General Trivia

50 general knowledge questions and answers for Americans


Q1: St. Patrick’s Day celebrates what cultural heritage?

A: Irish 


Q2: What makes up 50-70 percent of a whale’s weight?

A: Blubber


Q3: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first two men in the entire world to do what? 

A: Walk on the moon


Q4: The first Thanksgiving was celebrated by Native Americans and what other group of people?

A: Pilgrims


Q5: In U.S. currency, a quarter equals 25 pennies. In time measurements, how many minutes are in a quarter of an hour?

A: 15


Q6: Who was George H. W. Bush’s Vice President?

A: Dan Quayle 


Q7: What type of feather, beginning with letter Q, did people write with during the Middle Ages? 

A: Quill


Q8: How many nouns are in the following sentence? “The rabbit ran into the cafeteria and ate a big salad.”

A: Three


Q9: Which Soviet dictator’s 1953 death set off a major struggle for national control?

A: Josef Stalin 


Q10: What unit of measurement is abbreviated “oz”? 

A: Ounces


Q11: What American, chocolate-flavored, chewy candy has been around for over 100 years?

A: Tootsie Roll


Q12: With which fellow painter did Salvador Dali become friends while in Paris?

A: Pablo Picasso


Q13: What makes up most of the dust particles found inside a house?

A: Dead skin


Q14: From which country did Mexico gain its independence in the 19th century?

A: Spain


Q15: Which of the following is a member of the woodwind family: violin, saxophone, OR trumpet?

A: Saxophone


Q16: If Marcos is measuring a table with a ruler, which of the following will he not be able to measure: table’s length, the table’s height, or the table’s weight?

A: The table’s weight


Q17: In the Old Testament of the Bible, on what day did God rest from His work?

A: Seventh 


Q18: What is the splitting of atomic nuclei called?

A: Nuclear Fission


Q19: Who invented the light bulb in 1879

A: Thomas Edison 


Q20: The University of Haiti is located in what capital city?

A: Port Au Prince


Q21: What cookie company makes “Chips Ahoy!” cookies?

A: Nabisco


Q22: The ancient Egyptian writing system was called what? 

A: Hieroglyphics


Q23: Which language is the most widely spoken in South America? 

A: Spanish


Q24: What nation does the island of Okinawa belong to?

A: Japan


Q25: What organ does a deer lack that nearly all other mammals have?

A: Gallbladder


Q26: What are the three branches of the United States government?

A: Legislative, judicial, and executive


Q27: Raul Castro is currently serving as the First Secretary of what Cuban political party?

A: The Communist Party of Cuba


Q28: Which war was fought between the north and south regions in the United States?

A: The Civil War


Q29: What chemical found in plants uses photosynthesis to turn sunlight into energy?

A: Chlorophyll 


Q30: Italy, Japan, and Germany’s alliance was called what during WWII?  

A: The Axis of Evil


Q31: To what British politician was Princess Diana directly related?

A: Winston Churchill


Q32: Which continent is the least populated?

A: Antarctica


Q33: What does the zygote form once it starts mitosis?

A: An embryo


Q34: What city was the first to be attacked by an atomic bomb? 

A: Hiroshima 


Q35: Chartreuse is a color between what one primary color and what one secondary color?

A: Yellow and green


Q36: Life-size terracotta warriors of the Qin Dynasty were discovered in what country?

A: China 


Q37: What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?

A: The Bill of Rights


Q38: What is the largest animal in the world?

A: Blue whale


Q39: What color is Sesame Street’s Elmo?

A: Red


Q40: Who is currently the richest person in the world (as of 2020)?

A: Jeff Bezos


Q41: Algeria gained independence in 1962 from which European country?

A: France


Q42: The Battle of Gettysburg was fought in which war?

A: The Civil War


Q43: Which word contains a long vowel sound in the following sentence? “Dogs like tennis balls.”

A: Like


Q44: A common type of radio wave is referred to as VHF. What do the letters VHF stand for?

A: Very high frequency


Q45: Julius Caesar was the emperor of what empire?

A: The Roman Empire


Q46: Which one of these is a mammal: a seahorse, a sea lion, or a sea urchin?

A: Sea lion


Q47: What is Rosa Parks most famous for? 

A: Refusing to give her seat up in the front of the bus.


Q48: The first fireworks were invented in the 7th century in what country?

A: China


Q49: How many teaspoons are in five tablespoons?

A: 15


Q50: Name the American president on the half dollar coin who was assassinated in 1963. 

A: John F. Kennedy