Try 28 January trivia questions in four rounds, with answers and links for date-sensitive facts.
For another month, browse our January–December trivia guide.
The questions cover the month’s calendar, observances, history, and science. Play them in order or use one round for a shorter quiz.
Calendar and Traditions
- Q: Which month begins the Gregorian calendar year?
A: January. - Q: How many days does January have?
A: 31. - Q: January is named for which Roman god?
A: Janus. - Q: In the Northern Hemisphere, January falls in which astronomical season?
A: Winter. - Q: In the Southern Hemisphere, which astronomical season includes January?
A: Summer. - Q: Which U.S. federal holiday in January honors a civil rights leader?
A: Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Source - Q: On which January weekday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day observed in the United States?
A: The third Monday. Source
January Observances
- Q: What is the date of New Year’s Day on the Gregorian calendar?
A: January 1. - Q: Which two Western astrology signs cover most January birthdays?
A: Capricorn and Aquarius. - Q: What is January’s traditional birthstone?
A: Garnet. Source - Q: Which United Nations observance falls on January 4?
A: World Braille Day. Source - Q: Which United Nations day falls on January 24?
A: International Day of Education. Source - Q: Which United Nations observance falls on January 26?
A: International Day of Clean Energy. Source - Q: On what January date is International Holocaust Remembrance Day?
A: January 27. Source
History and Civil Rights
- Q: Which Nazi concentration and extermination camp was liberated on January 27, 1945?
A: Auschwitz-Birkenau. Source - Q: What U.S. proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863?
A: The Emancipation Proclamation. Source - Q: On what January date do U.S. presidential terms begin under the 20th Amendment?
A: January 20. Source - Q: On what January date do new terms of the U.S. Congress begin under the 20th Amendment?
A: January 3. Source - Q: Which president was the first inaugurated on January 20, in 1937?
A: Franklin D. Roosevelt. Source - Q: Which space shuttle was lost on January 28, 1986?
A: Challenger. Source - Q: Which planned NASA mission suffered a fatal launch-pad fire on January 27, 1967?
A: Apollo 1. Source
Space, Nature, and the World
- Q: What was the first successful U.S. satellite, launched on January 31, 1958?
A: Explorer 1. Source - Q: On which moon did the Huygens probe land on January 14, 2005?
A: Titan. Source - Q: Which meteor shower usually peaks in early January?
A: The Quadrantids. Source - Q: Which country became a federation on January 1, 1901?
A: Australia. Source - Q: Which Scottish poet is honored on Burns Night each January 25?
A: Robert Burns. Source - Q: On what January date was Martin Luther King Jr. born?
A: January 15, 1929. Source - Q: Which U.S. state entered the Union on January 3, 1959?
A: Alaska. Source
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