Trivia Questions (And Answers) to See How Smart You Really Are

If you really think you know basically everything, and you’re essentially the Wikipedia of your family, then let’s put that to the test with these trivia questions.

Or if you have a fun event coming up with friends or family, and you need some good questions on a large variety of topics, then this Q&A has probably got you covered. These questions and answers cover so many things like history, holidays, Disney, sports, pop culture, movies, travel, animals, music, the weird, the funny, and even geography!

There’s easy trivia questions for the kids and more challenging trivia to potentially stump the smartest person you know.

So let’s see how big your IQ is and help prep you to take home the prize at your next trivia night!

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Kids Trivia Questions

• What color are the Smurfs? Answer: Blue
• How many legs does a spider have? Answer: 8
• What’s the closest planet to Earth? Answer: Mercury
• What’s the name of the cowgirl in Toy Story? Answer: Jessie
• How many sides do triangles have? Answer: 3
• What’s the biggest mammal in the whole world? Answer: Blue whale
• What do caterpillars transform into? Answer: Butterflies
• What do you call a baby elephant? Answer: A calf
• What is the capital of France? Answer: Paris
• There are 3 stars that form this famous constellation and they’re all in one line. What’s the name of this constellation? Answer: Orion’s Belt
• How many hours are in a day? Answer: 24
• What’s the name of the funny snowman in Frozen? Answer: Olaf
• What fruit is known for keeping the doctor away if you eat them every day? Answer: Apple
• What do bees get from flowers to make honey? Answer: Nectar (or pollen)
• What planet is known for its rings? Answer: Saturn

Disney Trivia Questions

• What’s the name of Mickey Mouse’s dog? Answer: Pluto
• In The Lion King, what is the name of Simba’s uncle? Answer: Scar
• What color is Cinderella’s ball dress? Answer: Blue
• What’s the name of the Elsa’s sister in Frozen? Answer: Anna
• In The Little Mermaid, what does Ariel call a fork? Answer: Dinglehopper
• Who’s the villain in 101 Dalmatians? Answer: Cruella de Vil
• What kind of animal is Abu, Aladdin’s friend? Answer: Monkey
• What’s the name of the slinky dog in Toy Story? Answer: Slinky
• In Beauty and the Beast, what is the name of the little teacup? Answer: Chip
• Which Disney princess has a big pet tiger named Rajah? Answer: Jasmine
• What’s the name of the boy who never grows up? Answer: Peter Pan
• What’s the name of the small dragon in Mulan? Answer: Mushu
• What does Dumbo use to fly? Answer: His ears
• What’s the name of the Disney villain who turns into a dragon in Sleeping Beauty? Answer: Maleficent
• What type of animal is Judy Hopps in Zootopia? Answer: Rabbit

Random Trivia Questions

• What are the only 2 U.S. states that grows coffee commercially? Answer: California and Hawaii
• What number does the Roman numeral “MCMXC” represent? Answer: 1990
• What element has the chemical symbol “Sb”? Answer: Antimony
• Which famous novel begins with the sentence “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen”? Answer: 1984
• What big famous structure was originally intended to be temporary for a world’s fair? Answer: The Eiffel Tower
• Which chess piece can only move diagonally? Answer: Bishop
• Which animal can sleep for up to three years without eating anything? Answer: Snail
• What is the national dish of Scotland made from sheep’s lungs, heart, and liver? Answer: Haggis
• What famous artist is known for cutting off part of his own ear? Answer: Vincent van Gogh
• What is the fear of long words ironically called? Answer: Hippopotomonstroses-quippedaliophobia
• Which planet is known for spinning on its side? Answer: Uranus
• What language has the most native speakers worldwide? Answer: Mandarin Chinese
• What’s one of the 4 words in the English language that ends in “dous.”Answer: horrendous, hazardous, stupendous, and tremendous
• What is the only U.S. state that ends with the letter “K”? Answer: New York
• What European country has a town named “Dull” and is officially twinned with the town “Boring” in the U.S.? Answer: Scotland

Weird Trivia Questions

• What animal can actually hold its breath longer than a dolphin? Answer: Sloth
• What is the technical name for belly button lint? Answer: Navel fluff
• What’s the only letter never used in any U.S. state name? Answer: Q
• What’s the only word in the English language that ends in “mt”? Answer: Dreamt
• What animal can’t jump? Answer: Elephant
• What is banned on public beaches in Capri, Italy, because of noise pollution? Answer: Flip-flops
• What was the original use of bubble wrap when it was first invented? Answer: Wallpaper
• What animal can actually breathe through its butt? Answer: Turtle
• What luxury car brand once made a model that could detect when the driver was getting sleepy? Answer: Mercedes-Benz
• What’s the term for the phobia of beards? Answer: Pogonophobia
• What’s the real name of the symbol “#”? Answer: Octothorpe
• What is the word for the day after tomorrow in English? Answer: Overmorrow
• What animal has cube-shaped poop? Answer: Wombat
• What animal can smell underwater using bubbles? Answer: Star-nosed mole
• What happens to bananas under a blacklight? Answer: They glow blue
• In what country is it actually legal to marry a deceased person (under rare, approved circumstances)? Answer: France

Funny Trivia Questions

• What’s something you should never do with your eyes open? Answer: Sneeze
• What gets wetter the more it dries? Answer: A towel
• What fruit was once so valuable in Europe it was used as a table centerpiece? Answer: Pineapple
• What country once tried to train pigeons to guide their missiles? Answer: United States
• What food product is banned from space missions because it crumbles way too much? Answer: Bread
• What was the first item to ever be sold on eBay? Answer: A broken laser pointer
• What’s the collective noun for a group of porcupines? Answer: A prickle
• What U.S. president had a pet alligator that lived in a bathroom in the White House? Answer: John Quincy Adams
• What is Maryland’s official state sport? Answer: Jousting
• What condiment used to be sold as a medicine in the 1830s? Answer: Ketchup
• What creature can survive in space? Answer: Tardigrade (water bear)
• What’s Scotland’s national animal? Answer: Unicorn
• What’s the name of the blob of toothpaste that sits on a brush? Answer: A nurdle

Multiple Choice Trivia Questions

• What’s the capital of New Zealand? A) Auckland B) Christchurch C) Wellington D) Hamilton Answer: C) Wellington
• Who painted The Persistence of Memory? A) Picasso B) Monet C) Salvador Dalí D) Matisse Answer: C) Salvador Dalí
• What element is a liquid at room temperature? A) Mercury B) Gold C) Aluminum D) Lithium Answer: A) Mercury
• Which novel begins with the line “Call me Ishmael”? A) The Old Man and the Sea B) Moby-Dick C) The Odyssey D) Heart of Darkness Answer: B) Moby-Dick
• What is the smallest country in the world by land area? A) Monaco B) San Marino C) Liechtenstein D) Vatican City Answer: D) Vatican City
• What’s the hardest substance in the human body? A) Bone B) Tooth enamel C) Nail D) Cartilage Answer: B) Tooth enamel
• Which organ produces insulin? A) Liver B) Pancreas C) Spleen D) Kidney Answer: B) Pancreas
• What is the official language of Brazil? A) Spanish B) Portuguese C) French D) English Answer: B) Portuguese
• Which planet rotates the fastest? A) Earth B) Mars C) Saturn D) Jupiter Answer: D) Jupiter
• In what year was the first iPhone released? A) 2005 B) 2006 C) 2007 D) 2008 Answer: C) 2007
• Who wrote Slaughterhouse-Five? A) Kurt Vonnegut B) Ray Bradbury C) George Orwell D) Aldous Huxley Answer: A) Kurt Vonnegut
• Which U.S. state has the most active volcanoes? A) California B) Alaska C) Hawaii D) Washington Answer: B) Alaska
• What is the only country that spans two continents and has land in both Europe and Asia? A) Russia B) Turkey C) Kazakhstan D) Georgia Answer: B) Turkey
• Which philosopher wrote The Republic? A) Aristotle B) Socrates C) Plato D) Marcus Aurelius Answer: C) Plato

True or False Trivia Questions

• Humans share about 60% of their DNA with bananas. Answer: True
• The Great Wall of China is one continuous wall that stretches without interruption. Answer: False
• Napoleon Bonaparte was extremely short for his time. Answer: False
• The inventor of the Pringles can is buried in one. Answer: True
• The U.S. has more lakes than any other country in the world. Answer: False (It’s Canada)
• Sharks are immune to all known diseases, including cancer. Answer: False
• Octopuses have three hearts and blue blood. Answer: True
• The U.S. Constitution was signed in 1776. Answer: False (It was signed in 1787)
• The chemical element tungsten is represented by the letter “W.” Answer: True
• Beethoven composed music even after he went completely deaf. Answer: True
• The Statue of Liberty was originally intended for Egypt. Answer: True
• You can’t hum while holding your nose. Answer: True
• A single teaspoon of a neutron star would weigh more than Mount Everest. Answer: True
• The original London Bridge is now in Arizona. Answer: True
• The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Switzerland. Answer: False (It’s awarded in Norway)

This or That Trivia Questions

• Which is colder: the North Pole or the South Pole? Answer: South Pole
• Which is heavier: a kilogram of feathers or a kilogram of bricks? Answer: They weigh the same
• Which has more bones: a human adult or a human baby? Answer: Baby
• Which came first: the telephone or the light bulb? Answer: Telephone
• Which country consumes more coffee per capita: Italy or Finland? Answer: Finland
• Which fruit is technically a berry: banana or strawberry? Answer: Banana
• Which is faster: a cheetah or a peregrine falcon? Answer: Peregrine falcon
• Which has more islands: Indonesia or Sweden? Answer: Sweden
• Which artist sold more records globally: Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson? Answer: Elvis Presley
• Which animal sleeps more per day: a cat or a sloth? Answer: Sloth
• Which is older: the pyramids of Egypt or Stonehenge? Answer: Stonehenge
• Which travels faster: a sneeze or a cheetah? Answer: A sneeze
• Which is more populous: Tokyo or the entire country of Canada? Answer: Tokyo
  

Trick Trivia Questions

• What weighs more: a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks? Answer: They weigh the same
• What can you catch but not throw? Answer: A cold
• What has a head, a tail, but no body? Answer: A coin
• How many months have 28 days? Answer: All of them
• If an electric train is moving north at 100 mph and the wind is blowing west at 10 mph, which way does the smoke blow? Answer: Electric trains don’t have smoke
• What is the most stolen food item in the world? Answer: Cheese
• What’s full of holes but still holds water? Answer: A sponge
• Which country has the most pyramids? Answer: Sudan
• What has one eye but can’t see? Answer: A needle
• What color is a polar bear’s skin? Answer: Black
• What goes up but never comes down? Answer: Your age
• What gets bigger the more you take away? Answer: A hole

History Trivia Questions

• Who was the first U.S. president to be impeached? Answer: Andrew Johnson
• What ancient civilization invented the first known writing system? Answer: Sumerians
• In what year did the Titanic sink? Answer: 1912
• Who was known as the Maid of Orléans? Answer: Joan of Arc
• What city was formerly known as Byzantium and later Constantinople? Answer: Istanbul
• In what year did the Berlin Wall fall? Answer: 1989
• Which country was formerly known as Siam? Answer: Thailand
• Who was the first man to walk on the moon? Answer: Neil Armstrong
• Who was the first emperor of the Roman Empire? Answer: Augustus
• What was the codename for the Allied invasion of Normandy during WWII? Answer: Operation Overlord
• Which war is considered the deadliest in U.S. history? Answer: The Civil War
• Who was the longest-reigning monarch in European history? Answer: Louis XIV of France
• What treaty ended World War I? Answer: Treaty of Versailles
• Who was the famous female pilot who disappeared over the Pacific Ocean? Answer: Amelia Earhart
• What empire was ruled from the Forbidden City? Answer: The Ming and Qing Dynasties (China)

Geography Trivia Questions

• What’s one of the countries that is completely landlocked yet has a navy? Answer: Bolivia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Paraguay and Turkmenistan
• What is the capital city of Australia? Answer: Canberra
• What is the world’s highest capital city by elevation? Answer: La Paz, Bolivia
• What is the southernmost capital city in the world? Answer: Wellington, New Zealand
• Which desert is the largest in the world? Answer: Antarctic Desert
• What country has the most time zones (including overseas territories)? Answer: France
• What river flows through the most countries? Answer: The Danube
• What mountain range separates Europe from Asia? Answer: Ural Mountains
• Which island nation lies closest to the continental U.S.? Answer: The Bahamas
• What country has more volcanoes than any other in the world? Answer: USA (169 active volcanoes)
• Which river is considered the shortest in the world by length? Answer: Roe River (Montana, USA)
• What capital city is sinking at a rate of up to 1-15cm per year due to over-extraction of groundwater? Answer: Jakarta
• Which 2 countries have the highest number of neighboring countries (land borders)? Answer: China an Russia
• What European city is home to the world’s oldest still-operating university? Answer: Bologna, Italy

Travel Trivia Questions

• What city is known as the “City of Light”? Answer: Paris
• What country requires tourists to pay a daily sustainability fee to enter? Answer: Bhutan
• Which European city is known for having more canals than Venice? Answer: Amsterdam
• Which airport ranks as the busiest in the world for international travel? Answer: Dubai International Airport
• Which passport offers the most visa-free access globally? Answer: Singapore
• What country is known for having 4 official languages and a ban on Sunday lawn mowing? Answer: Switzerland
• What island is famous for its Moai statues? Answer: Easter Island
• What island nation is known for its volcanic black sand beaches? Answer: Iceland
• What city’s name translates to “The Meadows” in Spanish? Answer: Las Vegas
• In which country can you visit the glowworm caves of Waitomo? Answer: New Zealand
• Which European city is built on over 100 islands and connected by canals? Answer: Venice
• What is the most visited city in the world by international travelers (pre-2020)? Answer: Hong Kong
• Which country is home to the world’s longest high-speed rail network? Answer: China

Science Trivia Questions

• What part of the brain is responsible for regulating balance and coordination? Answer: Cerebellum
• What is the most abundant element in the universe? Answer: Hydrogen
• What is the hardest natural substance on Earth? Answer: Diamond
• What part of the cell contains DNA? Answer: Nucleus
• What scientist developed the theory of general relativity? Answer: Albert Einstein
• What planet has a day longer than its year? Answer: Venus
• What’s the only letter not appearing on the periodic table? Answer: J
• What’s the name for the speed required to break free of Earth’s gravity? Answer: Escape velocity
• What is the rarest blood type in humans? Answer: AB negative
• What gas makes up the majority of Earth’s atmosphere? Answer: Nitrogen
• What part of the cell is known as the “powerhouse”? Answer: Mitochondria
• What is the unit of measurement for effective does of radiation? Answer: Sievert
• What planet has the most moons? Answer: Saturn
• Which scientific principle explains why airplanes achieve lift? Answer: Bernoulli’s Principle

Pop Culture Trivia Questions

• What was Netflix’s first original series? Answer: House of Cards
• What artist broke the Spotify record for most-streamed album in a single day in 2023? Answer: Taylor Swift
• Which actor played both a Marvel villain and a DC hero? Answer: Michael Keaton
• What movie features a character named Jack Dawson? Answer: Titanic
• What is the name of the coffee shop in Friends? Answer: Central Perk
• Which pop star is known her start on the show Barney & Friends? Answer: Selena Gomez
• What is the name of Beyoncé’s fanbase? Answer: The Beyhive
• Who won the first season of American Idol? Answer: Kelly Clarkson
• Who became the youngest EGOT winner in history in 2023? Answer: Robert Lopez
• Who is the voice of Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy? Answer: Vin Diesel
• What reality show follows the lives of the Dutton family in Montana? Answer: Yellowstone
• Who is known as the “Queen of Pop”? Answer: Madonna
• Which 2021 Netflix series sparked a global surge in red jumpsuits and masks? Answer: Squid Game
• Who headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2023 while pregnant? Answer: Rihanna

Movie Trivia Questions

• Who was the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director? Answer: Kathryn Bigelow
• Who directed Jurassic Park? Answer: Steven Spielberg
• What movie won Best Picture at the 1998 Oscars? Answer: Titanic
• In what movie does Al Pacino say, “Say hello to my little friend”? Answer: Scarface
• Which director is known for his “Dollars Trilogy” of spaghetti Westerns? Answer: Sergio Leone
• What color pill does Neo take in The Matrix? Answer: Red
• Which actor has played James Bond the most times? Answer: Roger Moore
• What film is considered the first feature-length animated movie? Answer: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• What movie famously flopped at the box office but became a cult classic on VHS? Answer: The Big Lebowski
• What was the first movie ever shot entirely on digital cameras? Answer: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
• In Pulp Fiction, what is the mysterious glowing object in the briefcase believed to represent (never confirmed)? Answer: Marsellus Wallace’s soul
• Which legendary filmmaker composed the score for most of his own films, including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly? Answer: Ennio Morricone (note: he composed, not directed — common mix-up)
• In The Godfather, what fruit is used as a symbol of impending death? Answer: Oranges

TV Trivia Questions

• What HBO series is set in a fictional theme park where guests interact with androids? Answer: Westworld
• What TV show holds the record for the most Emmy Awards of all time? Answer: Saturday Night Live
• Who played Don Draper in Mad Men? Answer: Jon Hamm
• Which series was Netflix’s first big original hit before Stranger Things? Answer: House of Cards
• Who is the main character in Breaking Bad? Answer: Walter White
• What show is set at a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania? Answer: The Office
• What game show features the phrase “Survey says!”? Answer: Family Feud
• What long-running series features the characters Meredith Grey and Cristina Yang? Answer: Grey’s Anatomy
• What miniseries follows the 1986 nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union? Answer: Chernobyl
• What sci-fi series popularized the phrase “Resistance is futile”? Answer: Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Which dark comedy stars Bill Hader as a hitman who joins an acting class? Answer: Barry
• What HBO series features a fictional media dynasty led by Logan Roy? Answer: Succession
• What British series inspired the American version of The Office? Answer: The Office (UK version)

Music Trivia Questions

• Who was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Answer: Aretha Franklin
• What band did Dave Grohl play drums for before founding Foo Fighters? Answer: Nirvana
• What album holds the record for best-selling of all time globally? Answer: Thriller – Michael Jackson
• What classical composer went deaf later in life but continued to compose masterpieces? Answer: Ludwig van Beethoven
• Which British band was sued for allegedly copying the song “Taurus”? Answer: Led Zeppelin
• Which classical composer became deaf later in life? Answer: Ludwig van Beethoven
• What’s the stage name of the artist born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta? Answer: Lady Gaga
• Which artist famously changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol in the 1990s? Answer: Prince
• What punk band’s 1977 debut album featured a leather jacket-clad quartet from Queens? Answer: The Ramones
• Who holds the record for the most Grammy wins of all time? Answer: Beyoncé
• What famous music festival took place in 1969? Answer: Woodstock
• What is the highest vocal range a human can sing? Answer: Soprano
• What producer is known for his “Wall of Sound” technique? Answer: Phil Spector

Literature Trivia Questions

• Who wrote the dystopian novel Brave New World? Answer: Aldous Huxley
• What novel features the line “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”? Answer: Animal Farm
• Who wrote Charlotte’s Web? Answer: E.B. White
• Which author declined a knighthood in 1997 for “personal reasons”? Answer: Roald Dahl
• Which literary work is considered the first Western novel? Answer: Don Quixote
• In which book would you find a character named Atticus Finch? Answer: To Kill a Mockingbird
• Who wrote the His Dark Materials trilogy? Answer: Philip Pullman
• What was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans? Answer: George Eliot
• What is the first book written for the Chronicles of Narnia series? Answer: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
• What epic poem begins, “Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark”? Answer: The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
• Which modern author created the character Lisbeth Salander? Answer: Stieg Larsson
• What book is famously divided into “Before” and “After” the protagonist’s car accident? Answer: Looking for Alaska by John Green
• What book begins with the line “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife”? Answer: Pride & Prejudice

Holiday Trivia Questions

• What ancient Roman festival is seen as the predecessor to Christmas? Answer: Saturnalia
• What’s the name of the Jewish holiday that lasts 8 full days? Answer: Hanukkah
• In what country is it a tradition to get KFC for Christmas dinner? Answer: Japan
• What U.S. president made Thanksgiving a permanent national holiday? Answer: Abraham Lincoln
• What pagan celebration does Halloween come from? Answer: Samhain
• Which country celebrates Christmas by roller-skating to mass? Answer: Venezuela
• What’s the traditional drink of choice for New Year’s celebrations in Scotland? Answer: Whisky
• Which U.S. holiday started as a labor movement protest in the late 19th century? Answer: Labor Day
• Which fruit is traditionally enjoyed during Lunar New Year for good luck? Answer: Mandarin oranges
• What’s the name of the Jewish holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem? Answer: Hanukkah
• In what country is Easter celebrated with a huge water fight called Śmigus-Dyngus? Answer: Poland
• In what year did Christmas become a federal holiday in the US?
  Answer: 1870
• What country welcomes in the New Year with people smashing plates on a friend’s doorsteps? Answer: Denmark

Sports Trivia Questions

• How many players are on a soccer team on the field at once? Answer: 11
• Who holds the record for the most home runs in a single MLB season (without steroids controversy)? Answer: Aaron judge
• What NFL team has the most Super Bowl wins? Answer: Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots
• What country has won the most FIFA World Cups? Answer: Brazil
• What sport uses the terms “love” and “deuce”? Answer: Tennis
• What is the national sport of Japan? Answer: Sumo wrestling
• In what year were women first allowed to compete in the modern Olympic Games? Answer: 1900
• What color jacket is awarded to the winner of The Masters golf tournament? Answer: Green
• What is the only team to go undefeated in a full NFL season, including the Super Bowl? Answer: 1972 Miami Dolphins
• Who is the most decorated Olympian of all time? Answer: Michael Phelps
• How long is a marathon? Answer: 26.2 miles
• In tennis, what is the term for winning all four major championships (in one discipline) in a single year? Answer: Calendar Grand
• What sport is known as “the sweet science”? Answer: Boxing
• In what country did the sport of curling originate? Answer: Scotland

Animal Trivia Questions

• What animal can hold its breath the longest (over 3 hours)? Answer: Cuvier’s beaked whale
• Which animal can survive being frozen solid and thawed out multiple times? Answer: Wood frog
• What is the only mammal capable of sustained flight? Answer: Bat
• What’s the deadliest animal to humans in terms of annual deaths? Answer: Mosquito
• What’s the only mammal that can fly? Answer: Bat
• Which bird has the largest wingspan of any living species? Answer: Wandering albatross
• What land animal has the strongest bite force? Answer: Saltwater crocodile
• Which animal sleeps with one half of its brain at a time? Answer: Dolphin
• How many humps does a Bactrian camel have? Answer: 2
• What animal is known to laugh when tickled? Answer: Rat
• What’s the only known immortal animal, capable of reverting to its juvenile state? Answer: Turritopsis dohrnii (immortal jellyfish)
• What animal has fingerprints nearly indistinguishable from humans? Answer: Koala

Work and Office Trivia Questions

• What year was LinkedIn officially launched? Answer: 2003
• What does the acronym KPI stand for in a business context? Answer: Key Performance Indicator
• What famous business magnate once said, “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die”? Answer: Warren Buffett
• What common office tool was originally called the “Gem Clip”? Answer: Paperclip
• Which country popularized the concept of the four-day workweek in early trials? Answer: Iceland
• What psychological principle suggests people perform better when they know they’re being observed? Answer: The Hawthorne Effect
• What does “B2B” stand for in business? Answer: Business to Business
• What day of the week is statistically the most productive for office workers? Answer: Tuesday
• What is the official term for working two jobs without telling your primary employer? Answer: Moonlighting
• Who wrote the best-selling book The 4-Hour Workweek? Answer: Tim Ferriss
• What company invented the Post-it Note? Answer: 3M