series starred James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon?
"Gunsmoke"
James Arness played stoic Marshal Matt Dillon on "Gunsmoke" for a whopping 20 seasons, from 1955 to 1975. The show started on radio back in 1952, and ran until 1961, introducing many Boomers to the series before it made the transition to TV.
"Rawhide"
"Have Gun Will Travel"
Thurgood Marshall became the first African-American to join which prestigious group in 1967?
Supreme Court
Baby Boomers famously rejected many of the moral and social standards of previous generations. Nowhere was this change felt more dramatically than in the fight for equal rights, which made a significant step forward in 1967 when Thurgood Marshall became the first African-American Supreme Court justice. Marshall was famous for his earlier work on a landmark case -- Brown v. Board of Education -- which helped eliminate segregation in public schools.
U.S. Senate
FBI
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Which of these tragic assassinations did Baby Boomers experience first?
Robert Kennedy
Martin Luther King Jr.
John F. Kennedy
The 1960s were a time of dramatic social and cultural change, and a trio of famous assassinations represent some of the more dramatic moments in the history of the decade. The bad news began with the shocking death of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963. His brother Robert was killed in a California hotel on June 5, 1968 -- just two months after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968.
Which 1967 film starred Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft?
"Cool Hand Luke"
"The Taming of the Shrew"
"The Graduate"
"The Graduate" remains one of the most celebrated films of the Baby Boomer generation, and features a young Dustin Hoffman being seduced by the much older Mrs. Robinson, played by Anne Bancroft.
Which of these subjects was the focus of "Kramer vs. Kramer"?
addiction
suicide
divorce
Baby Boomers saw a surge in divorce not experienced by earlier generations. It was only fitting that the 1979 film "Kramer vs. Kramer" focused on a divorce between its two main characters, played by Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep.
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Who was elected president in 1972 -- the first year that teens were allowed to vote?
Dwight Eisenhower
Bill Clinton
Richard Nixon
The 26th Amendment dropped the voting age to 18 just in time for the 1972 presidential election. Richard Nixon was reelected in the very first presidential race where teens were permitted to cast a ballot.
Speaking of Nixon, what was the Watergate scandal named for?
hotel
When Republican spies infiltrated the Watergate Hotel during the 1972 election campaign to nab documents from the Democratic National Headquarters, President Nixon himself was implicated in the scandal. He resigned his position two years later, but was pardoned for his "crimes" by Gerald Ford.
person
building
What state was home to Woodstock in 1969?
California
New York
A music festival for the ages took place on a farm in Woodstock, New York, in August of 1969. More than 30 acts, including Santana, The Who and Jimi Hendrix took the stage.
Texas
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In what year did "Saturday Night Live" debut?
1965
1975
"SNL" hit the airwaves when the youngest Baby Boomers were in their mid-teens, in 1975. The first season of the legendary show featured such big names as John Belushi, Chevy Chase and Gilda Radnor.
1985
Which of these events did NOT take place in 1961?
"Sesame Street" premiere
As the oldest members of the Baby Boomer generation turned 18 in 1961, JFK launched the Bay of Pigs Invasion -- which failed -- and also established the Peace Corps. It wasn't until 1969 that children everywhere started tuning in to "Sesame Street."
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Peace Corps established
What was the national drinking age in 1961, when the first Baby Boomers turned 18?
16
18
21
Sadly, those first Baby Boomers had to wait a little longer to imbibe once they reached their 18th birthdays. From the time Prohibition was repealed in 1933 until the early 1970s, the drinking age in most of the U.S. was 21. Many states lowered it to 18 in the early '70s, then quickly raised it back up to 21 by 1988 to meet federal requirements.
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What year did Lyndon Johnson sign the Civil Rights Act into law?
1954
1964
President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law in 1964. This Act prohibited discrimination in the U.S. based on race, religion, color, national origin or sex. The next year, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 helped to solidify voting rights for African Americans.
1974
Before September 11, 2001, which event did Boomers cite as the most memorable of their lifetimes?
Vietnam war
JFK assassination
Research by the Pew Research Institute reveals that September 11th is the most memorable event for people in the U.S., from Baby Boomers to Millennials. If you exclude this infamous attack, however, most Boomers cite the JFK assassination as the most memorable event in their lifetime, followed by the moon landing and the Vietnam war.
moon landing
Which band released the iconic album "Pet Sounds" in 1966?
The Rolling Stones
The Beach Boys
The Beatles got all the attention in 1967 with their release of the very psychedelic "Sgt. Pepper," but the Beach Boys introduced a whole new concept in music with their 1966 classic, "Pet Sounds." Though not an immediate hit, it is now routinely ranked among the most influential albums of all time.
The Beatles
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Which soap opera featured hot couple Allison and Rodney, played by Mia Farrow and Ryan O'Neal?
"The Edge of Night"
"Peyton Place"
Allison and Rodney were the hot couple on "Peyton Place." The soap ran from 1964 to 1969 and kept Baby Boomers tuning in to take in the latest drama.
"As the World Turns"
What year did the Berlin Wall finally come down?
1969
1979
1989
The Cold War finally came to an end in 1989 when the Berlin Wall -- which split East and West Germany starting in 1961 -- came down.
What would an 18-year-old earning minimum wage earn per hour in 1961?
$0.10
$1.15
The first Baby Boomers turned 18 in 1961, when the minimum wage was just $1.15. By the time the final Boomers turned 18 in 1978, minimum wage had more than doubled, to $2.65.
$3.75
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In what year did the Selective Service hold its first draft since 1942?
1969
To gather troops for the conflict in Vietnam, the Secret Service instituted a draft lottery in December 1969. Unlucky winners born between 1944 and 1950 were sent overseas -- and many fled to Canada to avoid entering the military.
1975
1979
What was Stephen King's first book to be published?
"Carrie"
Born in 1947, Stephen King was a Baby Boomer who became one of the most prolific writers of his generation. His first book, "Carrie," earned him a $2,500 advance when it was picked up by Doubleday in 1973. He had initially thrown a draft of the novel in the trash out of frustration, but his wife salvaged the work and encouraged him to complete it.
"The Shining"
"The Stand"
Which of these films was set during the Vietnam War?
"Being There"
"The Warriors"
"Apocalypse Now"
Based on the Joseph Conrad novel "Heart of Darkness," the 1979 film "Apocalypse Now" was set during the Vietnam war and starred Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando and Robert Duvall.
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How many kids were in the Brady family on "The Brady Bunch"?
4
6
One of the feel-good shows of the Boomer generation was "The Brady Bunch." The Sherwood Schwartz comedy ran from 1969 to 1974, focusing on the adventures of Mike and Carol Brady and their six children -- Greg, Peter, Bobby, Marcia, Jan and Cindy.
8
What kind of animal friend did Porter Ricks and his family have on a 1960s TV show?
monkey
dolphin
Porter Ricks ran a Florida marine park, where he and his sons Sandy and Bud cared for a dolphin named Flipper on the '60s TV series of the same name.
lion
Which state is home to Kent State University?
Ohio
The anti-war and civil rights protests of the '60s included perhaps their most dramatic moment at Kent State University in 1970. On May 4, 1970, National Guard members opened fire on a group of students at the Ohio school, killing four and wounding nine others as they protested the war in Vietnam.
New York
Washington
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You Got:
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