1980s Quiz: Trivia, Pop Culture And History Questions
Home computers, Live Aid, the miners' strike and shoulder pads.
Below are 13 1980s questions with the answers underneath each one, sorted into pop culture, history and news, and art and design.
Every fact is real and dateable. Print it, read it out, or play the same questions against the clock in our decade trivia game.
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Shop greetings cards Play the decade quiz: test your memory Play the decade trivia game: score points against the clock Decade art finder: search artists and styles by era
Cards, prints and pin badges, drawn and printed by us
Funny cards, milestone birthday cards and art prints, printed in the UK. Order on a working day and it usually goes out the same day.
Yoda Best Multi-Occasion Greeting Card
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Happy Birthday Card For The World's Best Sister-in-Law
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Happy Birthday Card For The World's Best Step Dad
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Ciao, Bitch (Italian-themed Goodbye & Good Luck Card)
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Happy Birthday Card For The World's Best Step Mum
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Happy Birthday Card For The World's Best Father-in-Law
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Years covered in the 1980s
- 1980 - The decade opened with the SAS on live television and John Lennon's death in December. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1980
- 1981 - A royal wedding, riots in several cities and the first London Marathon. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1981
- 1982 - The Falklands, the launch of Channel 4 and the arrival of the Spectrum. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1982
- 1983 - Breakfast television, the pound coin and a general election landslide. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1983
- 1984 - The miners' strike, the Brighton bombing and Band Aid at Christmas. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1984
- 1985 - Live Aid, the first EastEnders and a very bad year in football. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1985
- 1986 - The Hand of God, Chernobyl and Neighbours arriving on daytime television. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1986
- 1987 - The great storm, Black Monday and a third election win. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1987
- 1988 - Acid house, Kylie's first number one and a grim run of disasters. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1988
- 1989 - Hillsborough, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the decade. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1989
- That is every 1980s year we have written up so far: 1980 to 1989.
1980s pop culture round
- Which soap opera began on BBC1 in 1985? Answer: EastEnders. First episode in February 1985.
1980s history and news round
- Live Aid was held in which year? Answer: 1985. Wembley and Philadelphia, 13 July 1985.
- Channel 4 launched in which year? Answer: 1982. Countdown was the first programme shown.
- Which home computer, launched in 1982, had a rubber keyboard? Answer: ZX Spectrum. Games loaded from cassette, slowly and often unsuccessfully.
- The miners' strike ran across which years? Answer: 1984-85. It lasted almost a year.
- The Great Storm that hit southern England was in which year? Answer: 1987. Michael Fish's forecast is remembered as much as the storm.
- Prince Charles married Diana Spencer in which year? Answer: 1981. St Paul's Cathedral, watched by a global audience.
- The first London Marathon was run in which year? Answer: 1981. Around 7,000 runners finished the first one.
- The Falklands conflict took place in which year? Answer: 1982. It lasted ten weeks in the spring of 1982.
- The Berlin Wall came down in which year? Answer: 1989. November 1989, live on television.
1980s art and design round
- The Turner Prize was first awarded in which year? Answer: 1984. Malcolm Morley was the first winner.
- Which New York artist went from graffiti tagged SAMO to international galleries in the eighties? Answer: Jean-Michel Basquiat. He was showing internationally before he was twenty-five.
- Keith Haring's best-known work started out where? Answer: On New York subway advertising panels. Chalk drawings on the blank black panels between adverts.
How to run it
- Read the question and hold back the answer - the note after it makes a good follow-up fact.
- Ten questions is one round; split the pop culture and history sections for two shorter rounds.
- For a birthday party, use the decade the guest of honour was born in and finish on their birth year page.
- In a care home session, stop wherever the conversation starts rather than finishing the list.
Found your words? Now find the card
Shop greetings cards Play the decade quiz: test your memory Play the decade trivia game: score points against the clock Decade art finder: search artists and styles by era
How to write it so it lands
- Mix two decades in one round if the room spans a wide age range.
- The notes under each answer are the bits people actually enjoy - read them out.
- Pair the quiz with that decade's party playlist for a themed night.
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Where to shop next
- Play the decade quiz: test your memory
- Play the decade trivia game: score points against the clock
- Decade art finder: search artists and styles by era
- Guess the year quiz
- Care home reminiscence quiz
- All decade quizzes in one place
- 1980s trivia: fun facts
- Look back to 1980
- Look back to 1981
- Look back to 1982
- Look back to 1983
- Look back to 1984
- Look back to 1985
- Look back to 1986
- Look back to 1987
- Look back to 1988
- Look back to 1989
- 1980s history: events, politics and culture
- 1980s calendar: year by year
- 1980s timeline: key dates and events
- 1980s music: songs, genres and trends
- 1980s films and directors
- 1980s books, films and TV
- 1980s books: novels and authors
- 1980s art: artists and styles
- 1980s fashion: styles, designers and trends
- 1980s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
- 1980s travel: destinations and holidays
- 1980s technology: gadgets and computers
- 1980s shopping guide: what to buy
- 1980s games: board, card and video
- 1980s party playlist
- The 1980s: the whole decade
- Retro gift guide: the 1980s
- The decade before: the 1970s
- The decade after: the 1990s
- All decade guides in one place
- Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
- Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
- Decade history by era
- Decade calendars: every year from 1920
- Decade timelines: key dates and events by era
- Decade music: songs, genres and trends
- Decade films: best movies and directors
- Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
- Decade art: artists, styles and trends
- Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
- Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
- Decade travel: destinations and holidays
- Decade technology: gadgets and computers
- Decade shopping guides
- Decade games: board, card and video games by era
- Decade trivia: fun facts by era
- Shop art prints and posters
- Shop greetings cards
- Shop birthday cards
- Shop funny cards
- Milestone birthday cards
- Nostalgia gift shop
- Retro party supplies
- Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
- How to make a balloon arch
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- Wedding cards guide
- All guides
Frequently asked questions
What are some good 1980s quiz questions?
Live Aid was held in which year? The answer is 1985. There are 13 more above, with answers, across pop culture, history and art.
How many questions are in the 1980s quiz?
13, split into a pop culture round, a history and news round and an art and design round.
Can I use these for a quiz night or care home session?
Yes, freely. Print them, read them out, copy them - no permission needed.
Is there a version I can play online?
Yes. The decade quiz gives instant feedback and a score, and the decade trivia game is timed with points for speed and streaks. Both use these same questions.