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About This Quiz
Think you know all about Baby Boomers? Prove it!
"Baby Boomers" is the name given to the generation that was born at the end of World War II. As soldiers came home from the war, they settled down with their best gals, bought houses and started families. Baby boomers are those born between 1946 and 1964 (although some sources list the first Boomer year as 1943). Currently, Baby Boomers are rivaled in number by millennials, with both generations boasting current numbers of at least 70 million.
Not to be left out, other nations cataloged their own Baby Boom. Australia, Canada, Europe and Asia recorded births in record numbers. This generation experienced benefits that previous generations didn't.
Baby Boomers were the richest, healthiest and highest educated generation to date. More Boomers graduated high school than previous generations, and many went to college on the G.I. Bill. G.I. benefits also enabled boomers to realize the American dream of home ownership in record numbers. And rising incomes enabled them to experience what some describe as the first economic excess as a generation.
How much do you remember about that time? And do you know enough to earn the title of a baby boomer? Take this quiz to find out!
Baby Boomers remember phones that were _______?
Attached to a wall
Baby Boomers remember phones that were attached to a wall. There was usually only one household phone.
Digital
There were no phones
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Baby Boomers remember being ______ by parents.
Coddled
Befriended
Disciplined
Baby Boomers remember being disciplined by their parents. Today, the trend is for a parent to befriend their child.
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At 1 a.m. or so, you'd see what on TV?
Music videos
"The Star-Spangled Banner"
At 1 a.m. or so, when television programming was done for the day, the national anthem was aired. Not sure how many people were awake to see that!
24/7 news
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Baby Boomers remember getting milk from ________?
A vending machine
A convenience store
A milk man
Baby Boomers remember getting their milk from a milk man. It was delivered on the doorstep in glass bottles.
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Baby Boomers remember watching movies where?
At home
On a device
At the drive-in
Baby Boomers remember the drive-in! You could walk to the snack bar, and there was usually necking in the back seat.
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Baby Boomers recall the assassination of which president?
Lincoln
JFK
Baby Boomers know all about the assassination of JFK. (There was no assassination of LBJ.)
LBJ
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Which of these was a popular bicycle accessory?
Strawberry seat
Pineapple seat
Banana seat
Banana seats were named for their long, round shape. They were quite comfy, but they went out of style when mountain bikes and stunt bikes came on the scene.
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Baby Boomers know all about life without _______?
Calculators
Computers
Both
Baby Boomers know all about life without calculators and computers. People can't even fathom this today.
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Baby Boomers remember school ______ when they were little.
Closures
Atomic bomb drills
The oldest Baby Boomers remember school drills. Sometimes they were for tornadoes (which still happen today), but sometimes they were for nuclear attack.
Anti-smoking courses
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Typing was done how?
On a typewriter
Baby Boomers recall typing on a typewriter! It was considerably more difficult than a computer.
On a printing press
There was no typing yet
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Which of these was a popular '50s TV figure?
Marge Simpson
Sponge Bob
Howdy Doody
"The Howdy Doody Show" was watched by many Baby Boomers. He was a beloved puppet, and the series aired until 1960.
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It was popular to wear which of these?
Jack Sparrow pirate hat
Davy Crockett hat
Davy Crockett was another popular TV figure. Davy Crockett coonskin caps with tails were not uncommon.
Cravat
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It was coolest to watch _______ TV.
Live
Live television was a huge treat for Baby Boomers. Everyone was watching "The Ed Sullivan Show."
Pre-recorded
Vintage
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Baby Boomers drank water from where?
From glass bottles
From plastic bottles
From the faucet
Baby Boomers remember drinking water from a faucet. It would have seemed silly to pay for it.
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TV remotes were once _____ ?
The size of a pancake
Attached to the TV
TV remotes were once attached to the TV via a cord. Some Baby Boomers remember no remote at all.
Colorful
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Baby Boomers remember their parents instructing them to eat _____ ?
Whatever they pleased
Whatever was organic
Whatever was in front of them
"Eat what's in front of you, or don't eat at all." Baby Boomers heard this constantly.
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Baby Boomers could speak to _______ ?
The operator
Baby Boomers remember being able to speak to the operator on the phone. The operator would help direct their call.
Anyone, anytime, anywhere
The answering machine
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You found phone numbers where?
Online
In a filing system
In a phone book
Baby Boomers would find numbers in a phone book! There was often a large phone book delivered to homes and available in phone booths.
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Baby Boomers recall which of these?
Phones with water microphones
Telegraph
Rotary phones
Baby Boomers still remember the old rotary phones. It took considerably longer to dial.
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Girls would be advised to wear ____ to school.
Pants
Sneakers
Skirts
Some female Baby Boomers recall not being able to wear pants to school! It was often expected that a girl should wear a skirt or dress.
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The refrigerator was called the ______?
Ice box
The fridge used to be known as the ice box. The old ice box (which held large blocks of ice) looked very different from the modern fridge.
Larder
Frigidaire
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Coffee was made using what?
Keurig
Espresso machine
Percolator
Baby Boomers still know how to use a percolator. The percolator could brew coffee on the stove.
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There used to be no _____ on TV.
Smoking
Swearing
There was a time when there was no swearing on TV. Everything had to be really clean. This is no longer the case!
Women
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Baby Boomers recall phone numbers that begin with what?
The number 1
Two digits
Letters
Phone numbers used to start with letters, which were abbreviations for words. Think "BUtterfield 8." The word indicated where someone was located.
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Baby Boomers would watch _____ launches.
Catapult
Rocket
Baby Boomers recall watching rocket launches. Programs included Mercury, Gemini and Apollo.
Space station
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Women would do what before going shopping?
Dress up
Women would still dress up to go shopping. They'd wear skirts, heels and nylons.
Dress down
Wear exercise outfits
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Customer service was _______ ?
Worse
Non-existent
Better
Baby Boomers actually claim that customer service used to be better. These days, customer service is hit or miss.
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They remember the ________ machine.
FedEx copy
Mimeograph
Only Baby Boomers remember the mimeograph machine. It was used as a duplication machine that employed ink and stencils.
Laser fax
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How did nurses dress?
In scrubs
In blue
In white
Baby Boomers recall when nurses could only wear white dresses and shoes. They also had to wear white stockings.
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Baby Boomers recall listening to music on what device?
Victrola
MP3 player
Transistor radio
Transistor radios could either be plugged in or powered by batteries. Some were AM/FM, while others only received AM signals.
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There were once _______ days to get gas.
Unlimited
Odd and even
There were once odd and even days, matching the last digit on a person's license plate, restricting their ability to get gasoline. This was during the OPEC oil embargo.
Discount
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There were a lot of what kind of stamps?
Disney
Floral
Green
S&H Green Stamps were reward stamps that could be exchanged for desirable items like home goods, kitchen wares and other merchandise. They were popular in the '30s through the '80s.
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How much of the disposable income in the U.S. do Boomers have?
70%
As of 2016, Baby Boomers have 70% of the disposable income in the country. Maybe that means they know how to value a dollar!
50%
20%
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As of 2016, about how many Boomers are there in America?
7.49 million
749 million
74 million
As of 2016, there were about 74 million Boomers in America. Millennials were at 71 million.
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For Baby Boomers, color TV was _______?
Common
Unheard of
A luxury
For Baby Boomers, color TV was a luxury. They would often go to a lucky neighbor's house to watch it.
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You Got:
/35
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