The Ultimate General Knowledge Quiz

Robin Tyler

The first pizza delivery happened in Italy in which year?

Yes, that's right. 1889, can you believe it was that far back? And who ordered it? Well, royalty no less - Queen Margherita of Savoy. And hence the name, Margherita, one would guess.

What do astronauts use to scratch their noses when their helmets are on?

Yes, that's right. With those massive gloves and the fact that a piece of glass is in front of your face, the simple task of scratching an itchy nose is practically impossible. But some astronauts came up with the idea of attaching a piece of Velcro inside the helmet near the nose which can then be used to alleviate itches.

True or false. A strawberry, is, in fact, not a berry but a banana?

Yes, that is true. Strawberries, along with blueberries and raspberries, are actually what is called aggregate fruit, and a banana fits the proper description of a berry as it has three fleshy layers, an outer skin, flesh middle, and an innermost area. As for the confusing names - well, people named things as berries before science had studied which group they actually belong to. Weird, huh?

Which German World War II general was known as the "Desert Fox?"

Erwin Rommel was one of Germany's greatest military leaders and proved his worth to the German cause in Africa in the early part of World War II. Later, Rommel was defeated in Africa by the Allies and returned to German to help plan its defense. He was then forced to commit suicide after he was implicated in a plot to kill Hitler.

Measured by the shoreline, what is the largest bay found on Earth?

Hudson Bay was named after Henry Hudson, the English explorer who discovered it in 1609. Despite its size, it is fairly shallow with an average depth of around 100 meters.

True or false. You can actually see your nose at all times in your vision.

Yes, that is true. It's just that our brains disregard it. Although it is our vision, our brain kind of ignore it. It also is because we generally are focusing at a point far away from the tip of our nose most of the time.

On the planet Venus, it snows _________

Well, technically it doesn't snow as the planet's surface is just too hot. But on the mountains of Venus, the tallest of which is 3 kilometers higher than Mount Everest, a metal like 'frost' does cap the mountains. This generally consists of two minerals: galena and bismuthinite.

In what country is the city of Bonn situated?

Before the reunification in the early 1990's, Bonn was the capital of West Germany. It has a population of around 300,000 people and was first established in 1 BC as a Roman settlement.

Leo Fender is considered the inventor of the modern electric guitar. Which of these statements about him is true?

Although he might have invented the electric guitar, Leo Fender certainly could not play one. He dabbled in some piano and saxophone, however.

Who was the first female Prime Minister of Great Britain?

Nicknamed "The Iron Lady," Margaret Thatcher rose to the role of Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1979. She kept the position until 1990. Thatcher was known to be extremely tough on striking workers and led Britain to its first war in decades, defending the Falkland Islands from an Argentine invasion.

Milk chocolate M&M candies come in which colors?

Yes, milk chocolate M&M's come in brown, yellow, red, orange, green, and blue. The breakdown of colors in a packet averages out at 30% brown, 20% yellow, 20% red, 10% orange, 10% green, and 10% blue. Ok, who counts this stuff?

The closest planet to the sun is _______

The smallest planet in the solar system, Mercury has it rough! Night temperatures can reach as low as −173 °C while daytime temperatures sore to 427 °C. Mercury takes 87 days to go around the sun.

Mackinac Island in Michigan has banned almost all cars since 1898. True or false?

Yes, that's right. Since 1898, the island has been car-free, except for emergency vehicles, which is understandable. Mackinac Island sits on the shores of Lake Huron.

The term astronaut comes from Greek words meaning?

Star sailor... that's just awesome, isn't it? The Greek words are ástron (star) and nautes (sailor). The word was first used in the way we use it in a 1930 book, "The Death's Head Meteor" by Neil Jones.

Who was sworn in as President of the United States just hours after John F. Kennedy was assassinated?

Often called LBJ, Lyndon B. Johnson was the vice-president at the time of the Kennedy assassination in 1963. He was in office from November 22, 1963 to January 20, 1969. During his presidency, Johnson increased America's involvement in Vietnam.

Where was Lyndon B. Johnson sworn in as president after John F. Kennedy was assassinated?

After Kennedy was declared dead, his body was flown back to Washington D.C. along with his wife, Jacky, as well as all the presidential staff. Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as president while on this flight.

What is the name of the picturesque mountain that overlooks the city of Cape Town in South Africa?

The city of Cape Town is built in the shadow of Table Mountain. Although the mountain is not high, a little of 1,000 meters, it has a very flat section, and that is how it received its name.

What is the world's largest airport, in terms of surface area?

The biggest airport in the world, in terms of surface area, King Fahd International Airport covers over 77,000 hectares. That's bigger than Bahrain! Only 5% of the area is used for facilities.

What is another name for the element Mercury?

Mercury has the letter Hg on the periodic table of elements. It is the only metallic element that is liquid under normal atmospheric conditions.

Who founded the General Motors company?

William Durant founded General Motors in 1908. After saving Buick from certain liquidation in 1904, he used the company as the basis of forming General Motors. Durant went on to form Chevrolet, bringing them into the General Motors stable as well. Now General Motors is one of the biggest car producers in the world.

Who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi?

Nathuram Vinayak Godse was a Hindu nationalist. On January 30, 1948, he shot Mahatma Gandhi three times in the chest believing him to favor Indian Muslims. He was executed in 1949.

Name the British Prime Minister who declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939.

Despite having flown to Munich to speak to Hitler a few years earlier and thinking he had persuaded him not to begin invading countries in Europe, Neville Chamberlain declared war on Germany along with France, after Hitler had invaded Poland on September 1.

Can you name the first supersonic airliner built and operated?

Concorde was a supersonic passenger jet operated by Air France and British Airways. It flew operationally between 1976 and 2003. It could seat up to 128 passengers and could fly at Mach 2.0.

On which continent is the country Togo located?

Togo is a country in the western part of Northern Africa. Togo was given independence from France in 1960. Its capital city is Lome, and it is home to around 8 million people.

A group of jellyfish is known as a ________

Seeing that many fish are a school of fish, one would suspect that many jellyfish would be a school as well. No, it's a smack! Go figure! English certainly can be weird sometimes...

In what year was the first Academy Award given?

The first Academy Awards were held May 16, 1929, honoring films from 1927 and 1928. It was an invitation-only affair and held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Who murdered Julius Caesar?

Several Roman senators were responsible for the death of Caesar, but we always tend to remember Marcus Junius Brutus as it was to him that Caesar said 'Et tu, Brute?,' which roughly translates to 'You too, Brutus?"

What was the name of the B-29 Super Fortress that dropped the second atomic bomb on Japan on August 9, 1945?

Bockscar was piloted by Major Charles W. Sweeney when it dropped the second nuclear bomb on Japan on August 9, 1945. It survived the war and is now on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

Name the territory that became the 49th state of the United States.

Alaska was the 49th state added to the United States on January 3, 1959. Alaska is the biggest state in the US with a land area of 663,268 square miles. It is known as "The Last Frontier."

Can you name the naturalist who devised the theory of evolution?

Charles Darwin undertook a five-year voyage on the HMS Beagle, a trip in which he circumnavigated the world. During this time, he studied various species he came across. He later went to formulate his theory of evolution and natural selection.

In which country is the Great Sphinx found?

The Great Sphinx is found in the African country of Egypt. It is estimated to have been built by the old Egyptians between 2558–2532 BC. This was during the reign of Pharaoh Khafre. The Sphinx is a mythical creature with a human head and the body of a lion.

When did the Great Depression run in the United States?

The Great Depression, brought on by the stock market collapse of October 29, 1929, was a particularly bleak economic time in United States history. Unemployment in the country rose to over 25% with all industries affected. The Great Depression didn't only hit the United States but the rest of the world as well.

Name the highest peak in Africa, please.

Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania, is actually a dormant volcano. The highest peak on the continent of Africa, Kilimanjaro stands at 5,895 meters above sea-level. There are three volcanic cones there, named "Kibo," "Mawenzi," and "Shira."

What form of currency is used in England?

The pound is the form of currency used in England. There are 100 pennies in a pound, and the £ sign is used to denote it. The pound was first used during Anglo-Saxon times where it was a unit of account. 240 silver pennies equaled a pound in those times.

True or false. At any time on Earth, it is 80% covered by clouds.

No, that statement is false. 80% is a little too high, but the figure is not far from that. In fact, the earth has about 60% cloud cover at any given time. And it sounds about right. There certainly aren't many days that are totally cloud free, are there?

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About This Quiz

General knowledge is a funny thing. Everyone has it to some extent. Some people have a broader scope of general knowledge than others. Why? Well, those who have a huge score of all-round knowledge will definitely be avid readers.

Reading is the number one way to increase your general knowledge. By consuming everything you can, newspapers, books, using the internet, you can improve your general knowledge massively. 

And that's what people who pride themselves on their general knowledge-ability, do. They read, read, and read some more. 

And take tests!

So that's what we have prepared for you here today.

This truly is the toughest general knowledge quiz you will ever face. There are no "Who is the current president of the United States" questions here... (you do know the answer, right?)

This quiz is going to see just how much you know about a range of general knowledge subjects ranging from space to earth, to history, to science, to geography. Even cars and planes but no trains!

Out of 35 questions, if you can get 25 right, you would certainly have done very, very well!

So are you up for the challenge?

Let's see, shall we?

Good luck!

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