200 General Knowledge Questions (and Answers)

Answering general knowledge questions is useful to pass the time, have fun with friends or challenge your own knowledge. Here is a selection of 200 of them.

Answering general knowledge questions is a way to increase your knowledge about the world we live in. It’s also a great way to entertain your friends and pass some time when you’re bored. The term general knowledge is exactly that – knowledge of any kind, regardless of its nature.

You may be asking why we’re posting this on Step to Health…simple…we’re getting those neurons working and helping your brain health at the same time!

General knowledge can range from knowing the first song Britney Spears released to being able to distinguish a few lines of Shakespeare. It doesn’t only refer to knowledge that is traditionally considered to be of a cultural nature (history, philosophy, literature), but to all types of knowledge related to the world, the universe, and mankind.

With this in mind, we’re bringing you 200 general knowledge questions with all the answers. 

The best general knowledge questions (with answers)

For our selection of the best general knowledge questions, we’ve set a moderate difficulty. Some questions will seem difficult, while others will take you only a second to answer. Test your knowledge and challenge your friends to see who can answer the most correctly:

1. What year did Margaret Thatcher die?

In April 2013. She was the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

2. What year was the first part of Don Quixote de la Mancha published?

In 1605. The second part was published in 1615, shortly before Cervantes died.

3. How many recognized countries are there in the world?

There are currently a total of 195 recognized countries. 193 are members of the United Nations and the remaining two are the State of Palestine and the Holy See.

4. What’s the lowest temperature recorded in the universe?

-273,14°C. Or so it’s thought at a theoretical level, because these levels haven’t been reached in a laboratory (although temperatures very close to this value have been achieved).

5. What year was the first trip to the Moon launched?

In 1969. Check the review that NASA has published on its official website to get to know all the details.

6. What’s the largest country in the world?

Russia, with an approximate value of 17 million square kilometers (6 563,736 square miles)

7. How many elements are there in the periodic table?

So far there are 118 chemical elements. During the next few years or decades, this number may increase with new discoveries. This is one of the most important general knowledge questions on our list.

8. How many valves does the human heart have?

There are four: mitral, tricuspid, pulmonary and aortic.

9. What is the largest island in the Mediterranean?

Sicily. It’s approximately 25,460 square kilometers (9830 square miles) in size.

10. How many pairs of ribs does the average human have?

The average human has 12 ribs on each side, a total of 24.

11. What’s the estimated age of the Universe?

Most scientists agree that the Universe is 13.7 billion years old. One of the basic general knowledge questions that everyone should know the answer to.

12. What year was the movie Titanic released?

In 1997. It was a success from the moment it was released, both at the box office and with critics (it won 11 Oscars).

13. What are the primary colors?

Red, yellow and blue.

14. What’s the driest continent on Earth?

Antarctica. This is because some areas have extremely low humidity, combined with blizzards and high altitude. The McMurdo Dry Valleys are considered to be the driest place on the planet (representing only 0.03% of the continent).

15. What’s the capital of Belarus?

Minsk.

16. Who was the first king of Israel according to the Bible?

Saul. You can find this in the “First Book of Samuel”.

17. Which country do Fabergé eggs come from?

From Russia. There are a total of 69 authentic Fabergé eggs.

18. What’s the most common type of diabetes?

Type II diabetes. Type I diabetes, sometimes known as juvenile diabetes, is much less common.

19. What’s clown phobia called?

Coulrophobia. Although it’s true that it’s more common in children, it can also affect adults.

20. Who was the inventor of Coca-Cola?

Pharmacist John Stith Pemberton. At least that’s what legend says.

21. In which Asian city is Tiananmen Square located?

Beijing, China. The square is known for being the site of the 1989 protests.

22. How long is the small intestine of an adult approximately?

Between 6 and 7 meters long (16 to 20 feet).

23. What popular company owns the commercial rights to the Ouija board?

Hasbro. It was used as a pickup tool and later as a children’s toy.

24. What’s the first color mentioned in the Bible?

Green. It’s mentioned in “Genesis” when describing the creation of the world.

25. What makes up most of the dust in the home?

Dead skin, dust mites, insect remains, pet dander, hair, sand, and dirt. This is why household cleaning is an effective method of allergy prevention.

26. What’s the smallest country in the world?

Vatican City, with 0.44 square kilometers (0.17 square miles) and an average population of 1000 (which varies constantly).

27. In what year was Joan of Arc burned?

In 1431. She was accused of witchcraft at the age of 19 and sentenced to be burned at the stake by the Inquisition in Rouen.

28. What are the five colors of the Olympic rings?

Blue, black, red, yellow, and green. They represent an aspect of the five continents. This is certainly one of those general knowledge questions whose answer is in plain sight, but often ignored.

29. From what country does the mojito cocktail originate?

From Cuba.

30. What is Japanese sake made from?

From the fermentation of rice and water. A portion of the koji mushroom is also used.

31. What is David Bowie’s real name?

David Robert Jones.

32. What’s the most expensive painting ever sold?

At present, Salvator Mundi, at $450.3 million, is the most expensive painting ever sold in the world.

33. What is the name of the cape at the tip of the African continent?

Cape of Good Hope. It was first sighted in 1488 by the Portuguese Bartholomew Diaz.

34. In what year did Newton publish his Principia?

In 1687. Among other things, it describes his three famous laws of motion. It’s considered the most important scientific work of all time.

35. In what year did Alexander the Great conquer Egypt?

In 332 B.C.

36. Where is Mount Fuji located?

In Japan. Its altitude is 3776 meters (12388 feet).

37. What was the mission of the Manhattan Project?

To develop the first nuclear weapons. The bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima were the result.

38. Where does the croissant originate?

From Austria. Contrary to popular belief, its origin isn’t French. Another of the most intriguing general knowledge questions.

39. What year did Freddy Mercury die?

In 1991. The official cause of death was bronchopneumonia complicated by AIDS.

40. What animal causes the most deaths worldwide each year?

The mosquito. They transmit viruses and bacteria that cause thousands of deaths worldwide.

41. What is Saturn’s largest moon?

Titan. Its surface is rocky, icy, and has lakes of liquid hydrocarbons.

42. How many time zones does Russia have?

We have already stated that Russia is the largest country in the world in a previous question. Because of this, there are 11 time zones in the country.

43. How many stripes does the United States flag have?

A total of 13. 7 red and 6 white stripes alternating.

44. Which country has the most islands on its territory?

Sweden, with more than 260,000 islands. Most of them are uninhabited.

45. What is the longest mountain range in the world?

The Andes Mountains in South America.

46. What do locals call New York City?

Gotham, especially when the sun goes down. It also has other nicknames such as The Big Apple, Empire State, and The City That Never Sleeps.

47. How many keys does a piano have?

88 keys: 52 white and 36 black.

48. In what year and city were the first modern Olympic Games held?

In 1896, in Athens, Greece. They were officially known as the Games of the 1st Olympiad.

49. In what year was Netflix founded?

In 1997. It wasn’t until 2016 that it began offering its streaming services around the world (with a few exceptions, such as China).

50. What was the first Disney movie?

Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs (1937). Although today it’s considered a movie classic, at the time it almost bankrupted the company.

51. How many bones does the average adult have?

206 bones in total.

52. What’s the best-selling music album in history?

Thriller, by Michael Jackson. It was released at the end of 1982 and sold over 65 million copies.

53. What’s the highest-grossing film in history?

Avatar by James Cameron, with over 2.4 billion euros at the box office.

54. What year was the printing press invented?

In 1440, by Gutenberg.

55. What’s the fastest animal on the planet?

The peregrine falcon. The fastest recorded speed is 389.46 kilometers per hour.

56. What’s the best-selling video game console in history?

Sony’s PlayStation 2. It’s estimated that about 160 million units were sold worldwide. One of the general knowledge questions that will be a piece of cake for video game fans!

57. What’s the first element in the periodic table?

Hydrogen. Because of this, it’s the most common element in the Universe, with about 70% of the atoms that make it up.

58. Who discovered penicillin?

Alexander Fleming. As it has been commented on on many occasions, the discovery was accidental.

59. What mechanism produces the aurora borealis?

When the charged particles of the sun impact with the magnetosphere (magnetic field) and then interact with the particles of the atmosphere. The arrangement of the magnetic field causes the particles to be deflected towards the poles. This is why we speak of aurora borealis (North Pole) and aurora australis (South Pole).

60. What type of antibiotic is effective in eliminating viruses?

None, antibiotics are not effective in treating viral infections. Their indiscriminate use has led to antibiotic resistance.

61. What is the northernmost capital city in the world?

Reykjavik.

62. What paper won Einstein the Nobel Prize in Physics?

His contributions to the photoelectric effect in 1921. Einstein didn’t receive the Nobel Prize for his research on relativity, contrary to popular belief.

63. What’s the oldest language in Europe that’s still in use today?

Basque. Although its origin is debated, there’s a consensus among linguists and philologists that it’s the oldest living language in Europe.

64. What holds the record for the most expensive thing in the world?

Antimatter. It’s estimated that 1 gram of antimatter has a price tag of 62 billion dollars. Antimatter is annihilated as soon as it comes into contact with matter as we know it.

65. Are spiders insects?

No, they’re arachnids. Scorpions and mites also belong to this group. The phobia towards them is known as arachnophobia (covers all of them, not just spiders).

66. Which animal infected humans with the Black Death?

The flea. Rats were only vectors.

67. How long ago did the dinosaurs become extinct?

About 65 million years ago, as an estimate.

68. What’s the closest galaxy to the Milky Way?

Andromeda. It’s estimated to be about 2.5 million light-years away. This means it would take us 2.5 million years to get there in a hypothetical ship traveling at the speed of light.

69. Which country does Greenland belong to administratively?

Denmark, although it has some autonomy.

70. What’s the medical term for bad breath?

Halitosis.

71. What YouTuber has the largest number of subscribers?

PewDiePie, with more than 110 million subscribers. The channel with the most subscribers (operated by a company) is T-Series with 200 million.

72. What’s the largest organ in the human body?

The skin. It is composed of three layers: epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis.

73. What were the 7 wonders of the ancient world?

The Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.

74. What are the 7 wonders of the present day?

The Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, Petra, Chichen Itza, the Colosseum in Rome, Christ the Redeemer, and Machu Picchu.

75. How many colors can you see in a rainbow?

Under the right conditions, you can see 7 colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, indigo, and violet.

76. What’s considered the world’s first civilization?

The Sumerian civilization. They flourished around 3100 B.C. in the Middle East.

77. What’s the official language of the United States?

There’s no official language established by the constitution, amendments, or various legal statutes. The two most widely spoken languages in the country are English, with about 220 million; and Spanish, with almost 50 million.

78. What was the game in which the Mario character first appeared?

Donkey Kong (1981).

79. Where has the lowest temperature on the planet been recorded?

In Antarctica, with about -110.9°C in 2016.

80. What’s the best-selling video game in history?

Minecraft, with about 200 million copies sold (approx.) Another easy general knowledge question for gamers.

81. What’s a triangle with three equal sides and angles called in geometry?

Equilateral triangle.

82. Who was the last Tsar of Russia?

Nicholas II. He was dethroned as a result of the October Revolution.

83. Who was the first to assert that the Earth revolves around the sun?

Aristarchus of Samos, around the third century B.C.

84. In what year did the Western Roman Empire fall?

In 476 A.D.

85. Who did Caligula attempt to appoint as consul?

According to sources of the time, his horse Incitatus. However, there’s no record of him actually doing so.

86. What was the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany?

Bonn.

87. Where in the body is insulin produced?

It’s produced in the pancreas.

88. What animal has the most hearts?

A common earthworm has 10 hearts.

89. What’s the most populous city in the world?

Tokyo, Japan. It has more than 37 million inhabitants.

90. How many syllables make up a haiku?

A haiku is made up of three unrhymed lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables.

91. How many teeth can an adult have?

Counting wisdom teeth, a total of 32 teeth.

92. What’s the capital of Canada?

Ottawa. Another of the general knowledge questions that produces the most wrong answers. Many people think it’s Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver.

93. What is the largest lizard in the world?

The Komodo dragon. They’re so large, around 3 meters (9.8 feet) when adults, that they have no natural predators.

94. In what year and by whom was the search engine Google created?

In 1997 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

95. Which Roman emperor legalized Christianity?

Constantine, around 300 A.D.

96. What year was the Soviet Union dissolved?

Officially in December 1991.

97. What is pi equal to?

As an irrational number, pi is infinite. Its first ten numbers are 3.1415926535.

98. What’s the most natively spoken language in the world?

Mandarin Chinese, with over 1.2 billion speakers.

99. What’s the speed of light?

The exact speed is 299,792,458 kilometers per second. That is its maximum speed (the speed it can reach in space, for example).

100. What was the code name for the Battle of Normandy during World War II?

Operation Overlord.

101. What country is the Taj Mahal found in?

In India, specifically in Agra.

102. What was Concorde?

At the time it was the first supersonic aircraft to be used commercially. A flight from Paris to New York took only 3 hours.

103. Who killed Achilles in Greek mythology?

Paris, after firing an arrow into his heel.

104. What’s the oldest university still in operation?

Al Qarawiyying University, founded in 859 in Morocco.

105. What’s the highest temperature ever recorded on the planet?

In September 2021 the American Meteorological Society published a report that recorded 80.8ºC in the Lut Desert (Iran) and in the Sonoran Desert (Mexico).

106. What’s the current geographical epoch?

Officially the Holocene, although some researchers use the term Anthropocene.

107. What’s the most venomous animal in the world?

The sea wasp is thought to be the most venomous animal in the world.

108. When was the last ice age?

The Würm Glaciation ended about 10,000 years ago. Half of North America and Europe was covered by ice.

109. Which countries are separated by the Bering Strait?

Russia and the United States. Today the strait separates them by about 50 miles.

110. How old is the Earth?

About 4.5 billion years.

111. What does Albert Einstein’s famous equation refer to?

It draws a parallel between mass and energy. A system will be more massive to the extent that it has more energy.

112. Why is it said that there are four dimensions?

Because, in addition to the classical considerations of height, width, and depth, time is also added. Time is the fourth dimension.

113. What’s the hormone that causes stress?

Cortisol.

114. What’s the greatest depth that humans have investigated?

In the sea in the Mariana Trench, almost 11,000 meters (6.83 miles) below the surface. On the surface of the earth at about 12,000 meters (7.45 miles), in the excavation known as the Kola Well.

115. Which vegetable is named after a European city?

Brussels sprouts.

116. Is time travel theoretically possible?

Yes, but only into the future. As far as we know (theoretically) it isn’t possible to travel into the past.

117. Who wrote The Wealth of Nations (1776)?

Adam Smith.

118. What was the first metal used by man?

Copper. Then it was gold and silver. Bronze followed, then iron.

119. What’s the most expensive metal in the world?

Rhodium. It costs about $20,000 per ounce. By the time you read this, its price may be higher, as it has been rising steadily in recent years.

120. What is the official currency of Japan called?

Japanese yen.

121. Who was the last Egyptian pharaoh?

Ramses III.

122. Helsinki is the capital of what country?

Finland.

123. What country is chorizo sausage from?

Spain.

124. What was the name of the world’s first computer?

ENIAC.

125. How many days does it take the moon to go through all its phases?

An average of 29 days. This time is used as a reference in lunar calendars.

126. What year did the Hindenburg disaster occur?

In May 1937.

127. Where is the popular city of Timbuktu located?

In Mali.

128. What country is the Great Barrier Reef in?

On the northeast coast of Australia. The barrier stretches for more than 345,000 kilometers.

129. What are the main chemical elements that make up human beings?

Oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, calcium, and phosphorus. These make up 99% of the chemical elements in the body.

130. What’s the largest island in the Caribbean Sea?

Cuba.

131. In what country was the stock market created?

In Holland, around the 17th century. A prototype had already been explored in Belgium a couple of centuries earlier.

132. What currency was used in Germany before the euro was established?

The mark.

133. Which branch of mathematics deals with the study of triangles?

Trigonometry.

134. What shape orbit does our planet have around the sun?

An ellipse. Most planets have an elliptical orbit, and not circular. Here we have another of the general knowledge questions that many people get wrong.

135. What object has been used most throughout history as a standard for money?

It varies by region, but generally gold and silver.

136. On which planet was the fictional character Superman born?

Krypton.

137. What basic elements make up a piece of music?

Melody, harmony, and rhythm.

138. Who was the last Inca ruler?

Atahualpa.

139. What was the name of the rocket that carried the astronauts on their first mission to the Moon?

Saturn V. The mission was called Apollo 11.

140. Do electrons have a negative or positive charge?

Negative. Protons have a positive charge and neutrons have a neutral charge. One of the general knowledge questions that everyone should know.

141. What’s the speed of sound?

343.2 meters (1125 feet) per second. However, it varies according to the medium in which it propagates, and the temperature.

142. Where was the Gregorian calendar invented?

In Salamanca, Spain.

143. What’s the national flower of Japan?

The cherry tree flower.

144. What year did the Titanic sink?

It sank in April 1912.

145. How many times does the average adult blink their eyes a day?

Between 14,000 and 19,000 times a day (if you stay awake for about 16 hours).

146. What’s the full name of the Barbie doll?

Barbara Millicent Roberts.

147. What year was The Godfather released?

In 1972.

148. How far can you see with the naked eye?

2.5 million light-years. The Andromeda galaxy is visible to the naked eye on a clear night.

149. What year was The Beatles’ first trip to the United States?

1964.

150. What’s Australia’s national animal?

The red kangaroo.

151. What year did the first female conception pill become available?

1960.

152. What was the first James Bond film starring Sean Connery?

Dr. No. The film was released in 1962.

153. What was Michael Jackson’s middle name?

Joseph.

154. How long is an Olympic-sized swimming pool?

50 meters long (164 feet).

155. When was Valentine’s Day officially established as a holiday?

In 1537. It started during the reign of Henry VIII.

156. Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize?

Marie Curie. She actually won two prizes.

157. What’s the largest ocean on Earth?

The Pacific Ocean.

158. What’s the most widely consumed processed beverage in the world?

Tea.

159. Who’s the only person in the UK who’s allowed to drive without a license?

Queen Elizabeth II (licenses are issued in her name).

160. Who’s the most decorated athlete in the history of the Olympic Games?

Michael Phelps, with 19 medals.

161. What’s the only edible food that never goes bad?

Honey. Edible honey has been found in tombs of Egyptian pharaohs.

162. How long did it take Cortés and his men to take over the Aztec Empire?

An average of two years. He did it in coalition with aboriginal natives.

163. Which country invented ice cream?

In China about 4000 years ago. It was made from crushed ice, rice, spices, and milk.

164. What country was gouda cheese created in, and then exported?

In the Netherlands.

165. What was the first toy to be advertised on television?

Mr. Potato Head, in 1952. It was priced at 0.98 US dollars. And yes, it’s the very same one you can see in Toy Story.

166. Which writer created the character of Sherlock Holmes?

Arthur Conan Doyle.

167. What are the names of Cinderella’s stepsisters?

Anastasia and Drizella. In the original story, they cut off their toes and heel in order to fit their foot into the slipper without success.

168. What’s the largest continent on the planet?

Asia. It’s made up of a total of 48 countries.

169. When was the Premier League founded?

In 1992. It replaced the Football League First Division founded in 1888.

170. Who is the author of The Chronicles of Narnia?

C. S. Lewis.

171. What does the acronym S.O.S. stand for in the international distress signal?

Officially it doesn’t refer to anything specific, although some people think it stands for Save Our Ship or Save Our Souls.

172. In what country is the unicorn the national animal?

In Scotland.

173. In what state of matter are atoms most closely packed together?

In a solid state.

174. What color is blood when it’s inside your body?

Red. It’s a myth that it’s blue or green and that it only changes color when it comes into contact with air. One of the foolproof general knowledge questions.

175. How many American presidents were assassinated while in office?

A total of 4: Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy.

176. How many times did Ross Geller get divorced on the popular series Friends?

Three times: his wives were Carol, Emily, and Rachel.

177. What’s the name of the actor who voices Darth Vader in the Star Wars saga?

James Earl Jones. The actor also lends his voice to Mufasa in The Lion King (1994).

178. What modern item was spotted in a scene in the final season of Game of Thrones?

A Starbucks cup.

179. What was the first film recorded in a language other than English to win Best Picture at the Oscars?

Parasites (2019).

180. How long did Queen Victoria reign?

From 1837 to 1901, for a total of 63 years and 7 months.

181. Who was the goddess of agriculture according to Greek mythology?

Demeter.

182. What did the Romans call Scotland?

Caledonia.

183. What was the name of the ship the Pilgrims came to New England on?

The Mayflower.

184. Who was the first president to live in the White House?

John Adams. He did so on November 1, 1800.

185. What was the first university founded in the United States?

Harvard, in 1636.

186. On what date is World Environment Day?

June 5. It has been since 1973.

187. In which museum can you see Van Gogh’s original Starry Night?

The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

188. What year was the first iPhone launched?

In 2007. One of the general knowledge questions that every Apple fan will get right.

189. What’s the strongest and longest bone in the human body?

The femur.

190. What’s the hardest natural substance found in nature?

The diamond.

191. What vitamin can we get from exposure to the sun?

Vitamin D.

192. What’s the only metal that’s liquid at room temperature?

Mercury.

193. What year was the Windows XP operating system released?

In 2001. One of the general knowledge questions that computer geeks can’t get wrong.

194. In which U.S. state is Mount Rushmore located?

In South Dakota.

195. Where is the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters?

In Geneva, Switzerland. Of course, it has offices on every continent.

196. The parliament of which country is known as the Duma?

Russia (both now and in the past).

197. If you want to visit Anne Frank’s house, which country should you go to?

The Netherlands.

198. Which country has the tallest building in the world?

The United Arab Emirates. Although it isn’t yet finished, the Dubai Creek Tower will be about 1300 meters (4265 feet) high. This is certainly one of the general knowledge questions whose answer will change sooner rather than later.

199. What’s the only continent where you can’t find ants?

Antarctica. With this exception, ants have conquered all the others continents.

200. Which fruit is on top of the men’s Wimbledon trophy?

A pineapple.

With this question, we close our list of general knowledge questions with answers. How many of them did you get right? We’re sure you’ve learned a lot and we hope it’s piqued your curiosity to go and find out more about some of the topics we’ve touched on!