150 General Knowledge Trivia Questions with Answers

A good quiz night needs questions that everyone has a chance at, plus a few that make the whole room argue. Below are 150 general knowledge trivia questions with answers, split into rounds by topic and difficulty. Read them out loud, or play a trivia game online where the fastest correct answer claims regions on a world map.

How to run a quiz night

• Teams of 2 to 5 work best. Everyone gets a say, and nobody has to carry the team alone.
• Ten questions per round. Read each question twice, then give teams 30 seconds.
• Swap answer sheets between teams for marking. It's faster and more fun.
• Keep a tiebreaker ready. A question with a number answer works best: the closest guess wins.

Easy round: everyday knowledge

1. How many days are there in a leap year? 366
2. What is the largest planet in our solar system? Jupiter
3. How many continents are there? Seven
4. What color do you get by mixing blue and yellow? Green
5. How many legs does a spider have? Eight
6. What is the freezing point of water in degrees Celsius? 0 °C
7. Which animal is known as the "King of the Jungle"? The lion
8. How many hours are in a day? 24
9. What is the largest ocean on Earth? The Pacific Ocean
10. Which planet is known as the Red Planet? Mars
11. What do bees make? Honey
12. How many sides does a hexagon have? Six
13. What is the capital of France? Paris
14. Which fruit is traditionally used to make guacamole? Avocado
15. What gas do plants absorb from the air? Carbon dioxide
16. How many players are on a soccer team on the field? 11
17. What is the tallest animal in the world? The giraffe
18. Which month has the fewest days? February
19. In which country are the pyramids of Giza? Egypt
20. What is the main language spoken in Brazil? Portuguese

Science and nature

21. What is the chemical symbol for gold? Au
22. What is the hardest natural substance? Diamond
23. How many bones are in the adult human body? 206
24. What is the closest star to Earth? The Sun
25. Which organ pumps blood through the body? The heart
26. What is H2O better known as? Water
27. Which planet has the most famous rings? Saturn
28. What is the largest organ of the human body? The skin
29. What force keeps us on the ground? Gravity
30. Which blood type is known as the universal donor? O negative
31. What is the boiling point of water at sea level in degrees Fahrenheit? 212 °F
32. Which is the smallest planet in our solar system? Mercury
33. How many hearts does an octopus have? Three
34. What is the fastest land animal? The cheetah
35. What part of the plant conducts photosynthesis? The leaf
36. Which element do we need to breathe to survive? Oxygen
37. What is the largest mammal in the world? The blue whale
38. How long does light from the Sun take to reach Earth, roughly? About 8 minutes
39. Which scientist proposed the theory of relativity? Albert Einstein
40. What do caterpillars turn into? Butterflies or moths

History

41. In which year did World War II end? 1945
42. Who was the first person to walk on the Moon? Neil Armstrong
43. Which ancient civilization built Machu Picchu? The Inca
44. In which year did the Titanic sink? 1912
45. Who painted the Mona Lisa? Leonardo da Vinci
46. Which wall fell in 1989? The Berlin Wall
47. Who was the first President of the United States? George Washington
48. Which Roman leader was assassinated on the Ides of March in 44 BC? Julius Caesar
49. In which country did the Olympic Games originate? Greece
50. Who was the first person in space? Yuri Gagarin
51. Which queen ruled the United Kingdom for 70 years? Elizabeth II
52. In which year did Christopher Columbus first reach the Americas? 1492
53. What was the name of the ship the Pilgrims sailed to America on in 1620? The Mayflower
54. Which city was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79? Pompeii
55. Who invented the telephone, according to the first patent? Alexander Graham Bell
56. Which country gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States? France
57. What was the name of the first artificial satellite? Sputnik 1
58. Who wrote the "I Have a Dream" speech? Martin Luther King Jr.
59. What is the nickname of the great bell in the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster in London? Big Ben
60. In which century did the French Revolution begin? The 18th century (1789)

Geography

61. What is the longest river in Africa? The Nile
62. Which country has the largest population in the world? India
63. What is the capital of Japan? Tokyo
64. What is the largest desert in the world, including polar deserts? Antarctica
65. Which country is home to the kangaroo? Australia
66. What is the highest mountain in the world? Mount Everest
67. What is the smallest country in the world? Vatican City
68. Which country has the most islands? Sweden
69. What is the capital of Canada? Ottawa
70. Which river flows through London? The Thames
71. On which continent is the Sahara Desert? Africa
72. What is the largest country by area? Russia
73. Which US state is the largest by area? Alaska
74. What is the capital of Australia? Canberra
75. Which two countries share the longest international border? Canada and the United States
76. Venice is famous for its canals. In which country is it? Italy
77. What is the deepest ocean trench on Earth? The Mariana Trench
78. Which country is shaped like a boot? Italy
79. What is the largest lake in Africa? Lake Victoria
80. In which city is the Golden Gate Bridge? San Francisco

Food and drink

81. Which country is the origin of sushi? Japan
82. What is the main ingredient in hummus? Chickpeas
83. Which nut is used to make marzipan? Almond
84. What type of pasta is shaped like little bow ties? Farfalle
85. Which country does kimchi come from? Korea
86. What spice gives paella its yellow color? Saffron
87. What is the main ingredient of a traditional Greek tzatziki? Yogurt
88. Which fruit has its seeds on the outside? The strawberry
89. After water, what is the most consumed drink in the world? Tea
90. In which country did pizza margherita originate? Italy
91. What is tofu made from? Soybeans
92. Which vegetable is used to make sauerkraut? Cabbage
93. What kind of food is Camembert? Cheese
94. Which drink is made from fermented grapes? Wine
95. What is the name of the Japanese spicy green paste served with sushi? Wasabi

Pop culture, movies and music

96. Which wizard school does Harry Potter attend? Hogwarts
97. What is the name of the toy cowboy in Toy Story? Woody
98. Which band sang "Bohemian Rhapsody"? Queen
99. What is the highest-grossing film of all time, not adjusted for inflation? Avatar (2009)
100. Which superhero is also known as the "Man of Steel"? Superman
101. Which fictional detective lived at 221B Baker Street? Sherlock Holmes
102. What is the name of the kingdom in Frozen? Arendelle
103. Who is known as the "King of Pop"? Michael Jackson
104. Which animated series features a family living in Springfield? The Simpsons
105. In which TV series would you find the Iron Throne? Game of Thrones
106. Which video game character is a plumber in red? Mario
107. Which streaming series features the Upside Down? Stranger Things
108. Who wrote the Harry Potter books? J. K. Rowling
109. What color is the Pink Panther? Pink
110. In The Lion King, what is the name of Simba's father? Mufasa

Sports

111. How many players are on a basketball team on the court? Five
112. In which sport would you perform a slam dunk? Basketball
113. How often are the Summer Olympic Games held? Every four years
114. What is a perfect score in ten-pin bowling? 300
115. In tennis, what is a score of zero called? Love
116. Which country has won the most FIFA World Cups? Brazil (five)
117. How long is a marathon in kilometers, roughly? 42.2 km
118. In which sport is the Stanley Cup awarded? Ice hockey
119. How many rings are on the Olympic flag? Five
120. Which sport uses a shuttlecock? Badminton

Hard round

121. What is the only letter that doesn't appear in any US state name? Q
122. How many time zones does France have, including overseas territories? 12
123. What is the rarest blood type? AB negative (among the common ABO and Rh types)
124. What is the chemical symbol for sodium? Na
125. Which planet rotates on its side? Uranus
126. Which language has the most native speakers in the world? Mandarin Chinese
127. How many keys does a standard piano have? 88
128. Which artist cut off part of his own ear? Vincent van Gogh
129. What is the capital of New Zealand? Wellington
130. Which element has the atomic number 1? Hydrogen
131. What year did the first iPhone go on sale? 2007
132. Which ocean lies between Africa and Australia? The Indian Ocean
133. Who discovered penicillin? Alexander Fleming
134. What is the longest bone in the human body? The femur
135. Which planet has the shortest day in our solar system? Jupiter (about 10 hours)
136. What is the largest moon of Saturn? Titan
137. How many strings does a standard violin have? Four
138. What was the original name of the city of New York? New Amsterdam
139. What is the only mammal capable of true flight? The bat
140. In which city is the Topkapi Palace? Istanbul

Tiebreakers (closest number wins)

141. How tall is the Eiffel Tower, including its antennas, in meters? About 330 m
142. In what year was the Eiffel Tower completed? 1889
143. How many countries are members of the United Nations? 193
144. How deep is the Mariana Trench at its deepest point, in meters? About 11,000 m
145. How many kilometers long is the Great Wall of China, including all branches? About 21,000 km
146. In what year did the Berlin Wall fall? 1989
147. How many bones does a newborn baby have, roughly? About 300
148. How high is Mount Everest, in meters? 8,849 m
149. How many keys are on a standard computer keyboard (US layout)? 104
150. How many minutes long is a standard football (soccer) match, without stoppage time? 90

Play it as an online game

Reading questions works, but a game is more fun when everyone answers at once. In World Domination, a free trivia game online, everyone gets the same question on their own phone: the fastest correct answer claims regions on a world map, and you challenge your neighbors for theirs. 2 to 5 players, and you can add bots.

More questions: countries and capitals quiz.

Play World Domination →