Can You Answer All of These Questions About the FBI?

By: Geoff Hoppe
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Answer All of These Questions About the FBI?
Image: South_agency/E+/Getty Images

About This Quiz

So, you're fascinated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. You've seen every episode of The X-Files and Bones, and you've even seen every old-timey gangster movie on Netflix. But how much do you really know about the Bureau?

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been around for a long time, and they've apprehended thousands of criminals in those years. From their humble beginnings, they've grown into a nationwide powerhouse that helps protect the people of the United States from criminals both foreign and domestic. Thanks to the work of pioneering FBI Directors, hardworking Special Agents and support staff that makes it all possible, the Bureau is now the U.S.'s premiere federal crime-fighting agency.

While the Federal Bureau of Investigation is currently embroiled in a major political conflict, it's undeniable that their apprehension of criminals from Prohibition to the post-9/11 world has helped make America a safer place. So, sharpen your knowledge and get ready for this trivia investigation about one of America's major players in law enforcement!

In what year was the FBI founded?
1908
1919
1945
1962
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI was founded on July 26th, 1908. Theodore Roosevelt was the president at the time.

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Who was the first director of the FBI?
Stanley W. Finch
William Tenet
Robert Mueller
James Comey
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Stanley W. Finch was the first director of the Bureau of Investigation, the first version of the FBI. He served from 1908 to 1912. He was originally from New York.

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In what year did the FBI get the full name, "Federal Bureau of Investigation?"
1935
1972
1968
1955
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI got its full name on March 22, 1935. It had previously been known as the Bureau of Investigation.

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On what Virginia military base is the FBI training academy located?
Fort A.P. Hill
Fort Andrews
Quantico Marine Base
Hampton Roads Naval Base
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI National Academy is located at the Quantico Marine Base, south of Washington, D.C. The Academy has traditional classroom space, as well as an outdoor mock "town" where Agents can train.

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For decades, the FBI kept an eye on this American group who had direct ties to a malevolent foreign power.
The Anarchists
The Communist Party of the USA
The Freemasons
The Knights of Columbus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI monitored the Communist Party of the USA for decades as the Party received orders from Moscow on a regular basis. The CPUSA was actively involved with the Soviet government until 1989, when Moscow removed a great deal of its funding from the organization.

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What is the FBI motto?
Honor, Duty, Country.
We always get our man.
Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity.
God, Family, Constitution.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI's motto is "Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity." The motto was adopted in 1935. It was first explained in an issue of the FBI's in-house magazine in September of that year.

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The FBI has this many field offices:
72
50
13
56
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI has 56 field offices. Many are in major U.S. cities, and there's also one in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. The offices differ in size, with New York City being one of the biggest field offices.

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What is the name of the largest organized Italian crime group?
’Ndrangheta
Cosa Nostra
Camorra
Sacra Corona Unita
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The largest Italian organized crime group the FBI follows is the Camorra. The Camorra originated in Naples, Italy, and are involved in a range of crimes, including smuggling.

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What famous Depression-era bank robber did the FBI help bring to justice?
Al Capone
John Dillinger
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow
Leona Helmsley
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI brought John Dillinger to justice in 1934. He was shot by FBI agents while trying to escape arrest. Dillinger was famous for reducing bank robbing to a science, even timing each step of the process.

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The FBI contributed to the downfall of which famous criminals, thanks to their tracking a stolen car?
Whitey Bulger and Terrence O'Malley
Machine Gun Kelly and Moll Gracie
Bill and Hillary Clinton
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI helped to track down Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, going after them through the National Motor Vehicle Theft Act. Bonnie and Clyde were gunned down near Sailes, Louisiana in 1934. The posse that killed them was led by fabled Texas Ranger Frank Hamer. Hamer's life was so legendary that Hollywood studios approached him to make a movie of his story, though he refused.

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What's the name of the robber who parachuted out of an airplane and still hasn't been caught by the FBI?
D.B. Cooper
Clyde Westrow
C. Allen Toussaint
Carla Almay
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

D.B. Cooper robbed a Northwest Orient Airlines flight in 1971, then parachuted out the back of the plane with $200,000. Though the FBI came up with a list of hundreds of subjects, they still haven't located D.B. Cooper. In 2011, the FBI located a man they believed to be D.B. Cooper, although he was dead by that point.

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Which company was involved in the largest white collar crime case the FBI ever worked on?
Grand Canyon University
Madoff Capital Associates
BP
Enron
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI was one agency among many on the Enron Task Force, which also included the IRS and SEC. $164 million dollars were seized during the investigation. The story of Enron's downfall became the subject of the documentary, "The Smartest Guys In The Room."

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What "apostolic socialist" cult murdered a U.S. congressman and warranted an investigation by the FBI?
Jonestown/The Peoples' Temple
Heaven's Gate
David Koresh/The Branch Davidians
The Unarius Institute
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cult leader Jim Jones' "Apostolic Socialist" church, The Peoples' Temple, built a small town in the jungle of socialist Guyana in the 1970s. When the cult committed mass suicide and murdered Congressman Leo Ryan, the FBI began an investigation. Jones' bizarre socialist brand of Christianity began its life in California before moving to Guyana.

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The standard issue sidearm (gun) of the FBI is made by which arms manufacturer?
Browning
Steyr
Walther
Glock
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI's standard issue guns are manufactured by Glock. The contract awarded to Glock in 2015 is worth $85 million.

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This FBI Counterintelligence agent was convicted of spying for the USSR in 2001.
Robert Mueller
Robert Hanssen
Jon Podesta
James Comey
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

FBI Special Agent Robert Hanssen was arrested on espionage charges in 2001. Hanssen spied for the Russians from 1979 until his arrest in 2001. Hanssen infamously asked, "What took you so long?" when the FBI finally caught him.

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What FBI director's quote, "Winners don't use drugs," was featured on many arcade games in the 1990s?
Armand Assanate
Louis Freeh
J. Edgar Hoover
William S. Sessions
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

William S. Sessions was quoted as saying "Winners don't use drugs" on many arcade games form 1989 to 2000. The initiative was rolled out at a press event that saw a Double Dragon machine, among others, brought to FBI headquarters.

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When building the FBI, what three kinds of professions did J. Edgar Hoover look for?
Lawyers, architects, Army rangers
Lawyers, architects, accountants
Lawyers, accountants, reporters
Lawyers, reporters, chemists
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When building up the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover was especially interested in lawyers, accountants, and reporters. He wanted people who could write, who knew the law, and who could follow criminal money trails, tax evasion schemes or other such crimes.

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The FBI arrested Iva Toguri D'Aqino, a legendary WWII figure, on counts of treason. What names was she known as?
Misato Katsuragi
Motoko Kusanagi
Tokyo Rose
Mata Hari
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI arrested Iva D'Aquino as "Tokyo Rose" in September, 1948. She was arrested and tried for her role as a radio announcer on Zero Hour, a Japanese radio program used as a psychological warfare campaign by the Imperial Japanese Army. D'Aquino was pardoned in 1977 by President Ford.

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Which FBI field office tackled over 500 cases related to the Atomic Energy Act within a few months of opening?
Washington, D.C.
New York, NY
Las Vegas, NV
Albuquerque, NM
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI field office at Albuquerque, New Mexico, was inundated with over 500 cases relating to atomic energy within a few months of opening. That field office was actually opened, in part, to handle all the cases related to the nuclear weapons program at Los Alamos, NM. Currently, one of the cases the Albuquerque office is working on is the murder of Alvin Yazzie, Jr.

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FBI agents from which field office arrested Arthur Bremer, who attempted to kill Alabama Governor George Wallace?
New York, New York
Detroit, Michigan
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jackson, Wyoming
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Special Agents from the FBI's Milwaukee office arrested Arthur Bremer. Bremer had traveled from his home in Milwaukee to Laurel, Maryland, to try and kill the Governor of Alabama.

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Which FBI field office helped train Mexican police officers and worked with Mexican officials on the famous Desert Cross case?
San Diego, California
El Paso, Texas
Phoenix, Arizona
New Orleans, Louisiana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI's Phoenix office frequently trained Mexican law enforcement personnel and built up relationships between the two countries. Phoenix-based agents also coordinated with Mexican officials in the Desert Cross case, where law enforcement officers cracked a kidnapping/ adoption fraud ring. The current Special Agent in charge of the office is Michael DeLeon.

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In which year was the FBI's Cyber Division founded?
1998
2002
1990
2011
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI's Cyber Division opened in 2002 in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The Cyber Crime division runs the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a resource where people can report suspected cyber crimes.

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Agents from which FBI field office investigated spying at the army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds?
Charleston, South Carolina
Buffalo, New York
Baltimore, Maryland
Salt Lake City, Utah
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Baltimore, Maryland field office investigated espionage at the army's Aberdeen, Maryland weapons testing site. The Aberdeen Proving Ground is 36 miles northeast of Baltimore. Weapons are still tested at Aberdeen today, and the local minor league baseball team, the Ironbirds, is, in part, named after the Proving Ground.

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The FBI investigated which popular oldie for suspicion of obscene lyrics?
Ain't Nothing but a Hound Dog
Louie, Louie
Sympathy for the Devil
Peggy Sue
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI inspected the song "Louie, Louie" in 1964. The investigated by trying to figure out if any of the lyrics were dirty. The investigation took about three months.

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Special Agents from which field office helped arrest the "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski?
Salt Lake City, Utah
Richmond, Virginia
Los Angeles, Califonia
Carson City, Nevada
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Agents from the Salt Lake City office helped apprehend the Unabomber. Kacynski had briefly lived in Salt Lake City before moving to rural Montana. Kacynski was known for his unorthodox, radical politics.

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Which undercover agent's work in the 1980s helped bring down numerous mob figures?
Anton Van Leeuwenhoek
Carl Millerski
Sonny Stallone
Joe Pistone
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

FBI Agent Joe Pistone infiltrated the Mob under the fake personality of "Donnie Brasco." His undercover charade lasted six years and could have gotten him killed. He was successful enough that many of the mobsters he worked with had no idea he was an agent.

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The FBI investigation of which man determined he was a "lone gunman?"
Jack Ruby
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Boyd Malvo
Arthur Charleston
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI investigation into the death of President John F. Kennedy found that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated the President on his own. Doubts over this conclusion have given rise to hundreds of conspiracy theories.

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Which man's trial and prosecution in 1950 helped demonstrate the continued threat of Soviet spies in American government?
Julius Rosenberg
Alger Hiss
Nadia Comenici
Robert Hanssen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Alger Hiss was the former State Department employee who had spied for the Soviet Union. He spent five years in federal prison. It was the testimony of Whittaker Chambers that led to Hiss's eventual downfall.

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Current FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. are named for which former FBI director?
William Flynn
Stanley Finch
J. Edgar Hoover
Louis Freeh
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The FBI headquarters is named for J. Edgar Hoover. The headquarters received that name only two days after Hoover passed away. The building is an example of the Brutalist style of architecture.

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Which of the following is NOT a task in the physical fitness test required of Special Agents?
300 meter dash
Pushups
1.5 mile run
Bicep curl
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

FBI Special Agents have no bicep curl requirements as part of their physical fitness test. They are tested on the other three mentioned, as well as sit-ups.

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How many years are FBI Director's terms limited to?
10
5
4
8
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

FBI Directors are limited to ten years in that position. This rule was instituted after J. Edgar Hoover's tenure, which lasted for several decades.

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What is the name of the Defense Intelligence Agency employee who spied for Cuba and was arrested in 2001?
Arlene Trujillo
Ana Montes
Blanca Rodriguez
Paola Zambrana
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ana Montes was arrested in 2001 for espionage on behalf of the Cuban government. Montes was recruited in 1984, and worked for the DIA from 1985 until her 2001 arrest. Montes was recruited by Marta Velazquez who had worked with the United States Agency for International Development.

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Which radical terrorist organization bombed the State Department in 1975?
The Ku Klux Klan
The Weather Underground
The Branch Davidians
The Revolutionary Militia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Weather Underground, an offshoot of the liberal Students for a Democratic Society, bombed the State Department in 1975. In 1978, five members were apprehended by the FBI, but there are a few members still at large.

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This FBI investigation was the basis for the 2013 movie "American Hustle."
CRIMWAV
DRAGNET
PITCHFORK
ABSCAM
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The ABSCAM investigation, which took place from 1978 to 1980, is the basis for the movie "American Hustle." The operation started out to stop art thieves, but eventually uncovered other crimes like bribery and political corruption. Congressman John Murphy was one of the people caught by ABSCAM.

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Which violent gangster was actually sent to prison for tax evasion?
Lee Harvey Oswald
John Dillinger
Machine Gun Kelly
Al Capone
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Al Capone went to prison for seven and a half years. It was syphilis that eventually killed him after sufficiently reducing his brain capacity. Capone finally died at Palm Island, Florida near Miami.

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You Got:
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