These multiple choice trivia questions are general knowledge of middling difficulty: art, music, books, myths, inventions, games, flags and money, calendars and maps. Each has four choices lettered A to D, one right answer and a line that says why.
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Seven topics of general knowledge
Art and architecture asks who painted The Night Watch. Classical music and instruments has Boléro and the theremin. Books and writers and Myths and legends run from Milton to Mjölnir. Inventions, games and sports goes from the voltaic pile to the chukka. Flags, money and languages and Calendars, clocks and maps end at Null Island.
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Questions and answers
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Who painted The Night Watch?
Rembrandt van Rijn, in 1642. The painting's formal title names the militia company of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq; The Night Watch is the name it is commonly given. It is a question in Art and architecture.
How many time zones does China have?
One. The time in China follows a single standard time, that of Beijing, even though the country spans five geographical time zones.
What does a.m. stand for?
It stands for ante meridiem, Latin for before midday. The question sits in Calendars, clocks and maps.
American Gothic, a 1930 painting of a Midwestern farmer and his daughter in front of their house, is by whom?Answer: Grant Wood. Source: Wikipedia: American Gothic
The Arnolfini Portrait of 1434 is the work of which early Netherlandish painter?Answer: Jan van Eyck. Source: Wikipedia: Arnolfini Portrait
The Bauhaus school was founded in Weimar by which architect?Answer: Walter Gropius. Source: Wikipedia: Bauhaus
Fallingwater, a house built partly over a waterfall, was designed by which architect?Answer: Frank Lloyd Wright. Source: Wikipedia: Fallingwater
Florence Cathedral was completed by 1436 with a dome engineered by whom?Answer: Filippo Brunelleschi. Source: Wikipedia: Florence Cathedral
The Impressionist movement took its name from the title of a painting by which artist?Answer: Claude Monet. Source: Wikipedia: Impressionism
In painting, what does the Italian word chiaroscuro describe?Answer: Strong contrasts of light and dark. Source: Wikipedia: Chiaroscuro
In which technique is paint laid on freshly spread wet lime plaster?Answer: Fresco. Source: Wikipedia: Fresco
The Kiss, an oil painting with added gold leaf, silver and platinum, is the work of which Austrian artist?Answer: Gustav Klimt. Source: Wikipedia: The Kiss (Klimt)
Las Meninas, a painting of 1656 whose title means The Ladies-in-waiting, is by whom?Answer: Diego Velázquez. Source: Wikipedia: Las Meninas
Liberty Leading the People, a painting that commemorates the July Revolution of 1830, is by which French artist?Answer: Eugène Delacroix. Source: Wikipedia: Liberty Leading the People
Michelangelo's David was first commissioned for the roofline of the cathedral of which city?Answer: Florence. Source: Wikipedia: David (Michelangelo)
The painting commonly called The Night Watch dates from 1642. Who painted it?Answer: Rembrandt. Source: Wikipedia: The Night Watch
Pointillism, painting in small dots of color, was developed in 1886 by Paul Signac and which other painter?Answer: Georges Seurat. Source: Wikipedia: Pointillism
The triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights was painted by which Netherlandish master?Answer: Hieronymus Bosch. Source: Wikipedia: The Garden of Earthly Delights
The Venus de Milo was discovered in 1820 on the Greek island of Milos. In which museum has it been displayed since 1821?Answer: The Louvre. Source: Wikipedia: Venus de Milo
Which Danish architect designed the Sydney Opera House?Answer: Jørn Utzon. Source: Wikipedia: Sydney Opera House
Who designed the present St Paul's Cathedral in London, which was completed in 1710?Answer: Christopher Wren. Source: Wikipedia: St Paul's Cathedral
Who painted The Birth of Venus, probably in the mid-1480s?Answer: Sandro Botticelli. Source: Wikipedia: The Birth of Venus
The woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa is the work of which Japanese artist?Answer: Hokusai. Source: Wikipedia: The Great Wave off Kanagawa
Classical music and instruments 21
The balalaika, with its triangular body, is a stringed instrument of which country?Answer: Russia. Source: Wikipedia: Balalaika
Boléro, a 1928 work for large orchestra, was written by which French composer?Answer: Maurice Ravel. Source: Wikipedia: Boléro
The Carnival of the Animals, a humorous suite that includes The Swan, was composed by whom?Answer: Camille Saint-Saëns. Source: Wikipedia: The Carnival of the Animals
Clair de lune is the third movement of a piano suite, the Suite bergamasque. Who composed it?Answer: Claude Debussy. Source: Wikipedia: Suite bergamasque
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by the Aboriginal peoples of which country?Answer: Australia. Source: Wikipedia: Didgeridoo
The incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt was written in 1875 by which Norwegian composer?Answer: Edvard Grieg. Source: Wikipedia: Peer Gynt (Grieg)
The oboe is played with which kind of reed?Answer: A double reed. Source: Wikipedia: Oboe
The opera Aida was composed by whom?Answer: Giuseppe Verdi. Source: Wikipedia: Aida
The opera Carmen was composed by whom?Answer: Georges Bizet. Source: Wikipedia: Carmen
The opera Madama Butterfly was composed by whom?Answer: Giacomo Puccini. Source: Wikipedia: Madama Butterfly
The oratorio Messiah was composed in 1741 by whom?Answer: George Frideric Handel. Source: Wikipedia: Messiah (Handel)
Peter and the Wolf, a symphonic tale for children, was written in 1936 by whom?Answer: Sergei Prokofiev. Source: Wikipedia: Peter and the Wolf
Pictures at an Exhibition was written for piano in 1874 by which Russian composer?Answer: Modest Mussorgsky. Source: Wikipedia: Pictures at an Exhibition
The Rite of Spring, a ballet and orchestral concert work, is by which Russian composer?Answer: Igor Stravinsky. Source: Wikipedia: The Rite of Spring
The sitar is a plucked string instrument used in the classical music of which country?Answer: India. Source: Wikipedia: Sitar
The six Brandenburg Concertos were written by which composer?Answer: Johann Sebastian Bach. Source: Wikipedia: Brandenburg Concertos
The theremin is an electronic instrument. What is unusual about the way it is played?Answer: The player does not touch it. Source: Wikipedia: Theremin
The timpani of an orchestra are also known by which name?Answer: Kettledrums. Source: Wikipedia: Timpani
The ukulele was made popular in Hawaii. In which country did it originate?Answer: Portugal. Source: Wikipedia: Ukulele
When a key is pressed on a harpsichord, what happens to the string?Answer: It is plucked. Source: Wikipedia: Harpsichord
Which English composer wrote the orchestral suite The Planets?Answer: Gustav Holst. Source: Wikipedia: The Planets
Books and writers 8
Jonathan Swift's satirical novel of 1726 claims to be written by a surgeon who became a ship's captain. By which short title is it known?Answer: Gulliver's Travels. Source: Wikipedia: Gulliver's Travels
Which adventure novel by Jules Verne was first published in French in 1872?Answer: Around the World in Eighty Days. Source: Wikipedia: Around the World in Eighty Days
Which French historical adventure novel did Alexandre Dumas write and publish in 1844?Answer: The Three Musketeers. Source: Wikipedia: The Three Musketeers
Which poet wrote Paradise Lost?Answer: John Milton. Source: Wikipedia: Paradise Lost
Who wrote Crime and Punishment?Answer: Fyodor Dostoevsky. Source: Wikipedia: Crime and Punishment
Who wrote Les Misérables, published in 1862?Answer: Victor Hugo. Source: Wikipedia: Les Misérables
Who wrote Robinson Crusoe, first published in 1719?Answer: Daniel Defoe. Source: Wikipedia: Robinson Crusoe
Who wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray?Answer: Oscar Wilde. Source: Wikipedia: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Myths and legends 14
Anansi is a character of Akan folklore, linked with stories, wit and trickery. What does his name literally mean?Answer: Spider. Source: Wikipedia: Anansi
How does a phoenix, the bird of ancient myth, obtain new life?Answer: By rising from the ashes of its predecessor. Source: Wikipedia: Phoenix (mythology)
How many labors make up the fixed cycle of the labors of Heracles?Answer: Twelve. Source: Wikipedia: Labours of Hercules
In ancient Egyptian religion, which god of funerary rites is usually shown as a canine or as a man with a canine head?Answer: Anubis. Source: Wikipedia: Anubis
In Greek myth, the Minotaur lived at the center of the Labyrinth on which island?Answer: Crete. Source: Wikipedia: Minotaur
In Greek myth, which king is remembered for turning everything he touched into gold?Answer: Midas. Source: Wikipedia: Midas
In Greek myth, which many-headed dog guards the gates of the underworld?Answer: Cerberus. Source: Wikipedia: Cerberus
In Greek myth, who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool?Answer: Narcissus. Source: Wikipedia: Narcissus (mythology)
In Greek myth, who was condemned to roll a boulder up a hill for ever?Answer: Sisyphus. Source: Wikipedia: Sisyphus
In Norse myth, what is the name of Thor's hammer?Answer: Mjölnir. Source: Wikipedia: Mjölnir
In Norse myth, what is Yggdrasil?Answer: A great sacred tree. Source: Wikipedia: Yggdrasil
In Norse mythology, what is Valhalla?Answer: A great hall. Source: Wikipedia: Valhalla
In the legends of King Arthur, what is the name of the king's sword?Answer: Excalibur. Source: Wikipedia: Excalibur
Quetzalcoatl is a deity of Aztec culture. What does the name mean in Nahuatl?Answer: Feathered serpent. Source: Wikipedia: Quetzalcōātl
Inventions, games and sports 15
The Hoover Dam holds back which river?Answer: The Colorado. Source: Wikipedia: Hoover Dam
How many tiles are in most sets of mahjong?Answer: 144. Source: Wikipedia: Mahjong
In chess, what is the name of the move in which the king and a rook move together?Answer: Castling. Source: Wikipedia: Castling
In cricket, a wicket is made of two bails resting on how many stumps?Answer: Three. Source: Wikipedia: Wicket
In polo, what is a period of play called?Answer: A chukka. Source: Wikipedia: Polo
Judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art. What does its name mean?Answer: Gentle way. Source: Wikipedia: Judo
On a boat, what is the person in charge of its navigation and steering called?Answer: The coxswain. Source: Wikipedia: Coxswain
Shogi is the form of chess native to which country?Answer: Japan. Source: Wikipedia: Shogi
The Trans-Siberian Railway runs from Moscow in the west to which city in the east?Answer: Vladivostok. Source: Wikipedia: Trans-Siberian Railway
The voltaic pile was the first form of what?Answer: The electric battery. Source: Wikipedia: Voltaic pile
What controlled the weaving of patterns on a Jacquard machine?Answer: A chain of punched cards. Source: Wikipedia: Jacquard machine
What is the object struck back and forth in badminton called?Answer: A shuttlecock. Source: Wikipedia: Badminton
Who invented the cotton gin in 1793?Answer: Eli Whitney. Source: Wikipedia: Eli Whitney
Whose main discoveries include the principles behind electromagnetic induction and electrolysis?Answer: Michael Faraday. Source: Wikipedia: Michael Faraday
William G. Morgan invented which sport, at first called Mintonette?Answer: Volleyball. Source: Wikipedia: William G. Morgan
Flags, money and languages 19
Belgium has three official languages. Dutch and French are two. Which is the third?Answer: German. Source: Wikipedia: Languages of Belgium
The cedi is the unit of money of which West African country?Answer: Ghana. Source: Wikipedia: Ghanaian cedi
The flag of Cambodia shows which building?Answer: Angkor Wat. Source: Wikipedia: Flag of Cambodia
The flag of Denmark, the Dannebrog, holds which record among national flags?Answer: It has been in use the longest. Source: Wikipedia: Dannebrog
The head of which three-pronged spear is shown in the middle band of the flag of Barbados?Answer: A trident. Source: Wikipedia: Flag of Barbados
How many official national languages has Switzerland?Answer: Four. Source: Wikipedia: Languages of Switzerland
The hryvnia has been the national money of which country since 1996?Answer: Ukraine. Source: Wikipedia: Ukrainian hryvnia
In which country do people spend złoty?Answer: Poland. Source: Wikipedia: Polish złoty
In which country would you be paid in forints?Answer: Hungary. Source: Wikipedia: Hungarian forint
In which country would you pay in rand?Answer: South Africa. Source: Wikipedia: South African rand
The krona, plural kronor, is the currency of which country?Answer: Sweden. Source: Wikipedia: Swedish krona
Maltese, which grew out of late medieval Sicilian Arabic, belongs to which family of languages?Answer: Semitic. Source: Wikipedia: Maltese language
The Marcha Real is one of the few national anthems in the world with no official words. Which country's anthem is it?Answer: Spain. Source: Wikipedia: Marcha Real
The new shekel is the money of which country?Answer: Israel. Source: Wikipedia: Israeli new shekel
Prices in which country are given in reais?Answer: Brazil. Source: Wikipedia: Brazilian real
Which bird flies above the rising sun on the flag of Kiribati?Answer: A frigatebird. Source: Wikipedia: Flag of Kiribati
Which country sings La Marseillaise as its anthem?Answer: France. Source: Wikipedia: La Marseillaise
Which country's banknotes are ringgit?Answer: Malaysia. Source: Wikipedia: Malaysian ringgit
Which red creature stands on the national flag of Wales?Answer: A dragon. Source: Wikipedia: Flag of Wales
Calendars, clocks and maps 13
A year of the Islamic calendar has twelve lunar months. About how many days is that?Answer: 354. Source: Wikipedia: Islamic calendar
An act of the British Parliament moved the country to the Gregorian calendar. How many days did it drop from September 1752?Answer: 11. Source: Wikipedia: Calendar (New Style) Act 1750
China spans five geographical time zones. How many standard times does it keep?Answer: One. Source: Wikipedia: Time in China
The conformal cylindrical map projection first presented in 1569 is named after which Flemish mapmaker?Answer: Gerardus Mercator. Source: Wikipedia: Mercator projection
How many years does a platinum jubilee usually celebrate?Answer: 70. Source: Wikipedia: Platinum jubilee
In the Roman calendar, on which day of March did the Ides fall?Answer: The 15th. Source: Wikipedia: Ides of March
Null Island is a name given to the point where the Equator meets which line?Answer: The prime meridian. Source: Wikipedia: Null Island
On a ship, which side is the port side when you face the bow?Answer: The left. Source: Wikipedia: Port and starboard
September takes its name from the Latin septem. Which number month was it in the oldest known Roman calendar?Answer: The seventh. Source: Wikipedia: September
The system of counting years as Anno Domini was devised in the year 525 by which monk?Answer: Dionysius Exiguus. Source: Wikipedia: Anno Domini
The Tropic of Cancer lies at about which latitude?Answer: 23 degrees north. Source: Wikipedia: Tropic of Cancer
Unix computers count time in seconds from the start of which year?Answer: 1970. Source: Wikipedia: Unix time
What does the abbreviation a.m. stand for?Answer: Ante meridiem. Source: Wikipedia: 12-hour clock
How this list was compiled
Written for this site; nothing was copied from another list. Every question, wrong choice and explanation is our own wording. Each answer agrees with a sentence in the English Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org, text under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license) named and linked beside the question, read on 2026-10-02; every extra claim in an explanation was read the same day on that page. Left out on purpose: living people, records that can fall, prices and other figures that change by year, and film, television, brand and league names. Paintings, operas, ballets and novels that are more than seventy years old are named, as general knowledge. Before this list was kept it was compared with every other list on the site, and the drafted questions that another list already asks, the same way round or turned round, were dropped, so no question here repeats one of theirs word for word as they stood on 2026-10-02. Every question is of middling difficulty by our estimate: harder than the site's packs for children, easier than its hard pack. Licence: own work