This article contains some of the best history trivia questions for you and your friends.
If are you looking for a list of history questions to polish your knowledge of historical facts and timelines, then you are in the right place.
You can go through our entries, answering the questions you can in a casual leisurely manner or as a questions game with your close friends.
The questions are simple and cover a wide scope including early European history, the American pilgrims, colonization of Africa and Asia, Opium Wars to pre-historical facts.
The Start of World Wars
Trivia Question: What event sparked the beginning of World War One?
Answer: Street assassination of the Austrian archduke
Shortest Reigning Queen
Trivia Question: How long is the shortest reign of an English Queen in history?
Answer: Lady Jane Grey
She ruled for 9 days only.
Germany Before Unification
Trivia Question: What was Germany called before its reunification?
Answer: Weimar Republic
The Theory of Evolution
Trivia Question: In Charles Darwin’s Evolution Theory, what was the name of the first human to stand upright?
Answer: Homo erectus
Human Genetics
Trivia Question: What are some examples of extinct human sub-species that still impact our genes to this day?
Answer: Neanderthal, Denisovans, Peking man, Java man
Historical Timeframes
Trivia Question: What is the correct order of these historical timeframes: Epoch, Era, Ages?
Answer: Epoch, Era, Age
An epoch is a timeframe that accounts for millions of years. An era can be used in place of age. However, an era is a longer period compared to age i.e Mesozoic era of the dinosaurs vs the age of man.
Ancient History Trivia Questions I
Trivia Question: What happened that all the dinosaurs died?
Answer: The main reason is external.
It’s believed perhaps a meteorite might have hit the earth and the impact was devastating. Also, climate change can be the cause that changed the conditions in that life couldn’t support dinosaurs.
The American Civil Wars
Trivia Question: In which state did Robert Lee surrender to the Union Army marking the end of the American Civil War?
Answer: Virginia
History of Japanese Conquests
Trivia Question: What is the name of the Japanese jets that brought a stalemate between the US and Japan during World War II until the US resorted to the use of the Nuclear bomb?
Answer: Kamikaze
The Kaiser
Trivia Question: Who was the German leader during World War I?
Answer: Kaiser Wilhelm II
The Immortals
Trivia Question: What is the name of the dreaded Persian regiment that was instrumental in the conquest of Sparta and Athens?
Answer: The Immortals
Ancient Greece History Trivia Questions II
Trivia Question: Who is the Greek King that lead the 300 soldiers to blockade Persian inversion as the rest of Greece prepares for an assault?
Answer: Leonidas I
Never Colonized
Trivia Question: Which country has never been colonized in history?
Answer: Liberia, Ethiopia, Japan, Bhutan, China, Nepal, Iran
Some of the countries above were occupied shortly but were never colonized.
Shortest War on Record
Trivia Question: How long did the shortest war on record last?
Answer: 38 minutes
It was a war of conquest between Zanzibar and the English. On hearing the thundering sound of the cannon, Zanzibar surrendered.
Shortest Serving US President
Trivia Question: Who is the shortest-serving US president?
Answer: William Henry Harrison
He served as a president for 31 days only.
The French Policy
Trivia Question: What policy did the French in their colonies?
Answer: The policy of assimilation
People in the former French colonies had to behave, dress, and dine like a French person to be granted French citizen status.
Easy History Trivia Questions
Trivia Question: What is the name of the official segregation policy used by the pre-1994 South African government?
Answer: Apartheid.
The policy dictated that the white minority would not share anything, including roads with the black majority. Interracial marriages were banned too.
Sistine Chapel Walls
Trivia Question: Who painted the walls of the famous Sistine Chapel?
Answer: Michelangelo
The First Laws by Man
Trivia Question: What is the earliest recorded system of law used by man?
Answer: The Hammurabi law by the ancient Sumerians
History of the US Presidents
Trivia Question: How many US presidents have were assassinated while in office?
Answer: Four
Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley and John Kennedy.
The First Lady
Trivia Question: Who is the first African American US first lady?
Answer: Michelle Obama
Ink Pen not Writing in Space
Trivia Question: How did the Russians solve the mystery of Ink pen not writing in space?
Answer: They used a pencil
History of the African Countries
Trivia Question: How many countries existed in Africa before European colonization?
Answer: None
Africans organized themselves in kingdoms, tribes and clans and borders were colonial demarcations that later become countries.
Who built the first car?
Trivia Question: Who built the first car?
Answer: Karl Benz
The First Airplanes
Trivia Question: At which event were planes first used?
Answer: World War I
The Central Axis power lead by Germany used planes across the English channel to attack Britain after failing to conquer them by Sea.
Simple History Trivia Question
Trivia Question: How much was Alaska sold to the US?
Answer: $7.2 million
Alaska was bought at the price of $7.2 million from the Soviet Union.
Automatic Machine Guns
Trivia Question: Who invented the first automatic machine gun?
Answer: Hiram Maxim (US), 1884
Empires and Generals
Trivia Question: What is the largest empire to have ever been created in history?
Answer: The Mongol empire
The Mongols created the largest empire in history. Unlike the fragmented British empire, Mongols’ domain of influence was one continuous stretch of land.
Automobile Inventions
Trivia Question: Who invented the first car?
Answer: Karl Benz.
European Pilgrims to America
Trivia Question: Why did the European Pilgrims come to America?
Answer: In search of religious freedom.
Tallest Mountain on Earth
Trivia Question: What is the tallest mountain on earth?
Answer: Mt Everest
Seven Wonders of the World
Trivia Question: Name any three wonders of the world?
Answer: Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.
The 2008 Economic Recession
Trivia Question: What lead to the economic recession in 2008?
Answer: Mortgage crisis and the collapse of Lehman Brothers
Reserve Currency
Trivia Question: What was the global reserve currency before the dollar?
Answer: Gold
Who are the Barbarians
Trivia Question: Who are the Barbarians?
Answer: Any persons or regions not well known or understood by the Romans. It was also used for anyone who was not Roman.
Who were the Varangians
Trivia Question: Who were the Varangians in ancient times?
Answer: Varangians is the name given to the Rus people from Scandinavia by the Greek.
History of Christian Religion
Trivia Question: What is the Roman Emperor Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus remembered for?
Answer: He made Christianity the main religion in the Roman empire
The Start of the Roman Empire
Trivia Question: Who founded the Roman empire?
Answer: Augustus Caesar
Rome became an empire when Augustus Caesar claimed the title of an emperor in 31 BC after the death of his adoptive father Julius Caesar.
Pyramids of Giza
Trivia Question: Who built the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt?
Answer: Pharaoh Khufu
The three pyramids of Giza were built by three different Pharaohs with the tallest by Khufu, Khafre and the smallest pyramid by Menkaure.
European Aristocracy
Trivia Question: In what ways was Czar Nicholas II of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany related?
Answer: They were blood cousins.
Japanese Capital
Trivia Question: What was the capital city of Japan before Tokyo?
Answer: Edo
Edo was later renamed Tokyo in 1868.
Greek Mythology
Trivia Question: In Greek Mythology, who are the Titans?
Answer: Titans were giant deities who gave birth to the gods and demigods.
The Three Main gods
Trivia Question: According to Greek Mythology, who are the three main gods?
Answer: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades
The Ancient Inca Empire
Trivia Question: What was the official language in the Inca empire?
Answer: Quechua
The language is still spoken to this day in some parts of Mexico.
Widely Spoken Languages
Trivia Question: What is the widely spoken language in Africa, native to Africa?
Answer: Swahili
Swahili is a language derived from the Bantus, Arabic, Portuguese and lately a few English words.
The History of Television
Trivia Question: When was television invented?
Answer: 1925
The television was invented by a Scottish John Logie. It was first sold to the public in the 1930s in London.
Female British Prime Minister
Trivia Question: Who was the first female prime minister of Britain?
Answer: Margaret Thatcher
The Cold War
Trivia Question: Why is the silent war between the US and Russia called the Cold War?
Answer: The war was cold because no active combat took place.
Each power resorted to undermine each other, boost their image in the eyes of the public, boost their military arsenal and increase their global influence and footprint.
The Black Death in Europe
Trivia Question: What happened during the Black Death?
Answer: A bacterial infection from rats infected humans which lead to death en mass.
It is written that entire villages were wiped out and Eurasian population was reduced by more than 50 percent.
Protestant Reformation
Trivia Question: Who was the main advocate for protestant reformation and churches?
Answer: Martin Luther (the German)
Luther dared the authority of the Catholic Church and the Pope. He lead a successful protestant movement that gave birth to hundreds of churches we have today and a greater degree of religious freedom for everyone.
Colonization History Trivia
Trivia Question: Which Ethiopian Emperor defeated the Italians in their quest to colonize Africa?
Answer: Emperor Menelik II
The Great Depression
Trivia Question: Which country was the most affected by the Great Depression of 1929?
Answer: The US and the Americas
The Great Depression affected the US and most Latin American countries of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. In as much as the US recovered faster, most of these countries never recovered and have social unrest to this day.
What is Opium Wars?
Trivia Question: What is Opium Wars?
Answer: Opium wars are the two wars fought by the British to maintain opium smuggling to China during the reign of the Qing dynasty.
Decolonization Process
Trivia Question: Which developing country was the first to achieve independence in the 1940s?
Answer: Sudan in Africa (1956) and India in Asia (1947)
The Tallest People in the World
Trivia Question: Which country has the tallest people in the world?
Answer: South Sudan
An average Dinka in South Sudan is 6″ while 7’5” is the most common height among Dinka men.
Aztec Civilization
Trivia Question: Which civilization was centered around the city of Tenochtitlan?
Answer: The Aztec civilization
The City of God
Trivia Question: The city of God is the title given to which city?
Answer: It depends
Most people call Rio de Janeiro the city of God. Other places that claim the same title include Jerusalem, Thiruvananthapuram in India, the ancient Teotihuacan, etc.
There you have your complete list of random history trivia questions for adults and kids.
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