Question 1

Which of NASA's Apollo space program missions included a Christmas Eve orbit of the Moon in 1968?

Accepted Answer

The Apollo 8 mission took man closer to the Moon than ever before when the crew orbited the heavenly body ten times on Christmas Eve. The crew - Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders - read from the Book of Genesis, which forever connected the mission to the first passage "In the beginning God..." The mission also facilitated the first man-made photograph of Earthrise.

Question 2

Which two signers of the Declaration of Independence died within hours of each other on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the document's signing?

Accepted Answer

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1826). They were the only signers who went on to become presidents (Washington and Madison did not sign the Declaration). During the Revolution, both men were great friends, but political differences took over when they served together as president and vice president, making them became bitter foes for years. Near the end of their lives, Abigail Adams suggested her husband start writing his old friend again. He did and the former presidents began a correspondence that lasted until their deaths. Adams' legendary last words were, "Thomas Jefferson lives." He was unaware that Jefferson had preceded him in death only a few hours before.

Question 3

Which list of generations is in correct chronological order beginning with the earliest generation?

Accepted Answer

The Lost Generation is the World War I generation born between 1883 and 1900; the Greatest Generation is the World War II generation born between 1901 and 1924; the Silent Generation is the generation that was too young to fight in the war but lived through it, born between 1925 and 1945; Generation X was born after the Baby Boomers, between 1961 and 1981; the Millenials were born between 1982 and the early 1990s.
"The Lost Generation" was a term first used in Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises; he later attributed its origin to Gertrude Stein who referred to the World War I soldier generation as "lost." Hemingway himself belonged to the generation, as did his contemporaries F. Scott Fitzgerald, Cole Porter and T.S. Eliot. "The Greatest Generation" was a term coined by journalist Tom Brokaw to describe the heroic sacrifice made by the people who fought in World War II. They are marked by their steadfast sense of virtue and responsibility. John Kennedy, John Glenn, Henry Kissinger, Walter Cronkite, Julia Child and Thurgood Marshall belonged to this generation. "The Silent Generation" is a term coined by TIME magazine to describe the people who were too young to serve in the war, but old enough to have lived through it, who were increasingly seen as less committed to the heroic service that defined the generation ahead of them. The generation is characterized by the conflict between tradition and changing cultural attitudes. They overwhelmingly possess an innovative and artistic spirit. Martin Luther King Jr., Robert and Edward Kennedy, the Beatles and Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Marvin Gaye, George Carlin, Gloria Steinem and the second and third classes of NASA astronauts (Neil Armstrong and Jim Lovell among them) are part of this generation. Many of the attitudes and members of this generation are misattributed to the Baby Boomers. "Generation X" was a term coined by Robert Capa, a photojournalist with the Magnum agency, to describe the attitudes of the post-Baby Boomers, born between 1961 and 1981. They are also called "Gen-Xers" and the "MTV Generation." They are marked by their coming of age in a time of great upheaval and are often associated with a somewhat reluctant outlook on civic involvement and moderate distrust of authority. Generation X is considered the next coming of the Silent Generation. Jon Stewart, Robert Downey Jr., Michael Jordan, Kurt Cobain, Brad Pitt, Tupac Shakur and Eminem are part of this generation. "Millenials" is a term coined by the Millenial generation itself in opposition to the name first attributed to them: "Generation Y." (They disliked the association with the angst-ridden Generation X.) Sociologists picked up the term as it increased in prevalence. They are characterized by a renewed commitment to family and community, a generally positive but cautious outlook and a desire to better the world. They are tech-savvy, but most are old enough to remember a time before every home had a personal computer, let alone cell phone or iPod. They are considered the next coming of the Greatest Generation.

Question 4

Which American artist is considered the leading figure of the Pop art movement?

Accepted Answer

Andy Warhol is the most well known American contributor to the Pop art movement of the late 1950s to 1970s. His prints featuring Campbell's soup cans remain some of the most well known pieces of American art in any genre. Pop art sought to juxtapose popular imagery in unexpected ways. It embraced advertising imagery and depictions of other pop culture events or works. Many critics derided the style as not being "true art," but works from the period remain popular today.

Question 5

How many years before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education did the United States send Jesse Owens to Hitler's Germany to compete in the Olympic Games?

Accepted Answer

Eighteen years before Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ended "separate but equal" in the United States, the country sent African American track star Jesse Owens to compete in the 1936 Olympics in Germany as Adolf Hitler was rising to international power. The foundation of Hitler's political philosophy was based on his belief in Aryan supremacy - a racially discriminatory view - and he intended the Olympics to be a showcase for his team. Owens won four gold medals, which was expected to anger Hitler. Owens later stated that he was treated more courteously by Hitler than he was by American President Franklin Roosevelt, who failed to contact Owens at all following his four gold medal victories.

Question 6

Which American written work served as political inspiration for Russian author Leo Tolstoy, Indian political leader Mohandas Gandhi and American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.?

Accepted Answer

Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience has served as inspiration to innumerable political and cultural leaders all over the world. In it, the author advocates nonviolent political protest as a necessary form of political speech that should be used to counter unjust acts. Nonviolence was the common theme that united all of the aforementioned individuals.

Question 7

Which government body shares its nickname with a popular R&B group of the 1960s?

Accepted Answer

The members of the U.S. Supreme Court are often referred to by the nickname "the Supremes," which is also the name of an all-girl R&B group that rose to fame in the 1960s. The Supremes were on the Motown label and were fronted by Diana Ross.

Question 8

Daniel Ellsberg is associated with which political event?

Accepted Answer

Daniel Ellsberg was the government employee who acquired copies of the Pentagon Papers and released them to the media. The Pentagon Papers were the government's 1971 internal and classified study on the history of American involvement in Vietnam. The report stated that the Johnson administration systematically lied to the American people and Congress throughout the duration of Johnson's term. After a prolonged, methodical endeavor to photocopy thousands of pages, Ellsberg handed them over to a reporter for The New York Times. The publication proceeded to print the content in excerpts. Ellsberg was eventually caught and tried for accessing and distributing classified material. He was convicted but the verdict was later overturned.

Question 9

Which president campaigned for re-election with the slogan "It's morning in America?"

Accepted Answer

Ronald Reagan aired the memorable "Morning in America" commercial during his re-election campaign in 1984. He urged Americans to consider whether they were better off then than they were when he took office four years earlier. His term began during a time of economic hardship and uncertainty abroad. The slogan's premise was that the recovery from hardship had begun under Reagan.

Question 10

Anita Hill's sexual harassment allegations affected the political future of which of the following people?

Accepted Answer

Anita Hill testified during Clarence Thomas' U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings that the nominee sexually harassed her numerous times when they worked together. While the graphic testimony was a blow to Thomas' public image, the Senate ultimately confirmed him anyway.

Question 11

Which of the following people was never suspected to be Deep Throat?

Accepted Answer

Spiro Agnew was never considered a candidate for Deep Throat's true identity. Bob Woodward of The Washington Post wrote the numerous articles that pieced together the Watergate story, which ultimately led to the downfall of many members of the Nixon White House, including the president himself. Woodward was able to report on the events thanks to the help of a government employee who Woodward only identified by the pseudonym "Deep Throat" in his articles. Following Richard Nixon's resignation, the identity of Deep Throat became the greatest political mystery of the 20th century. For 30 years people debated possible candidates, Diane Sawyer, Henry Kissinger and Pat Buchanan (who were all on Nixon's staff) among them. In 2005, Deep Throat was revealed to be Mark Felt, the second-highest ranking member of the FBI at the time of the Watergate scandal.

Question 12

Which president's political platform called for a "Great Society?"

Accepted Answer

Lyndon Johnson pursued a "Great Society" with an agenda that was largely focused on social improvements such as civil rights and elevating people out of poverty. While he made significant strides in those areas, his presidency was ultimately dominated by the Vietnam conflict, which he failed to navigate well.

Question 13

Feminist icon Gloria Steinem founded which publication?

Accepted Answer

Gloria Steinem founded Ms. magazine in 1971 with five co-founding editors. It began as an insert in New York magazine. Ms. was quite popular throughout the 1970s and remains in publication today.

Question 14

Whose presidency offered Americans a "New Deal?"

Accepted Answer

Franklin D. Roosevelt campaigned during the Great Depression on his "New Deal" for America, which was designed to reverse the ill effects of the Depression. His election and the implementation of New Deal policies led to the creation of numerous government agencies focused on economic recovery, modernization, public works, and education.

Question 15

Which president characterized his domestic agenda as a "Square Deal?"

Accepted Answer

Theodore Roosevelt characterized his domestic agenda as a "Square Deal all around" for every American. Ironically, the "Square Deal" was based on only three principles: conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection.

Question 16

Oliver North was a figure in which political scandal?

Accepted Answer

Oliver North was a member of the National Security Council during the Reagan presidency and played an integral role in the Iran-Contra affair, which began with the United States' sale of weapons to Iran. North was eventually tried for his role in the scheme and found guilty on three counts, but the verdicts were later vacated.

Question 17

Upton Sinclair's The Jungle was an unflinching portrayal of:

Accepted Answer

Upton Sinclair's The Jungle detailed the internal operations of the meatpacking industry and used it as a foil to discuss a larger theme of unregulated business and the exploitation of immigrants. It is the story of Lithuanian emigrants who are conned and cheated into losing everything they have, including their hope, as they try to achieve the American dream. However, details throughout the book about the unregulated meatpacking industry drew far more attention than the personal plight of the immigrants, and it is the facet of the book for which people remember it today.

Question 18

When did the Gilded Age occur?

Accepted Answer

The Gilded Age occurred during the 1870s and 1880s and the name refers to the meteoric rise of America's economy, which became the strongest in the world during this time. Industrialists like Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan, accrued vast wealth, creating an American aristocracy that could rival European courts in wealth and social power.

Question 19

Which of the following films did not become an iconic American classic due in part to annual network television broadcasts that many viewers adopted as yearly traditions?

Accepted Answer

Since its 1942 release, Casablanca has never aired on network television on a regular, annual schedule. The Wizard of Oz and It's a Wonderful Life were largely forgotten when they started airing once a year, but eventually, their annual broadcasts became yearly events for families across the country.

Question 20

Which motion picture featured a haunted main character whose final line in the movie is, "Rosebud?"

Accepted Answer

Citizen Kane, written and directed by Orson Welles, who also starred in the film, ends on the tremulous final word of Welles' character Charles Foster Kane: "Rosebud." The film was released in 1941 and has been hailed by the American Film Institute and numerous critics' circles as the greatest motion picture ever made.

Quiz 25: Us Society