50th Birthday Nostalgia Quiz: 30 Questions About Their Year
Someone turning 50 now was a child in the eighties and a teenager in the nineties. That's the sweet spot to aim at.
Thirty questions below, plus a section on building a personal round about them, which always goes down better than the general one.
Cards drawn and printed by us
Funny, rude and warm greeting cards for every occasion, blank inside, printed in the UK with kraft envelopes. Order on a working day and it usually goes out the same day.
Happy Birthday Papa (Happy Birthday Card) (Multiple designs)
£3.87
Happy Birthday Bab (Happy Birthday Card) (Multiple designs)
£3.87
Yoda Best Multi-Occasion Greeting Card
£3.87
Happy Birthday Handsome (Happy Birthday Card) (Multiple designs)
£3.87
You Old Bastard (Funny Birthday Card)
£3.87
Happy Birthday Card For The World's Best Sister-in-Law
£3.87
Build the personal round first
- What was number one the week they were born? A minute online, and it's the best question of the night.
- What was on the front page of the paper the day they were born?
- What did a pint, a loaf and a house cost that year?
- Which school did they go to, and what was the uniform?
- What was their first record, first car, first job and first holiday without their parents?
- Ask two or three family members for one embarrassing fact each, and turn them into multiple choice.
- Finish with a photograph round - baby photo, school photo, terrible haircut photo, wedding photo. Guess the year for each.
Their childhood: the eighties
- Which children's game show was set in a dungeon?
- Which cartoon mouse worked for the secret service?
- What did you load a ZX Spectrum game from?
- Which BBC soap started in 1985?
- Which charity single topped the chart at Christmas 1984?
- Which toy craze involved a coloured cube?
- Which presenter shared the Broom Cupboard with Gordon the Gopher?
- Which chocolate bar was renamed Snickers in 1990?
- Which two home computers did every playground argue about?
- What did you do with a Walkman?
Their teens: the nineties
- 11. Which two bands fought the 1995 chart battle?
- 12. Which girl group released Wannabe?
- 13. Which Saturday morning show starred Ant, Dec and Cat Deeley?
- 14. Which console launched in the UK in 1995?
- 15. Which digital pet lived on a keyring?
- 16. Which tournament did England host in 1996?
- 17. Which film adapted an Irvine Welsh novel in 1996?
- 18. Which quiz show started in 1998 with a phone a friend?
- 19. Which boy band's 1996 split had a helpline?
- 20. What noise did a dial-up modem make?
Everything else
- 21. What was the National Lottery's first year?
- 22. Who became Prime Minister in 1997?
- 23. Which sheep was cloned in 1996?
- 24. Which channel launched in the UK in 1997?
- 25. Which sitcom was set on Craggy Island?
- 26. Which sweets were called Opal Fruits until 1998?
- 27. Which film was the highest-grossing of the nineties?
- 28. What was the Millennium Bug?
- 29. Which phone was famous for its battery life and the game Snake?
- 30. Which chart show followed SM:TV Live?
Answers
- 1 Knightmare. 2 Danger Mouse. 3 A cassette tape. 4 EastEnders. 5 Do They Know It's Christmas? 6 The Rubik's Cube. 7 Phillip Schofield. 8 Marathon. 9 The ZX Spectrum and the Commodore 64. 10 Played cassettes on the move.
- 11 Blur and Oasis. 12 The Spice Girls. 13 SM:TV Live. 14 The Sony PlayStation. 15 The Tamagotchi. 16 Euro 96. 17 Trainspotting. 18 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? 19 Take That. 20 A handshake tone while it connected.
- 21 1994. 22 Tony Blair. 23 Dolly. 24 Channel 5. 25 Father Ted. 26 Starburst. 27 Titanic. 28 The fear that two-digit year storage would break systems in 2000. 29 The Nokia 3310. 30 CD:UK.
Never miss the 50th birthday again
Pop in the date and we'll email you a reminder two weeks before, with a link to the right cards. No spam, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
How to write it so it lands
- The personal round always beats the general one.
- Twenty minutes maximum at a party.
- Find the number one from the week they were born.
Where to shop next
- 70s quiz questions and answers
- 80s quiz questions and answers
- 90s quiz questions and answers
- 00s quiz questions and answers
- Decade music round questions
- Sweets quiz
- Advert slogan quiz
- Guess the year quiz
- Care home reminiscence quiz
- Printable nostalgia quiz sheets
- 60th birthday nostalgia quiz
- 70th birthday nostalgia quiz
- TV theme tunes quiz
- Adverts we can all still recite
- Nostalgic quiz questions
- How to run a quiz night
- Growing up in the 80s and 90s
- 80s and 90s party ideas
- Milestone birthday cards
- Free feel good tools
- Shop birthday cards
- Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
- Birthday badges & party pins
- How to plan a 50th birthday party
- How to make a balloon arch
- Photo booth prop ideas
- Party bag ideas for adults
- How much helium do you need for balloons?
- Birthday cards for kids
- Wedding cards
- Wedding cards guide
- Pin badges
- All guides
Frequently asked questions
What decade should a 50th birthday quiz cover?
The eighties for their childhood and the nineties for their teens. Someone turning 50 now was born in the mid-seventies, so those are the years they'll shout about.
How long should a birthday party quiz be?
Twenty to thirty questions, twenty minutes maximum. It's one item in an evening, not the evening itself.
What's the best round for a birthday quiz?
The personal one - questions about the birthday person themselves, built from family photos and a couple of embarrassing facts. It beats general knowledge every time.
Do you sell quiz packs?
No - we make greeting cards, prints and pin badges, including milestone birthday cards. The quiz is free.