John F. Kennedy is one of the most interesting figures in all of American and world history. As a young and popular American president gunned down while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, John F. Kennedy's life and presidency has been one of the most fondly remembered of all time. Despite his short presidency, JFK ranks highly in polls measuring Americans' attitudes towards former U.S. presidents. He also lived through some of the most tumultuous times in history and played a key role in many important events.
The political climate at the time of JFK's presidency was fairly intense. The Cold War was ongoing, the space race was a big deal, U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War escalated, not to mention the ongoing fight for civil rights in the country. JFK was president of the United States while all of that was going on. Take this general trivia quiz to see how much you know about the world during that era.
Enjoy Quizly? Upgrade to Premium for an ad-free experience and exclusive features.
Get PremiumPlay More Quizzes
I'll Be Impressed If You Score 11 on This General Knowledge Quiz feat. JFK Questions
John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States. Who was the 34th president?
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Harry S. Truman
Richard Nixon
Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Cold War was ongoing during JFK's presidency from 1961–1963. Who was the leader of the Soviet Union during that time?
Leonid Brezhnev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Nikita Khrushchev
Georgy Malenkov
During what war was John F. Kennedy awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal?
Vietnam War
The Great War
World War II
Korean War
Who was the Republican candidate that John F. Kennedy beat out to win the 1960 presidential election?
Barry Goldwater
Thomas E. Dewey
Richard Nixon
Dwight Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy is considered to be the first _____ US president.
Irish
Harvard-educated
Catholic
Clean shaven
What was the name of JFK's failed 1961 attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro in Cuba?
Operation Eagle Claw
Operation Freedom
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Cuban Missile Crisis
In 1961, the year JFK became president, what major achievement did the Soviet Union become the first in the world to accomplish?
Invented the polio vaccine
Landed a rover on the moon
Won a gold medal in hockey
Sent a person to space
What popular film would win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1964 months after JFK was assassinated?
Tom Jones
Cleopatra
My Fair Lady
The Sound of Music
How old was Lee Harvey Oswald when he assassinated John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963?
24
39
32
27
After being convicted of Lee Harvey Oswald's murder, the appellate court granted Jack Ruby a new trial. Why did the second trial never take place?
Jack Ruby pled guilty
A plea agreement was reached
Everyone just forgot all about it!
Jack Ruby died
Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested at the Texas Theater where he was hiding in a movie theater. What movie was playing at the time?
War is Hell
Cleopatra
From Russia With Love
The Birds
John F. Kennedy was the youngest US president to win an election at 43 years of age. Which US president was actually the youngest to hold office at the age of 42?
Grover Cleveland
Theodore Roosevelt
Ulysses S. Grant
Franklin Pierce
The month before his death, JFK signed the "Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty" which banned the testing of all nuclear weapons except if it took place where?
In space
Underwater
Underground
In the desert
JFK was the US president during the Cuban Missile Crisis. How long did this crisis last?
27 days
6 days
19 days
13 days
Who became president of the United States following JFK's assassination in 1963?
Gerald Ford
Lyndon B. Johnson
Jimmy Carter
Richard Nixon
One Comment
As a non american i got 6 out of 15!