80s Trivia: Nostalgic Questions & Facts from the Iconic Decade!

This is a list of the ultimate 80s trivia game. Rediscover the 80s pop culture and challenge your knowledge with our captivating 80s quiz.

Welcome to the fascinating world of 80s trivia, where nostalgia and memories collide! The 1980s were a whirlwind of unforgettable 80s pop culture moments, and our 80s trivia questions and answers will take you on a trip down memory lane.

Are you ready to test your expertise on what was popular in the 80s? Our 80s trivia game, packed with 80s trivia facts, is perfect for challenging yourself and your friends.

Grab your Walkmans and boomboxes, and let's dive into this epic 80s quiz!

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The Best US History Trivia Questions That You'll Love

1. What new invention made its debut in the United States in 1980?

a) Rubik's Cube

b) Hoola-Hoop

c) Bongo Board

d) Walkman

Correct answer: a) Rubik's Cube

2. In which sport did the "Miracle on Ice" take place?

a) Figure skating

b) Ice hockey

c) Curling

d) Skiing

Correct answer: b) Ice hockey

3. Which country had the most nuclear weapons at the beginning of the 1980s?

a) Soviet Union

b) United States of America

c) France

d) United Kingdom

Correct answer: b) United States of America

4. Who won the 1980 NBA Rookie of the Year Award?

a) Magic Johnson

b) Julius "Dr. J" Erving

c) Larry Bird

d) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Correct answer: c) Larry Bird

5. Which female model is associated with the controversial 1980s Calvin Klein advertisements?

a) Cindy Crawford

b) Brooke Shields

c) Christie Brinkley

d) Kate Moss

Correct answer: b) Brooke Shields

6. Which planet did NASA's Voyager 1 probe pass in 1980?

a) Saturn

b) Venus

c) Uranus

d) Jupiter

Correct answer: a) Saturn

7. Which comedian set himself on fire in 1980?

a) Eddie Murphy

b) Bill Cosby

c) Richard Pryor

d) George Carlin

Correct answer: c) Richard Pryor

8. Which television network began operation in 1980?

a) CNN

b) FOX

c) MTV

d) ESPN

Correct answer: a) CNN

9. Which serial killer was sentenced to death in 1980?

a) The Zodiac Killer

b) John Wayne Gacy

c) Ted Bundy

d) Jeffrey Dahmer

Correct answer: b) John Wayne Gacy

10. Which country banned Pink Floyd's song "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" in 1980?

a) China

b) Soviet Union

c) South Africa

d) Iran

Correct answer: c) South Africa

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11. Which celebrity was John W. Hinckley Jr.'s obsession?

a) Brooke Shields

b) Jodie Foster

c) John Lennon

d) Marilyn Monroe

Correct answer: b) Jodie Foster

12. Which boxer retired in 1981?

a) Mike Tyson

b) Sugar Ray Leonard

c) Muhammad Ali

d) George Foreman

Correct answer: c) Muhammad Ali

13. Who did President Reagan fire in 1981?

a) Secretary of State

b) Air Traffic Controllers

c) Lead Secret Service Agent

d) National Security Advisor

Correct answer: b) Air Traffic Controllers

14. Which primetime soap opera debuted in 1981?

a) Dallas

b) Dynasty

c) Falcon Crest

d) Knots Landing

Correct answer: b) Dynasty

15. Which computer company released a personal computer in 1981?

a) Apple

b) Microsoft

c) IBM

d) Commodore

Correct answer: c) IBM

16. What was the biggest merger in the 1980s?

a) Du Pont and Conoco

b) Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and RJR Nabisco

c) IBM and Microsoft

d) Exxon and Mobil

Correct answer: b) Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and RJR Nabisco

17. Which musician is credited with reinventing the music video in the 1980s?

a) Madonna

b) Michael Jackson

c) The Rolling Stones

d) Prince

Correct answer: b) Michael Jackson

18. Which celebrity died of AIDS in 1981?

a) Rock Hudson

b) Freddie Mercury

c) Liberace

d) Anthony Perkins

Correct answer: a) Rock Hudson

19. Which radio personality made their debut in 1981?

a) Rush Limbaugh

b) Howard Stern

c) Don Imus

d) Larry King

Correct answer: b) Howard Stern

20. Which site was the center of a September 1981 demonstration that resulted in more than 1,000 arrests?

a) U.S. Capitol

b) University of Alabama

c) Diablo Canyon Nuclear Reactor

d) Wall Street

Correct answer: c) Diablo Canyon Nuclear Reactor

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21. Which mega-hit album did Michael Jackson release on November 30, 1982?

a) Thriller

b) Off the Wall

c) Bad

d) Dangerous

Correct answer: a) Thriller

22. Which fitness guru was considered the queen of the exercise video during the 1980s?

a) Richard Simmons

b) Raquel Welch

c) Jane Fonda

d) Kathy Smith

Correct answer: c) Jane Fonda

23. Which musical artist(s) is best known for making rap popular before 1980?

a) Sugar Hill Gang

b) Grandmaster Flash

c) Run-D.M.C.

d) LL Cool J

Correct answer: a) Sugar Hill Gang

24. Who won the most NBA titles in the 1980s?

a) Boston Celtics

b) Philadelphia 76ers

c) Los Angeles Lakers

d) Detroit Pistons

Correct answer: c) Los Angeles Lakers

25. Which over-the-counter medication was the target of deadly cyanide tampering in 1982?

a) Tylenol

b) Advil

c) Excedrin

d) Aleve

Correct answer: a) Tylenol

26. Which nighttime talk show host made their debut in 1982?

a) Jay Leno

b) David Letterman

c) Ted Koppel

d) Johnny Carson

Correct answer: b) David Letterman

27. Which country experienced a deadly volcano eruption in March 1982?

a) Argentina

b) Mexico

c) The United States

d) Philippines

Correct answer: b) Mexico

28. Which territory did Argentina invade in 1982?

a) Falkland Islands

b) Virgin Islands

c) Grenada

d) Gibraltar

Correct answer: a) Falkland Islands

29. Which publication debuted in 1982?

a) Modern Electronics

b) USA Today

c) Cosmopolitan

d) Wired

Correct answer: b) USA Today

30. Which cable channel debuted in 1982?

a) VH1

b) Weather Channel

c) Fox News

d) ESPN

Correct answer: b) Weather Channel

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31. Which NHL team achieved four consecutive Stanley Cup Championships in the 80s?

a) Edmonton Oilers

b) New York Islanders

c) Montreal Canadiens

d) Detroit Red Wings

Correct answer: b) New York Islanders

32. Which magazine was sued by Jerry Falwell?

a) USA Today

b) Hustler

c) Penthouse

d) Playboy

Correct answer: b) Hustler

33. Which toy became a sensation during the Christmas season of 1983?

a) Cabbage Patch Kids

b) Teddy Ruxpin

c) Rubik's Cube

d) Transformers

Correct answer: a) Cabbage Patch Kids

34. What vehicle was introduced by Lee Iacocca in 1983?

a) DeLorean

b) Minivan

c) Thrust2

d) Ford Mustang

Correct answer: b) Minivan

35. Which show premiered on HBO in 1983?

a) Fraggle Rock

b) 1st & 10

c) The Kids in the Hall

d) Tales from the Crypt

Correct answer: a) Fraggle Rock

36. Who was behind the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut?

a) Hezbollah

b) Christian Phalangist

c) Egyptian Islamic Jihad

d) PLO

Correct answer: a) Hezbollah

37. Which hurricane struck Texas in August 1983?

a) Hurricane Barry

b) Hurricane Alicia

c) Hurricane Chantal

d) Hurricane Gloria

Correct answer: b) Hurricane Alicia

38. In the vicinity of which airport did the 1983 Brink's-MAT robbery take place?

a) Heathrow

b) O'Hare

c) Dubai International Airport

d) JFK

Correct answer: a) Heathrow

39. What led to the 1983 Miss America winner losing her crown?

a) Driving under the influence

b) Release of nude photographs

c) Involvement in a conspiracy

d) Fraud

Correct answer: b) Release of nude photographs

40. When Margaret Thatcher won the UK election for Prime Minister in 1983, which term was it for her?

a) First

b) Second

c) Third

d) Fourth

Correct answer: b) Second

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41. Which golfer received the most PGA Player of the Year awards during the 1980s?

a) Jack Nicklaus

b) Arnold Palmer

c) Tom Watson

d) Greg Norman

Correct answer: c) Tom Watson

42. Who authored the bestselling novel Presumed Innocent?

a) Tom Clancy

b) Scott Turow

c) James Michener

d) John Grisham

Correct answer: b) Scott Turow

43. Which individual was a prominent architect in the 1980s?

a) Michael Graves

b) Julian Schnabel

c) Keith Haring

d) I.M. Pei

Correct answer: a) Michael Graves

44. What historic feat did the astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger accomplish in February 1984?

a) Quickest orbit of Earth

b) Untethered spacewalk

c) Germinating vegetable seeds

d) First female spacewalk

Correct answer: b) Untethered spacewalk

45. In which country was the beauty-queen killer born?

a) Canada

b) United States of America

c) Australia

d) United Kingdom

Correct answer: c) Australia

46. Which airline had its inaugural flight in 1984?

a) Braniff International Airways

b) Virgin Atlantic

c) Trans World Airlines (TWA)

d) Air France

Correct answer: b) Virgin Atlantic

47. Who was the intended target of the IRA during the 1984 Grand Brighton Hotel bombing?

a) Margaret Thatcher

b) Prince Charles

c) Lady Diana

d) Winston Churchill

Correct answer: a) Margaret Thatcher

48. Which species of animal was involved in Baby Fae's heart transplant?

a) Pig

b) Baboon

c) Dolphin

d) Chimpanzee

Correct answer: b) Baboon

49. Which nation hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics?

a) Soviet Union

b) Canada

c) Yugoslavia

d) Norway

Correct answer: c) Yugoslavia

50. What song was recorded in 1984 to help address the famine in Ethiopia?

a) "We are the World"

b) "Do They Know It's Christmas"

c) "That's What Friends are For"

d) "Heal the World"

Correct answer: b) "Do They Know It's Christmas"

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51. Who paid a $600 million fine to the U.S. government for insider trading, the largest fine ever imposed on an individual?

a) Dennis Levine

b) Ivan Boesky

c) Michael Milken

d) Raj Rajaratnam

Correct answer: c) Michael Milken

52. Which movie featuring Jennifer Beals sparked a fashion trend of sweatshirts and tights?

a) Flashdance

b) Desperately Seeking Susan

c) E.T.

d) Footloose

Correct answer: a) Flashdance

53. Which baseball player achieved the highest single-season batting average in the 1980s?

a) Wade Boggs

b) Tony Gwynn

c) George Brett

d) Rod Carew

Correct answer: c) George Brett

54. Where was the wreckage of the Titanic found in 1985?

a) Off the coast of Newfoundland

b) Near the Bermuda Triangle

c) Off the coast of Iceland

d) Off the coast of Nova Scotia

Correct answer: a) Off the coast of Newfoundland

55. Which musician organized Farm Aid?

a) Willie Nelson

b) Hank Williams, Jr.

c) George Jones

d) Neil Young

Correct answer: a) Willie Nelson

56. Which comic strip debuted in 1985?

a) "Dilbert"

b) "Garfield"

c) "Calvin and Hobbes"

d) "The Far Side"

Correct answer: c) "Calvin and Hobbes"

57. In which city did the first Unabomber murder take place?

a) Boise

b) Sacramento

c) Lincoln

d) Salt Lake City

Correct answer: b) Sacramento

58. Which professional tennis player became the youngest male to win the Wimbledon championship in the 1980s?

a) John McEnroe

b) Bjorn Borg

c) Boris Becker

d) Pete Sampras

Correct answer: c) Boris Becker

59. Where did the largest natural disaster occur in 1985?

a) Mexico

b) Colombia

c) Egypt

d) Japan

Correct answer: b) Colombia

60. Which organization worked to combat famine in 1985?

a) Greenpeace

b) Live Aid

c) Farm Aid

d) World Food Programme

Correct answer: b) Live Aid

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61. What was the profession of the civilian onboard the Space Shuttle Challenger when it disintegrated?

a) American Airlines Pilot

b) Social studies teacher

c) Zoologist at the San Diego Zoo

d) Engineer

Correct answer: b) Social studies teacher

62. Who posed the most significant challenge to Greg LeMond at the 1989 Tour de France?

a) Gianni Bugno

b) Steven Rooks

c) Laurent Fignon

d) Pedro Delgado

Correct answer: c) Laurent Fignon

63. Who became the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in history in 1986?

a) Sugar Ray Leonard

b) Mike Tyson

c) Cus D'Amato

d) Evander Holyfield

Correct answer: b) Mike Tyson

64. Which slasher movie franchise had the most sequels with seven in the 1980s?

a) Friday the 13th

b) Halloween

c) A Nightmare on Elm Street

d) Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Correct answer: a) Friday the 13th

65. Which TV show received over 100 Emmy nominations, the most in the decade?

a) Cheers

b) Roseanne

c) The Simpsons

d) Hill Street Blues

Correct answer: a) Cheers

66. Which play or musical was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1987?

a) Dreamgirls

b) Fences

c) Les Miserables

d) Into the Woods

Correct answer: b) Fences

67. Who set a world record by piloting a powerboat across the Atlantic?

a) Richard Branson

b) John McCarthy

c) Dick Rutan

d) Don Aronow

Correct answer: a) Richard Branson

68. Which artist won the 1986 Grammy for Album of the Year?

a) Lionel Richie

b) Michael Jackson

c) Phil Collins

d) Whitney Houston

Correct answer: c) Phil Collins

69. Which gas caused the deaths at Lake Nyos in Cameroon?

a) Carbon dioxide

b) Carbon monoxide

c) Sarin gas

d) Methane

Correct answer: a) Carbon dioxide

70. What was the name of the flight that was hijacked in Karachi in 1986?

a) Pan Am Flight 73

b) EgyptAir Flight 648

c) Pan Am Flight 103

d) TWA Flight 847

Correct answer: a) Pan Am Flight 73

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