General Knowledge Quiz for Christmas

A quiz is a great way to break the ice at any christmas gathering. People love answering trivia questions: the popularity of television quiz shows is proof of that, as are the 88 million sold copies of Trivial Pursuit. If you're planning to put on a quiz for Christmas, here are a few questions you could put in there…

Quiz questions...

1. Q: What was the first animated cartoon to feature sound?
2. Q: Only one kind of animal is born with horns. Which one?
3. Q: What is the oldest musical instrument?
4. Q: In which film did Tom Cruise make his debut?
5. Q: Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize?
6. Q: How does a snake smell?
7. Q: Which Soviet dictator initially wanted to become a priest?
8. Q: What country was the first to issue postage stamps?
9. Q: In which year did the Titanic sink?
10. Q: Where was Albert Einstein born?
11. Q: How many percent of the human brain is water?
12. Q: What does the musical term "adagio" mean?
13. Q: What is Fidel Castro's nickname?
14. Q: What animal is the closest living relative of the T-Rex?
15. Q: Which city spreads out over two continents?
16. Q: Which Arnold Schwarzenegger movie won four Oscars?
17. Q: How many white keys are there on a standard piano?
18. Q: Which bird can swim, but can't fly?
19. Q: How many years did the 100 years war last?
20. Q: Who was featured on the first ever cover of Rolling Stone magazine?
21. Q: What is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature?
22. Q: What was Versailles before it became a palace?
23. Q: Who voiced Woody, the cowboy doll in Toy Story?
24. Q: Did Gustav Eiffel design the Eiffel Tower?
25. Q: What is the most popular karaoke song in the world?
26. Q: What is the largest land animal in the world?
27. Q: What was the first man-made invention to break the sound barrier?
28. Q: What is Shakespeare's nickname?
29. Q: What is the most ubiquitous metal on Earth?
30. Q: What is the best selling album of all time?
31. Q: What is the most common eye colour in the world?
32. Q: What was the first country to give women the right to vote?
33. Q: What was the name of King Arthur's sword?
34. Q: In which studio did the Beatles record 191 songs?
35. Q: Who coined the term "beat generation"?
36. Q: Do identical twins have identical fingerprints?
37. Q: What is the best selling spice in the world?
38. Q: Which country has the most islands?
39. Q: What is the American Olympic basketball team called?

Swap Papers with Another Team

OK now for the marking! Get each team or person to pass on their answers to another team/person. Read out the answers and remember don't let anyone bully you into give marks for answers that aren't quite right. You're the quiz master, so your word is final!

Quiz Answers

1. Steamboat Willy, starring Mickey Mouse
2. Giraffes.
3. The flute
4. Endless Love
5. Marie Curie.
6. By sticking out its tongue.
7. Joseph Stalin.
8. England.
9. 1912.
10. Switzerland.
11. 85%
12. Slow.
13. El Maximo.
14. The chicken.
15. Istanbul.
16. Terminator 2.
17. 52.
18. The penguin.
19. 116 years.
20. John Lennon.
21. Mercury.
22. A hunting lodge.
23. Tom Hanks.
24. Yes.
25. My Way (Frank Sinatra).
26. The African elephant.
27. The whip.
28. The Bard.
29. Aluminium.
30. Michael Jackson's Thriller.
31. Brown.
32. New Zealand.
33. Excalibur.
34. Abbey Road.
35. Jack Kerouack.
36. No.
37. Pepper.
38. Finland.
39. The Dream Team.

Why not try our Christmas themed quiz too?