October 22 Trivia – answers and explanations
Here are the answers to all 16 questions in the October 22 Trivia quiz, each with a short explanation. 15 questions from every corner of general knowledge. Haven't played yet? Take the quiz first and compare your score.
Play the quiz · 16 questions1. The martial art of judo originated in which country?
Answer: Japan
Judo was created in Japan in 1882, when Kano Jigoro adapted older jujutsu schools and founded the Kodokan in Tokyo. It became the first Japanese martial art in the Olympics, debuting at the 1964 Tokyo Games.
2. Which nuts are traditionally used to make Genoese pesto sauce?
Answer: Pine nuts
Authentic pesto alla genovese from Genoa in Liguria is made with pine nuts, along with Genovese basil, garlic, olive oil, Parmigiano and pecorino. Walnut versions exist elsewhere in Italy but are not the classic Genoese recipe.
3. Which is the only mammal capable of true sustained flight?
Answer: The bat
Bats are the only mammals capable of true powered, sustained flight, using wings formed from skin stretched between elongated finger bones. Flying squirrels, colugos and sugar gliders only glide using a membrane called a patagium.
4. How many bones are there in the average adult human body?
Answer: 206
The adult human skeleton is normally counted as 206 bones, split into the 80-bone axial skeleton and the 126-bone appendicular skeleton. Babies start with around 270-300 bony elements, many of which fuse during growth.
5. The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to which other body of water?
Answer: The Red Sea
The Suez Canal in Egypt links the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, letting ships avoid sailing around Africa. It opened in 1869 and runs about 193 km from Port Said to Suez.
6. In football's World Cup, which country has won the trophy the most times?
Answer: Brazil
Brazil has won the men's World Cup five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002), more than any other nation; Germany and Italy follow with four each. Spain's 2026 win in New Jersey was its second title.
7. Who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome?
Answer: Michelangelo
Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling in the Vatican between 1508 and 1512, commissioned by Pope Julius II. Its most famous scene is the Creation of Adam.
8. Which gas makes up about 78% of the air in Earth's atmosphere?
Answer: Nitrogen
Nitrogen makes up about 78% of Earth's atmosphere, with oxygen around 21% and argon about 0.9%; carbon dioxide is only about 0.04%. Nitrogen is largely inert because of the strong triple bond in the N2 molecule.
9. The ancient city of Machu Picchu was built by which civilisation?
Answer: The Inca
Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes was built by the Inca, most likely as a royal estate for the emperor Pachacuti around 1450. Radiocarbon dating places its occupation at roughly 1420-1530, and it was abandoned around the time of the Spanish conquest.
10. In American football, how many points is a touchdown worth?
Answer: 6
A touchdown is worth 6 points under NFL Rule 11, followed by a try worth 1 point by kick or 2 points by run or pass. A field goal is worth 3 points and a safety 2.
11. Which nut is the main ingredient of marzipan?
Answer: Almond
Marzipan is made mainly from ground almonds and sugar, often with almond oil or extract. EU-protected versions come from Lubeck in Germany and Toledo in Spain, while a similar paste made from apricot or peach kernels is called persipan.
12. On the Olympic flag, what colour is the ring farthest to the left?
Answer: Blue
The Olympic rings run blue, yellow, black, green and red from left to right, so the blue ring sits furthest left, on the top row. Pierre de Coubertin designed the symbol in 1913, and the flag first flew officially in Paris in June 1914.
13. Which composer wrote his Ninth Symphony while profoundly deaf?
Answer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven composed his Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, between 1822 and 1824 while profoundly deaf; at its premiere in Vienna's Theater am Kärntnertor on 7 May 1824 he stood on stage beating time while Michael Umlauf actually led the orchestra.
14. The word "tsunami" entered English from which language?
Answer: Japanese
Tsunami comes from Japanese 津波, combining tsu (harbour) and nami (wave), so it literally means harbour wave; English first recorded it in 1896, the year a devastating tsunami struck Japan's Sanriku coast.
15. Roughly how long does sunlight take to travel from the Sun to Earth?
Answer: About 8 minutes
Light crosses the roughly 150 million km (93 million miles) from the Sun to Earth in about 8 minutes and 20 seconds, travelling at close to 300,000 km per second, so we always see the Sun as it was eight minutes earlier.
16. Angel Falls, the world's tallest uninterrupted waterfall, is found in which country?
Answer: Venezuela
Angel Falls (Salto Ángel) drops 979 m, including an 807 m uninterrupted plunge, from the Auyán-tepui in Canaima National Park in Bolívar state, Venezuela. It is named after American pilot Jimmie Angel, who flew over it in 1933.