Category: Brain Teasers

Trivia: “Salem’s Lot” was a 1975 release from which author?

Kurt Vonnegut
Stephen King
Toni Morrison
Gore Vidal

The correct answer is Stephen King

So why is this answer correct? : Preceded only by the book “Carrie,” “Salem’s Lot” was just the second novel by horror author Stephen King. He conceived of the idea while teaching “Dracula” to a high school English class, and thus the concept of vampires appearing in modern-day New England was born. The book was adapted into a miniseries in 1979 and a movie version is making its way to theaters in 2023.

Trivia: Who rose to leader of the U.K.’s Conservative Party in 1975?

Margaret Thatcher
Theresa May
Barbara Castle
Elizabeth Windsor

The correct answer is Margaret Thatcher

So why is this answer correct? : After the opposing Labour Party assumed power in 1974, Margaret Thatcher replaced Edward Heath as leader of the Conservative Party in February of the following year, becoming the first woman to lead the party. Thatcher would go on to become the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom on May 4, 1979, a position she would hold until 1990.

Trivia: What was 1975’s longest-running Billboard No. 1 hit?

Shining Star
Love Will Keep Us Together
Lady Marmalade
Fame

The correct answer is Love Will Keep Us Together

So why is this answer correct? : Captain & Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together” topped the Billboard charts from June 21 to July 18, 1975, marking the year’s longest run of any song at No. 1. “Shining Star” by Earth, Wind & Fire, “Lady Marmalade” by Labelle, and “Fame” by David Bowie were also No. 1 hits in 1975, but didn’t top the chart for as long.

Trivia: The arrest of which kidnapped heiress sparked headlines in 1975?

Barbara Hutton
Doris Duke
Patty Hearst
Gloria Vanderbilt

The correct answer is Patty Hearst

So why is this answer correct? : More than a year after disappearing from her Berkley, California home, Patty Hearst, the granddaughter of legendary media tycoon William Randolph Hearst, was arrested in San Francisco. Hearst claimed that her captors, members of the radical Symbionese Liberation Army, had brainwashed her into joining them in several deadly robberies. Hearst’s prison sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter in 1979.

Trivia: Which cult-classic film was released in August 1975?

This Is Spinal Tap
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Eraserhead
The Warriors

The correct answer is The Rocky Horror Picture Show

So why is this answer correct? : Though it was a successful musical play in London and Los Angeles, “Rocky Horror” was a box office flop upon its release. It’s since become a fan favorite, thanks in large part to decades of participatory midnight viewings in movie theaters around the world. Devoted fans thrill to the film’s campy setting and kitschy songs, sung by stars such as Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Barry Bostwick.

Trivia: Which U.S. President survived two separate assassination attempts in 1975?

Gerald Ford
Ronald Reagan
Richard Nixon
Jimmy Carter

The correct answer is Gerald Ford

So why is this answer correct? : On September 5, 1975, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of cult leader Charles Manson, tried to shoot President Gerald Ford during a visit to the Capitol building in Sacramento, California. Just 17 days later, another attempt on Ford’s life was made in San Francisco by Sara Jane Moore, who managed one shot before she was apprehended. Ford was unharmed in both incidents.

Trivia: Bruce Springsteen released which landmark album in 1975?

Born in the U.S.A.
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Born to Run

The correct answer is Born to Run

So why is this answer correct? : After sales of his first two studio albums proved lackluster, Bruce Springsteen needed a hit, and “Born to Run” became his breakthrough album. The title track was his first Top 40 hit, and two weeks after the album’s October 11 release, 26-year-old Springsteen was on the cover of both “TIME” and “Newsweek” magazines, heralding the arrival of a fresh new voice on the rock music scene.

Trivia: In 1975 Muhammad Ali beat Joe Frazier in which famed boxing bout?

Fight of the Century
Thrilla in Manila
Brawl in Montreal
Rumble in the Jungle

The correct answer is Thrilla in Manila

So why is this answer correct? : The Thrilla in Manila was the third and final heavyweight championship match between Ali and Frazier (they’d split the first two). Considered one of the greatest fights of all time, it was held on October 1, 1975, in the Philippine capital, and watched by a global audience estimated in the hundreds of millions. The brutal bout lasted 14 rounds before Ali was declared the winner by technical knockout.

Trivia: The 1975 disappearance of which Teamsters Union leader remains unsolved?

George Meany
Walter Reuther
Cesar Chavez
Jimmy Hoffa

The correct answer is Jimmy Hoffa

So why is this answer correct? : Jimmy Hoffa became president of the powerful International Brotherhood of Teamsters in 1957. Allegations of corruption followed, and Hoffa was imprisoned on jury tampering, fraud, and conspiracy charges in 1967, but his conviction was commuted by President Richard Nixon in 1971. Hoffa made powerful enemies, and his mysterious disappearance in 1975 led to decades of conspiracy theories surrounding his fate.

Trivia: Who hosted the October 11, 1975, premiere of “Saturday Night Live”?

Richard Pryor
David Brenner
George Carlin
Steve Martin

The correct answer is George Carlin

So why is this answer correct? : The brainchild of Canadian producer Lorne Michaels, “Saturday Night Live” marked the start of a new era of edgy, topical humor on television — exemplified by its first host, comedian George Carlin. SNL was an instant smash, and its original cast, which included John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, and Chevy Chase, became the first of dozens of comedic stars that got their start on the show.