Image: Simonlong / Moment / Getty Images
About This Quiz
Are you an avid Trivial Pursuit fan? Do you find yourself answering all the general knowledge and trivia questions on TV gameshows? Do you know the capital of Turkey? Well, then without a doubt, you are in the right place.
What is general knowledge? Well, although its a term we hear often, it is quite difficult to pinpoint an exact definition. The average Joe doesn't really care too much about trivia or have a general knowledge base. It's just not that important in their daily lives. Yet for people like you and me, well we thrive on having an expansive general knowledge, knowing what's going on in the world around us. And that's in a broad sense, taking in a range of different subjects, for example, from politics to sport, science to geography.
General knowledge is about following what's going on in the world around you. But its also knowing things about the past. No matter what definition we give trivia or general knowledge, to truly test it, you need a quiz such as this.
Here you will face a range of questions, covering a wide variety of trivia subjects. They span different times, themes and ideas. How do you think you will fare? Will you pass with flying colors?
Well, the only way you will know is if you scroll down to begin the quiz! Good luck!
Do you know which of these United States presidents was the first to be impeached?
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson assumed the presidency of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. He was impeached in by a House of Representatives dominated by Republicans but survived in a vote by the Senate by just one vote.
Richard Nixon
Bill Clinton
Donald Trump
Advertisement
Which bird has eyes that are far bigger than its brain?
Eagle
Ostrich
An Ostrich is a flightless bird found in Southern Africa. Farmed for their beautiful feathers and meat, these birds have small brains. Simply put, they are not very clever and have been observed trying to outrun predators but ending up running in circles, making them an easy catch.
Raven
Seagull
Advertisement
From the options below, which city was the capital of the United States from 1785 to 1790?
Princeton
Washinton D.C.
New York
New York did indeed serve as the capital city of the United States from 1785 to 1790. The first president of the country, George Washington was sworn in while in New York and Congress met in the city from 1785. Philadelphia was then the capital from 1790 until Washington D.C. took over in 1800.
None of the above
Advertisement
Who played the Grinch in the 2000 movie, "How the Grinch stole Christmas"?
Rob Lowe
Robin Williams
Mike Myers
Jim Carrey
Based on a 1957 Dr. Seuss book, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was a huge success, taking in over $300,000,000 at the American box office. It starred Jim Carrey in the lead role. Carrey, who spent hours having to undergo make up every day, was outstanding as the mean-spirited Grinch.
Advertisement
True or false? A King Cobra is the only species of snake that builds a nest.
True
This is indeed true. King Cobras will not only build nests for their eggs but stay around and protect their young when they hatch. The female King Cobra is tasked with job of building and defense.
False
Advertisement
Can you tell us the name of the country known as the "Roof of the World"?
Brazil
Turkey
Tibet
Tibet is often called the "Roof of the World," thanks to the Himalayan mountain range found in the country. The Tibetan plateau is three miles above sea level!
New Zealand
Advertisement
On the periodic table of elements, what is the designation for lead?
Pb
Why Pb, you ask? Well, it comes from the Latin name for lead, which is plumbum. Lead has the atomic number 82 and is a lot softer than other metals such as steel.
H
Na
Ur
Advertisement
From these options, can you name the largest country located in Europe.
Germany
Belgium
France
Ukraine
Situated in Eastern Europe, Ukraine was part of the former Soviet Union. In terms of size, Ukraine covers an area of 233,062 square miles.
Advertisement
True or false? Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer originated as a result of an advertising campaign?
True
That is correct. In 1939, Adman Robert May created the character for a pamphlet which was given to children at department stores. It didn't take Rudolph long to become everybody's favorite reindeer.
False
Advertisement
Can you name the cartoonist who created Garfield?
Charles M. Schulz
Jim Davis
Jim Davis is the man behind Garfield, the cartoon cat we all love. Garfield first sprung to life in 1978. Very quickly, Garfield became one of the most syndicated cartoons in the world.
Bill Watterson
George Herriman
Advertisement
Which country won the 2015 Cricket World Cup?
Australia
Australia is the 2015 cricket world champion, beating New Zealand in the final. The World Cup is held every four years.
South Africa
England
Pakistan
Advertisement
A maple leaf features on the flag of which country?
Bermuda
South Africa
Japan
Canada
It sure is Canada, eh! The flag is unofficially known as the Maple Leaf or l'Unifolié in French, which stands for one-leafed. The flag was adopted on February 15, 1965.
Advertisement
Bikini Bottom is home to which animated character?
Ed, Edd and Eddy
SpongeBob Squarepants
Of course it's SpongeBob! Created by Stephen Hillenburg, "SpongeBob Squarepants" first hit the screens in 1996. He was originally going to be called SpongeBoy, but the name was copyrighted.
Superman
Dora the Explorer
Advertisement
Do you know the capital of Turkey?
Istanbul
Constantinople
Ankara
Although many people think Instanbul to be the capital of Turkey, it is not. Istanbul is the largest city in the country. Ankara, however, is the capital. It was named capital on October 29, 1923.
None of the above
Advertisement
What is the smallest mammal in the world?
Bumblebee Bat
Actually the Kitti’s Hog-nosed Bat or Bumblebee Bat is the world's smallest mammal by size. If you measured by weight, it would be the Etruscan shrew. These bats are found in Thailand.
Guinea Pig
Pygmy Hamster
None of the above
Advertisement
In the book "The Hobbit," Smaug is what kind of mythical creature?
Elf
Dwarf
Giant
Dragon
In "The Hobbit," Smaug is a fearful dragon that had amassed massive wealth, mostly from the dwarves who wanted it back.
Advertisement
Name the first scientist to measure the speed of light?
Albert Einstein
Werner von Braun
Olaus Roemer
Olaus Roemer was a Danish scientist born in the 1600's. In 1676 he was the first scientist to measure the speed of light. He did this by viewing eclipses of the moons of Jupiter. And then lots of calculations!
None of the above
Advertisement
If you study of Entomology, what do you specialize in?
Coffee
Languages
Birds
Insects
Entomology is the study of insects and their relationships to humans, their surroundings and the Earth. It forms part of zoology. Not sure who would want to study creepy crawlies, though!
Advertisement
What is the official language of Brazil?
Spanish
Portuguese
While the Spanish colonized most of South America, it was Portugal that got to Brazil first. It was colonized in the name of Portugal by Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500. Naturally, small settlements formed and the Portuguese language was passed on to the local people.
English
An indigenous language
Advertisement
What mountain range that acts as a border between France and Spain?
Andes
Drakensberg
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees form a natural border between France and Spain. The highest peak in the range is Aneto, which is 11,168 feet tall.
None of the above
Advertisement
Do you know which part of your body produces Insulin?
Pancreas
It is the job of the pancreas to make insulin. In type 1 diabetics, the pancreas cannot do that, therefore they have to inject it.
Gallbladder
Heart
Small intestine
Advertisement
From the options below, pick the planet where Superman originated from?
Earth
Hoth
Krypton
Krypton was the home of Superman. He was sent as a child to Earth by his parents as Krypton was about to be destroyed. The planet is first mentioned in Action Comics #1 in 1938.
Pluto
Advertisement
Can you name the politician that became both a vice president and president of the United States without ever being elected to either office?
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford became vice president of the United States when Spiro Agnew resigned in 1974 over tax evasion charges. He then became the president in the same year when Richard Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal.
Ronald Reagan
Richard Nixon
John F Kennedy
Advertisement
Of the options below, which is the biggest mammal on earth?
Hippo
Whale Shark
African Elephant
Blue Whale
Blue whales are the largest mammals on Earth. They can grow up to around 30 feet in length. Not only that, but they weigh close to 200 tons!
Advertisement
Adolf Hitler rose to power in German in the 1930s. When was he appointed Chancellor of the country?
1930
1938
1931
1933
Hitler became the chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933. He was appointed by the then president, Paul von Hindenburg. Effectively, this gave Hitler control of the country, and when Von Hindenburg died, Hitler ruled himself as Fuhrer.
Advertisement
Do you know the date on which Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of England?
June 2, 1953
Elizabeth was crowned Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953, following the death of her father, King George VI. She remains Queen to this day.
September 1, 1939
October 5, 1959
None of the above
Advertisement
In which country was Adolf Hitler born?
Austria
Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, in Braunau am Inn in Austria. His father was born Alois Schicklgruber, then later took the last name of his stepfather, Johann Hiedler. For unknown reasons, the spelling was changed to Hitler.
Germany
East Germany
Switzerland
Advertisement
When a word is the same spelled backwards or forwards it is called what?
Metaphor
Palindrome
English sure is a strange language, of that there is no doubt. If a word is the same spelt forwards and backwards then it is a palindrome. A good example of this would be the word "racecar".
Onomatopoeia
None of the above
Advertisement
Which element on the periodic table used to be called "quicksilver"?
Aluminum
Steel
Lead
Mercury
Mercury is represented by the letters Hg on the periodic table of elements. Other than quicksilver, it has also been called hydrargyrum over the years.
Advertisement
Thanksgiving was first proclaimed in 1863. Which president was responsible for making it a holiday?
Abraham Lincoln
And since that day, turkeys have been nervous. All jokes aside, Thanksgiving is one of the most loved holidays in the United States. And all thanks to "Honest Abe."
Andrew Johnson
George Washington
None of the above
Advertisement
From the list below, what was New York originally called?
Lucerne
New Amsterdam
The area around New York was colonized by the Dutch in 1609, becoming a province in 1625. In 1664 it was captured by the British and renamed New York.
Bristol City
New Birmingham
Advertisement
Sri Lanka had a different name before 1972. Do you know what it was?
Ceylon
Ceylon was given independence from Britain in 1948, but remained Ceylon in name. This changed to Sri Lanka in 1972, after the country became a republic.
Djibouti
Taipei
Rhodesia
Advertisement
What was the name of the Apollo 11 lunar lander?
Gemini
Eagle
"The Eagle has landed." Other than Neil Armstrong's words with his first step, these are probably the most famous words spoken in space. It landed at 20:17:40 UTC on Sunday, July 20 with just 20 seconds of fuel remaining!
Red One
Washington
Advertisement
Can you name the Greek philosopher that actually taught Alexander the Great?
Plato
Pythagoras
Aristotle
Alexander the Great was one of the ancient worlds most impressive military leaders. Tutored by Aristotle, it was the philosopher who encourage Alexander at eastwards expansion.
None of the above
Advertisement
Where were the Winter Olympics first held?
Australia
France
Held in Chamonix, France, the first Winter Olympics ran from January 25 to February 5. 258 athletes from 16 nations participate in 16 events with Norway topping the medal count.
Equatorial Guinea
United States
Advertisement
You Got:
/35
