The 1970s Trivia
12 nostalgia questions about the 1970s, each with four choices and the correct answer explained underneath. Read them here, or play the same set in the trivia room for instant scoring and a printable quiz sheet.
Background
The 1970s brought disco and punk, the first home video machines and a new look for the family car. It was a decade of big hairstyles, bigger collars and television shows that families rarely missed.
These twelve questions cover the music, television, film and everyday objects of the 1970s. Every question shows four choices with the correct answer explained underneath, and the buttons below open the same questions in the trivia room for scoring and printing.
These are the same questions the trivia room loads for the 1970s decade, shown here as a readable list.
Play this set
- In the trivia room, set the era to The 1970s (topic: Everything).
- You can also combine an era and a topic to narrow a round down.
- Rounds are 10 questions at a time, always with four choices.
- You see the right answer and an explanation immediately after each pick.
- After a round, press Print this round for a quiz sheet — questions on page one, answer key on page two.
Questions and answers
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1. Which American President resigned from office in August 1974 over the Watergate scandal?
- ARichard Nixon — correct answer
- BGerald Ford
- CJimmy Carter
- DLyndon B. Johnson
Answer: A — Richard Nixon. Richard Nixon became the first (and only) US President to resign, on August 9, 1974.Did you know… He spoke to the nation on television, and his successor was sworn in the next morning.
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2. Which 1977 blockbuster space film launched the modern movie franchise era?
- AStar Wars — correct answer
- BClose Encounters of the Third Kind
- CSuperman
- DAlien
Answer: A — Star Wars. Star Wars, released in May 1977, became a cultural phenomenon and changed Hollywood forever.Did you know… Audiences queued around the block, and some cinemas ran it for months.
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3. The punk rock movement of the late 1970s was famously associated with which British band?
- AThe Sex Pistols — correct answer
- BABBA
- CQueen
- DFleetwood Mac
Answer: A — The Sex Pistols. The Sex Pistols' 1977 album 'Never Mind the Bollocks' defined the punk explosion.Did you know… The record's sleeve, printed like a newspaper, became as recognisable as the songs.
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4. Which dance craze swept the world in 1977 with the film of the same name starring John Travolta?
- ASaturday Night Fever — correct answer
- BGrease
- CFootloose
- DDirty Dancing
Answer: A — Saturday Night Fever. Saturday Night Fever (1977) turned disco into a global phenomenon with the Bee Gees soundtrack.Did you know… Much of the soundtrack was written to picture in a single burst of work.
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5. In 1973, the Yom Kippur War led to an oil embargo that caused what across the Western world?
- AAn energy crisis and gas lines — correct answer
- BA gold rush
- CA housing boom
- DA stock crash only
Answer: A — An energy crisis and gas lines. The 1973 Arab oil embargo caused fuel shortages and long gas station lines across the US and Europe.Did you know… Some countries closed filling stations at weekends and capped how much one car could buy.
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6. Which home video game system, released by Atari in 1977, brought gaming into living rooms?
- AAtari 2600 — correct answer
- BNintendo Entertainment System
- CMagnavox Odyssey 2
- DColecoVision
Answer: A — Atari 2600. The Atari 2600 (originally Video Computer System) popularized cartridge-based home gaming in 1977.Did you know… Cartridges meant a family could build a library of games one box at a time.
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7. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher made history by becoming the first female Prime Minister of which country?
- AUnited Kingdom — correct answer
- BCanada
- CAustralia
- DIreland
Answer: A — United Kingdom. Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female Prime Minister in May 1979.Did you know… Her arrival at Downing Street was watched live on the evening news.
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8. Which 1970s TV sitcom followed the Cunningham family and greaser Arthur 'Fonzie' Fonzarelli?
- AHappy Days — correct answer
- BLaverne & Shirley
- CMork & Mindy
- DThe Love Boat
Answer: A — Happy Days. Happy Days (1974-1984) made 'the Fonz' and 1950s nostalgia TV staples of the 1970s.Did you know… The show set its 1950s nostalgia in a jukebox-and-diner world the audience already knew.
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9. The miniseries 'Roots' (1977), about Black American history, set what record?
- AMost-watched miniseries in TV history — correct answer
- BFirst color TV show
- CFirst live broadcast
- DFirst 3D program
Answer: A — Most-watched miniseries in TV history. Roots drew over 100 million viewers for its finale, one of the most-watched TV events ever.Did you know… The week-long broadcast emptied streets in some cities and started a national conversation.
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10. Which musical group, formed in Sweden, won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Waterloo'?
- AABBA — correct answer
- BThe Bee Gees
- CBoney M.
- DThe Jackson 5
Answer: A — ABBA. ABBA's Eurovision win with 'Waterloo' in 1974 launched their worldwide career.Did you know… The group had already sung the song in Swedish before the English version won the contest.
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11. The fall of which city's walls in 1975 ended the Vietnam War for the US?
- ASaigon — correct answer
- BHanoi
- CDa Nang
- DPhnom Penh
Answer: A — Saigon. The fall of Saigon in April 1975 marked the end of the Vietnam War.Did you know… Helicopters lifted people from the embassy roof within hours of the city falling.
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12. Which handheld electronic game, released by Mattel in 1977, let fans 'play' its namesake gridiron sport?
- AMattel Football — correct answer
- BSimon
- CSpeak & Spell
- DMerlin
Answer: A — Mattel Football. Mattel's 1977 handheld Football (Missile Attack's gridiron sibling) was one of the first mass-market electronic games.Did you know… Its little red blips and beeps gave many households their first taste of electronic play.
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