Sunday, November 1, 2026

The tidbits, trivia answers and word pairs from Facts & Games on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Play today’s games · All past days · All past tidbits

Six tidbits

Commonly confused words

regimen vs. regiment

regimen: A planned routine of diet, exercise or treatment. regiment: A large unit of soldiers. A regiment marches.

mantle vs. mantel

mantle: A cloak, or a role someone takes on. mantel: A shelf above a fireplace. Candles sit on the mantel.

decent vs. descent

decent: Good enough; respectable. descent: A movement downward, or family origin. Descent goes down, like descend.

amoral vs. immoral

amoral: Without any sense of right and wrong. immoral: Knowingly breaking moral rules. A- means without; im- means against.

fewer vs. less

fewer: A smaller number of things you can count. less: A smaller amount of something you can’t count. Fewer cookies, less sugar.

Beatles trivia

1. What is Ringo Starr’s real first name?Answer: Richard. Ringo was born Richard Starkey in Liverpool in 1940.
2. Which Beatles-themed hotel opened in Liverpool near the Cavern Club in 2008?Answer: Hard Days Night Hotel. The Hard Days Night Hotel on North John Street is themed around the band.
3. Where on Liverpool’s waterfront does a bronze statue of the four Beatles stand?Answer: Pier Head. The statue was unveiled at Pier Head in December 2015.
4. Ringo Starr’s 1973 hit “Photograph” was co-written with which other Beatle?Answer: George Harrison. Ringo wrote “Photograph” with George Harrison.
5. What was the title of Julian Lennon’s 1984 debut album?Answer: Valotte. Valotte gave Julian hits with its title song and “Too Late for Goodbyes”.
6. Which film company did George Harrison co-found to pay for Monty Python’s Life of Brian?Answer: HandMade Films. George set up HandMade Films in 1978 when the original backers pulled out.
7. Which Apple band had a 1970 hit with Paul McCartney’s song “Come and Get It”?Answer: Badfinger. Badfinger’s version of “Come and Get It” was a UK and US top-ten hit.
8. Complete the White Album song title: “Mother Nature’s ___”Answer: Son. Paul’s gentle acoustic “Mother Nature’s Son” was written in Rishikesh.
9. Which Liverpool singer, also managed by Brian Epstein, topped the UK chart in 1964 with “Anyone Who Had a Heart”?Answer: Cilla Black. Cilla Black, a former Cavern Club cloakroom girl, had two UK No. 1s in 1964.
10. How many studio albums did the Beatles release in the UK in 1963?Answer: Two. Please Please Me came out in March and With the Beatles in November 1963.
11. At which London studio, rather than Abbey Road, was “Hey Jude” recorded?Answer: Trident Studios. The band used Trident’s eight-track machine for “Hey Jude” in 1968.
12. Which famous New York concert hall did the Beatles play on February 12, 1964?Answer: Carnegie Hall. They played two shows at Carnegie Hall days after the Ed Sullivan debut.
13. Which Beatle wrote “Savoy Truffle”, inspired by Eric Clapton’s love of chocolates?Answer: George Harrison. George wrote the White Album song as a joke about Clapton’s sweet tooth.
14. Which actor played the teenage John Lennon in the 2009 film Nowhere Boy?Answer: Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (then Aaron Johnson) starred as John.
15. In which year did Paul McCartney publicly announce that he had left the Beatles?Answer: 1970. His announcement came in April 1970, a week before his first solo album.
16. Which album includes “Ticket to Ride”?Answer: Help!. “Ticket to Ride” was a 1965 single and also appears on Help!.
17. Which album includes “Here, There and Everywhere”?Answer: Revolver. Paul’s ballad appears on Revolver (1966).
18. Which song shared a 1969 double A-side single with “Something”?Answer: Come Together. “Something” and “Come Together” were released together in October 1969.
19. What was the Beatles’ second UK single?Answer: Please Please Me. “Please Please Me” followed “Love Me Do” in January 1963.
20. What is the title of Paul McCartney’s 1982 song tribute to John Lennon?Answer: Here Today. “Here Today” appears on Paul’s album Tug of War.

Taylor Swift trivia

1. Which song opens Midnights?Answer: Lavender Haze. “Lavender Haze” is track 1 on Midnights (2022).
2. Which song opens Red?Answer: State of Grace. The driving “State of Grace” is the first track on Red (2012).
3. Which song closes the standard edition of Midnights?Answer: Mastermind. “Mastermind” is track 13, the last on the standard album.
4. Which song is track 5 on Midnights?Answer: You’re on Your Own, Kid. Track 5, the slot fans watch most closely, is “You’re on Your Own, Kid”.
5. Which song is track 5 on Red?Answer: All Too Well. The original five-minute “All Too Well” sits at track 5 on Red.
6. Which song closes the standard edition of Folklore?Answer: Hoax. The quiet piano song “Hoax” ends the 16-track album.
7. Which song closes Reputation?Answer: New Year’s Day. The gentle piano ballad “New Year’s Day” is the album’s final track.
8. Which Fearless song is addressed to a boy named Stephen?Answer: Hey Stephen. “Hey Stephen” is track 4 on Fearless (2008).
9. Which Speak Now song is named after a month?Answer: Back to December. “Back to December” was a single from Speak Now in 2010.
10. Which Lover song has London in its title?Answer: London Boy. “London Boy” is a playful Lover track about falling for the city.
11. Which song closes the standard edition of Lover?Answer: Daylight. “Daylight” is track 18, the album’s finale.
12. Which Midnights song title is another word for a maze?Answer: Labyrinth. “Labyrinth” is track 10 on Midnights.
13. Which evermore song shares its name with a climbing plant?Answer: Ivy. “Ivy” is a folk song on evermore (2020).
14. Which Life of a Showgirl song is named after a Hollywood film star?Answer: Elizabeth Taylor. “Elizabeth Taylor” is track 2 on the 2025 album.
15. Which Life of a Showgirl song shares its title with a 1987 George Michael hit?Answer: Father Figure. Swift’s “Father Figure” even nods to George Michael’s song of the same name.
16. Which Speak Now song is written as if to someone named John?Answer: Dear John. “Dear John” is one of the longest songs on Speak Now.
17. On which album is “Wildest Dreams”?Answer: 1989. “Wildest Dreams” was a 2015 single from 1989.
18. On which album is “Delicate”?Answer: Reputation. “Delicate” was a 2018 single from Reputation.
19. On which album is “The Archer”?Answer: Lover. Swift called “The Archer” the album’s track 5 song.
20. What does the Tortured Poets Department song title “loml” stand for?Answer: Love of my life. The title is a common abbreviation for “love of my life”.

Football trivia

1. Which team won Super Bowl III?Answer: New York Jets. Joe Namath’s Jets upset the Colts 16–7 in January 1969.
2. Which team did the Packers beat in Super Bowl I?Answer: Kansas City Chiefs. Green Bay beat Kansas City 35–10 in January 1967.
3. Super Bowl LX was played at which stadium?Answer: Levi’s Stadium. The game was held in Santa Clara, California, on February 8, 2026.
4. Which team did the Seahawks beat in Super Bowl LX?Answer: New England Patriots. Seattle beat New England for its second Super Bowl title.
5. Who was the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft?Answer: Jadeveon Clowney. The Houston Texans took the South Carolina pass rusher first.
6. Fans of which team fill the end-zone seats known as the “Dawg Pound”?Answer: Cleveland Browns. Browns fans in the east end zone have barked as the Dawg Pound since the 1980s.
7. Fans of which team fill the rowdy “Black Hole” section?Answer: Las Vegas Raiders. The Black Hole began at the Oakland Coliseum and followed the Raiders to Las Vegas.
8. Fans of which team wear foam “Cheesehead” hats?Answer: Green Bay Packers. The cheese wedge hats nod to Wisconsin’s dairy fame.
9. What were the New England Patriots called when they began play in 1960?Answer: Boston Patriots. They became the New England Patriots in 1971.
10. Which team began in the AFL as the Dallas Texans?Answer: Kansas City Chiefs. Lamar Hunt moved the Texans to Kansas City in 1963.
11. In which city did the Rams play from 1995 to 2015?Answer: St. Louis. The Rams returned to Los Angeles in 2016.
12. In which year did the Colts move from Baltimore to Indianapolis?Answer: 1984. The team’s moving vans left Baltimore overnight in March 1984.
13. Who was the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft?Answer: Jameis Winston. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose the Florida State quarterback.
14. Who caught the touchdown pass in the “Minneapolis Miracle” in January 2018?Answer: Stefon Diggs. Diggs scored on the final play to beat the Saints 29–24.
15. The NFC championship trophy is named after whom?Answer: George Halas. The George Halas Trophy goes to the NFC champion.
16. Which coach won three Super Bowls with Washington?Answer: Joe Gibbs. Gibbs won Super Bowls XVII, XXII and XXVI.
17. Which team’s 2010s secondary was nicknamed the “Legion of Boom”?Answer: Seattle Seahawks. Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor led Seattle’s hard-hitting secondary.
18. Washington’s 1980s offensive line was nicknamed what?Answer: The Hogs. The Hogs blocked for three Super Bowl teams.
19. Which quarterback was nicknamed “Big Ben”?Answer: Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger won two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
20. Which Detroit Lions receiver was nicknamed “Megatron”?Answer: Calvin Johnson. Johnson set the single-season receiving yards record in 2012.

Basketball trivia

1. Who was the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft?Answer: Paolo Banchero. The Orlando Magic took Banchero out of Duke.
2. Who was the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft?Answer: Cade Cunningham. The Detroit Pistons chose Cunningham from Oklahoma State.
3. Who was the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft?Answer: Anthony Edwards. The Minnesota Timberwolves took Edwards from Georgia.
4. Which college did Kawhi Leonard play for?Answer: San Diego State. Leonard played two seasons for the Aztecs.
5. Which team plays its home games at the Spectrum Center?Answer: Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets’ arena is in uptown Charlotte.
6. Which college did Patrick Ewing play for?Answer: Georgetown. Ewing led Georgetown to the 1984 NCAA title.
7. Which college did Hakeem Olajuwon play for?Answer: Houston. Olajuwon starred for Houston’s “Phi Slama Jama” teams.
8. Which Hall of Famer was nicknamed “Clyde the Glide”?Answer: Clyde Drexler. Drexler starred for Portland and won a title with Houston in 1995.
9. Which guard is nicknamed “Spida”?Answer: Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell picked up the nickname as a young player.
10. Which team plays its home games at the Target Center?Answer: Minnesota Timberwolves. The Target Center is in downtown Minneapolis.
11. Which team plays its home games at Little Caesars Arena?Answer: Detroit Pistons. The Pistons moved downtown to Little Caesars Arena in 2017.
12. Which team plays its home games at the Toyota Center?Answer: Houston Rockets. The Rockets have played at the Toyota Center since 2003.
13. Which team plays its home games at the Golden 1 Center?Answer: Sacramento Kings. The Kings opened the Golden 1 Center in 2016.
14. Which team plays its home games at the Delta Center?Answer: Utah Jazz. The Jazz arena in Salt Lake City took back the Delta Center name in 2023.
15. Which team plays its home games at the FedExForum?Answer: Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies have played at the FedExForum in downtown Memphis since 2004.
16. Which franchise won its only NBA title in 1979 while based in Seattle?Answer: Seattle SuperSonics. The Sonics beat the Washington Bullets in the 1979 Finals.
17. Which team won its first NBA championship in 2019?Answer: Toronto Raptors. The Raptors beat the Warriors in six games.
18. In which year did Michael Jordan first retire from the NBA?Answer: 1993. Jordan stepped away in October 1993 after three straight titles.
19. Which team did the Celtics beat in the 2024 NBA Finals?Answer: Dallas Mavericks. Boston won the series 4–1 for its 18th title.
20. Which team did the Thunder beat in the 2025 NBA Finals?Answer: Indiana Pacers. Oklahoma City won Game 7 at home for its first title in Oklahoma.

Baseball trivia

1. Who was named MVP of the 2025 World Series?Answer: Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yamamoto won three games, including Game 7 in relief.
2. Which team did the Dodgers beat in the 2025 World Series?Answer: Toronto Blue Jays. Los Angeles won Game 7 in 11 innings in Toronto.
3. Which team won the 2019 World Series?Answer: Washington Nationals. The Nationals beat the Astros in seven games for their first title.
4. Which team won the 2012 World Series?Answer: San Francisco Giants. The Giants swept the Detroit Tigers.
5. Who was the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in one season?Answer: Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani reached 50–50 for the Dodgers in September 2024.
6. Which early star was nicknamed “Shoeless Joe”?Answer: Joe Jackson. The nickname reportedly began when he played a minor-league game in his socks.
7. Which slugger is widely known by the nickname “A-Rod”?Answer: Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez starred for the Mariners, Rangers and Yankees.
8. Which Hall of Fame second baseman was nicknamed “The Rajah”?Answer: Rogers Hornsby. Hornsby hit .424 in 1924, a modern NL record.
9. Which team’s mascot is the Pirate Parrot?Answer: Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirate Parrot first appeared in 1979.
10. Which team’s mascot is Mr. Met?Answer: New York Mets. Mr. Met, with his baseball head, dates to the 1960s.
11. Under MLB’s pitch clock, how many seconds does a pitcher have with the bases empty?Answer: 15. The pitch clock arrived in 2023 with 15 seconds when no one is on base.
12. About how tall is Fenway Park’s Green Monster?Answer: 37 feet. The left-field wall stands about 37 feet high.
13. Which Dodgers ace won Cy Young Awards in 2011, 2013 and 2014?Answer: Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw spent his whole career with the Dodgers.
14. Who pitched in the majors at about age 59 in 1965?Answer: Satchel Paige. Paige threw three scoreless innings for the Kansas City Athletics.
15. Which Yankee pitched a perfect game in June 2023?Answer: Domingo Germán. Germán retired all 27 Oakland batters he faced.
16. Which team did the Rangers beat in the 2023 World Series?Answer: Arizona Diamondbacks. Texas won in five games for its first title.
17. Which team did the Astros beat in the 2022 World Series?Answer: Philadelphia Phillies. Houston won the series in six games.
18. Which team did the Braves beat in the 2021 World Series?Answer: Houston Astros. Atlanta won in six games.
19. Who became MLB’s first Black manager in 1975?Answer: Frank Robinson. Robinson was player-manager of the Cleveland Indians.
20. Which team plays its home games at Coors Field?Answer: Colorado Rockies. Coors Field in Denver opened in 1995.

Hockey trivia

1. Which team did the Florida Panthers beat in both the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup Finals?Answer: Edmonton Oilers. Florida beat Edmonton in seven games in 2024 and six in 2025.
2. Who won the 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy even though his team lost the Final?Answer: Connor McDavid. McDavid became the first skater from a losing team to win it since Reggie Leach in 1976.
3. Which team plays its home games at Climate Pledge Arena?Answer: Seattle Kraken. The Kraken have played in Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena since 2021.
4. Which team plays its home games at TD Garden?Answer: Boston Bruins. The Bruins share TD Garden with the NBA’s Celtics.
5. Which team plays its home games at Little Caesars Arena?Answer: Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings moved there from Joe Louis Arena in 2017.
6. Which team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre?Answer: Winnipeg Jets. The Winnipeg arena took the Canada Life Centre name in 2021.
7. Which team plays its home games at Rogers Arena?Answer: Vancouver Canucks. Rogers Arena stands in downtown Vancouver.
8. Which team plays its home games at Enterprise Center?Answer: St. Louis Blues. The Blues’ arena is in downtown St. Louis.
9. Which trophy goes to the NHL’s rookie of the year?Answer: Calder Memorial Trophy. The Calder Trophy is named after the NHL’s first president, Frank Calder.
10. Which team won its first Stanley Cup in 2023?Answer: Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas beat Florida in five games.
11. Which team won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021?Answer: Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa Bay won in the 2020 bubble and again in 2021.
12. Who was the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft?Answer: Macklin Celebrini. The San Jose Sharks drafted Celebrini.
13. Who was the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft?Answer: Matthew Schaefer. The New York Islanders took the defenseman Schaefer.
14. Who was the first overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft?Answer: Auston Matthews. The Toronto Maple Leafs chose Matthews.
15. Which Hall of Famer was nicknamed “Super Mario”?Answer: Mario Lemieux. Lemieux led Pittsburgh to Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992.
16. Which Hall of Famer was nicknamed “Mr. Hockey”?Answer: Gordie Howe. Howe starred for Detroit for 25 seasons.
17. Which Canadiens captain was nicknamed “Le Gros Bill”?Answer: Jean Béliveau. Béliveau won ten Stanley Cups as a player.
18. Which goaltender was nicknamed “The Dominator”?Answer: Dominik Hašek. Hašek won six Vezina Trophies with Buffalo.
19. How many periods are in a regulation NHL game?Answer: Three. Each of the three periods lasts 20 minutes.
20. Which country won the men’s hockey gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics?Answer: Finland. Finland beat the Russian Olympic Committee team 2–1 for its first gold.

Soccer trivia

1. Which Dutch striker scored a late winner against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup after controlling a long pass from Frank de Boer?Answer: Dennis Bergkamp. His goal in Marseille sent the Netherlands into the semifinals.
2. Which country did the U.S. men beat 2–0 in the round of 16 at the 2002 World Cup?Answer: Mexico. Brian McBride and Landon Donovan scored in Jeonju, South Korea.
3. Which German forward won the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup at age 20?Answer: Thomas Müller. Müller scored five goals and won the award on assists.
4. Who scored the winning penalty for Italy in the 2006 World Cup final shootout?Answer: Fabio Grosso. Grosso’s kick beat France 5–3 in the shootout in Berlin.
5. Which club did Paris Saint-Germain beat 5–0 in the 2025 Champions League final?Answer: Inter Milan. It was the biggest winning margin in a European Cup final.
6. Which Portuguese club won back-to-back European Cups in 1961 and 1962?Answer: Benfica. Benfica beat Barcelona in 1961 and Real Madrid in 1962.
7. Which Italian club won the European Cup in 1989 and 1990 under coach Arrigo Sacchi?Answer: AC Milan. Sacchi’s Milan was built around Dutch stars Gullit, van Basten and Rijkaard.
8. Which country won the 2021 Copa América, Lionel Messi’s first major trophy with his national team?Answer: Argentina. Argentina beat Brazil 1–0 at the Maracanã on a goal by Ángel Di María.
9. What kind of free kick can’t be scored directly?Answer: An indirect free kick. On an indirect free kick, the ball must touch another player before it goes in.
10. What does VAR stand for?Answer: Video assistant referee. VAR was first used at a World Cup in 2018.
11. In soccer slang, what is a “nutmeg”?Answer: Playing the ball through an opponent’s legs. It is one of the most embarrassing ways to be beaten.
12. What is a “brace”?Answer: Two goals by one player in a game. A third goal turns a brace into a hat trick.
13. Which Portuguese star has won the Ballon d’Or five times?Answer: Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo won it in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
14. Who won the 2024 Ballon d’Or?Answer: Rodri. The Manchester City midfielder edged Vinícius Júnior in the voting.
15. Which club plays its home games at Anfield?Answer: Liverpool. Anfield has been Liverpool’s home since the club was founded in 1892.
16. Mexico striker Javier Hernández is better known by what nickname?Answer: Chicharito. It means “little pea”; his father was known as Chícharo.
17. What is the nickname of Mexico’s national team?Answer: El Tri. It is short for “El Tricolor,” after the three colors of the flag.
18. How many Women’s World Cups have the U.S. women won?Answer: Four. They won in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019.
19. Which Spanish club plays its home games at the Mestalla?Answer: Valencia. The Mestalla has been Valencia’s home since 1923.
20. Which country hosted Euro 2024?Answer: Germany. Spain won the final in Berlin.

Movies trivia

1. Which film won Best Picture at the 2026 Academy Awards?Answer: One Battle After Another. Paul Thomas Anderson’s film won six Oscars, including Best Picture.
2. Which film won Best Picture at the 2025 Academy Awards?Answer: Anora. Sean Baker’s Anora won five Oscars that night.
3. Who won Best Actor at the 2024 Academy Awards for Oppenheimer?Answer: Cillian Murphy. Murphy won for playing J. Robert Oppenheimer.
4. Who played the title role in Barbie (2023)?Answer: Margot Robbie. Robbie starred opposite Ryan Gosling’s Ken.
5. Who played the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (1939)?Answer: Ray Bolger. Bolger, a dancer, gave the Scarecrow his floppy moves.
6. Who played the title role in Mary Poppins Returns (2018)?Answer: Emily Blunt. Blunt took over the role Julie Andrews made famous.
7. Who played Tony Stark in the Iron Man films?Answer: Robert Downey Jr.. Downey played Stark from Iron Man (2008) to Avengers: Endgame (2019).
8. Who won Best Actor for playing the title role in Gandhi (1982)?Answer: Ben Kingsley. Kingsley won the Oscar, and Gandhi won Best Picture.
9. What is the name of the cowboy doll in Toy Story?Answer: Woody. Tom Hanks voices Sheriff Woody.
10. In Finding Nemo (2003), what is the name of Nemo’s father?Answer: Marlin. Albert Brooks voices the nervous clownfish Marlin.
11. In The Lion King (1994), what is the name of Simba’s villainous uncle?Answer: Scar. Jeremy Irons voices Scar.
12. Which Pixar film follows a lonely trash-compacting robot on an abandoned Earth?Answer: WALL-E. WALL-E (2008) won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
13. Who played the title role in Doctor Zhivago (1965)?Answer: Omar Sharif. Sharif starred opposite Julie Christie.
14. Who played the title role in Universal’s Dracula (1931)?Answer: Bela Lugosi. Lugosi had already played the count on Broadway.
15. Who played the villain Hans Gruber in Die Hard (1988)?Answer: Alan Rickman. Die Hard was Rickman’s first feature film.
16. Who plays agent Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible films?Answer: Tom Cruise. Cruise has starred in the series since 1996.
17. Who played police chief Martin Brody in Jaws (1975)?Answer: Roy Scheider. Scheider’s Brody is the one who decides they need a bigger boat.
18. Who played Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games films?Answer: Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence starred in all four films from 2012 to 2015.
19. Who played Harry Potter in the Harry Potter films?Answer: Daniel Radcliffe. Radcliffe starred in all eight films.
20. Who won Best Actor for playing the title role in Joker (2019)?Answer: Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix won the Oscar at the 2020 ceremony.

Television trivia

1. Who co-created and starred in the original British version of The Office?Answer: Ricky Gervais. Gervais created it with Stephen Merchant and played boss David Brent.
2. Michael Scott manages Dunder Mifflin's branch in which city?Answer: Scranton. Stamford, Utica and Nashua were other Dunder Mifflin branches on the show.
3. In 2008, which AMC series became the first basic-cable show to win the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series?Answer: Mad Men. It won for its first season and went on to win four in a row.
4. What is the name of the Roy family's media company on Succession?Answer: Waystar Royco. PGM was a rival company the Roys tried to buy.
5. Who created Succession?Answer: Jesse Armstrong. Armstrong had earlier co-created the British comedy Peep Show.
6. Leslie Knope works for the parks department of which fictional town?Answer: Pawnee. Eagleton is Pawnee's snooty neighboring rival.
7. On Parks and Recreation, what is the name of Ron Swanson's secret saxophone-playing alter ego?Answer: Duke Silver. Johnny Karate and Burt Macklin were Andy Dwyer's alter egos.
8. Which HBO anthology created by Mike White is set at luxury resorts?Answer: The White Lotus. Its first season was set in Hawaii.
9. Which Korean drama became Netflix's most-watched series ever?Answer: Squid Game. Players compete in deadly children's games for a huge cash prize.
10. Bridgerton is based on romance novels by which author?Answer: Julia Quinn. Shonda Rhimes's company Shondaland produced the series.
11. Who played Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock?Answer: Benedict Cumberbatch. Martin Freeman played Dr. John Watson.
12. Rowan Atkinson's nearly silent, accident-prone character is named Mr. ___?Answer: Bean. Mr. Bean is often joined by his teddy bear, Teddy.
13. Seinfeld has often been described as a show about what?Answer: Nothing. In a famous episode, Jerry and George pitch NBC a “show about nothing.”
14. Julia Louis-Dreyfus won six Emmys in a row for playing Selina Meyer on which HBO comedy?Answer: Veep. The streak ran from 2012 to 2017.
15. Which CBS reality show sends teams of two racing around the world for a $1 million prize?Answer: The Amazing Race. Phil Keoghan has hosted every season.
16. Big Brother, which watches strangers living together in a house, began in which country?Answer: Netherlands. The Dutch original premiered in 1999.
17. Which Nickelodeon cartoon follows a fourth-grader with a football-shaped head?Answer: Hey Arnold!. Arnold lives in a boarding house run by his grandparents.
18. Which Cartoon Network show stars Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup?Answer: The Powerpuff Girls. Professor Utonium made them from sugar, spice, everything nice and Chemical X.
19. Which FX drama set a record by winning 18 Emmys for a single season in 2024?Answer: Shōgun. It is set in feudal Japan in the year 1600.
20. The Bear is set in a sandwich shop in which city?Answer: Chicago. Jeremy Allen White plays chef Carmy Berzatto.

Fantasy trivia

1. What is the name of Gandalf’s horse?Answer: Shadowfax. Shadowfax is the chief of the Mearas, the great horses of Rohan.
2. Who played Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit film trilogy?Answer: Martin Freeman. Ian Holm played the older Bilbo, and Cumberbatch voiced Smaug.
3. What is the name of the elven forest realm ruled by Galadriel?Answer: Lothlórien. The Fellowship rests in Lothlórien after escaping Moria.
4. Who forged the One Ring?Answer: Sauron. Sauron made it in secret; Celebrimbor made the three Elven rings.
5. What is the first name of Spider-Man’s aunt?Answer: May. Aunt May raised Peter Parker in Queens with Uncle Ben.
6. Who directed The Avengers (2012)?Answer: Joss Whedon. Whedon also directed the sequel, Avengers: Age of Ultron.
7. What is the name of the gun-loving raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy?Answer: Rocket. Bradley Cooper voices Rocket in the films.
8. Which actor played Loki in the MCU?Answer: Tom Hiddleston. Hiddleston first played the trickster in Thor.
9. Which newspaper does Peter Parker sell photos to?Answer: The Daily Bugle. The Daily Planet is Superman’s paper in DC comics.
10. What is the name of Wonder Woman’s magic lasso?Answer: The Lasso of Truth. Anyone bound by it is compelled to tell the truth.
11. What is Catwoman’s real name?Answer: Selina Kyle. Harleen Quinzel is Harley Quinn and Pamela Isley is Poison Ivy.
12. Who played Superman in Man of Steel (2013)?Answer: Henry Cavill. Cavill played the role through Justice League; Corenswet took over in 2025.
13. The classic Green Lantern ring had no power over things of which color?Answer: Yellow. Hal Jordan’s ring was famously powerless against anything yellow.
14. Which Hogwarts house is Luna Lovegood in?Answer: Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw is the house of wit and learning.
15. What is the name of the goblin-run wizarding bank in Diagon Alley?Answer: Gringotts. Harry’s vault there was left to him by his parents.
16. What is Voldemort’s birth name?Answer: Tom Marvolo Riddle. “I am Lord Voldemort” is an anagram of his full name.
17. Which of the three Deathly Hallows did Harry inherit from his father?Answer: The Invisibility Cloak. Dumbledore gave it to Harry at Christmas in his first year.
18. In Game of Thrones, what is the continent where the Seven Kingdoms are found?Answer: Westeros. Essos lies to the east, across the Narrow Sea.
19. Who voiced Aslan in the Narnia films of the 2000s?Answer: Liam Neeson. Neeson voiced the great lion in all three films.
20. Who became the first woman to play the Doctor in Doctor Who?Answer: Jodie Whittaker. She first appeared as the Thirteenth Doctor in the 2017 Christmas special.

Broadway trivia

1. Which musical won the 2024 Tony Award for Best Musical?Answer: The Outsiders. The Outsiders is based on S. E. Hinton’s novel.
2. Which musical won the 2023 Tony Award for Best Musical?Answer: Kimberly Akimbo. Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire wrote it.
3. Which musical won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Musical?Answer: A Strange Loop. Michael R. Jackson’s show also won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
4. “Memory” comes from which musical?Answer: Cats. Grizabella sings “Memory” in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats.
5. “Tomorrow” comes from which musical?Answer: Annie. Little orphan Annie sings it in the 1977 musical.
6. “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” comes from which musical?Answer: Evita. Eva Perón sings it from the balcony of the Casa Rosada.
7. “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” comes from which musical?Answer: The Sound of Music. The Mother Abbess sings it to Maria.
8. “I Dreamed a Dream” comes from which musical?Answer: Les Misérables. Fantine sings it in the first act.
9. “Luck Be a Lady” comes from which musical?Answer: Guys and Dolls. Sky Masterson sings it before a big roll of the dice.
10. “Seventy-Six Trombones” comes from which musical?Answer: The Music Man. Harold Hill dazzles River City with it.
11. “I Could Have Danced All Night” comes from which musical?Answer: My Fair Lady. Eliza Doolittle sings it after her triumph with Henry Higgins.
12. “The Music of the Night” comes from which musical?Answer: The Phantom of the Opera. The Phantom sings it to Christine in his lair.
13. Who originated the title role in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway?Answer: Michael Crawford. Crawford won a Tony for the role in 1988.
14. Who originated the role of Eliza Hamilton in Hamilton?Answer: Phillipa Soo. Soo played Eliza Schuyler Hamilton.
15. Who originated the role of Effie White in Dreamgirls?Answer: Jennifer Holliday. Holliday won a Tony in 1982.
16. Who played the title role in the original Broadway production of Annie?Answer: Andrea McArdle. McArdle was 13 when the show opened in 1977.
17. Who originated the role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway?Answer: Barbra Streisand. Streisand starred in the 1964 production and the 1968 film.
18. Which playwright wrote Glengarry Glen Ross?Answer: David Mamet. Mamet’s play won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
19. Which playwright wrote August: Osage County?Answer: Tracy Letts. Letts won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for it.
20. In which Broadway theatre has The Lion King played since 2006?Answer: Minskoff Theatre. It moved to the Minskoff after opening at the New Amsterdam in 1997.

U.S. History trivia

1. What did the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, guarantee?Answer: Citizenship and equal protection of the laws. It made all people born in the U.S. citizens and promised equal protection.
2. Which amendment banned poll taxes in federal elections?Answer: 24th. The 24th Amendment was ratified in 1964.
3. Which 1863 Union victory gave the North control of the Mississippi River?Answer: Vicksburg. Vicksburg surrendered to Grant on July 4, 1863.
4. Who became the first Black U.S. senator, in 1870?Answer: Hiram Revels. Revels represented Mississippi.
5. Which 1854 law let settlers in two territories vote on whether to allow slavery?Answer: Kansas–Nebraska Act. It led to violent clashes in “Bleeding Kansas”.
6. Which 1857 Supreme Court decision ruled that Black Americans could not be U.S. citizens?Answer: Dred Scott v. Sandford. The ruling deepened the divide that led to the Civil War.
7. Who led the 1859 raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry?Answer: John Brown. Brown hoped to spark an uprising against slavery.
8. Which ship did John Paul Jones command in his famous 1779 sea battle?Answer: Bonhomme Richard. Jones captured the British ship Serapis off England’s coast.
9. Which city did British troops burn in August 1814?Answer: Washington, D.C.. They set fire to the Capitol and the White House.
10. Who wrote The Jungle, the 1906 novel about Chicago’s meatpacking plants?Answer: Upton Sinclair. Public outrage helped pass food safety laws that year.
11. Which city was devastated by an earthquake and fires in April 1906?Answer: San Francisco. Much of the city burned in the days after the quake.
12. Which athlete won both the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics?Answer: Jim Thorpe. Thorpe, of the Sac and Fox Nation, won both golds in Stockholm.
13. In which state was the first atomic bomb tested, in July 1945?Answer: New Mexico. The Trinity test took place in the desert near Alamogordo.
14. What was the “Bonus Army” of 1932?Answer: World War I veterans demanding early payment of a promised bonus. Thousands camped in Washington before troops drove them out.
15. In which city did Henry Ford found the Ford Motor Company in 1903?Answer: Detroit. Ford built his first factory on Mack Avenue in Detroit.
16. What was the first constitution of the United States, replaced in 1789?Answer: The Articles of Confederation. The Articles left the national government too weak.
17. Which 1786–87 farmers’ uprising in Massachusetts pushed leaders toward a stronger Constitution?Answer: Shays’ Rebellion. Daniel Shays led indebted farmers against the state courts.
18. A 1794 rebellion in western Pennsylvania was a protest against a tax on what?Answer: Whiskey. Washington sent troops to end the Whiskey Rebellion.
19. Who was the first American to walk in space, in 1965?Answer: Ed White. White floated outside Gemini 4 for about 20 minutes.
20. The 1965 voting rights marches to Montgomery began in which Alabama city?Answer: Selma. The march from Selma helped win the Voting Rights Act.

U.S. Presidents trivia

1. Who was the 21st president?Answer: Chester A. Arthur. Arthur took office in 1881 after Garfield died.
2. Who was the seventh president?Answer: Andrew Jackson. Jackson served from 1829 to 1837.
3. Who was Grover Cleveland’s vice president in his first term?Answer: Thomas A. Hendricks. Hendricks died in November 1885, months into the term.
4. Who was James Monroe’s vice president?Answer: Daniel D. Tompkins. Tompkins served both of Monroe’s terms.
5. Lindenwald, an estate in Kinderhook, New York, was the home of which president?Answer: Martin Van Buren. Van Buren retired to Lindenwald in his hometown.
6. Wheatland, near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was the home of which president?Answer: James Buchanan. Buchanan bought Wheatland in 1848.
7. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum is in which Michigan city?Answer: Grand Rapids. Ford grew up in Grand Rapids; his library is in Ann Arbor.
8. Which president created the first presidential library, at Hyde Park, New York?Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR dedicated his library in 1941 while still in office.
9. Which president, a mining engineer, was nicknamed “the Great Engineer”?Answer: Herbert Hoover. Hoover earned the name for his engineering career and relief work.
10. Which president was nicknamed “Old Man Eloquent” during his years in Congress?Answer: John Quincy Adams. Adams served in the House for 17 years after his presidency.
11. Which president was nicknamed “Tippecanoe” after an 1811 battle?Answer: William Henry Harrison. His 1840 slogan was “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too”.
12. Dolley was the wife of which president?Answer: James Madison. Dolley Madison was famed as a Washington hostess.
13. Which president married Frances Folsom in the White House in 1886?Answer: Grover Cleveland. It is the only wedding of a sitting president held in the White House.
14. Betty was the wife of which president?Answer: Gerald Ford. Betty Ford later founded a famous treatment center.
15. Which president appears on the $5 bill?Answer: Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln has been on the $5 bill since 1914.
16. Which president signed the 1956 law that created the Interstate Highway System?Answer: Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower had seen Germany’s autobahns during World War II.
17. Which president began the tradition of throwing out the first pitch on baseball’s Opening Day, in 1910?Answer: William Howard Taft. Taft threw the ball in Washington on April 14, 1910.
18. Which former president ran for the White House again in 1912 as the Progressive, or “Bull Moose,” candidate?Answer: Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt finished second in the 1912 election.
19. Under which president did the U.S. make the 1853 Gadsden Purchase from Mexico?Answer: Franklin Pierce. The land in today’s Arizona and New Mexico was bought for a southern railroad route.
20. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was passed while who was president?Answer: James Monroe. Monroe signed the compromise in March 1820.

Geography trivia

1. What is the capital of Cambodia?Answer: Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh sits where the Mekong meets the Tonlé Sap River.
2. What is the capital of Bulgaria?Answer: Sofia. Sofia lies at the foot of Mount Vitosha.
3. What is the capital of Paraguay?Answer: Asunción. Asunción stands on the Paraguay River.
4. What is the capital of Tunisia?Answer: Tunis. The ruins of ancient Carthage are on the edge of Tunis.
5. What is the capital of Croatia?Answer: Zagreb. Zagreb is Croatia’s largest city.
6. What is the capital of Slovakia?Answer: Bratislava. Bratislava lies on the Danube, close to Austria and Hungary.
7. Which major river flows through both Geneva and Lyon?Answer: Rhône. The Rhône leaves Lake Geneva and meets the Saône at Lyon.
8. Which river flows through Bangkok?Answer: Chao Phraya. The Chao Phraya is Thailand’s most important river.
9. Which U.S. state is nicknamed the Hoosier State?Answer: Indiana. People from Indiana have long been called Hoosiers.
10. Which U.S. state is nicknamed the Buckeye State?Answer: Ohio. The nickname comes from the buckeye tree.
11. Which U.S. state is nicknamed the Tar Heel State?Answer: North Carolina. Tar, pitch and turpentine were once major North Carolina products.
12. Boise is the capital of which U.S. state?Answer: Idaho. Boise is also Idaho’s largest city.
13. What is the capital of Nevada?Answer: Carson City. Carson City, not Las Vegas, is Nevada’s capital.
14. What is the highest mountain in Canada?Answer: Mount Logan. Mount Logan in the Yukon rises about 5,959 meters (19,551 feet).
15. Which strait separates mainland South America from Tierra del Fuego?Answer: Strait of Magellan. Ferdinand Magellan sailed through it in 1520.
16. Which country’s flag is red with a white crescent and star?Answer: Turkey. Tunisia’s flag puts its crescent and star inside a white circle.
17. Which sea lies off Italy’s west coast, between the mainland and Sardinia?Answer: Tyrrhenian Sea. Naples and Palermo both look out on the Tyrrhenian Sea.
18. The Canary Islands belong to which country?Answer: Spain. The Spanish islands lie off the coast of northwest Africa.
19. The Azores belong to which country?Answer: Portugal. The nine islands lie in the mid-Atlantic.
20. The island of Corsica belongs to which country?Answer: France. Corsica is the birthplace of Napoleon.