Take a break from the heat with a cool game of August trivia. Our August trivia questions and answers will keep you entertained on hot August nights as you sit out under the stars sipping wine. With questions that range from easy to hard, how much do you know about August?
General August Trivia Questions & Answers
These questions are specifically about the month of August. Show how much you know about this summer month.
Who is August named after?
The Roman Emperor, Augustus Caesar
What was August originally called?
Sextilis
During a leap year, which month starts on the same weekday as August?
February
What are August’s two zodiac signs?
Leo and Virgo
What are August’s birthstones?
Peridot, spinel, and sardonyx
What are August’s birth flowers?
Poppy and gladiola
What’s the name of the holiday that celebrates the first day of harvest in the UK on August 1?
Lammas Day
How many days did August originally have?
30
Why was August changed to 31 days?
Because Augustus Caesar didn’t want his month to have fewer days than the one named after Julius Caesar (July).
What meteor shower occurs every year in mid-August?
The Perseids
August History Questions
A lot of important things happened in August. Show how much you know by answering our historical August trivia questions.
On August 28, 1963, what famous speech was delivered in front of the Lincoln Memorial?
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech
What happened on August 24, 79 CE, in the Roman Empire?
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompei
Who penned her last diary entry on August 1, 1944?
Anne Frank
The parchment copy of which famous document was signed on August 2, 1776?
The Declaration of Independence
Which US President died suddenly on August 2, 1923?
Warren G. Harding
What US President took office on August 3, 1923?
Calvin Coolidge
What American tax was first signed into law by Abraham Lincoln on August 5, 1861, as an emergency measure for the expense of the Civil War?
A federal income tax (It was never enacted, but our current federal income tax was enacted in 1911.)
The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. What was the name of the bomber that dropped it?
Enola Gay
Who famously quit their job on August 9, 1974, becoming the only person who worked that job to ever resign from it?
Richard M. Nixon
What French ruler was born in Corsica on August 15, 1769?
Napoleon Bonaparte
What was discovered in the Klondike on August 16, 1896?
Gold
On August 17, 1978, three Americans crossed the Atlantic in the Double Eagle, II. What was the Double Eagle II?
A hot-air balloon
The 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920. What did it grant?
It granted women the right to vote.
What U.S. state was added to the union on August 21, 1959?
Hawaii
On August 5, 1981, President Ronald Reagan fired 11,359 striking workers from their jobs. What was their job?
Air traffic controller
Famous August Birthdays Trivia Questions
Lots of famous people were born in August. See if you know the answers to these questions about people with August birthdays.
What poet, who penned the poem Defense of Fort McHenry, was born on August 1, 1779?
Francis Scott Key. Defense of Fort McHenry later became the U.S. National Anthem.
Jazz trumpeter Satchmo was born on August 3, 1901. What was his real name?
Louis Armstrong
Which U.S. President was born on August 4, 1961?
Barrack Obama
What infamous international spy was born on August 7, 1876, in The Netherlands?
Mata Hari (Margaret Gertrude Zelle)
What Pulitzer Prize-winning author was born in Ithaca on August 11, 1921? His prize-winning novel was turned into a widely-watched miniseries.
Alex Haley
Good evening. What famous British suspense film director was born on August 13, 1899, in London?
Alfred Hitchcock
On August 17, 1786, the “King of the Wild Frontier” was born. What was his name?
Davy Crockett
What music and counterculture legend was born on August 1, 1942?
Jerry Garcia
“It’s a good thing” this famous businesswoman and DIY maven was born on August 3, 1941. Who is it?
Martha Stewart
The winningest quarterback in NFL history was born on August 3, 1977. Who is it?
Tom Brady
Happy Days actor Donny Most was born on August 8, 1953. What was the name of his Happy Days character?
Ralph Malph
What Wild West entertainer, born on August 13, 1860, was the subject of an Irving Berlin musical?
Annie Oakley (Annie Get Your Gun)
What NBA great, known as “the Stilt,” was born on August 21, 1936?
Wilt Chamberlain
Actor Macaulay Culkin was born on August 26, 1980. How old was he when he filmed Home Alone?
10
August Pop Culture Questions & Answers
Summertime is a great time for pop culture. Test your knowledge of these famous August pop culture events.
What lunch staple was created on August 6, 1762, in England?
The sandwich
What type of cheese is celebrated all month long in August in the U.S.?
Goat cheese - (National Goat Cheese Month)
What music icon died on August 16, 1977?
Elvis Presley
Who died on August 5, 1962, at the age of 36, from an overdose of sleeping pills?
Marilyn Monroe
What started on a farm in Bethel, New York, on August 15, 1969, lasted for 3 days, and became a cultural icon?
Woodstock
Who did the world grieve after her premature death on August 31, 1997?
Princess Diana
What was outlawed on August 2, 1937, that is starting to be legal again in various US states?
Marijuana
Whose parents were found murdered in Fall River, Massachusetts, in August of 1892?
Lizzie Borden’s
On August 7, 1959, the Lincoln Memorial replaced what on the back of the penny?
Wheat
Related: 10 Most Valuable Wheat Pennies & How to Spot Them
What world-famous museum opened in Paris, France, on August 10, 1873?
The Louvre
The first-ever PG-13 movie was released in theaters in August of 1984. What was it?
Red Dawn
What Comedy Central cartoon (that’s still on the air today) debuted on August 13, 1997?
South Park
The longest-running film release in history opened in Los Angeles in 1975. What’s the name of the cult film?
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
What historic Seattle landmark opened on August 17, 1907?
Pike Place Market
What was stolen by a museum employee from the Louvre on August 21, 1911, and returned two years later?
The Mona Lisa
What did Jim Weiner, Jack Weiner, Charles Foltz, and Charles Rak claim happened to them in Allagash, Maine, on August 26, 1976?
They claimed they were abducted by aliens.
Whose late-night talk show debuted on CBS on August 30, 1993?
David Letterman’s
What famous serial killer claimed their first victim on August 31, 1888?
Jack the Ripper
MTV debuted on August 1, 1980. What was the first music video they played?
Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles
Cool August Trivia for Hot Summer Nights
Kicking back with friends and family to play trivia is a great way to spend a warm summer afternoon. And with our August trivia questions, you'll be able to test your knowledge about this hot summer month.
