Q 01/05

Which singer, born in Pennsylvania in December 1989, named her 2014 pop album after her birth year?

A) Katy Perry

B) Ariana Grande

C) Taylor Swift

D) Miley Cyrus

Answer · why

C) Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift called the album 1989 to mark a symbolic rebirth as she left country music for pop. It won her the Grammy for Album of the Year.

Q 02/05

Which handheld console reached North America in July 1989 bundled with the puzzle hit Tetris?

A) Game Boy

B) Game Gear

C) Atari Lynx

D) TurboExpress

Answer · why

A) Game Boy

Game Boy buyers found Tetris in the box, which drew in adults who had never owned a console. The grey handheld and its Color successor sold more than ...

Q 03/05

Which animated family moved from shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show to a Fox series of its own in December 1989?

A) The Flintstones

B) The Simpsons

C) The Jetsons

D) The Griffins

Answer · why

B) The Simpsons

The Simpsons opened with a Christmas special in which Homer bets on a greyhound that finishes last. It became America's longest-running scripted prime...

Q 04/05

In which city did a spokesman's muddled press conference on 9 November 1989 send crowds through border crossings?

A) Prague

B) Warsaw

C) Sofia

D) Berlin

Answer · why

D) Berlin

Berlin filled with East Germans after Günter Schabowski, asked when new travel rules began, guessed that they applied at once. A checkpoint commander ...

Q 05/05

Which US state's coastline was blackened when the tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef in March 1989?

A) Alaska

B) California

C) Texas

D) Louisiana

Answer · why

A) Alaska

Alaska saw more than 10 million gallons of crude pour into Prince William Sound after the ship hit Bligh Reef. Congress answered with the Oil Pollutio...