Now that autumn (or fall for our fellow Americans) is approaching and evenings are getting longer, you might lack inspiration for fun activities to avoid the looming seasonal blues. So we suggest you gather your family and/or friends for an ultimate trivia soirée!

We even took care of compiling a bunch of fresh and fascinating facts from the ‘Today I Learned’ community that are perfect for quizzing even your most knowledgeable close ones. Scroll down to find them below, and don’t forget to upvote the ones that would tie you in a knot during a trivia night.

#1

TIL Eminem once turned down a joint tour with Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg that would’ve been worth $100m (£80.2m) collectively. He said no because the lengthy tour wouldn’t allow him to see his daughter Hailie for a long period of time. He said “I just don’t want to go on tour & come back & Hailie’s grown”

Image credits: tyrion2024

#2

TIL that in 1792, 400,000 British people gave up sugar to boycott slavery when the UK population was at 6 million

Image credits: sashsu6

#3

TIL: the roof on an oil storage tank is not attached to the walls, but floats on the surface of the oil to avoid creating a space for flammable vapors to accumulate and explode.

Image credits: TheQuarantinian

If we haven’t yet convinced you to start organizing a trivia night with your close ones, you should hear about all the benefits that it has to offer. 

“I would say that trivia nights help increase a person’s confidence in their intellect. So many times, players will say, ‘I’m no good at trivia,’ but then they are the person on their team who came through with the one clutch answer that helped them win the game. So if you want to feel smarter, come to trivia!” Brianna Liestman, the brand engagement director behind Trivia Mafia, previously told Bored Panda. 

Trivia Mafia is a bar operation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, known to produce the highest-quality quiz nights in bars, taprooms, distilleries, and private events. How fun!

#4

TIL an entire squad of Marines managed to get past an AI powered camera, “undetected”. Two somersaulted for 300m, another pair pretended to be a cardboard box, and one guy pretended to be a bush. The AI could not detect a single one of them.

Image credits: zahrul3

#5

TIL that, of the ninety-nine emperors of the Roman Empire (and later the Western Roman Empire), around 54-69 of them were murdered or committed s****de. That is a 55-70% mortality rate from murder or s****de.

Image credits: Illogical_Blox

#6

TIL horseshoe crab blood is worth 60,000$ per gallon

Image credits: Not_so_ghetto

“Personally, I think participating in trivia helps boost memory and recall. I often receive messages from my players telling me facts and anecdotes that they were reminded of by one of my questions,” said Brie Zulkiewicz, host of trivia events at bars and birthday parties, work events, and even weddings.

#7

TIL that being awake for 20 hours is equivalent to being drunk enough to be forbidden from driving.

Image credits: MartianAndroidMiner

#8

TIL Car mufflers and firearm silencers function based on the exact same principles and were both developed by the same inventor

Image credits: rezikiel

#9

TIL Dog hair is up to 80% warmer than wool but not elastic.

Image credits: ohnoooooyoudidnt

And that’s not all! Participating in a trivia night can be a great stress reliever, too. Taking your mind off whatever is causing you anxiety or stress and focusing on the game offers a great distraction. Playing and especially winning in a relaxed environment can release a rush of dopamine into your brain, making you feel excited, satisfied, and even euphoric. All the more reason to play!

#10

TIL that after Top Gear ended, host Richard Hammond was so devastated, he cried all the way home from the studio and ran out of fuel, because he didn’t want to fill his car up covered in tears

Image credits: ModenaR

#11

TIL the most reliable record-high IQ score ever recorded belongs to mathematician Terence Tao, with a confirmed IQ of 230.

Image credits: tyrion2024

#12

TIL in 2021 in Austria, during a routine bandage change that occurred 2 days after a patient’s leg amputation surgery, it was discovered that the wrong leg had been amputated. The surgeon was found guilty of gross negligence and fined €2,700 and the patient’s widow was awarded €5,000 in damages.

Image credits: Forward-Answer-4407

Now that we’ve probably convinced you to host a trivia night, the trivia experts have a few tips on how to make it the best it can be. Brianna from Trivia Mafia suggests that the most important thing that makes it successful is the quality of the questions.

“Trivia Mafia’s approach to trivia is to avoid too many ‘either you know it or you don’t’ questions. We write round themes, and those theme descriptions are often really helpful in giving players a clue as to what the answer to a question could be.

For instance, at a recent trivia night, I am the kind of person who is hopeless with sports knowledge. But because I knew just enough about major players in baseball and I knew the rules of the round, I was able to get the answer.”

#13

TIL that the saliva of Komodo dragons – contrary to popular belief – doesn’t have more bacteria than other carnivores, and actually have a very good mouth hygiene.

Image credits: Caspica

#14

TIL Approximately 70,000 years ago, the human population was between 5,000 and 10,000

Image credits: 2_Large_Regulahs

#15

TIL that photographer Robert Landsburg sacrificed his life in an attempt to save his photos during the Mount St. Helens eruption. He laid on top of his film, letting the volcanic ash cover him. Seventeen days later, his body and the preserved photos were recovered and used to document the eruption.

Image credits: Brendawg324

Other things Brianna finds crucial for an enjoyable trivia night are an engaging host and the pace of the game.

“Our games are typically 90-120 minutes, and our hosts have flexibility within that time frame to pace trivia appropriately. Some players and businesses want the host to move a little faster so people can close their tabs or get their kids to bed on a school night. Other places want a longer experience, where folks are really taking their time answering questions, eating and/or drinking, and enjoying a night out.”

#16

TIL the mobile game “Send Me to Heaven” involved throwing your phone as high in the air as you can. The creator made it with the hope of destroying as many iPhones as possible, but Apple banned it from the App Store.

Image credits: happy_bluebird

#17

TIL that the $2 bill is still being printed and circulated today. The reason it feels rare is because so many people believe it’s rare and end up hoarding it, which keeps it out of circulation.

Image credits: okbuddysilver

#18

TIL That London’s Billingsgate Fish and Smithfield Meat Markets will both close in 2028, after the Corporation of London decided against building them new locations in Dagenham. Smithfields has existed since the 10th Century and Billingsgate since the 16th Century.

Meanwhile, Brie highlights the importance of knowing the players.

“The most important part of planning a successful trivia night is knowing your audience. You will want very different questions for a busy, crowded night at a sports bar versus a bridal shower brunch. Questions should always be tailored to ensure that the group is engaged and entertained rather than always prioritizing difficulty.”

#19

TIL On August 11, 1952, the Jordanian parliament forced King Talal to abdicate less than 13 months into his rule due to his mental illness. He would spend the rest of his life in a sanatorium.

#20

TIL Antarctica has a full-time professional fire department, and maintains about 46 staff.

Image credits: South_Gas626

#21

TIL During the SARS-CoV-1 outbreak in 2004, a Taiwanese woman took a bath in 40.5% ethanol in the belief that it would protect her from the virus. She absorbed the ethanol through her skin and died of ethanol poisoning.

With the game now organized, how do you improve your chances of winning? We all want to be winners, don’t we?

Brianna’s piece of advice for winning is to make more friends with different interests or with plentiful life experiences. 

“The teams that do the best with trivia have a really wide Venn diagram of knowledge, even if there aren’t a lot of people on the team. Intergenerational teams also do really well, because there are zeitgeist moments that will be obvious to them that won’t be as obvious to the person across the table. They can work together using their individual strengths.”

#22

TIL That Decca declined signing The Beatles in 1962. “Guitar groups are on their way out” and “the Beatles have no future in show business. “

Image credits: QEbitchboss

#23

TIL the last conviction for private and conseual homosexual acts in the USA was in 1998.

Image credits: PrestigiousBrit

#24

TIL the country that eats the most pizza per capita is Norway, with each person eating about 11 pounds of pizza a year.

Brie, on the other hand, recommends practicing. “Trivia, like many hobbies, is something a player can improve on with practice. In general, staying aware of current events and taking time to read for enjoyment will improve your odds of success.”

Brie added, “I always encourage players not to focus on winning or losing, but to lean into what they got out of the process. There are almost always questions that one can’t answer, but paying attention and reflecting on them can often be as personally beneficial as knowing the right answer.”

#25

TIL about ortolan bunting, the French practice of force-feeding a bird, dunking it in liquor, frying it in its own fat, then eating it whole. It is customary to cover one’s face with a cloth while consuming it to “hide oneself from God’s judgment.” Their hunting and consumption is banned in the EU.

#26

TIL that houseflies can get addicted to Nicotine and C*****e. In smoker’s homes, house and fruit flies will change their evolutionary behaviors to seek out cigarette smoke, even though nicotine is extremely toxic to them

Image credits: unfinishedtoast3

#27

TIL that Andreas Mihavecz, the person who holds the record with longest survival without food or water,* was locked in a holding cell and forgotten for 18 days

Image credits: Gruselschloss

#28

TIL in the early 1840s, Ohio’s Oberline College banned students from consuming meat, seasonings, condiments, and most caffeinated beverages, and at one point many students were living on bread and water.

CloudberryRushXo:

This was part of the “Grahamite” health movement, which promoted a bland, vegetarian diet for moral and physical purity.

The extreme rules banning spices and caffeine were very unpopular and quickly abandoned due to student protests over poor nutrition.

Image credits: healingseal

#29

TIL that the American Indian Wars only ended a 101 years ago in August 1924 with the conclusion of the Apache War and the granting of citizenship to all Amerindians in June 1924.

Image credits: Sailor_Rout

#30

TIL Romani people were chattel slaves in Romania until 1856

#31

TIL that there are giant concrete arrows placed every 10 miles across the U.S., stretching from New York City to San Francisco. They were originally built to help USPS airmail pilots navigate coast-to-coast before modern instruments made visual navigation obsolete.

Image credits: Objective_Horror1113

#32

TIL Ian Fleming, author of the original 007 novels, was against the casting of Sean Connery as James Bond, calling him an “overgrown stuntman”, and criticizing his appearance. However, he ended up liking Connery’s performance so much that he characterized Bond based on him in future novels.

#33

TIL on one occasion, Jeffrey Dahmer accidentally consumed the drink laced with sleeping pills that was intended for his guest. When he awoke the following day, he discovered that his potential victim had stolen several items of clothing, $300, & a watch. He never officially reported the incident.

#34

TIL Matt Groening was approached to adapt his ‘Life in Hell’ comic for The Tracey Ullman Show. Fearing he’d lose ownership and hurt his comic if the show failed, Groening quickly created The Simpsons

#35

TIL in 2023 a Kenyan male chess player wore a burka as a disguise to enter a women’s chess tournament for prize money, but was caught after his strong performance, silence and “masculine” shoes raised suspicion

Image credits: flamingoooz

#36

TIL that during Benito Mussolini’s rule in Italy, homosexuals were rounded up and sent to the Tremiti archipelago.

#37

TIL that up to 31% of kids and 10–15% of adults grind or clench their teeth in their sleep. It’s linked to stress, anxiety, depression, headaches, TMJ pain, and sore jaws. Night guards don’t stop it, they just protect teeth from the damage

#38

TIL that the state with the highest obesity rate is West Virginia, at just over 41%

Image credits: MrMojoFomo

#39

TIL that NATO tanks fire rounds with semi-combustible nitrocellulose casings; Basically Explosive paper. Most of the casing burns up when fired, leaving only a small metal stub for the crew to remove, reducing weight and increasing fire rate.

#40

TIL that gold can be made so thin that 1 ounce can cover 300 square feet ft as “gold leaf”.

#41

TIL wealth consultants told the actors on the TV show Succession not to duck their heads when exiting a helicopter because “you would’ve been doing this your whole lives. You know where the propeller is. You wouldn’t duck your head, you’d just walk right the f**k out.”

Image credits: nuttybudd

#42

TIL that college graduates who joined fraternities have higher incomes despite their lower grades.

Image credits: MartianAndroidMiner

#43

TIL Disney has a code word for when guests attempt to scatter ashes at one of their theme parks: a “white powder alert”

#44

TIL when Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace premiered in May 1999, it’s estimated that 2.2 million full-time employees in the US missed work to attend the film, which resulted in a $293 million loss of productivity.

Image credits: tyrion2024

#45

TIL a 2023 study found sniffing women’s tears reduced male aggression by 44%

#46

TIL a few tech companies (ie. AOL) used to fight spam with Haikus (poems) embedded into an email licensed from a company named Habeas. Habeas would sue mass spammers for copyright infringement. In one case, they won a $100k judgement.

#47

TIL about Bir Tawil, an 800-square-mile area of land between Egypt and Sudan that is terra nullius (land belonging to no one) because both countries refuse to claim it. Claiming Bir Tawil would legally force them to give up their claim on the more valuable Hala’ib Triangle.

#48

TIL that in 2021, a Frontier Airlines flight from Orlando to Knoxville was cancelled, leaving 13 people stranded, with no other flights for another two days. The group worked together to rent a minivan and drove the entire distance, making it there the following morning.

#49

TIL Sampoong Department store collapse. The owner changed building design that removed support columns for floor space. Years later when warned about the risk of imminent collapse he refused to evacuate people out the building over fears of revenue loss. 502 victims died

#50

TIL there is an archipelago just off the coast of Canada that is a French overseas territory. Its inhabitants are French and EU citizens.

#51

TIL that there’s an average of 22cm height disparity between rich and poor people in the Philippines. The highest in the world due to nutrition differences and other socio-economic factors.

#52

TIL that when Ronnie James Dio came to record his part of Tenaciou’s D’s “Kickapoo,” he brought his own mic. The producer told Dio that he wouldn’t need it as their mic was top of the line. One his first take, Dio effectively destroyed the studio’s mic and they had to use his

#53

TIL Kaitlin Olson was accidentally waterboarded for real while filming the season 4 IASIP episode, “The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis”

#54

TIL that former MLB pitcher Randy Johnson kept a bag of baseballs by his bed to throw at home invaders

#55

TIL in 2007 a bottle of Allsopp’s Arctic Ale brewed in 1852 was put up for auction online, however it was misspelt ‘Allsop’s Arctic Ale’ in the listing. This made it hard to search for, so the winning bid was only $304. The buyer then relisted it with the correct spelling and it sold for $503,300.

#56

TIL EA Games holds 30+ patents to accessibility technology in video games with the promise to not enforce them and to keep them available to the public

#57

TIL a Texas woman found she had a felony charge against her in Oklahoma by accident when she got married, after a VHS was rented with her name when she lived there 21 years earlier and wasn’t returned. This explained her own mystery of having troubles with employment during these years.

#58

TIL that Isabela Merced got started in acting because her parents thought it would be a helpful distraction from their house burning down

#59

TIL Emanuel Bronner, Of Bronner’s Soap, Escaped a Mental Hospital in the 1940s

#60

TIL that The Old Man and the Sea was one of Saddam Hussein’s favourite books because it was about “struggling against overwhelming odds with courage, perseverance and dignity”

#61

TIL George Lucas wanted 2Pac to be Mace Windu in the prequels, but he passed away before he could audition for the role.

#62

TIL about the Empires of the Deep, an ambitious $130 million mermaid epic blockbuster funded by Jon Jiang, a real estate billionaire. It was intended to be a China–Hollywood co-production that would rival Avatar. While the film itself is finished, it remains unreleased.

#63

TIL after Tim Duncan’s sophomore year in college he was already a top NBA prospect. Jerry West, the Lakers GM, said he could’ve been the #1 pick in the ’95 draft. But he finished college instead because he promised his dying mom he’d get a degree. It didn’t hurt his draft position, he went #1 in ’97

#64

TIL that a 12 inch semiconductor wafer costs $19000 to make and produces around 215000 RFID chips for use in disposable subway tickets. Each chips are around 0.5×0.5 mm in size

#65

TIL about “Dolbear’s Law” – a way to (roughly) estimate temperature by counting the number of cricket chirps in a 15 second timeframe, then adding 40!

#66

TIL about HTTP 451, an error status code displayed when the user requests a resource which cannot be served for legal reasons. The number 451 is a reference to Ray Bradbury’s novel “Fahrenheit 451”, in which books are outlawed..

#67

TIL William Thornton, who designed the US Capitol building, was called to Mt Vernon to treat a dying George Washington, only to arrive after the president had died. Thornton proposed ressurrecting the frozen corpse by heating it up, inflating the lungs, and infusing lamb’s blood. His family declined

#68

TIL volleyball only used to allow scoring for the serving team rather than the current system which awards a point on every rally regardless of serving team

#69

TIL 70mm IMAX systems require a PalmOS device to operate. During the release of Oppenheimer on IMAX, a PalmOS emulator running on a Windows 10 tablet was used to show the film.

#70

TIL: Video game character Lara Croft was originally envisioned as a Latina woman named Laura Cruz; however, after consulting with a book of baby names and a local phonebook, the name was changed to Lara Croft.