167+ Best 1980s Trivia Questions & Answers

Question: Who was the first female justice appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1981?

Answer: Sandra Day O'Connor

Question: What popular music video channel launched in 1981, changing the way people consume music?

Answer: MTV

Question: Who was the first American woman to travel to space in 1983?

Answer: Sally Ride

Question: Which famous space shuttle exploded shortly after launch in 1986?

Answer: Challenger

Question: What iconic portable music player was introduced by Sony in 1980?

Answer: Sony Walkman

Question: Which blockbuster film franchise began with the release of "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980?

Answer: Star Wars

Question: Who became the President of the United States in 1981?

Answer: Ronald Reagan

Question: What popular arcade game featuring a yellow character was released in 1980?

Answer: Pac-Man

Question: What was the name of the computer virus that infected many Apple II computers in 1982?

Answer: Elk Cloner

Question: What was the name of the controversial tax cut policy introduced by Ronald Reagan in the 1980s?

Answer: Reaganomics

Question: Who won the Super Bowl in 1985, famously known as the "Super Bowl Shuffle" year?

Answer: Chicago Bears

Question: Which popular toy line featuring small collectible figures was introduced in 1982?

Answer: Cabbage Pail Kids

Question: Who released the hit song "Like a Virgin" in 1984?

Answer: Madonna

Question: What band sang the popular song "Sweet Child o' Mine" in 1987?

Answer: Guns N' Roses

Question: Which artist had a hit with "Billie Jean" in 1983?

Answer: Michael Jackson

Question: Who sang the iconic power ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in 1983?

Answer: Bonnie Tyler

Question: What band released the album "Appetite for Destruction" in 1987?

Answer: Guns N' Roses

Question: Who had a hit with the song "Livin' on a Prayer" in 1986?

Answer: Bon Jovi

Question: What song became a global sensation for Rick Astley in 1987?

Answer: "Never Gonna Give You Up"

Question: Who sang the rock anthem "Pour Some Sugar on Me" in 1987?

Answer: Def Leppard

Question: What band released the album "Back in Black" in 1980?

Answer: AC/DC

Question: Who had a hit with the song "Material Girl" in 1985?

Answer: Madonna

Question: Which British band released the album "Synchronicity" in 1983?

Answer: The Police

Question: Who played the character Marty McFly in the film "Back to the Future" released in 1985?

Answer: Michael J. Fox

Question: What was the name of the artificial intelligence in the film "WarGames" released in 1983?

Answer: Joshua

Question: Which actor portrayed Indiana Jones in the "Indiana Jones" film series in the 1980s?

Answer: Harrison Ford

Question: Who directed the film "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" released in 1982?

Answer: Steven Spielberg

Question: What was the highest-grossing film of the 1980s?

Answer: "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982)

Question: Who played the character Jack Torrance in the film adaptation of Stephen King's "The Shining" (1980)?

Answer: Jack Nicholson

Question: Which actor starred as John McClane in the 1988 action film "Die Hard"?

Answer: Bruce Willis

Question: Who played the character Sarah Connor in the film "The Terminator" released in 1984?

Answer: Linda Hamilton

Question: What was the name of the fictional character in the film "Ghostbusters" (1984)?

Answer: Peter Venkman

Question: Who directed the film "Top Gun" released in 1986?

Answer: Tony Scott

Question: Which film won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1982?

Answer: "Gandhi"

Question: Who starred as the character Axel Foley in the film "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984)?

Answer: Eddie Murphy

Question: What long-running sitcom debuted in 1989, featuring a group of friends living in New York City?

Answer: Friends

Question: Which animated TV series premiered in 1989, following the adventures of a yellow dysfunctional family?

Answer: The Simpsons

Question: What was the name of the popular soap opera that aired from 1981 to 1989, set in the fictional town of Pine Valley?

Answer: All My Children

Question: Who played the character Tony Micelli in the TV series "Who's the Boss?"

Answer: Tony Danza

Question: Which science fiction series aired from 1987 to 1994, featuring a crew exploring the final frontier?

Answer: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Question: What was the name of the robot in the TV series "Small Wonder"?

Answer: Vicki

Question: Who played the character Angela Bower in the TV series "Who's the Boss?"

Answer: Judith Light

Question: Which medical drama series aired from 1982 to 1988, featuring the staff of St. Eligius Hospital?

Answer: St. Elsewhere

Question: What was the name of the character played by Bill Cosby in the TV series "The Cosby Show"?

Answer: Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable

Question: Who starred as the character Alex P. Keaton in the TV series "Family Ties"?

Answer: Michael J. Fox

Question: Which crime drama series featured a detective duo named Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs?

Answer: Miami Vice