Easy Trivia Questions and Answers

All 111 easy trivia questions with answers

1. How many continents are there on Earth?

   Answer: SevenThe seven-continent model is the one taught across most of the English-speaking world.General KnowledgeWhy?

2. How many days are there in a leap year?

   Answer: 366The extra day keeps the calendar aligned with Earth's orbit.General KnowledgeWhy?

3. How many hours are there in a week?

   Answer: 168Seven days multiplied by twenty-four hours.General Knowledge

4. Big Ben and Buckingham Palace are landmarks of which city?

   Answer: LondonBig Ben is strictly the name of the bell, not the clock tower itself.Geography

5. Brazil lies on which continent?

   Answer: South AmericaIt is the largest country on the continent and the only one where Portuguese is the official language.Geography

6. Cairo stands on the banks of which river?

   Answer: NileThe city sits just south of the point where the river splits into its delta.Geography

7. A caterpillar changes into a butterfly through which process?

   Answer: MetamorphosisInside the chrysalis most of the larval body is broken down and rebuilt.Science

8. A ramp is an example of which simple machine?

   Answer: Inclined planeIt trades a longer distance for a smaller force to raise the same load.Science

9. A rock from space that survives to reach Earth's surface is called what?

   Answer: MeteoriteWhile still burning through the atmosphere it is a meteor; only the landed piece is a meteorite.Science

10. Alexander the Great was king of which ancient kingdom?

    Answer: MacedonHe conquered the Persian Empire and reached India before dying at Babylon aged 32.History

11. Christopher Columbus sailed west in 1492 under the flag of which country?

    Answer: SpainHe was Genoese, but Ferdinand and Isabella paid for the voyage.History

12. In August 1945 atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and which other Japanese city?

    Answer: NagasakiKyoto had been on the target list but was removed, and Nagasaki was bombed three days after Hiroshima.History

13. In film-making, what does a film's 'score' mean?

    Answer: Its original background musicA score is composed specifically for the film, unlike a soundtrack of existing songs licensed for it.Movie

14. In Finding Nemo, what kind of fish is the title character?

    Answer: A clownfishReal clownfish shelter among the stinging tentacles of sea anemones.Movie

15. In Jurassic Park, the dinosaur park sits on an island off the coast of which country?

    Answer: Costa RicaThe fictional Isla Nublar lies off Costa Rica's Pacific coast in both Michael Crichton's novel and the film.Movie

16. Adele's album 21, released in 2011, is named after what?

    Answer: Her age when she wrote itAll of Adele's studio albums carry the age she was while writing them.Music

17. Hip hop emerged in the 1970s in which US city?

    Answer: New York CityIt grew out of block parties in the Bronx, where DJs extended the instrumental breaks of funk records.Music

18. How many lines are there in a standard musical staff?

    Answer: FiveNotes sit both on the lines and in the four spaces between them.Music

19. A baby platypus is commonly called a what?

    Answer: PuggleBaby echidnas get the same nickname, since both are egg-laying monotremes.Funny

20. A group of crows is traditionally called a what?

    Answer: A murderThe term dates to medieval lists of hunting and poetic collective nouns.Funny

21. A group of owls is known as a what?

    Answer: A parliamentThe term was popularised by C. S. Lewis in the Narnia books.Funny

22. A full round of golf is normally how many holes?

    Answer: 18St Andrews settled on eighteen in 1764 and the rest of the world followed.Sports

23. A perfect game in ten-pin bowling scores how many points?

    Answer: 300It takes twelve strikes in a row across ten frames.Sports

24. Birdie, eagle and albatross are scoring terms in which sport?

    Answer: GolfEach describes finishing a hole one, two or three strokes under par.Sports

25. Besides Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln, which president is carved on Mount Rushmore?

    Answer: Theodore RooseveltSculptor Gutzon Borglum picked him to represent national development.US History

26. How many original colonies formed the United States?

    Answer: 13They are the thirteen stripes still on the flag.US History

27. In which year was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

    Answer: 1776The Continental Congress approved it on July 4, 1776.US History

28. A baby kangaroo is called a what?

    Answer: JoeyIt is born about the size of a jellybean and finishes developing in the pouch.Animal

29. A group of fish swimming together is called a what?

    Answer: SchoolA loose gathering is a shoal; a school is one moving in unison.Animal

30. A group of lions is called a what?

    Answer: PrideLions are the only truly social big cats.Animal

31. A tarte Tatin is an upside-down tart made with which fruit?

    Answer: ApplesThe fruit caramelises under the pastry and the tart is flipped after baking.Food and Drink

32. Espresso is produced by forcing hot water through what?

    Answer: Finely ground coffeePressure pulls out oils that a drip filter leaves behind.Food and Drink

33. Feta is the best known cheese of which country?

    Answer: GreeceIt is a protected name and must be made largely from sheep's milk there.Food and Drink

34. A number divisible only by itself and 1 is called what?

    Answer: PrimeBy convention 1 itself is excluded from the primes.Math

35. How many degrees are in a right angle?

    Answer: 90Four of them meet at the centre of a square.MathWhy?

36. How many sides does a hexagon have?

    Answer: SixRegular hexagons tile a flat surface with no gaps, which is why honeycomb uses them.MathWhy?

37. Bob Geldof was the driving force behind which 1985 charity concert?

    Answer: Live AidIt raised money for famine relief in Ethiopia and was broadcast worldwide.80s

38. Coca-Cola's much-mocked 1985 reformulation was popularly called what?

    Answer: New CokeThe original formula returned within three months as Coca-Cola Classic.80s

39. Erno Rubik, inventor of the cube that swept the world in 1980, came from which country?

    Answer: HungaryRubik was a Budapest architecture lecturer who built the cube as a teaching aid.80s

40. Jurassic Park, released in 1993, was directed by whom?

    Answer: Steven SpielbergMost of the dinosaurs on screen were animatronic rather than computer generated.90s

41. Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa in which year?

    Answer: 1994He had been released from prison four years earlier, in February 1990.90s

42. Nirvana's breakthrough album, released in 1991, carried which title?

    Answer: NevermindIt pushed guitar bands from Seattle into the mainstream almost overnight.90s

43. Breaking Bad is set in which American city?

    Answer: AlbuquerqueThe story was originally written for California but moved for filming incentives.TV

44. Cheers was set in a bar in which city?

    Answer: BostonIts spin-off Frasier moved the lead character across the country to Seattle.TV

45. Downton Abbey is set in a country house in which English county?

    Answer: YorkshireThe exteriors were filmed at Highclere Castle, which is actually in Hampshire.TV

46. According to the Nativity story, which three gifts did the wise men bring?

    Answer: Gold, frankincense and myrrhFrankincense and myrrh are both aromatic tree resins, and were costly trade goods.Christmas

47. An Advent calendar counts down to which day?

    Answer: Christmas DayMost versions have twenty-four doors, opening from 1 December.Christmas

48. How many days of gifts are counted in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas?

    Answer: TwelveThe twelve days run from Christmas Day to Epiphany on 6 January.Christmas

49. Children going door to door on Halloween say which phrase?

    Answer: Trick or treatThe bargain is playful: hand over sweets and no prank follows.Halloween

50. Halloween is a shortened form of which older name?

    Answer: All Hallows' EveHallow is an old word for a saint or holy person.Halloween

51. On which date is Halloween celebrated?

    Answer: October 31It falls on the eve of All Saints' Day, which is why it is called All Hallows' Eve.Halloween

52. What is the capital of Argentina?

    Answer: Buenos AiresIt stands on the estuary of the Rio de la Plata.World CapitalsWhy?

53. What is the capital of Canada?

    Answer: OttawaIt was chosen partly as a compromise between English and French-speaking rivals.World CapitalsWhy?

54. What is the capital of China?

    Answer: BeijingIts name means northern capital.World CapitalsWhy?

55. Cinderella loses which item at the ball?

    Answer: A glass slipperThe prince uses the slipper to identify her afterwards.Disney

56. Frozen is loosely based on a fairy tale by which author?

    Answer: Hans Christian AndersenThe source is Andersen's story The Snow Queen.Disney

57. In The Lion King, who is Simba's father?

    Answer: MufasaMufasa is the reigning king at the start of the 1994 film.Disney

58. How many books are there in the main Harry Potter series?

    Answer: SevenThe final book was split into two films, giving eight films from seven books.Harry Potter

59. What is the name of the wizarding bank in Diagon Alley?

    Answer: GringottsIt is run by goblins and guarded deep underground.Harry Potter

60. What kind of animal is Harry's pet Hedwig?

    Answer: A snowy owlOwls carry the post in the wizarding world.Harry Potter

61. Thor's hammer is called what?

    Answer: MjolnirStormbreaker is a separate weapon he later acquires.Marvel

62. Which fictional African nation is the home of Black Panther?

    Answer: WakandaLatveria is Doctor Doom's country in Europe.Marvel

63. Which Marvel character is Thor's adoptive brother and frequent adversary?

    Answer: LokiLoki is associated with trickery in both Norse myth and the comics.Marvel

64. How many apostles did Jesus choose, according to the Gospels?

    Answer: TwelveThe number echoes the twelve tribes of Israel.Bible

65. How many commandments are traditionally said to have been given to Moses on the mountain?

    Answer: TenThey are listed in both Exodus and Deuteronomy.Bible

66. In which town do the Gospels of Matthew and Luke place the birth of Jesus?

    Answer: BethlehemNazareth is where the Gospels say he grew up.Bible

67. Beyonce's 2003 solo debut album was titled what?

    Answer: Dangerously in LoveIt followed her years fronting Destiny's Child.2000s

68. Euro banknotes and coins entered circulation in which year?

    Answer: 2002The currency existed electronically for three years before the cash appeared.2000s

69. In which year did Apple announce the first iPhone?

    Answer: 2007Sales began that June, months after the January announcement.2000s

70. Bohemian Rhapsody, released in 1975, was recorded by which band?

    Answer: QueenIt spent nine weeks at number one in the UK on first release.70s

71. Which 1972 crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola won Best Picture?

    Answer: The GodfatherMarlon Brando refused the Best Actor award he won for it.70s

72. Which 1975 Steven Spielberg film centred on a great white shark?

    Answer: JawsThe mechanical shark broke down so often that it barely appears on screen.70s

73. In which month do Americans celebrate Thanksgiving?

    Answer: NovemberCanadians hold theirs a month and a half earlier.Thanksgiving

74. In which month is Canadian Thanksgiving held?

    Answer: OctoberThe earlier date reflects Canada's earlier harvest.Thanksgiving

75. On which day of the week does US Thanksgiving always fall?

    Answer: ThursdayThat fixed weekday is what creates the long holiday weekend.Thanksgiving

76. Cupid is the Roman counterpart of which Greek god?

    Answer: ErosBoth are gods of desire rather than of marriage.Valentine's Day

77. How many roses make the traditional Valentine's bouquet?

    Answer: TwelveA dozen has been the standard florist's bunch for well over a century.Valentine's Day

78. In the northern hemisphere, Valentine's Day falls in which season?

    Answer: WinterMid-February is still deep winter across most of Europe and North America.Valentine's Day

79. A successful field goal adds how many points?

    Answer: ThreeIt must pass between the uprights and above the crossbar.NFL

80. Chicago's NFL franchise is called the what?

    Answer: BearsThe other three names belong to Chicago's baseball, basketball and hockey teams.NFL

81. How many downs does an offense get to gain ten yards?

    Answer: FourGaining the ten yards resets the count to first down.NFL

82. From how far out is a penalty kick taken?

    Answer: Twelve yardsThat is why the penalty area is sometimes called the eighteen-yard box.Soccer

83. How long is a standard match, not counting stoppage time?

    Answer: Ninety minutesIt is played as two halves of forty-five minutes.Soccer

84. How many players does each team field at kickoff?

    Answer: ElevenOne of the eleven must be a designated goalkeeper.Soccer

85. How many rings appear on the Olympic flag?

    Answer: FiveThey are interlocked in two rows of three and two.Olympics

86. How many years usually pass between Summer Olympic Games?

    Answer: FourThe Winter Games now fall in the even years between them.Olympics

87. In which year were the modern Olympic Games first held?

    Answer: 1896The revival came fifteen centuries after the ancient games were discontinued.Olympics

88. An annual Easter Egg Roll is held on the lawn of which building?

    Answer: The White HouseChildren push eggs across the grass with long-handled spoons.Easter

89. Easter commemorates which event?

    Answer: The resurrection of JesusChristmas marks the birth; Easter marks the resurrection.Easter

90. Easter eggs are most commonly given today in which form?

    Answer: ChocolateHollow molded chocolate eggs became widespread in the nineteenth century.Easter

91. Chandler Bing was played by which actor?

    Answer: Matthew PerryMatt LeBlanc played Joey and David Schwimmer played Ross.Friends

92. Friends originally aired on which American network?

    Answer: NBCIt ran on NBC's Thursday night line-up from 1994 to 2004.Friends

93. Joey and Chandler keep which pair of pets in their apartment?

    Answer: A duck and a chickThe chick grows into a rooster, which is why the neighbours complain.Friends

94. Angela is known around the office for keeping large numbers of which animal?

    Answer: CatsHer cats, including Sprinkles and Bandit, become a running thread through several seasons.The Office

95. At the start of the US series Pam holds which job?

    Answer: ReceptionistShe later moves into sales and then a short-lived office administrator role.The Office

96. Away from the office, Dwight runs which kind of farm?

    Answer: A beet farmSchrute Farms grows beets and doubles as a bed and breakfast in later seasons.The Office

97. Darth Vader's voice in the original trilogy was provided by which actor?

    Answer: James Earl JonesDavid Prowse wore the suit; his lines were replaced with Jones's voice in post-production.Star Wars

98. Han Solo's freighter is named what?

    Answer: Millennium FalconThe Tantive IV is Leia's ship in the opening of the 1977 film.Star Wars

99. Han Solo's Wookiee co-pilot is called what?

    Answer: ChewbaccaChewbacca was played in the original trilogy by Peter Mayhew.Star Wars

100. Aragorn was played by which actor in the films?

     Answer: Viggo MortensenMortensen was cast after filming had already begun, replacing another actor.Lord of the Rings

101. Frodo Baggins was played by which actor in the films?

     Answer: Elijah WoodSean Astin played Sam, and Boyd and Monaghan played Pippin and Merry.Lord of the Rings

102. Frodo belongs to which people?

     Answer: HobbitsTolkien also called them halflings, a name used by other peoples of Middle-earth.Lord of the Rings

103. A shot made from beyond the arc is worth how many points?

     Answer: ThreeEverything inside the arc counts two, and free throws count one.NBA

104. A successful free throw is worth how many points?

     Answer: OneFree throws are taken unopposed from the line after certain fouls.NBA

105. Chicago's NBA team is known by which nickname?

     Answer: BullsThe Bears, Blackhawks and Cubs are the city's football, hockey and baseball teams.NBA

106. A batter who reaches base safely on a fair batted ball, with no fielding error, is credited with a what?

     Answer: HitIf a fielder misplays the ball, the official scorer records an error instead.Baseball

107. A home run hit with the bases loaded is known as a what?

     Answer: Grand slamIt scores four runs, the most possible from a single swing.Baseball

108. A regulation Major League game lasts how many innings if it is not tied?

     Answer: NineExtra innings are played only to break a tie.Baseball

109. Austin serves as the capital of which state?

     Answer: TexasHouston and Dallas are both larger, but the seat of government sits in Austin.US States

110. Denver is the capital of which state?

     Answer: ColoradoIt sits at roughly a mile above sea level, hence the Mile High City nickname.US States

111. Honolulu is the capital of which state?

     Answer: HawaiiIt sits on the island of Oahu, not the largest island in the chain.US States