Unraveling the Past: Engaging History Trivia for Kids and Adults

Looking for a wide-ranging collection of history trivia questions to test your kids’ knowledge or to enjoy as part of a fun family challenge? We’ve got exactly what you need below—a variety of quizzes from easy to hard, and covering a range of countries and eras. Ready to get started? Let’s go!

Contents:

• Easy History Trivia Questions
• Hard Questions
• US History for Kids
• European History Trivia
• World History Trivia Questions
• Ancient History Trivia
• Modern History Trivia

Easy History Trivia Questions

These easy history trivia questions are perfect for younger kids, and a great way to warm up for the harder questions to come.

1. How many wives did Henry VIII have? Six.
2. In which year did the First World War end? 1918.
3. Which nurse was nicknamed “The Lady with the Lamp”? Florence Nightingale.
4. What is Samuel Pepys famous for? His diary.
5. Which famous queen of ancient Egypt married the Roman leader Mark Anthony? Cleopatra.
6. In which year was the Battle of Hastings? 1066.
7. Name the playwright whose work includes Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. William Shakespeare.
8. Who rose to power as the leader of the Nazi party? Adolf Hitler.
9. In which year did the explorer Columbus discover America? 1492.
10. Name the battle which General George Custer is most recognized for. The Battle of Little Bighorn.
11. On what type of medieval building would you find battlements? A castle.
12. In which year did the Great Fire of London occur? 1666.
13. Who invented the telephone? Alexander Graham Bell.
14. Which ancient people worshiped cats? The Egyptians.
15. Which mythical king and his knights sat at a round table? King Arthur.
16. Which queen of England was married to Albert and, following his premature death, wore mourning for the rest of her life? Queen Victoria.
17. What is the name of the building where American presidents live? The White House.
18. What is the surname of Thomas who invented the lightbulb? Edison.
19. Which US president was assassinated in 1963? John F Kennedy.
20. What is the name of Prince William and the Princess of Wales’s son, born in 2013? Prince George.

Hard Questions

Ready for the hardest trivia quiz questions? Are you sure? See how many kids (or you!) know the correct answer.

1. Can you name the third of Henry VIII’s wives? Jane Seymour.
2. The Trojan War was a battle between which two ancient cities? Troy and Mycenae.
3. Who was the youngest king of England? Henry VI.
4. Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize? Marie Cure.
5. The first postage stamp in the world was introduced in which year? 1840.
6. Which type of beetle was worshiped by the ancient Egyptians? The scarab beetle.
7. Which Roman emperor wanted to make his horse a senator? Caligula.
8. What was the first sport televised in the US? Baseball.
9. How many Tudor monarchs were there in total? Five.
10. How long did the “100-Year War” last? 116 years.
11. Which medieval queen was married to both Louis VII of France and Henry II of England? Eleanor of Aquitaine.
12. The Peasants’ Revolt took place in the fourteenth century in which country? England.
13. Name the leader of the Scottish army who won a victory over the English at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Robert the Bruce.
14. Who was the last tsar of Russia? Nicholas II.
15. Who was the last king of the Plantagenet line? Richard III.
16. The Great Fire of London started in a bakery in which lane? Pudding Lane.
17. What was the name of the first dog in space? Laika.
18. In what year was the first iPhone released? 2007.
19. Which iconic car from Ford was released in the 1960s? The Mustang.
20. In 2013, which holiday fell on the same day as the first day of Hanukkah? Thanksgiving.

US History for Kids

And now for the US history trivia round! From Pilgrims to presidents, challenge your kids to see how many questions from this section they can get right.

1. Who was the first president of the United States of America? George Washington.
2. Which US president abolished slavery? Abraham Lincoln.
3. Which famous Founding Father was also a scientist and made major contributions to the field of physics through his study of electricity? Benjamin Franklin.
4. What year was the first Thanksgiving celebrated? 1621.
5. The Watergate Scandal involved the administration of which US president? Richard Nixon.
6. Which country did the United States of America fight in the War of 1812? The United Kingdom.
7. The Wall Street Crash of October 29th, 1929, is also called what? Black Tuesday.
8. Name the two astronauts who walked on the moon in July 1969. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
9. Which holiday was banned in Boston between 1659 and 1681? Christmas.
10. What was the name of the Pilgrim’s ship? The Mayflower.
11. What is the oldest city in the US? St Augustine in Florida.
12. Which was the first US city to hold the Olympic Games in 1904? St Louis, Missouri.
13. To which native American tribe did Pocahontas belong? Powhatan Tribal Nation.
14. Which European country gifted the Statue of Liberty to the US? France.
15. Which American made cars affordable to more people than ever before through a process called “mass production”? Henry Ford.
16. Name the founder of Microsoft. Bill Gates.
17. Which US president was known as “Honest Abe”? Abraham Lincoln.
18. What does Independence Day in the US commemorate? The Declaration of Independence.
19. Who is considered to be the primary author of the Declaration of Independence? Thomas Jefferson.
20. The US purchased Florida from which country? Spain.

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European History Trivia

Now let’s cross the ocean and find out some facts about European history—get your thinking caps on for the next challenge!

1. Which historical figure spent 1815 to 1821 in exile on the island of St Helena? Napoleon.
2. In which European country did the Olympic Games originate? Greece.
3. Who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? Michaelangelo.
4. What was the nickname of the Romanian ruler Vlad III? The Impaler.
5. What language did Alexander the Great speak? Greek.
6. Who signed Magna Carter in 1215? King John (of England).
7. Which treaty effectively ended World War I? The Treaty of Versailles.
8. Who is known as the father of modern Europe? Charlemagne.
9. In which country was Mozart born? Austria.
10. Which English monarch succeeded Queen Victoria? Edward VII.
11. With which country did the Scots form the Auld Alliance in 1295? France.
12. Which historical figure is known as the Maid of Orleans? Joan of Arc.
13. In which year did the Chornobyl disaster take place? 1986.
14. What was the original name of Constantinople? Byzantium.
15. Which saint introduced Christianity to Ireland? Saint Patrick.
16. In what number Downing Street does the British prime minister live? Number 10.
17. Which Communist leader is generally considered to be the father of the Russian Revolution of 1917? Vladimir Lenin.
18. Which two religious groups were involved in the Thirty Years War? The Catholics and the Protestants.
19. What year did the French Revolution start? 1789.
20. The Wars of the Roses involved which two families? The Houses of Lancaster and York.

World History Trivia Questions

And no self-respecting history quiz would be complete without some general world history trivia questions and answers. Like these!

1. Which three country’s navies were involved in the Battle of Trafalgar? Britain, France, and Spain.
2. Which king of France was known as “The Sun King”? Louis XIV (14th).
3. Between which two countries was the 100 Years War fought? England and France.
4. Who was the first Western explorer to reach China? Marco Polo.
5. Which ancient civilization built Machu Picchu in modern-day Peru? The Incas.
6. What is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that is still standing? The Pyramids of Giza.
7. What was the name of the last queen of France? Marie Antoinette.
8. Tsar Ivan IV of Russia was known as Ivan the….what? Terrible.
9. What was the name of the ancient trade route that connected the East with the West? The Silk Road.
10. Which famous monument in India did Shah Jahan build to honor and immortalize his wife? The Taj Mahal.
11. Who is known as “The Father of Medicine”? Hippocrates.
12. Who was named president after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated? Andrew Johnson.
13. In which country did the Battle of Waterloo take place? Belgium.
14. Which prime minister successfully led Britain through World War II? Winston Churchill.
15. India gained independence from which country in 1947? Britain.
16. The Storming of the Bastille led to which revolution? The French Revolution.
17. What ancient wonder of the world was located in Greece and dedicated to the goddess Athena? The Parthenon.
18. Which bridge in Australia opened in March 1932? The Sydney Harbour Bridge.
19. Edward Teach, the notorious seventeenth-century pirate, is better known by what name? Blackbeard.
20. Julius Caesar was assassinated on 15 March 44 BC, a date which is now often known by what term? The Ides of March.

Ancient History Trivia

How well does your kid know their ancient history? Prepare to find out with these questions that’ll take you back through the mists of time.

1. Which civilization invented the wheel? The Sumerians.
2. Which of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was in Babylon? The Hanging Gardens.
3. How many hills were there in the ancient city of Rome? Seven.
4. What was the name of the Roman town that was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD? Pompeii.
5. Which country is famous for its Terracotta Army? China.
6. In which city would you find the world-famous Colosseum? Rome.
7. Which age followed the Bronze Age? The Iron Age.
8. Which island was called Hibernia by the ancient Romans? Ireland.
9. According to history, how did Socrates die? By poison.
10. Who was Alexander the Great’s teacher? Aristotle.
11. What did the ancient Romans use for mouthwash? Human urine!
12. What was the name of the ancient Roman goddess of love? Venus.
13. In which modern-day country did the Aztecs mainly live? Mexico.
14. What is the name of the most famous ancient stone circle in the UK, that’s visited by millions of people every year? Stonehenge.
15. Which queen of the Iceni tribe led a failed uprising against the Romans? Boudica.
16. Alexander the Great was a king of which ancient Greek kingdom? Macedon.
17. Can you name the capital of ancient Egypt which is about fifteen miles south of modern Cairo? Memphis.
18. The Parthenon, which is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis, is dedicated to which goddess? Athena.
19. Tenochtitlan was a huge capital city in which society? Aztec.
20. What dynasty ruled China for nearly four hundred years? The Han Dynasty.

Related: Journey Across Continents: Geography Trivia Challenge for Families!

Modern History Trivia

And the quizzing finale! Test your kids’ knowledge of modern history with this fun—and challenging—set of questions. Good luck!

1. Which company was the first to reach a worth of one trillion dollars? Apple.
2. The soft drink 7Up was invented in which year? 1929.
3. Which American pilot flew solo across the Atlantic in 1932? Amelia Earhart.
4. Who did Adolf Hitler marry in 1945? Eva Braun.
5. Japan attacked which US naval base in 1941? Pearl Harbor.
6. Name the Victorian author who wrote A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens.
7. The first Gulf War began in what year? 1990.
8. Which animated Disney movie was released in June 1994? The Lion King.
9. In which year did the Wall Street Crash occur? 1929.
10. The WHO was founded in April 1948—what does this acronym stand for? The World Health Organization.
11. Which 26.5-mile-long structure came down in 1989, unifying Germany once more? The Berlin Wall.
12. Name one of the four US presidents to have won a Nobel prize. Obama, Carter, Wilson, and Roosevelt.
13. What year was Pluto discovered? 1930.
14. Where did immigrants to the United States arrive between 1890 and 1950? Ellis Island, New York.
15. How many years did World War II last? Six.
16. Which country was hit by a meteor in 2013? Russia.
17. Who spoke the famous “I Have a Dream” speech? Martin Luther King, Jr.
18. Which company purchased the rights to the Star Wars franchise in 2013? Disney.
19. Who was Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 2012? Barack Obama.
20. What movement did Lord Baden Powell find in 1907? The Boy Scouts.

Help Boost Your Kid’s Brain Power with a Great History Quiz

The best thing about a great quiz is that although it’s a game, it’s also a fantastic way of boosting your kids’ general knowledge and developing their problem-solving and creative-thinking skills. Plus, they may discover a subject, historical figure, or era that fascinates them, inspiring them to learn more. Whether you opt for a quick round of US history trivia, an ancient history challenge, or work through all of the sections above in order, you’re guaranteed so much fun that your kids won’t even realize they’re learning!

Why not share this post with your quiz-loving friends, or get together for a joint family quiz tournament, for the ultimate challenge?

Cover image: Denis Val/Shutterstock.com