Try Your Hand at these 100 Easy General Knowledge Questions

Are you the self-proclaimed know-it-all? Let’s find out! We’ve pulled together 100 easy general knowledge questions across history, science, geography, pop culture, and nature.

So whether you’re obsessed with random facts, are feeling a little competitive or just looking for a fun way to spend the weekend, we’ve got just the thing for you. This weekly quiz not only tests how much you really know, but it’s a really cool way to give your brain a quick workout.

Here’s how it’s going to go: we’ve split the questions into four levels of difficulty, so you can start easy and work yourself up the ladder, or dive straight into the deep end if you’re feeling adventurous.

All you need is a few minutes, a curious mind, and maybe a pen if you’re keeping score. You’ll breeze through the warm-ups, sweat through the tough ones, and probably learn a few mind-blowing facts along the way.

So go ahead — grab a friend, challenge your team, or just test yourself.
Ready to see how you stack up against our 100 easy general knowledge questions?

Level 1: Warming Up (Easy)

1. What is the capital of France?

2. Which planet is known as the Red Planet?

3. What’s the largest animal in the world?

4. In what country would you find the Great Pyramid of Giza?

5. What’s the name of the fairy in Peter Pan?

6. Which fast-food chain has the slogan “I’m Lovin’ It”?

7. What color do you get when you mix blue and yellow?

8. How many continents are there?

9. Who wrote Romeo and Juliet?

10. What’s the main ingredient in guacamole?

11. How many squares are on a chessboard?

12. What’s the smallest planet in our solar system?

13. How many colors are in a rainbow?

14. What’s the chemical formula for water?

15. Who painted the Mona Lisa?

16. What’s the tallest mountain in the world?

17. What’s the smallest country in the world?

18. What’s the world’s largest ocean?

19. What fruit is most commonly eaten worldwide?

20. Which animal is known as the “Ship of the Desert”?

🟢 Answers: Warming Up (Easy)

^{100 easy general knowledge questions: Paris}

1. What is the capital of France? Paris

💡 Fun Fact: Paris has been the capital since 987 AD and has the nickname “The City of Light”. That’s because it was one of the first European cities to use gas street lighting in the 1860s.

2. Which planet is known as the Red Planet? Mars

💡Fun Fact: Mars appears red because its surface is covered in iron oxide (rust). It has the tallest volcano in our solar system which is Olympus Mons, which is 3 times taller than our tallest mountain, Mount Everest.

3. What’s the largest animal in the world? Blue Whale

4. In what country would you find the Great Pyramid of Giza? Egypt

💡 Fun Fact: The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure for 3,800 years and was built with about 2.3 million stone blocks, each weighing 2.5 tons on average.

5. What’s the name of the fairy in Peter Pan? Tinker Bell

💡 Fun Fact: Tinker Bell never actually speaks in the original Peter Pan story because she communicates through the sound of tinkling bells! Her name comes from her job as a “tinker” fairy who fixes pots and pan

6. Which fast-food chain has the slogan “I’m Lovin’ It”? McDonald’s

💡 Fun Fact: McDonald’s serves 69 million customers daily. That’s more than the entire population of the UK! Also, the famous jingle was originally sung by Justin Timberlake back in 2003.

7. What color do you get when you mix blue and yellow? Green

💡 Fun Fact: This is called subtractive color mixing with pigments for all of you art enthusiasts out there. Interestingly, mixing blue and yellow light (which we call additive mixing) actually creates white or cyan.

8. How many continents are there? 7 (Can you name them all?)

💡 Fun Fact: Some people like to club Europe and Asia into Eurasia. Others like to combine the Americas into one continent.

9. Who wrote Romeo and Juliet? William Shakespeare

💡 Fun Fact: Romeo and Juliet were teenagers. Juliet was only 13 and Romeo was around 16-18! Makes their emotional outbursts seem much more reasonable now.

10. What’s the main ingredient in guacamole? Avocado

💡 Fun Fact: Avocados are technically berries.

11. How many squares are on a chessboard? 64

💡 Fun Fact: While there are 64 small squares, if you count all possible square sizes, there are actually 204 total squares on a chessboard.

12. What’s the smallest planet in our solar system? Mercury

💡 Fun Fact: Mercury is only slightly larger than Earth’s moon. That’s because it has virtually no atmosphere to trap heat.

13. How many colors are in a rainbow? 7

💡 Fun Fact: Isaac Newton liked 7 so much that he added “indigo” to make it 7 colors.

14. What’s the chemical formula for water? H₂O (or H2O)

15. Who painted the Mona Lisa? Leonardo da Vinci

💡 Fun Fact: Leonardo worked on the Mona Lisa for over 14 years and never truly finished it! Also next time you see an image of the Mona Lisa, take a closer look at her eyebrows. You’ll find that she has none and that’s because the Renaissance women were going through their no eyebrow era.

16. What’s the tallest mountain in the world? Mount Everest

17. What’s the smallest country in the world? Vatican City

💡Fun Fact: Vatican City is only 0.17 square miles (110 acres) and has a population of only about 800 people.

18. What’s the world’s largest ocean? Pacific Ocean

💡 Fun Fact: The name “Pacific” means “peaceful” in Latin, named by explorer Ferdinand Magellan.

19. What fruit is most commonly eaten worldwide? Banana

20. Which animal is known as the “Ship of the Desert”? Camel

📊 General Knowledge Questions Section 1 Score: ___ / 20

Level 2: Getting Interesting (Medium)

21. What fruit was once so expensive in Europe that wealthy people used it as a centerpiece instead of eating it?

22. What was the first animal to be cloned?

23. What’s the rarest blood type?

24. Which planet has the most moons?

25. What’s the world’s longest river?

26. Who discovered penicillin?

27. What’s the main ingredient in hummus?

28. How many bones are in the human body?

29. Which country gifted the Statue of Liberty to the US?

30. Who sang “Bohemian Rhapsody”?

31. What’s the most spoken language in the world?

32. What year was the first iPhone launched?

33. Which is the only letter not used in any US state name?

34. What’s the largest organ in the human body?

35. What’s the capital of Iceland?

36. Which sport has slam dunks?

37. Which film series features a ring that must be destroyed?

38. Which city is known as “The Eternal City”?

39. What’s the national animal of Scotland?

40. Which US President appears on the $2 bill?

🟡 Answers: Getting Interesting (Medium)

_{^{100 easy general knowledge questions: Pineapple}}

21. What fruit was once so expensive in Europe that wealthy people used it as a centerpiece instead of eating it? Pineapple

💡 Fun Fact: In the 1700s, a single pineapple could cost the equivalent of $8,000 today.

22. What was the first animal to be cloned? Dolly the Sheep

💡 Fun Fact: Dolly was cloned in 1996 in Scotland and lived for 6 years. She was named after Dolly Parton because the cell used for cloning came from a mammary gland. And why that makes sense, I have no clue.

23. What’s the rarest blood type? AB negative (AB-)

💡 Fun Fact: Only about 1% of the population has AB- blood.

24. Which planet has the most moons? Saturn

💡 Fun Fact: Saturn has over 146 confirmed moons! It recently overtook Jupiter (which has 95 moons).

25. What’s the world’s longest river? The Nile River

💡 Fun Fact: The Nile is 4,135 miles long and flows through over 11 countries. The Amazon River is wider and carries more water, so it’s still debatable which river is truly “longest” depending on how you measure source points.

26. Who discovered penicillin? Alexander Fleming

💡 Fun Fact: Fleming discovered penicillin by accident in 1928 when he noticed mold killing bacteria in a petri dish he’d forgotten to clean.

27. What’s the main ingredient in hummus? Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

💡 Fun Fact: Hummus has been eaten in the Middle East for at least 7,000 years.

28. How many bones are in the human body? 206 (in adults)

💡 Fun Fact: Babies are born with about 300 bones, but many fuse together as they grow up.

^{_{100 easy general knowledge questions: Paris}}

29. Which country gifted the Statue of Liberty to the US? France

💡 Fun Fact: The Statue of Liberty was given in 1886 to celebrate American independence. It arrived in 350 pieces packed in 214 crates.

30. Who sang “Bohemian Rhapsody”? Queen (Freddie Mercury)

💡 Fun Fact: “Bohemian Rhapsody” took 3 weeks to record and is 5 minutes 55 seconds long with no chorus.

31. What’s the most spoken language in the world? English (by total speakers); Mandarin Chinese (by native speakers)

32. What year was the first iPhone launched? 2007

33. Which is the only letter not used in any US state name? Q

💡 Fun Fact: The letter Q is the only one missing from US state names! The letter Z only appears once (Arizona). Maine is the only one-syllable state name, and Hawaii has the most repeated vowels in a row.

34. What’s the largest organ in the human body? Skin

35. What’s the capital of Iceland? Reykjavik

💡 Fun Fact: Reykjavik means “Smoky Bay” because of the geothermal steam rising from hot springs.

36. Which sport has slam dunks? Basketball (Bonus points if you can name the G.O.A.T)

37. Which film series features a ring that must be destroyed? The Lord of the Rings

💡 Fun Fact: J.R.R. Tolkien spent 12 years writing The Lord of the Rings. And the movies were filmed entirely in New Zealand over 438 days.

38. Which city is known as “The Eternal City”? Rome

💡 Fun Fact: Rome has been continuously inhabited for over 2,800 years. Truly an eternal city.

_{^{100 easy general knowledge questions: Unicorn}}

39. What’s the national animal of Scotland? Unicorn

💡 Fun Fact: Yes, you read that right. The unicorn has been a Scottish heraldic symbol since the 12th century, representing purity, innocence, and power.

40. Which US President appears on the $2 bill? Thomas Jefferson

💡 Fun Fact: The $2 bill is still printed today but rarely seen in circulation. I know that I haven’t seen one for ages. Many people think they’re rare or fake, but they’re legal tender.

📊 General Knowledge Questions Section Score: ___ / 20 | Running Total: ___ / 40

You’re still with us right? It’s great if you are because the questions ahead are where things get interesting. So stay hydrated and get ready to use those brain muscles.

Level 3: Now You’re Thinking (Challenging)

41. What element has the chemical symbol Na?

42. What is the only food that never spoils?

43. Who invented the telephone?

44. Which mammal lays eggs?

45. Which European city is known as the “City of Dreaming Spires”?

46. What instrument measures atmospheric pressure?

47. What’s the rarest naturally occurring element?

48. What country has the most islands?

49. Who developed the theory of relativity?

50. What year did the Titanic sink?

51. Which gas makes up most of Earth’s atmosphere?

52. What country invented tea?

53. What metal has the chemical symbol Hg?

54. What is the world’s largest desert?

55. Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize?

56. What’s the most commonly spoken language in Brazil?

57. Which continent has the most countries?

58. What is sushi traditionally wrapped in?

59. How long does sunlight take to reach Earth?

60. Which planet spins the fastest?

🟠 Answers: Now You’re Thinking (Challenging)

41. What element has the chemical symbol Na? Sodium

💡 Fun Fact: Sodium is so reactive it can explode when it touches water. Thankfully, NaCl (table salt) isn’t.

42. What is the only food that never spoils? Honey

💡 Fun Fact: Bees are so good at chemistry that archeologists have found 3000-year-old honey that’s still edible.

43. Who invented the telephone? Alexander Graham Bell

💡 Fun Fact: Bell made the first telephone call on March 10, 1876, saying “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.” He was actually calling for help because he had split acid on himself.

44. Which mammal lays eggs? Platypus (also Echidna among others)

💡 Fun Fact: The platypus is one of only five egg-laying mammals (monotremes).

45. Which European city is known as the “City of Dreaming Spires”? Oxford

46. What instrument measures atmospheric pressure? Barometer

47. What’s the rarest naturally occurring element? Astatine

💡 Fun Fact: Scientists estimate only 25 grams exist on Earth.

48. What country has the most islands? Sweden

💡 Fun Fact: Sweden has over 267,570 islands but only 1000 are inhabited.

49. Who developed the theory of relativity? Albert Einstein

💡 Fun Fact: Einstein never learned to drive and refused to wear socks because he thought they were unnecessary.

50. What year did the Titanic sink? 1912

51. Which gas makes up most of Earth’s atmosphere? Nitrogen (78%)

52. What country invented tea? China

💡 Fun Fact: Tea was discovered in China around 2737 BC when tea leaves accidentally blew into Emperor Shen Nung’s boiling water.

53. What metal has the chemical symbol Hg? Mercury

💡 Fun Fact: Mercury is the only metal that’s liquid at room temperature.

54. What is the world’s largest desert? Trick Question! Antarctica (or Sahara if referring to hot deserts)

💡 Fun Fact: Trick question! Antarctica is technically the largest desert (5.5 million square miles) because deserts are defined by low precipitation, not temperature.

55. Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize? Marie Curie

56. What’s the most commonly spoken language in Brazil? Portuguese

💡 Fun Fact: Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in South America and all its neighbors speak Spanish.

57. Which continent has the most countries? Africa (54 countries)

58. What is sushi traditionally wrapped in? Nori (Seaweed)

💡 Fun Fact: It takes 10 sheets of nori to equal one calorie. Also “Sushi” actually refers to the vinegared rice, not the fish.

59. How long does sunlight take to reach Earth? About 8 minutes and 20 seconds

60. Which planet spins the fastest? Jupiter

💡 Fun Fact: Jupiter completes one rotation in just under 10 hours despite being the largest planet.

📊 Section Score: _ / 20 | Running Total: _ / 60

Level 4: Quiz Master Zone (Hard)

61. How many time zones does Russia have?

62. What’s the longest mountain range in the world?

63. Which sea separates Europe and Africa?

64. In which decade did the first manned spaceflight occur?

65. Who was the first person in space?

66. Which country consumes the most chocolate per person?

67. Which Shakespeare play features “To be, or not to be”?

68. What’s the largest internal organ in the human body?

69. What’s the national flower of Japan?

70. What year did World War II end?

71. Which element has the symbol ‘Au’?

72. What’s the first animal mentioned in the Chinese zodiac?

73. Which building has 82 domes and over 1,000 columns?

74. Which desert covers most of northern Africa?

75. Which city hosted the first modern Olympics?

76. Who discovered gravity?

77. What country is nicknamed “The Land of the Rising Sun”?

78. Which planet has a day longer than its year?

79. What animated film was the first to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars?

80. Which country was the first to give women the right to vote?

🔴 Answers: Quiz Master Zone (Hard)

^{_{100 easy general knowledge questions: Russia}}

61. How many time zones does Russia have? 11 time zones

💡 Fun Fact: When it’s midnight in Moscow, it’s already 9 AM in Kamchatka. But it’s France who technically has the most time zones (12) if you count all its overseas territories.

62. What’s the longest mountain range in the world? The Andes (or Mid-Ocean Ridge if including underwater)

💡 Fun Fact: The Andes Mountains stretch 4,300 miles but the Mid-Ocean Ridge underwater is 40,000 miles long. More than 10 times longer.

63. Which sea separates Europe and Africa? Mediterranean Sea

64. In which decade did the first manned spaceflight occur? 1960s (1961)

65. Who was the first person in space? Yuri Gagarin

💡 Fun Fact: Gagarin was only 27 years old when he made history. But tragically, he died in a plane crash in 1968 at age 34.

66. Which country consumes the most chocolate per person? Switzerland

💡 Fun Fact: Swiss people consume about 22 pounds of chocolate per person per year.

67. Which Shakespeare play features “To be, or not to be”? Hamlet

68. What’s the largest internal organ in the human body? Liver

💡 Fun Fact: The liver weighs about 3 pounds and performs over 500 functions.

69. What’s the national flower of Japan? Cherry Blossom (Sakura)

Fun Fact: Cherry blossoms bloom for only 1-2 weeks each spring, making them a symbol of life’s fleeting beauty.

70. What year did World War II end? 1945

💡 Fun Fact: WWII officially ended on September 2, 1945, when Japan signed the surrender documents aboard the USS Missouri.

71. Which element has the symbol ‘Au’? Gold

72. What’s the first animal mentioned in the Chinese zodiac? Rat

💡 Fun Fact: According to legend, the Jade Emperor held a race to determine zodiac order, and the rat won by riding on the ox’s back and jumping off at the finish line. So now the 12-year cycle is: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.

73. Which building has 82 domes and over 1,000 columns? Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (Abu Dhabi)

💡 Fun Fact: This mosque can hold over 40,000 worshippers and features the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet (60,000 square feet).

74. Which desert covers most of northern Africa? Sahara Desert

💡 Fun Fact: The Sahara is roughly the size of the entire United States.

75. Which city hosted the first modern Olympics? Athens, Greece (1896)

💡 Fun Fact: The first modern Olympics had only 241 athletes from 14 countries (all men). Compare that to today, where they host over 10,000+ athletes from 200+ countries.

76. Who discovered gravity? Sir Isaac Newton

💡 Fun Fact: While ancient scholars understood gravity existed, it was Newton who explained HOW it works mathematically.

77. What country is nicknamed “The Land of the Rising Sun”? Japan

💡 Fun Fact: This nickname arose because Japan is east of China, where the sun rises from China’s perspective.

^{_{100 easy general knowledge questions: Venus}}

78. Which planet has a day longer than its year? Venus

💡 Fun Fact: Venus takes 243 Earth days to rotate once but only 225 Earth days to orbit the Sun.

79. What animated film was the first to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars? Beauty and the Beast (1991)

💡 Fun Fact: “Beauty and the Beast” was the first animated film nominated for Best Picture back when only 5 films could be nominated. It lost to “The Silence of the Lambs.”

80. Which country was the first to give women the right to vote? New Zealand (1893)

💡 Fun Fact: New Zealand granted women’s suffrage on September 19, 1893, the first self-governing country to do so.

📊 Section Score: ___ / 20 | Running Total: ___ / 80

Level 5: Mind-Blowing Facts (Expert Level)

81. Which planet is known to rain diamonds?

82. What’s the only bird that can fly backward?

83. Which country has the most volcanoes?

84. What’s the only mammal that can truly fly?

85. What is the fastest fish in the ocean?

86. What’s the rarest M&M color?

87. What was the first toy to be advertised on television?

88. Which country invented paper?

89. How many hearts does an octopus have?

90. Which animal can sleep for up to three years?

91. What’s the smallest bone in the human body?

92. Which famous artist painted “The Starry Night”?

93. Which planet has the Great Red Spot?

94. What’s the oldest university in the world still operating?

95. Who wrote the novel 1984?

96. What’s the largest living structure on Earth?

97. Which country produces the most coffee in the world?

98. What’s the coldest place on Earth?

99. Which country hosted the first FIFA World Cup?

100. How many stripes are on the American flag?

🔥 Answers: Mind-Blowing Facts (Expert)

_{^{100 easy general knowledge questions: Diamond Rain}}

81. Which planet is known to rain diamonds? Neptune (and Uranus)

💡 Fun Fact: The extreme pressure deep in these planets compresses methane into diamonds that “rain” down toward the core.

82. What’s the only bird that can fly backward? Hummingbird

💡 Fun Fact: They’re the only birds that can fly backward for more than a few seconds.

83. Which country has the most volcanoes? Indonesia

💡Fun Fact: It sits on the “Ring of Fire,” where 75% of the world’s volcanoes are located. The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa was so loud it was heard 3,000 miles away and is considered the loudest sound in recorded history.

84. What’s the only mammal that can truly fly? Bat

85. What is the fastest fish in the ocean? Sailfish

💡 Fun Fact: Sailfish can swim up to 68 mph (110 km/h). That’s faster than a cheetah.

86. What’s the rarest M&M color? Brown

💡 Fun Fact: Brown M&Ms make up only 13% of each bag. Blue is 24%, orange is 20%, yellow and red are 14% each, and green is 16%..

87. What was the first toy to be advertised on television? Mr. Potato Head

💡 Fun Fact: Mr. Potato Head debuted on TV in 1952. Originally, you had to provide your own potato because the plastic body didn’t come until 1964.

88. Which country invented paper? China

💡 Fun Fact: Paper was invented in China around 105 AD by Cai Lun, a court official.

_{^{100 easy general knowledge questions: Octopus Hearts}}

89. How many hearts does an octopus have? 3 hearts

💡 Fun Fact: Octopuses have 3 hearts. Two pump blood to the gills, while the third pumps blood to the rest of the body.

90. Which animal can sleep for up to three years? Snail

💡 Fun Fact: During extreme drought, snails can hibernate for up to 3 years.

91. What’s the smallest bone in the human body? Stapes (stirrup bone in the ear)

💡 Fun Fact: The stapes is only 2-3 millimeters long. For size comparison, it’s about the size of a grain of rice.

92. Which famous artist painted “The Starry Night”? Vincent van Gogh

💡 Fun Fact: Van Gogh painted “The Starry Night” in 1889 from memory while in a mental asylum in France. Tragically, he died a year later, having sold only one painting during his lifetime.

93. Which planet has the Great Red Spot? Jupiter

💡 Fun Fact: Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is a massive storm that’s been raging for at least 350 years. It’s so large that 2-3 Earths could fit inside it.

94. What’s the oldest university in the world still operating? University of Bologna, Italy (founded 1088)

💡 Fun Fact: The University of Bologna was founded in 1088. That’s over 935 years ago.

95. Who wrote the novel 1984? George Orwell

💡 Fun Fact: George Orwell (real name Eric Blair) wrote “1984” in 1948. He basically reversed the last two digits for the title.

96. What’s the largest living structure on Earth? The Great Barrier Reef

97. Which country produces the most coffee in the world? Brazil

💡 Fun Fact: Brazil produces about 40% of the world’s coffee, which is like over 5 billion pounds annually.

98. What’s the coldest place on Earth? Antarctica (specifically, East Antarctic Plateau)

💡 Fun Fact: The coldest temperature ever recorded was -128.6°F (-89.2°C) at Antarctica’s Vostok Station in 1983.

99. Which country hosted the first FIFA World Cup? Uruguay (1930)

💡 Fun Fact: Uruguay hosted and won the first World Cup in 1930. Only 13 teams participated because many European teams refused to make the long boat journey.

100. How many stripes are on the American flag? 13 stripes

📊 Final Section Score: ___ / 20 | FINAL TOTAL: ___ / 100

Results! How Did You Score on our 100 Easy General Knowledge Questions?

_{^{100 easy general knowledge questions: Top 4 Mistaken Questions}}

0 to 30 correct: Hey, we all gotta start somewhere! Keep quizzing and you’ll be a trivia master in no time.

31 to 60 correct: Not bad, not bad at all! You’ve got a solid foundation of general knowledge questions.

61 to 80 correct: Impressive! You’re definitely above average in the general knowledge questions department.

81 to 95 correct: Oh wow! You’re a trivia expert. You should definitely consider joining a quiz team!

96 to 100 correct: Are you sure you didn’t peek? You’re a certified general knowledge questions genius!

Whatever your score, it doesn’t matter as long as you had some fun and learned something new today. Did any question manage to stump you? Maybe you can try it out with your friends, or you could even check our other articles. There’s bound to be something that’ll interest you. See you in the next one.