History trivia is a fun, interactive way to help students review what they’ve learned, show off the facts they know, and learn something new. Here’s how to incorporate history trivia into your classroom:
- Create teams. Either within one classroom or across a grade, put students into trivia teams. Before creating teams, have students choose which type of history they know the most about so you can create well-rounded teams.
- Ask questions in various ways. There is the old standard Q and A, or mix it up by providing Jeopardy-style questions.
- Make trivia a class incentive. Turn trivia into an end-of-class treat for a sneaky way to get students to learn and remember more history.
- Inject history trivia into your lessons. Sprinkle trivia questions into lectures with quick trivia rounds.
- Add trivia to theme days. Make trivia one of the activities during spirit day or spirit week.
- Use technology. Create online games using Kahoot or other online question-and-answer options. Or if you use clickers or another student-response software, take advantage of those to allow all students to answer.
However you decide to use history trivia in your classroom, here are 140 questions that will challenge students’ history knowledge!
American History Trivia
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
Who had the shortest term of all U.S. presidents?
William Henry Harrison died 32 days into his presidency, making his the shortest tenure as U.S. president.
Which seven U.S. states seceded and formed the original Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War?
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas.
What was the longest war in U.S. history?
The Afghan War was the longest, lasting 20 years and ending in 2021.
How many U.S. presidents have been assassinated?
Four U.S. presidents have been assassinated: Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy.
In what year was President John F. Kennedy assassinated?
Where was John F. Kennedy assassinated?
Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963.
What was the name of the first successful U.S. colony?
The first U.S. colony was Jamestown, Virginia, established in 1607.
What group orchestrated a terrorist attack against the United States on September 11, 2001?
Al Qaeda, founded by terrorist and mass murderer Osama bin Laden.
What scandal forced President Richard M. Nixon to resign in 1974?
Nixon resigned as a result of his involvement in the burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate multi-use building complex in Washington, D.C. The scandal became known as Watergate.
How many Native Americans are estimated to have lived in the United States at the time the Europeans arrived?
Scholars vary widely on the number of Indigenous people at that time, but it’s estimated at 18 million to 20 million people.
How many Native Americans were relocated during the Trail of Tears?
An estimated 100,000 Native Americans were removed from their territories and relocated.
European History Trivia
What was the name of the ruling family in Russia from 1613 to 1917?
In which war did the Battle of the Bulge take place?
Where was dictator Adolf Hitler born?
Although most often associated with Germany, Hitler was actually born in Austria.
What is the name of the pandemic that ravaged and killed a third of Europe’s population in the 14th century?
The Bubonic Plague, or Black Death.
The Reign of Terror was a period during which major social and political event?
The French Revolution, which took place from 1789 to 1799.
Which countries were not members of the Allied powers during World War II?
Italy, Germany, and Japan made up the Axis powers.
Who wrote “The Communist Manifesto”?
German socialists Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
When was Napoleon defeated at Waterloo?
He was defeated in 1815, ending a war that lasted 23 years.
The period of European history that lasted from the 14th to the 17th centuries is known by what famous name?
Marie Antoinette was the archduchess of what country?
She was archduchess of Austria and later queen of France, before the French Revolution.
What country financed Christopher Columbus’ expedition to explore the Americas?
African American History Trivia
When did the first Africans arrive in the United States?
The early 1500s, in the early days of the Age of Exploration.
In what year was slavery introduced in America?
Who won four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics, infuriating Adolf Hitler?
Track-and-field athlete Jessie Owens, who was Black and therefore considered a second-class citizen at that time.
Who was the first African American to be elected president of the United States?
Where did Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech?
The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
What event sparked the modern Civil Rights Movement in the United States?
What Supreme Court decision ruled segregation in schools unconstitutional?
Who was the first Black American Supreme Court Justice?
Who is the best-known conductor in the Underground Railroad?
What novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe showed the harsh realities of slavery and was the book that Abraham Lincoln said started the Civil War?
Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Lincoln met Stowe in 1862, 10 years after the book was published.
What was the Greenwood area of Tulsa, Oklahoma, known as in the early 1900s?
Asian History Trivia
Which world leader is famous for his Little Red Book?
Mao Zedong, or Mao Tse-tung.
The Khmer Rouge was a regime ruling which nation in the 20th century?
The radical Communist movement ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979.
Who was the first Western explorer to reach China?
Which cities were hit by atomic bombs in 1945?
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
What was the first dynasty of Imperial China?
The Qin dynasty of 221 to 206 B.C.E.
What Chinese locale was the infamous site of protests that turned tragic in 1989?
Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
The Mandate of Heaven was important to the rulers of what ancient place?
What was the Silk Road?
It was a trade route between China and the West.
When did Great Britain rule over India?
Beginning in 1858 and lasting for 50+ years.
Which war split Korea into two countries?
Who led the Mongol Empire?
Hispanic History Trivia
Eva Peron was the first lady of what country?
In which year did Panama assume control of the Panama Canal?
The canal was turned over to the Panamanians on December 31, 1999, by treaty.
What was Argentinian Che Guevara’s role in the Cuban Revolution?
Guevara was a prominent communist figure in the Cuban Revolution who played key roles in the new government following the revolution. His execution in 1967 made him somewhat of a martyr to leftists around the world.
What Mexican American labor leader was instrumental in improving conditions for migrant farm workers?
Who was defeated in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862?
The Mexicans defeated the French Army.
A significant portion of the American Southwest used to be part of which country?
Which leader of Cuba was in power for 49 years?
Fidel Castro. He stepped down as president in 2008.
World History Trivia
What famous mountaineer and Sherpa became the first men to conquer Mount Everest?
Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
When did the First World War start?
1914.
On what continent did the Black Death have the greatest impact?
Which country in Asia was a member of the Axis powers during World War II?
Where did the Titanic sink?
What Ukrainian nuclear power manufacturer was the site of a nuclear disaster in April 1986?
The first Opium War was a battle between which two countries?
England and China. They fought over the illegal opium trade, which was causing major disruption in China.
What famous military formation was created by Alexander the Great?
Phalanx, a tactical formation consisting of a block of heavily armed infantry standing shoulder to shoulder in files several ranks deep.
Women’s History Trivia
Who was the “Virgin Queen”?
Queen Elizabeth I, who chose not to get married and instead devote herself to her reign as queen.
Cleopatra was queen of what country?
Who was the first female Hispanic astronaut?
Who was the first female to be elected into the U.S. Congress?
Jeannette Rankin was elected in 1916 and worked toward world peace for most of her life.
How did Joan of Arc die?
Who was the first woman to fly solo around the world?
Which country was the first to allow women to vote?
Who was the first African American woman to be crowned Miss America?
Vanessa Williams. She went on to become a very successful singer and actress.
What woman partnered with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and worked with her for women’s equality for the next half century?
Susan B. Anthony met Stanton in the 1850s.
Clara Barton played what role during the Civil War?
She was a nurse and later founded the American Red Cross.
What is Rachel Carson known for?
She wrote the environmental science book Silent Spring, which was influential in the modern environmental movement.
Ancient History Trivia
What is the name of the first human civilization?
What achievements are the Maya known for?
Who famously ran through the streets crying Eureka?
Which Greek historian is the “Father of History”?
The Ptolemy dynasty ruled which ancient kingdom?
The ancient city of Rome was built on how many hills?
Seven. And they’re appropriately named the Seven Hills of Rome.
One of the ancient wonders of the world, where were the Hanging Gardens located?
Babylon, in modern-day southern Iraq.
How many days were in a week in ancient Rome?
Who was the emperor of Rome from A.D. 54 to A.D. 68?
Nero.
The Inca Empire is located in which modern-day country?
Peru.
Who crossed the Rubicon, prompting a civil war that ended the Roman Republic?
Which Roman emperor built a massive wall across northern Britain in A.D. 122?
Hadrian. It’s famously known as Hadrian’s Wall.
What famous 5th century A.D. conqueror was known as “The Scourge of God”?
Attila the Hun, considered one of the greatest barbarian rulers in history.
Modern History Trivia
Who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize when she was just 17 years old?
Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai.
Which country was the subject of Brexit?
The United Kingdom, which withdrew from the European Union.
Where was the COVID-19 virus initially identified?
Wuhan, China.
When did the Internet really become popular?
The Internet really took off in the mid-1990s after it became easier to use.
Who leaked classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2013?
In what year was Nelson Mandela freed from prison?
Mandela was released in 1990 after spending 27 years in a South Africa prison.
Who was the first woman vice president of the United States?
Who was the first wife of King Charles III?
In which year did the Soviet Union collapse?
In 1991. It was replaced by 15 independent countries.
Art History Trivia
Who was Virgil?
A famous Roman poet whom the Romans regard as their greatest poet.
How many times has the Mona Lisa been stolen?
Once, but it has been vandalized more than a few times.
Who painted the Sistine Chapel?
Which London theater is William Shakespeare closely associated with?
Which civilization was centered around the city of Tenochtitlan?
What is thought to be the bestselling novel of all time?
What renowned Mexican self-portrait painter is also known for her prominent eyebrows?
Which fashion brand did Karl Lagerfeld work for as creative director from 1983 until his death?
Sports History Trivia
Where was the first Olympics held?
Which U.S. president was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame?
Abraham Lincoln was inducted in 1992!
Who was the first African American to play baseball in the major leagues?
Fifteen jockeys rode in the first Kentucky Derby. How many were African American?
13.
What fitness program is said to have originated in the 1990s when Colombian aerobics teacher Alberto Perez subbed salsa and merengue for his normal workout-class music?
What National Football League (NFL) team became the first to have a perfect season by winning every game?
The Miami Dolphins in 1972.
In 2016, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, breaking a decades-long “curse.” What animal was believed to have brought on the curse?
Science and Technology History Trivia
What is considered the first human technology?
Who patented the electric light bulb?
What was the name of Charles Darwin’s boat?
Where did Darwin make his scientific discoveries that influenced his ideas on natural selection?
In which country was the largest known T-Rex skeleton found?
What was the name of the first space shuttle to go into space?
When did the first space shuttle go into space?
Who created the first successful printing press?
Who built the first car in America?
What common disease has been completely eradicated by successful vaccination?
In what year was the television invented?
1927.
How long did it take Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, to orbit Earth?
In which year did the Challenger disaster take place?
1986.
What was the name of the first computer?
In what year was the first Internet domain registered?
In 1985, and the domain name was Symbolics.com.
When was the first electric car introduced?
In the 1870s.
In what year was Facebook founded?
2004.
In 1996, a sheep became the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. What was the name of that sheep?
Music History Trivia
What is the name of The Beatles’ debut album?
What famous music festival took place in New York State in 1969?
In which movie did Elvis Presley make his film debut?
What was the name of the first music video played on MTV?
“Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles.
What is the name of the influential record label founded by Berry Gordy Jr. in Detroit?
What was Madonna’s first top 10 hit?
“Borderline.”
Who was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Which famous classical composer was deaf?
Just for Fun History Trivia
What was the shortest war in history?
The Anglo-Zanzibar War, fought between Britain and Zanzibar. It was 40 minutes long.
How long did the 100 Years’ War last?
There have been four eons since the Earth’s beginning. What is the name of the eon we are living in now?
The Phanerozoic Eon.
Which human ancestor was the first to discover fire?
From whom did the United States acquire Alaska?
Russia, at a price of $7.2 million in 1867.
Which country gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States?
Which great wonder of the Ancient World still stands today?
Which country was the first to legalize same-sex marriage?
