Are You a General Knowledge Genius?

By: Torrance Grey
Image: shutterstock

About This Quiz

Hey, we know you! You're the person in your family or circle of friends whom everyone comes to when they can't remember an obscure fact, or the name for something, or who won Best Actress at the Oscars in 1979. You're probably glued to the TV every weeknight for "Jeopardy" -- unless you're down at the pub for trivia night. 

If your area of strength is "everything," then we've created a quiz to play to your strength! This quiz will test you on a variety of subjects. In geography, you'll have to know about an African microstate and the great nation that surrounds it. In history, you'll have to know about the tragic Jonestown massacre of the 1970s. And if you're great in the kitchen, we've even got a question on cuisine! 

Maybe you've taken the "Jeopardy!" online test several times already. Maybe you've waited by the phone (or email inbox), but the producers have just never called. You're losing faith that you'll ever get your chance to tell Alex Trebek a charming personal anecdote right after the first commercial break. However, you don't have to wait to challenge your wits against our all-around knowledge quiz. Just pull up your favorite armchair, settle in and wow us! Good luck!

Glaucoma is a disease of what organ?

Glaucoma is an eye disease. It causes narrowing of peripheral vision, and can cause eventual blindness.

Which of these is NOT a macronutrient?

There are four dietary macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate, fat/lipids and alcohols. Ascorbic acid is Vitamin C, and vitamins are micronutrients.

What did the ancient Romans refer to as "Mare Nostrum"?

"Mare Nostrum" means "our sea," and that's how the Romans thought of it while they held their empire. The irony here is that the Romans, such great fighters on land, were lousy sailors and had a weak navy.

Francis of Assisi and Catherine of Siena are the patron saints of which country?

If you're up on your European geography, you didn't need to know your saints to get this one. Siena and Assisi are both Italian cities.

In what state is the FBI Academy located?

The facility where FBI agents are trained is in Stafford County, Virginia. You'll probably know it better by the name of the Marine base it's on -- Quantico.

Which major corporation owns the ABC network?

The Walt Disney Company is the largest entertainment company in the world. NBC Universal and Time Warner follow in the number two and three positions.

How many categories of Nobel Prize are there?

The categories are literature, physics, chemistry, medicine and peace. The prizes were created and initially funded by Alfred Nobel, an industrialist who made -- we're not kidding -- dynamite.

In which ocean would you find the Mariana Trench?

The Mariana Trench is east of the Philippines. If Mount Everest sat on the floor of its deepest point, it would still be more than a mile underwater.

Which of these is NOT one of the seven deadly sins?

"Cheating" could, theoretically, be covered under two other sins. Financial or material cheating is a result of greed, whereas extramarital cheating clearly fits under "lust."

How many US states are commonwealths?

The four states are Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The name is mostly symbolic; commonwealths operate, in a legal and political sense, the same way US states do.

"Burgundy" is a region in which country?

Burgundy is a region, not a specific political entity (like, for example, a county or parish). It gives its name to a wine, and from that, a color.

Which of these is considered one of the Low Countries?

Belgium and the Netherlands (and part of Germany) make up what's known as Europe's "Low Countries." "Low" is a geographic designation; you might remember that the Netherlands are famous for needing dikes to hold seawater back.

Which of these movies featured a young Edward Norton?

"Primal Fear" was Norton's movie debut. He played an altar boy charged with murdering a priest.

Which of these technologies is named for a Danish king?

Harald Gormsson was called "Bluetooth." He united several kingdoms of Denmark under him, so Bluetooth's inventors named a technology for him that would unite devices. Pretty cool!

In what part of the world would you find the Yoruba people?

The Yoruba people live in modern-day Nigeria and Benin, mostly. Their religious influence can be seen in Santeria and the voodoo practices of Haiti.

In what country was Pope Francis born?

Pope Francis is the first pope from South America. In fact, he's the first pope to come from the Americas, period.

"Cannes" is what kind of event?

The full name is the Cannes Film Festival. Perhaps the most prestigious event of its kind in the world, it awards the Palme D'Or as its top prize.

In which faith are the Maccabees honored?

In Jewish history, the Maccabees were a family -- mostly five brothers -- who resisted the oppression of the ruling Greeks. They restored the temple after the Seleucid rulers defiled it.

Which of these Asian nations is best described as a city-state?

Singapore has a total area of less than 300 square miles. Despite its lack of land and natural resources, it has a booming economy.

Where did Donald Trump get his economics degree?

Trump got his degree from the Wharton School, part of the University of Pennsylvania. Later, he founded Trump University.

For most of the 20th Century, what would a Westerner have called Beijing?

"Peking" was the former spelling/pronunciation of the Chinese capital. It survives in the name of the traditional dish of Peking duck.

A "cornichon" is a type of _________.

Don't be fooled -- "corniche" is a type of car. A cornichon is a small whole pickle, often preserved with sugar in the brine for a sweet taste.

Approximately how tall is Mount Everest?

The word "tall" is an inexact one; it actually refers to the mountain's elevation above sea level. For comparison purposes: 10,000 feet above sea level is the point at which airplane pilots need to start using supplemental oxygen or risk hypoxia -- which makes clear how amazing it is that some climbers have summited Everest without oxygen.

In what nation would you find the state of Jalisco?

Apparently the Jaliscans don't want this to be forgotten or overlooked. The state motto is, "Jalisco es Mexico" (Jalisco is Mexico).

What kind of food is "chitlins"?

This Southern delicacy comes from antebellum days when rich whites got the best parts of the pig, and black slaves had to make do with what was left. They made "chitterlings" or "chitlins," which are fried pig intestines served with cider vinegar and hot sauce.

Which of these presidents was NOT born in 1946?

Carter is the "old man out" in this group. He was born in 1924 and became US president in 1976. Had he been born in 1946, he would have been 30 at that time, too young to serve in the Oval Office.

Revolutionary Maud Gonne was the muse of which poet?

Maud Gonne was an actress and an ardent supporter of Irish independence. William Butler Yeats was deeply infatuated with her, writing a number of his poems for or about her.

The Bernese mountain dog comes from which country?

Bern is a city in Switzerland. The Bernese mountain dog is named for the larger territory of Bern; it is a tricolored dog with thick fur.

What organization did the United Nations replace?

The League of Nations was founded after World War I, and replaced after World War II. The reasons for the changeover were complex, but you have to admit, the outbreak of the bloodiest, most fatal war in human history is pretty good evidence that something isn't working.

Which of these retail districts has the highest rents in the world?

All of these retail districts are pricey places to set up shop. But Fifth Avenue tops them all, with rents in 2018 going at about $3000 per square foot.

Which of these popular novelists wrote "Gorky Park"?

"Gorky Park" was the first of eight novels about Soviet detective Arkady Renko. It continued with "Polar Star" and "Red Square"; the most recent is "Tatiana."

Which of these is the capital of Pennsylvania?

Unless you're Pennsylvanian, you probably struggled with this one. Harrisburg isn't in the news very often, at least, outside the state.

The Jonestown massacre occurred in which country?

Jim Jones was a religious leader from northern California who took his people to Guyana, to create a compound of their own away from the world. Whether the poisonings there should be considered largely a mass suicide, or a mass murder, is still debated. The death of congressman Leo Ryan, who was there on a fact-finding mission, was undeniably a murder.

An antipyretic medicine prevents or allays what?

Antipyretics ("pyros" is Greek for "fire") are sometimes common over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen. Stronger ones have to be obtained by prescription.

The African microstate of Lesotho is entirely surrounded by _________.

Lesotho is what's known as an enclaved country. It has been independent from British rule since 1966.

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