As they say, knowledge is power. And what better way to gain knowledge than by answering trivia questions? Hard trivia questions can help make kids wiser by teaching them new things, sharpening their reasoning skills, and helping them develop a better understanding of the world around them.
Try asking your kids these hard trivia questions and see how much they learn!
101 Hard Trivia Questions and Answers
Q.1. What Icelandic geothermal location shares the same name as a 1980 film?
A. The Blue Lagoon
Fact: The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa in Iceland. It is located in a lava field in the southwest of the country.
Q.2. What popular tourist destination was once called “The Island of Swine”?
A. Cuba
Fact: Cuba was given its name by Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus who arrived there in 1492.
Q.3. Which African country is the world’s smallest by land area?
A. Seychelles
Fact: The Seychelles is an archipelago consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean.
Q.4. Which ocean has more coastline on it – the Pacific or the Atlantic?
A. The Pacific
Fact: The Pacific Ocean has more coastline than any other ocean. It covers about one-third of the Earth’s surface.
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Try for freeQ.5. What was Henry VIII’s first wife’s name?
A. Catherine of Aragon
Fact: Henry VIII married Catherine of Aragon in 1509. She was the daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile.
Q.6. What was the first country to give women the right to vote?
A. New Zealand
Fac:t In 1893, New Zealand became the first country to give women the right to vote.
Q.7. Who was the first human to journey into space?
A. Yuri Gagarin
Fact: Yuri Gagarin was a Russian cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into space in 1961.
Q.8. Barani, Rudolph, and Randolph are all techniques used in which sport?
A. Trampolining
Fact: Trampolining is a sport where participants use trampolines to perform acrobatic maneuvers.
Q.9. Which African country has the world’s longest river running through it?
A. The Democratic Republic of Congo
Fact: The Congo River is the world’s longest river. It runs through the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa.
Q.10. Mount Kilimanjaro is located in which country?
A. Tanzania
Fact: Mount Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania, East Africa. It is the highest mountain in Africa.
Q.11. Who is the only US president in history who has been impeached twice?
A. Donald Trump
Fact: Donald Trump is the only US president in history who has been impeached twice. He was first impeached in December 2019 and then again in January 2021.
Q.12. Which planet in our solar system is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty?
A. Venus
Fact: Venus is the second planet from the Sun and is the closest planet to Earth. It is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty.
Q.13. How many bones are there in the human skeleton?
A. 206
Fact: When a baby is born, they have about 300 bones. However, as they grow and fuse, the number of bones decreases to 206.
Q.14. Which country was the first to legalize same-sex marriage?
A. The Netherlands
Fact: The Netherlands legalized same-sex marriage in 2001, becoming the first country to do so.
Q.15. Which fast-food chain has chicken-flavored nail paint on the market?
A. KFC
Fact: KFC is a fast-food chain that specializes in chicken. In 2017, they released chicken-flavored nail polish in Hong Kong.
Q.16. Which river runs through the Grand Canyon?
A. The Colorado River
Fact: The Colorado River is one of the most famous tourist destinations globally.
Q.17. How many times can you fold a paper in half?
A. Seven times
Fact: You can fold a paper in half seven times. After that, it becomes too thick to fold any further.
Q.18. When you hold the gold leaf up to the light, what color does it appear?
A. Green
Fact: The gold leaf appears to be green when you hold it up to the light. This is because of the way the light reflects off of the gold.
Q.19. How many keys are there on a standard piano?
A. 88
Fact: Piano is the short form of the word pianoforte, which means “soft-loud” in Italian.
Q.20. Which hospital performed the first human-to-human heart transplant?
A. Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa
Fact: Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, performed the first human-to-human heart transplant in 1967.
Q.21. How many members are there in the United Nations?
A. 193
Fact: United Nations is an international organization that was founded in 1945.
Q.22. Who was the first Black president of South Africa?
A. Nelson Mandela
Fact: Nelson Mandela was the first Black president of South Africa. He served from 1994 to 1999.
Q.23. What is the world’s largest desert?
A. The Sahara Desert
Fact: The Sahara Desert covers more than 9 million square kilometers.
Q.24. It’s the color black in printing. It’s potassium in chemistry. It’s a strikeout in baseball. Which letter is it, exactly?
A. K
Fact: K is the eleventh letter of the alphabet and can represent many different things.
Q.25. Which country has the world’s oldest flag?
A. Denmark
Fact: Denmark has the world’s oldest flag. It is believed to date back to the 13th century.
Q.26. How many players are there in a water polo team?
A. Seven
Fact: Water polo was first played in the 19th century. It is a team sport played with seven players on each team.
Q.27. Who is the United States of America’s youngest president?
A. John F. Kennedy
Fact: John F. Kennedy was 43 when he took office in 1961.
Q.28. Elsa appears in which Disney film?
A. Frozen
Fact: Frozen is a 2013 Disney animated film. It tells the story of Anna, who sets out on an adventure to find her sister Elsa.
Q.29. Who was involved in the creation of “The Communist Manifesto” with Karl Marx?
A. Friedrich Engels
Fact: “The Communist Manifesto” is a political pamphlet published in 1848.
Q.30. What is the world’s largest city by population?
A. Tokyo, Japan
Fact: Tokyo is also the world’s most populous metropolitan area. It has a population of 37.8 million people.
Q.31. Which state has the longest coastline in the United States of America?
A. Alaska
Fact: Alaska has a coastline of 6,640 miles. That is more than twice the length of the coastlines of California and Florida combined.
Q.32. What was the Civil War’s bloodiest single-day combat according to American history?
A. The Battle of Antietam
Fact: The Battle of Antietam was fought on September 17, 1862. It resulted in more than 23,000 casualties.
Q.33. “If you had been a public figure since the time you were a toddler… maybe you too would value privacy above all else,” remarked which actor?
A. Jodie Foster
Fact: Jodie Foster is an American actress and director. She made the remark in reference to her privacy during an interview with The Guardian.
Q.34. What was the name of the first animal to orbit Earth?
A. Laika, a Soviet Union space dog
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Fact: Laika was a Soviet Union space dog. She was launched into orbit on Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957.
Q.35. What is the tallest mountain in North America?
A. Mount McKinley in Alaska
Fact: Mount McKinley is also known as Denali. It is 20,310 feet tall.
Q.36. “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” is a quote often attributed to which writer?
A. Voltaire
Fact: Voltaire was a French writer and philosopher. He was a key figure in the Age of Enlightenment.
Q.37. What does the glass ceiling refer to?
A. The glass ceiling refers to an invisible barrier that limits women’s advancement in the workplace.
Fact: The term “glass ceiling” was first used in a Wall Street Journal article in 1986.
Q.38. Who was the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress?
A. Shirley Chisholm
Fact: Shirley Chisholm was elected to the House of Representatives in 1968. She represented New York’s 12th Congressional district.
Q.39. What is the world’s deepest ocean?
A. The Pacific Ocean
Fact: The Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest ocean. It covers more than 63 million square miles.
Q.40. Which country has the world’s largest army?
A. China
Fact: China has the world’s largest army. It has more than two million soldiers.
Q.41. What is the name of the first African American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature?
A. Toni Morrison
Fact: Toni Morrison is an American novelist. She won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.
Q.42. Windows, Linux, and macOS are all types of what?
A. Operating systems
Fact: An operating system is a software program that manages the hardware and software of a computer.
Q.43. What is the smallest country in the world by population?
A. Vatican City
Fact: Vatican City is a city-state located within Rome, Italy. It has a population of about 1,000 people.
Q.44. What is the name of the first African American woman elected mayor of a major city in the United States?
A. Sharon Pratt
Fact: Nellie Tayloe Ross was the first woman to serve as governor of a U.S. state and remains the only woman to have served as governor of Wyoming.
Q.45. Which country has the world’s largest Muslim population?
A. Indonesia
Fact: Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population. It is about 87% Muslim.
Q.46. What is the world’s largest democracy?
A. India
Fact: India is the world’s largest democracy. It has more than 1.3 billion people.
Q.47. Who was the first African American nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award?
A. Sidney Poitier
Fact: Sidney Poitier was nominated for his role in the film “Lilies of the Field.” He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1964.
Q.48. What is the world’s largest city by area?
A. New York City
Fact: New York City is the world’s largest city by area. It covers more than 800 square miles.
Q.49. In which country is the international airport of Hamilton Kindley Field located?
A. Bermuda
Fact: Hamilton Kindley Field is located in Bermuda. It is the only airport in Bermuda.
Q.50. What were the first materials used to make fake Christmas trees?
A. Goose feathers and aluminum foil
Fact: The first fake Christmas trees were made in Germany in the 19th century. They used goose feathers and aluminum foil to make them.
Q.51. Which continent has the largest landmass: Canada or Antarctica?
A. Antarctica
Fact: Antarctica is the world’s largest continent. It covers more than 14 million square kilometers.
Q.52. What is the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo?
A. Kinshasa
Fact: Kinshasa is located on the Congo River.
Q.53. What is the world’s largest island?
A. Greenland
Fact: Greenland is the world’s largest island. It is about 2.2 million square kilometers.
Q.54. What year did America declare its independence from England?
A. 1776
Fact: America declared its independence from England on July 4, 1776.
Q.55. Who led India to independence from the British Raj?
A. Mahatma Gandhi
Fact: Mahatma Gandhi was the leader of the Indian independence movement. He is also one of the founding fathers of India.
Q.56. What is the name of the first Black woman to travel into space?
A. Mae Jemison
Fact: Mae Jemison is an American astronaut. She flew on the space shuttle “Endeavour” in 1992.
Q.57. Who was the first American president to be impeached?
A. Andrew Johnson
Fact: Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1868. He was acquitted by the Senate.
Q.58. What is the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city?
A. Damascus, Syria
Fact: Damascus is thought to be the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city. It has been inhabited for more than 5,000 years.
Q.59. Who is considered the father of the American Revolution?
A. Samuel Adams
Fact: George Washington was the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
Q.60. Whose assassination was the ‘girl in the polka dot dress’ an eyewitness to?
A. Robert Kennedy
Fact: The “girl in the polka dot dress” was an eyewitness to the assassination of Robert Kennedy. She was allegedly present at various locations throughout the Ambassador Hotel before and after the assassination.
Q.61. Where can you find Sahti, a classic Juniper-flavored beer?
A. Finland
Fact: Sahti is a traditional Finnish beer. It is made with juniper berries and has a strong flavor.
Q.62. What year did Russia annex Crimea?
A. 2014
Fact: Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. This led to international sanctions being placed on Russia.
Q.63. Before Disney renamed her, what princess was known as Badr al-Budur?
A. Jasmine
Fact: Jasmine was originally going to be named Badr al-Budur. Disney changed her name to Jasmine because they thought it sounded more “exotic.”
Q.64. What’s the highest mountain peak in North America?
A. Mount Denali
Fact: Mount Denali, formerly known as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America. It is located in Alaska.
Q.65. In what year were women first allowed to vote in the United States?
A. 1920
Fact: Women were first allowed to vote in the United States in 1920. This was known as the 19th Amendment.
Q.66. Which president is credited with ending slavery in the United States?
A. Abraham Lincoln
Fact: Abraham Lincoln is credited with ending slavery in the United States. He signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
Q.67. Which country has the world’s largest Buddhist population?
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A. China
Fact: China has the world’s largest Buddhist population. There are an estimated 300 million Buddhists in China.
Q.68. When does a “crepuscular” animal become active?
A. At dawn and dusk
Fact: Crepuscular animals include animals such as bats and owls.
Q.69. Which country has the greatest amount of freshwater resources?
A. Brazil
Fact: Brazil has the most significant amount of freshwater resources. It has 12% of the world’s freshwater resources.
Q.70. What is the tallest mountain in Africa?
A. Mount Kilimanjaro
Fact: Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa. It is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world.
Q.71. Who was the first Black American to appear on a U.S. postage stamp?
A. Booker T. Washington
Fact: Booker T. Washington was the first Black American to appear on a U.S. postage stamp. The stamp was issued in 1940.
Q72. What are baby kangaroos called?
A. Joey
Fact: Baby kangaroos are born blind and weigh only about 1 ounce (28 grams).
Q.73. What is the hard outer covering of a seed called?
A. The seed coat
Fact: The seed coat protects the seed from damage and helps it to germinate.
Q.74. What is the name of the process by which a plant produces its food?
A. Photosynthesis
Fact: Photosynthesis is how a plant produces its food. The plant uses sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Q.75. What is the smallest bone in the human body?
A. The stapes, or stirrup bone, in the middle ear
Fact: The stapes are about the size of a pea.
Q.76. What are Lachesis, Atropos, and Clotho in Greek mythology?
A. The Three Fates
Fact: The Three Fates are Lachesis, Atropos, and Clotho. They are the goddesses of destiny in Greek mythology.
Q.77. Who is said to have written the song “Golden Years” for Elvis Presley but recorded it himself?
A. David Bowie
Fact: David Bowie wrote the song and later recorded it himself. The song was released in 1975.
Q.78. Who is the patron saint of Venice?
A. Saint Mark
Fact: Saint Mark is also the author of the Gospel of Mark.
Q.79. What are the top two most spoken languages in the world?
A. Mandarin Chinese and Spanish
Fact: Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world, followed by Spanish.
Q.80. How many years did the Hundred Years’ War last?
A. 116
Fact: The Hundred Years’ War was a series of conflicts between England and France. It lasted from 1337 to 1453.
Q.81. Who led England to victory in the Battle of Agincourt?
A. King Henry V
Fact: The Battle of Agincourt was fought in 1415. Henry V led England to victory against a much larger French army.
Q.82. What was the world’s first photograph?
A. View from the Window at Le Gras, taken in 1826 or 1827 by Nicéphore Niépce
Fact: The world’s first photograph was taken in 1826 or 1827 by Nicéphore Niépce. It is a view of the city of Strasbourg from his window.
Q.83. Who was the well-known civil rights leader who battled using nonviolent means?
A. Martin Luther King Jr.
Fact: Martin Luther King Jr. was a well-known civil rights leader who used nonviolent means to battle against discrimination and segregation. He was assassinated in 1968.
Q84. For what purpose was the Panama Canal built?
A. To allow ships to pass from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean
Fact: The Panama Canal was built between 1904 and 1914. It is a man-made waterway that allows ships to pass from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
Q.85. What were the first contraceptive methods made of?
A. Honey, lemon juice, and crocodile dung
Fact: The first contraceptive methods were made of honey, lemon juice, and crocodile dung. They were used in ancient Egypt and China.
Q.86. What is the highest mountain peak in Europe?
A. Mount Elbrus, in the Caucasus Mountains
Fact: Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain peak in Europe. It is also the tallest mountain in Russia.
Q.87. Who gave the famous “I Have a Dream” speech?
A. Martin Luther King Jr.
Fact: Martin Luther King Jr. gave the famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963. He was a civil rights leader who used nonviolent means to battle against discrimination and segregation.
Q88. Who were the first people to climb Mount Everest?
A. Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary
Fact: Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary were the first people to climb Mount Everest. They reached the summit on May 29, 1953.
Q.89. What are people who suffer from Alektorophobia afraid of?
A. Chickens
Fact: Alektorophobia is the fear of chickens. It is a type of avian phobia.
Q.90. Who was the first person to circumnavigate the globe?
A. Ferdinand Magellan
Fact: Ferdinand Magellan was the first person to circumnavigate the globe. He departed from Spain in 1519 and returned in 1522.
Q.91. What were Ancient Egyptian tombs mainly used for?
A. To bury the Pharaohs and their families
Fact: Ancient Egyptian tombs were mainly used to bury the Pharaohs and their families. They were also used to store their belongings.
Q92. What is the national animal of Scotland?
A. The unicorn
Fact: The unicorn has been used in Scottish heraldry since the 12th century.
Q.93. What is the driest place on the planet?
A. The Atacama Desert in Chile
Fact: The Atacama Desert is the driest place on Earth. It receives an average of 1mm of rain per year.
Q.94. What is the oldest country in the world?
A. Iran
Fact: San Marino is the oldest country in the world. It was founded in 301 AD by a stonecutter named Marinus.
Q97. What type of animal is on the Uganda flag?
A. A Crested Crane
Fact: The national bird of Uganda is the Crested Crane. It is also featured on the country’s flag.
Q.98. What was the ship’s name that transported the Pilgrims to New England in 1620?
A. The Mayflower
Fact: The Mayflower was an English ship that transported the first English Puritans, who later became known as the Pilgrims, from Plymouth, England, to the New World in 1620.
Q.99. Who was the first to suggest that Daylight Savings Time be implemented?
A. Benjamin Franklin
Fact: In 1784, Benjamin Franklin proposed that people could save money on candles by getting up earlier and using the morning sunlight.
Q.100. How many time zones are there in the world?
A. 24
Fact: There are 24 time zones in the world, each one corresponding to a different hour.
Q.101. What is the name of the now-extinct flightless bird that was last observed off the coast of Iceland?
A. The Great Auk
Fact: The Great Auk was a large, flightless bird that was last seen in 1844 off the coast of Iceland. It was hunted to extinction by humans for its feathers, used to make pillows and other items.
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Keep the Ball Rolling
There you have it—101 hard trivia questions for kids! How many did your child get right? Check out our interactive games to keep your kids’ brains challenged. Also, check out our Disney Trivia Questions to keep the momentum going and teach your kids about their favorite characters from the Disney universe!
