October 24 Trivia – answers and explanations
Here are the answers to all 15 questions in the October 24 Trivia quiz, each with a short explanation. Fifteen questions from every corner of general knowledge. Haven't played yet? Take the quiz first and compare your score.
Play the quiz · 15 questions1. Which blood type is known as the universal donor?
Answer: O negative
O negative red blood cells carry no A, B or Rh antigens, so they can be given to patients of any blood type, which is why this group is called the universal donor. Only about 7 percent of people have it, while AB is the universal plasma donor.
2. Which team won Game 1 of the 2026 World Series on Friday night?
Answer: Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in Game 1 of the 2026 World Series on Friday, October 23, at American Family Field. Starter Jacob Misiorowski opened with a record 103.5 mph pitch, and closer Trevor Megill escaped a ninth-inning threat.
3. The Titanic was sailing to which city when it sank in 1912?
Answer: New York
The Titanic was on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City when it struck an iceberg late on 14 April 1912 and sank early the next morning. It had been due to arrive in New York on 17 April after calls at Cherbourg and Queenstown.
4. What is the smallest country in the world by area?
Answer: Vatican City
Vatican City is the world's smallest sovereign state, covering about 0.44 to 0.49 square kilometres as an enclave inside Rome. It became independent through the Lateran Treaty of 11 February 1929, with Monaco second at around 2 square kilometres.
5. How many hearts does an octopus have?
Answer: Three
An octopus has three hearts: two branchial hearts push blood through the gills and one systemic heart sends oxygenated blood around the body. The systemic heart stops beating while the animal swims, which is why octopuses prefer to crawl.
6. In Formula 1, which flag is waved to signal the end of a race?
Answer: Chequered flag
The black-and-white chequered flag marks the end of a Formula 1 race or session, shown once the leader completes the full distance. Yellow warns of danger, red suspends the session and blue tells a backmarker to let a faster car past.
7. Traditional Japanese miso paste is made mainly from which ingredient?
Answer: Soybeans
Miso is a Japanese paste made mainly from soybeans fermented with salt and koji mould (Aspergillus oryzae), sometimes with rice or barley added. Japanese food labelling rules define miso as a semi-solid paste made primarily from soybeans.
8. Which English king sealed the Magna Carta in 1215?
Answer: King John
King John affixed his seal to Magna Carta on 15 June 1215 at Runnymede, a meadow beside the Thames near Windsor, after rebel barons seized London. Pope Innocent III annulled the charter within about ten weeks.
9. Lake Titicaca lies on the border of Bolivia and which country?
Answer: Peru
Lake Titicaca straddles the Peru-Bolivia border high in the Andes at about 3,812 metres, making it the world's highest lake navigable by large commercial vessels. Roughly 60 percent lies in Peru's Puno region.
10. In darts, how many points is the inner bullseye worth?
Answer: 50
The small red inner bullseye scores 50 points and counts as a double (double 25), while the surrounding green outer bull scores 25. The highest single-dart score is actually treble 20, worth 60.
11. In the NATO phonetic alphabet, which word stands for the letter R?
Answer: Romeo
Romeo represents R in the NATO phonetic alphabet, adopted in 1956 as the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet. Roger stood for R in the earlier wartime alphabet and survives as radio shorthand for 'received'.
12. Which Russian city was known as Leningrad during the Soviet era?
Answer: St Petersburg
Saint Petersburg was called Petrograd from 1914 and renamed Leningrad in 1924 after Lenin's death; following a 1991 referendum the historic name was restored on 6 September 1991. Volgograd was the Soviet-era Stalingrad.
13. What is the largest species of fish living in the oceans today?
Answer: Whale shark
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest living fish, with the largest reliably measured individual about 18.8 m (62 ft). Despite its size it is a harmless filter feeder living on plankton and tiny prey; the basking shark is second largest.
14. The sparkling wine Prosecco is traditionally produced in which country?
Answer: Italy
Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine made mainly from the Glera grape in Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, using the Charmat tank method. The name is protected and comes from a village near Trieste.
15. The word 'alphabet' comes from the first two letters of which alphabet?
Answer: Greek
The word alphabet derives from alpha and beta, the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, reaching English via Late Latin alphabetum, used by Tertullian around the 2nd-3rd century CE.