National Trivia Day in America
National Trivia Day in America

What and When is National Trivia Day - Meaning, Date

National Trivia Day is a holiday that’s celebrated annually every 4th of January in the United States.

Trivia is defined as information and data of little value or obscure facts. But anyone who has ever spent countless hours on the internet researching their favorite TV shows, scientific factoids and pop culture, or has played in a quiz competition knows just how fun trivia can be!

It’s a day on which people can take part in trivia contests, share useless pieces of information and data with friends and family, or spend the day watching and rewatching their favorite trivia-based TV shows. No matter how the day is observed, however, one thing is for certain: plenty of people are going to learn a whole lot of trivia on this holiday.

The holiday recognizes the collectors of unconnected, irrelevant data, facts, history, and quotes each year. They are the ones who usually proffer these sometimes astounding bits of history when friends and family least expect it.

In ancient times, the term “trivia” was appropriated to mean something very new.

National Trivia Day - History

National Trivia Day in America: Date, History, Meaning, Celebration and Facts
National Trivia Day falls on Friday, Jan. 4, and gives those who enjoy challenges of the mind a chance to celebrate their interest.

Trivia was created by college students in the 1960’s as a result of nostalgia for the interesting facts of their youth. It has evolved over the years and still gives much enjoyment to participants who try to answer fun questions. In ancient times, trivia meant “something new.”

During the 1960s, Nostalgic college students started to informally exchange questions and answers about the youth’s popular culture. The Columbia University students Ed Goodgold and Dan Carlinsky after writing the trivia columns have made the earliest known inter-collegiate quiz bowls that tested culturally significant, yet virtually useless information, which they called trivia contests.

One of the first forms of what we know today as a trivia game debuted on the 1940s radio program “Take It or Leave It”. Not too long after this in 1964, “Jeopardy!” entered millions of Americans’ homes through television and remains arguably America’s most iconic quiz show.

At the same time during the 60s, trivia night swept across college campuses all over the US (think competitive and social plus beer). Then, in the 70s, pub quizzes emerged in the United Kingdom to entice people to head to their local pubs on traditionally slower evenings.

As trivia continued to gain momentum, Trivial Pursuit emerged in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1979 thanks to Chris Haney and Scott Abbott, becoming one of the world’s most famous board games. Since then, our love for obscure facts continues to take the world by storm through online gaming and other technology-driven formats.

While some people may find trivia “trivial,” it can be pretty serious business for others. Leagues and competitions are common across the globe and the competitive nature of some has led to drastic measures including cheating. Mobile phones are often banned from competitions to deter secret searches for answers.

National Trivia Day is believed to have been started in 1980 by CEO Robert L. Birch, the head of Puns Corp and a big fan of trivia. This day is observed annually on January 4th.

How to Celebrate National Trivia Day 2022 in America

National Trivia Day in America: Date, History, Meaning, Celebration and Facts
How to celebrate Trivia Day in America?

Each year, National Trivia Day is observed across the United States on 4 January.

Celebrating National Trivia Day is very simple.

You can find and share trivia as a hobby and a pastime with others. Get to know facts and knowledge from the encyclopedia. Little less important facts can also be shared.

You could organize your own Quiz night on National Trivia Day. Get your loved ones out and enjoy crowning the Champion’s Title! Today it’s easy to arrange a quiz, as good questions online are available. The key is to ensure a good variety of questions are answered. Cover a variety of genres and ensure that you often cover various periods. It may be tempting to include issues related to the last decade if you are young yourself. However, the questions must cover a variety of periods. Make sure, too, that everyone can enjoy plenty of snacks and beverages!

You can conduct games by calling family and friends to participate in celebrating this Day. Also, take this day to send fun greeting cards with such facts, and you can even play other games of knowledge.

Encourage students in school to make use of this Day as to learn about the subject facts with a trivia challenge.

People can also spend the day watching trivia shows on TV if they so desire. For us, we will probably spend the day researching trivia for the next great holiday that gets invented.

Attend trivia night at a bar or restaurant to see how knowledgeable you are. They may host different categories so catch one you feel confident about.

Play trivia online. There are many apps and sites that host competitive trivia. See how you compare to others.

No matter how you celebrate it, however, be sure to announce your participation to the world using the hashtag #NationalTriviaDay on all of your social media accounts: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

How to play trivia?

1. Pick a host.

Designate one person in your group to play the host, and every week you can switch up who the host is.

2. Choose your theme and list of questions.

Check-out our awesome list of questions for your next trivia night! The themes are ranging from general, food, drink, entertainment, sports, kid-friendly, geography, animal, science, and funny.

3. Pick your teammates.

Divide into different groups, and it doesn’t matter how many people are in each team.

Trivia time!

4. Award the winners.

Let the friendly competition begin and make sure someone always is keeping score.

The team who guesses the correct answers first and with the most points wins. Award a fun prize such as a gift card or a fun trophy. You can also make this activity a weekly one and award an all-time winner.

The most popular trivia game shows

1) The Price is Right

2) Jeopardy

3) Wheel of Fortune

4) Family Feud

Facts about National Trivia Day

-It is believed that pub quizzes got their start in Britain and Ireland in the 1950s. Pub regulars would shout out answers in response to the game shows airing on TV. Pub owners became inspired to host their own live quiz shows in order to boost business on less busy nights. It’s said that as many as 500 teams were competing in Lancashire County, England.

-The first book of Trivia, Trivialities: Bits of Information by Logan Pearsall, was the first-ever book written on Trivia. It included short write-ups about various things and commonplace moments, much like an encyclopedia.

-In 1966, the Great Midwest Trivia contest was first held at Lawrence University. Its first question was, “Who was Superman’s Father?”

-In 1981 the famous board game, Trivial Pursuit was launched, which is still given credit to have popularized a day a whole lot.

-1988, “Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader” was published, which had exciting facts and Trivia to read while you’re in the loo.

-‘Trivia’ is the plural of ‘trivium.’

-Everyone has a different tongue print, just like everyone has different fingerprints.

-Wombat feces come out in nearly symmetrical, six-sided shapes. They poop cubes.

-On a QWERTY keyboard—you’re probably using one now—the letter ‘a’ is the only vowel that does not sit on the top row.

-The only sonar jamming creature we know of lives in Arizona, a species of tiger moth that can jam the echolocation of bats.

-The word trivia comes from the Latin trivialis, meaning found everywhere, or commonplace.

Funny Trivia Questions

Add these trivia questions to get your group of friends to laugh out loud. Plus, it will add to your fun fact list to tell at any party.

What is a duel between three people called?

Answer: A truel

In the state of Georgia, it’s illegal to eat what with a fork?

Answer: Fried chicken

Which Tasmanian marsupial is known for its temper?

Answer Tasmanian devil

Iceland diverted roads to avoid disturbing communities of what?

Answer: Elves

In public places in the state of Florida, what's illegal to do when wearing a swimsuit?

Answer: Sing

Who invented the word "vomit"?

Answer: William Shakespeare

How long is New Zealand’s Ninety Mile Beach? How long is New Zealand’s Ninety Mile Beach?

Answer: 55 miles

What can be broken but is never held?

Answer: A promise

What does come down but never goes up?

Answer: Rain

What is measured in "Mickeys"?

Answer: The speed of a computer mouse

General Trivia Questions

These questions will test your general knowledge; how many do you think you could get right?

What does “www” stand for in a website browser?

Answer: World Wide Web

How long is an Olympic swimming pool (in meters)?

Answer: 50 meters

What countries made up the original Axis powers in World War II?

Answer: Germany, Italy, and Japan

Which country do cities of Perth, Adelade & Brisbane belong to?

Answer: Australia

What geometric shape is generally used for stop signs?

Answer: Octagon

What is "cynophobia"?

Answer: Fear of dogs

What punctuation mark ends an imperative sentence?

Answer: A period or exclamation point

Who named the Pacific Ocean?

Answer: Ferdinand Magellan

How many languages are written from right to left?

Answer: 12

Q: How many countries still have the shilling as currency? Bonus point: Which countries?

Answer: Four, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Somalia

What is the name of the man who launched eBay back in 1995?

Answer: Pierre Omidyar

What is the name of the biggest technology company in South Korea?

Answer: Samsung

Which animal can be seen on the Porsche logo?

Answer: Horse

Which monarch officially made Valentine's Day a holiday in 1537?

Answer: Henry VIII

Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize (in 1903)?

Answer: Marie Curie

The first dictionary was written by?

Answer: Robert Cawdrey

Worship of Krishna is observed by which Religious Faith?

Answer: Hinduism

What is the name of the largest ocean on earth?

Answer: Pacific Ocean

Demolition of the Berlin wall separating East and West Germany began in what year?

Answer: 1989

What is the romanized Arabic word for "moon"?

Answer: Qamar

Who was the first woman pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic?

Answer: Amelia Earhart

Geography Trivia Questions

World travelers, get your world map out and test your geography skills. Some questions are going to have you checking the answer twice.

What is Earth's largest continent?

Answer: Asia

Area 51 is located in which state?

Answer: Nevada

What country touches the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal?

Answer: India

The ancient Phoenician city of Constantine is located in what modern-day Arab country?

Answer: Algeria

Which country borders 14 nations and crosses 8 time zones?

Answer: Russia

Havana is the capital of what country?

Answer: Cuba

What country has the most natural lakes?

Answer: Canada

Riyadh is the capital of this Middle-Eastern country.

Answer: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Which Central American country has a name which translates to English as “The Saviour”?

Answer: El Salvador

In what country would you find Lake Bled?

Answer: Slovenia

Science Trivia Questions

You do not need to be a scientist to get these questions right. Take a guess and see how many trivia questions you get correct.

In what type of matter are atoms most tightly packed?

Answer: Solids

What is the hottest planet in the solar system?

Answer: Venus, with a temperature of 460 °C

What is the opposite of matter?

Answer: Antimatter

Which of Newton’s Laws states that ‘for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction?

Answer: The third law of motion

In 2004, what was discovered on the island of Flores in Indonesia?

Answer: Remains of a hobbit-sized human

What is the nearest planet to the sun?

Answer: Mercury

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

Answer: Red, the blood contains hemoglobin, which is a red protein.

Is Pluto a planet?

Answer: Not anymore; it is a dwarf planet.

How many teeth does an adult human have?

Answer: 32

What tissues connect the muscles to the bones?

Answer: Tendons

Sports Trivia Questions

Can you guess the correct answer for any of these 10 sports trivia questions? From American football to the NBA, this list will have you stumped.

Which two countries have not missed one of the modern-day Olympics?

Answer: Greece and Australia

Which is the only American Football team to go a whole season undefeated, including the Super Bowl?

Answer: The Miami Dolphins(1972)

Who has won more tennis grand slam titles, Venus Williams or Serena Williams?

Answer: Serena Williams

Which country won the first-ever soccer World Cup in 1930?

Answer: Uruguay

Which Former NBA Player Was Nicknamed “Agent Zero”?

Answer: Gilbert Arenas

What sport is dubbed the "king of sports"?

Answer: Soccer

What is the name of the professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Canada?

Answer: Toronto Maple Leafs

Who was the first gymnast to score a perfect 10 score?

Answer: Nadia Comaneci

Dump, floater, and wipe are terms used in which team sport?

Answer: Volleyball

Who was the first female driver to score points in a Grand Prix?

Answer: Lella Lombardi (1975 Spanish Grand Prix)

Entertainment Trivia Questions

We have you covered with this list of trivia questions from TV shows, movies, and music.

What was the first toy to be advertised on television?

Answer: Mr. Potato Head

What was the first feature-length animated movie ever released?

Answer: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

What TV series showed the first interracial kiss on American network television?

Answer: Star Trek

What were the four main characters' names in the TV series "Golden Girls" that ran from 1985-1992?

Answer: Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia

Who created Sherlock Holmes?

Answer: Arthur Conan Doyle

What awards has an EGOT winner won?

Answer: An Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony

Which member of the Beatles married Yoko Ono?

Answer: John Lennon

What are the names of Cinderella’s stepsisters?

Answer: Anastasia and Drizella

What famous US festival hosted over 350,000 fans in 1969?

Answer: Woodstock

The biggest selling music single of all time is?

Answer: Candle in the Wind (1997)

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