100 Easy General Knowledge Questions and Answers

A quick-reference list of 100 general knowledge questions with short answers, grouped by topic — geography, science, history, sports, and more. Good for quizzes, trivia nights, or a quick memory refresh.

Geography

1. 1. What is the capital of France? Paris
2. 2. What is the capital of Japan? Tokyo
3. 3. What is the capital of Australia? Canberra
4. 4. Which is the largest continent by area? Asia
5. 5. Which continent is the smallest by area? Australia/Oceania
6. 6. What is the longest river in the world? The Nile
7. 7. Which is the largest hot desert in the world? The Sahara
8. 8. What is the capital of Canada? Ottawa
9. 9. Which country has the largest population in the world? India
10. 10. What is the capital of Egypt? Cairo

Science

11. 11. What is the chemical symbol for gold? Au
12. 12. What is the chemical formula for water? H₂O
13. 13. How many planets are in the solar system? 8
14. 14. What gas do plants absorb from the air for photosynthesis? Carbon dioxide
15. 15. What is the boiling point of water at sea level? 100°C (212°F)
16. 16. What is the freezing point of water? 0°C (32°F)
17. 17. What is the hardest natural substance on Earth? Diamond
18. 18. What force pulls objects toward the Earth? Gravity
19. 19. What is the chemical symbol for oxygen? O
20. 20. What is the powerhouse of the cell? The mitochondria

History

21. 21. In which year did World War II end? 1945
22. 22. Who was the first President of the United States? George Washington
23. 23. In which year did India gain independence? 1947
24. 24. Who painted the Mona Lisa? Leonardo da Vinci
25. 25. Which ancient civilization built the pyramids of Giza? The ancient Egyptians
26. 26. In which year did the Titanic sink? 1912
27. 27. Who was known as the "Iron Lady"? Margaret Thatcher
28. 28. Which wall fell in 1989, symbolizing the end of Europe's Cold War divide? The Berlin Wall
29. 29. Who is known as the Father of the Nation in India? Mahatma Gandhi
30. 30. In which year did the first crewed Moon landing happen? 1969

Sports

31. 31. How many players are on a football (soccer) team on the field? 11
32. 32. How often are the Summer Olympic Games held? Every 4 years
33. 33. In which sport would you perform a "slam dunk"? Basketball
34. 34. How many players are on a cricket team? 11
35. 35. What sport is known globally as "the beautiful game"? Football (soccer)
36. 36. In tennis, what is a score of zero called? Love
37. 37. Which country has won the most FIFA World Cup titles? Brazil (5 titles)
38. 38. How many rings are on the Olympic flag? 5
39. 39. In golf, what is one stroke under par called? A birdie
40. 40. What is the national sport of Japan? Sumo wrestling

Literature & Arts

41. 41. Who wrote "Romeo and Juliet"? William Shakespeare
42. 42. Who wrote the "Harry Potter" series? J.K. Rowling
43. 43. What is the pen name of author Samuel Clemens? Mark Twain
44. 44. Who composed the Fifth Symphony, famous for its four-note opening? Ludwig van Beethoven
45. 45. Who wrote "Pride and Prejudice"? Jane Austen
46. 46. In which city is the Louvre Museum located? Paris
47. 47. Who painted "Starry Night"? Vincent van Gogh
48. 48. Who wrote the Sherlock Holmes detective stories? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
49. 49. What is the term for a 14-line poem, often about love? A sonnet
50. 50. Who wrote "1984" and "Animal Farm"? George Orwell

Human Body

51. 51. How many chambers does the human heart have? 4
52. 52. What is the largest organ in the human body? The skin
53. 53. How many bones are in the adult human body? 206
54. 54. What is the largest bone in the human body? The femur (thighbone)
55. 55. Which organ pumps blood throughout the body? The heart
56. 56. How many pairs of ribs does the human body typically have? 12 pairs
57. 57. What is the main function of red blood cells? Carrying oxygen through the body
58. 58. Which part of the brain controls balance and coordination? The cerebellum
59. 59. How many teeth does a full adult set typically have? 32
60. 60. What is the smallest bone in the human body? The stapes, in the ear

Inventions & Technology

61. 61. Who is credited with inventing the telephone? Alexander Graham Bell
62. 62. Who is credited with inventing the practical incandescent light bulb? Thomas Edison
63. 63. Who co-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen? Bill Gates
64. 64. What does "WWW" stand for? World Wide Web
65. 65. Who is credited with inventing the World Wide Web? Tim Berners-Lee
66. 66. What does "PDF" stand for? Portable Document Format
67. 67. Which company created the iPhone? Apple
68. 68. What does "USB" stand for? Universal Serial Bus
69. 69. Who designed the Analytical Engine, an early mechanical computer concept? Charles Babbage
70. 70. What does "AI" stand for? Artificial Intelligence

Nature & Animals

71. 71. What is the largest mammal in the world? The blue whale
72. 72. What is the fastest land animal? The cheetah
73. 73. What is the tallest animal in the world? The giraffe
74. 74. How many legs does a spider have? 8
75. 75. What is a group of lions called? A pride
76. 76. Which flightless bird is the fastest runner among birds? The ostrich
77. 77. What is the largest species of big cat? The tiger
78. 78. Which mammal is known to lay eggs? The platypus
79. 79. What is the national animal of India? The Bengal tiger
80. 80. How many hearts does an octopus have? 3

Capitals & Currency

81. 81. What is the currency of Japan? The yen
82. 82. What is the currency of the United Kingdom? The pound sterling
83. 83. How many days are there in a leap year? 366
84. 84. How many colors are there in a rainbow? 7
85. 85. What is the largest ocean in the world? The Pacific Ocean
86. 86. What is the smallest ocean in the world? The Arctic Ocean
87. 87. How many continents are there in the common model? 7
88. 88. What is the national language of Japan? Japanese
89. 89. What is the tallest building in the world? The Burj Khalifa, in Dubai
90. 90. Which planet is known as the "Red Planet"? Mars

More General Knowledge

91. 91. Which is the largest planet in the solar system? Jupiter
92. 92. Which planet is closest to the Sun? Mercury
93. 93. What is the largest country in the world by land area? Russia
94. 94. What is the smallest country in the world? Vatican City
95. 95. Which language has the most native speakers worldwide? Mandarin Chinese
96. 96. What is the capital of Italy? Rome
97. 97. What is the capital of Germany? Berlin
98. 98. What is the capital of Russia? Moscow
99. 99. What is the capital of China? Beijing
100. 100. What is the capital of the United States? Washington, D.C.

Want the full explanation behind any of these? Many are covered in more depth in our General Knowledge section.