That Swinging ’60s Quiz

Question: In 1967 tens of thousands “flower children” flooded the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of which city during the “Summer of Love”?

Answer: In January 1967 San Francisco hosted a demonstration called the Human Be-In, where Allen Ginsberg and Timothy Leary spoke to a crowd of 20,000. The city became a counterculture hotspot that attracted an overwhelming influx of people, many of them teenage runaways. By October, many had returned home and a mock funeral service was held for “the death of the hippie.”

Question: In 1967 Radaranges were sold to households across the United States. What is the Radarange better known as today?

Answer: Debuting in the late 1940s, the first Radaranges (so-named because the heating power of microwaves were discovered while working on radar technology) were about six feet tall and were marketed to restaurants and commercial kitchens. By 1967, the Radarange could fit on a kitchen countertop.

Question: What was notable about Bob Dylan’s performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival?

Answer: Bob Dylan was at one time seen by many as the rising star of the folk music scene; however, by 1965 he had begun incorporating electric instruments into his albums. Audience members booed Dylan for “going electric” and were also upset that his first set lasted only 15 minutes.

Question: Attempting to soften his image for the upcoming U.S. presidential election, in 1968 Richard Nixon appeared on Laugh-In and delivered what TV catchphrase?

Answer: Today it isn’t uncommon for politicians to appear on comedy programs such as Saturday Night Live, but in the 1960s it was a rarity. Richard Nixon was first offered one of Laugh-In’s other catchphrases, “You bet your sweet bippy,” but declined because he didn’t know what a “bippy” was.

Question: In 1965, which of these forms of protest was specifically made a federal crime?

Answer: In the early 1960s young men who wanted to protest the Vietnam War or the draft would burn their Selective Service registration certificates, commonly called draft cards. In 1965 it became illegal to destroy a draft card, though many were still burned.

Question: In 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in which city?

Answer: Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the “Big Six” civil rights leaders who had joined forces for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a demonstration that drew a quarter million people to the capital. King was allotted 4 minutes to speak, but his historic speech took 16 minutes. Much of the “dream” portion of the speech was improvised.

Question: In a December 1963 interview, Jackie Kennedy compared the Kennedy administration to which legendary place?

Answer: Noting that her husband was a fan of the musical Camelot, which had debuted in 1960, the former first lady likened her deceased husband’s administration to King Arthur’s court, both lasting “one brief shining moment.” The Kennedy era would be referred to as “Camelot” for decades afterward.

Question: Debuting in 1963, the Easy-Bake Oven allowed children to cook using which as a heating element?

Answer: Designers at Kenner Products were inspired to make the Easy-Bake Oven by pretzel vendors of New York City. The first 500,000 ovens were released in November 1963 and were sold out by December. More than 50 million Easy-Bake Ovens have been sold, though the light bulbs were replaced with traditional heating elements in the early 21st century.

Question: In April 1964 the Beatles had a record five songs in the top five spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Which of these was not among them?

Answer: The Fab Four appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show three times in February 1964, and in April the group landed an unprecedented five songs (in descending order: “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Twist and Shout,” “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and “Please Please Me”) at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a record that stood until 2018.

Question: Inspired by a novel timer at a pub he frequented, Edward Craven Walker invented which of the following in 1963?

Answer: Edward Craven Walker was inspired to create the lava lamp (initially called Astro Lamp) after seeing a clear cocktail shaker filled with oil and water that was used as a timer. Invented in Britain, the lava lamp gained exposure from appearing on the science-fiction television programs Doctor Who and The Prisoner.

Question: In 1967 Muhammad Ali was sentenced to five years in prison for what crime?

Answer: Muhammad Ali was selected for service in the United States armed forces in 1967 but refused, claiming to be a conscientious objector for religious reasons. The draft board rejected his claim, and Ali was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to five years in prison. While awaiting appeals, Ali was free on bail, but his boxing career was derailed. In 1971 the Supreme Court overturned his conviction.

Question: What important role did dairy farmer Max Yasgur’s property play in 1969?

Answer: Because of permit problems, the organizers of the Woodstock music festival had to find a new venue on short notice. Farmer Max Yasgur, though not a member of the counterculture scene, offered the use of his farm in Bethel, New York, 75 miles from the original location. (The festival retained the “Woodstock” name.)

Question: On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin achieved which of these famous firsts?

Answer: The Soviet Union took an early lead in the space race, including putting the first man in space. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev placed an emphasis on quickly achieved missions that would assert the U.S.S.R.’s dominance in space while eschewing long-term goals, such as putting a person on the Moon.

Question: More than doubling the preceding record holder’s budget, which film was the most expensive ever made when it was released in 1963?

Answer: Cleopatra began filming in 1960 with a budget of $5 million, which spiraled up to $44 million by the time it was released in 1963 (equaling approximately $453.8 million in 2024). The film became the highest grossing movie of the year, helped in part by the public’s interest in Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s love affair.

Question: Published in 1962, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring highlighted the dangers of which of the following?

Answer: Often cited as one of the greatest science books of all time, Silent Spring called attention to the dangers of overusing chemical pesticides. The book was instrumental in the banning of DDT in 1972.

Question: During the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove nuclear weapons from Cuba if the United States did what?

Answer: Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev reciprocated the installation of nuclear missiles in Turkey by the United States by planning to install missiles in Cuba. When spy planes photographed missiles already on the island, U.S. President John F. Kennedy ordered a quarantine of Cuba to stop further military shipments, a risky proposition that nearly turned the Cold War hot. Kennedy agreed to remove U.S. missiles from Turkey, but only at a later date so as to not give the appearance of capitulation.