General Knowledge Difficulty: Mixed ⏱️ 60 Mins

50 Pub Quiz Questions and Answers (Pack 1)

The definitive 5-round pub quiz pack covering General Knowledge, Music & Cinema, World Geography, History, and Science & Nature with sudden-death tie-breakers and live host mode.

Editorial Fact-Checked & Human Verified

Written & Curated by Arthur Pendelton • Independently Reviewed by Liam O'Connor • Verified: 2026-08-15.

Round 1

General Knowledge Starter

  1. Q1.

    Which chemical element has the symbol 'Sn' on the periodic table?

    Answer: Tin

    Note: From the Latin word 'stannum'.

  2. Q2.

    How many valves does a standard human heart have?

    Answer: 4 (Four)

    Note: Tricuspid, Pulmonary, Mitral, and Aortic valves.

  3. Q3.

    In what year did the Berlin Wall fall?

    Answer: 1989

    Note: November 9, 1989.

  4. Q4.

    What is the capital city of Australia?

    Answer: Canberra

    Note: Often mistaken for Sydney or Melbourne.

  5. Q5.

    What currency is used in Japan?

    Answer: Japanese Yen (¥)

    Note: Introduced under the Meiji government in 1871.

  6. Q6.

    Who painted 'The Girl with a Pearl Earring'?

    Answer: Johannes Vermeer

    Note: Painted circa 1665 in Delft, Netherlands.

  7. Q7.

    What is the hardest natural substance on Earth?

    Answer: Diamond

    Note: Rating 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.

  8. Q8.

    Which planet in our solar system has the most moons?

    Answer: Saturn

    Note: With 146 officially recognized moons.

  9. Q9.

    What is the national animal of Scotland?

    Answer: The Unicorn

    Note: A symbol of purity and innocence in Celtic mythology.

  10. Q10.

    How many players are on a standard rugby union team on the pitch?

    Answer: 15 players

    Note: Rugby League has 13 players.

Round 2

Music & Entertainment

  1. Q11.

    Which British band released the iconic 1973 album 'The Dark Side of the Moon'?

    Answer: Pink Floyd
  2. Q12.

    Who played the character of Neo in the 1999 sci-fi classic 'The Matrix'?

    Answer: Keanu Reeves
  3. Q13.

    What is the highest-grossing film of all time (unadjusted for inflation)?

    Answer: Avatar (2009)

    Note: Directed by James Cameron.

  4. Q14.

    Which female artist released the hit single 'Bad Romance' in 2009?

    Answer: Lady Gaga
  5. Q15.

    What is the real name of rapper Eminem?

    Answer: Marshall Bruce Mathers III
  6. Q16.

    In 'The Lord of the Rings', what is the name of the wizard known as the White Rider?

    Answer: Gandalf
  7. Q17.

    Which TV series features the fictional continent of Westeros?

    Answer: Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire)
  8. Q18.

    How many studio albums did Nirvana release during Kurt Cobain's lifetime?

    Answer: 3 (Bleach, Nevermind, In Utero)
  9. Q19.

    Who won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in 'Oppenheimer' (2023)?

    Answer: Cillian Murphy
  10. Q20.

    Which pop icon headlined the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show in Las Vegas?

    Answer: Usher
Round 3

World Geography & Flags

  1. Q21.

    What is the longest river in the world?

    Answer: The Nile River (approx. 6,650 km / 4,132 miles)
  2. Q22.

    Which country has the most natural lakes in the world?

    Answer: Canada

    Note: Over 60% of all lakes worldwide.

  3. Q23.

    What is the official currency of Switzerland?

    Answer: Swiss Franc (CHF)
  4. Q24.

    Which mountain range separates Europe from Asia?

    Answer: The Ural Mountains
  5. Q25.

    What is the only country in the world that is also a continent?

    Answer: Australia
  6. Q26.

    Which African country was formerly known as Abyssinia?

    Answer: Ethiopia
  7. Q27.

    What is the capital of New Zealand?

    Answer: Wellington

    Note: Auckland is the largest city.

  8. Q28.

    Which US state has the longest coastline?

    Answer: Alaska

    Note: Over 6,640 miles of coastline.

  9. Q29.

    How many countries border Germany?

    Answer: 9 countries

    Note: Denmark, Poland, Czechia, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands.

  10. Q30.

    What is the smallest independent sovereign state in the world by area?

    Answer: Vatican City (0.49 km²)
Round 4

History & Major Events

  1. Q31.

    In which year did the Titanic sink on its maiden voyage?

    Answer: 1912 (April 15)
  2. Q32.

    Who was the first President of the United States?

    Answer: George Washington
  3. Q33.

    Which ancient civilization constructed the city of Machu Picchu?

    Answer: The Inca Empire
  4. Q34.

    What year marked the start of the French Revolution?

    Answer: 1789
  5. Q35.

    Who was the British Prime Minister at the outbreak of World War II in 1939?

    Answer: Neville Chamberlain

    Note: Winston Churchill took office in May 1940.

  6. Q36.

    What was the code name for the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944?

    Answer: Operation Overlord
  7. Q37.

    Which Roman general crossed the Rubicon river in 49 BC?

    Answer: Julius Caesar
  8. Q38.

    In what year was the Magna Carta signed at Runnymede?

    Answer: 1215
  9. Q39.

    Which astronaut was the second human to walk on the Moon?

    Answer: Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11, 1969)
  10. Q40.

    Which empire was ruled by Genghis Khan?

    Answer: The Mongol Empire
Round 5

Science, Nature & Speed Trivia

  1. Q41.

    What is the powerhouse of the biological cell?

    Answer: Mitochondria
  2. Q42.

    What is the chemical formula for ordinary table salt?

    Answer: NaCl (Sodium Chloride)
  3. Q43.

    How many bones are in an adult human body?

    Answer: 206 bones
  4. Q44.

    What is the speed of light in a vacuum (approximate km/s)?

    Answer: 300,000 km/s (exactly 299,792 km/s)
  5. Q45.

    Which gas makes up approximately 78% of Earth's atmosphere?

    Answer: Nitrogen
  6. Q46.

    What type of animal is a Komodo dragon?

    Answer: Lizard (Monitor Lizard)
  7. Q47.

    What is the only flying mammal in the world?

    Answer: The Bat
  8. Q48.

    What is the unit of electrical resistance?

    Answer: Ohm (Ω)
  9. Q49.

    How many chambers does a cow's stomach have?

    Answer: 4 chambers (Rumen, Reticulum, Omasum, Abomasum)
  10. Q50.

    What temperature is absolute zero in Celsius?

    Answer: -273.15°C (0 Kelvin)
Sudden Death

Numerical Tie-Breaker Questions

In the event of a tie after Round 5, ask one of these closest-to-the-pin questions. The team closest to the exact answer wins.

  1. Tie-Breaker #1:

    In feet, what is the exact height of the Empire State Building including its spire?

    Exact Answer: 1454 feet

    1,250 ft to roof, 1,454 ft to tip.

  2. Tie-Breaker #2:

    In what year was the first commercial Boeing 747 flight with paying passengers?

    Exact Answer: 1970 year

    Pan Am flight from New York to London, January 22, 1970.

  3. Tie-Breaker #3:

    How many total islands make up the nation of Indonesia according to official survey?

    Exact Answer: 17508 islands

    17,508 officially registered islands.

Pub Quiz Host FAQs

How long does running a 50-question pub quiz take? +

With 5 rounds of 10 questions and a 10-minute mid-quiz intermission, a 50-question quiz takes between 90 and 120 minutes.

Can I print this quiz for physical pub hosting? +

Yes! Use our 1-click dual PDF printable mode to download separate player answer sheets and quizmaster master keys.

How do tie-breakers work? +

In the event of a tie after Round 5, the quizmaster asks one numerical closest-to-the-pin question. The team closest to the exact figure wins.