30 Cinco de Mayo Trivia Questions About May 5

Cinco de Mayo (May 5) trivia hits a specific market — Mexican-American celebrations, restaurants, schools. We picked 30 questions covering the actual history (Battle of Puebla 1862, NOT Mexican independence), the bigger US celebration vs minimal Mexican observance, food traditions, and pop culture. Each with answer + cultural context.

The actual history — Battle of Puebla

May 5, 1862. Mexican army vs French invasion force. Mexican victory at Puebla. NOT Mexican independence (Sept 16, 1810).

  1. Q1.When was the city of Rome, Italy founded?Tap to reveal

    Answer: 753 BCE

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.

  2. Q2.Who was the first president of Kenya?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Jomo Kenyatta

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.

  3. Q3.Which Apollo mission was the last one in NASA's Apollo program?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Apollo 17

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.

  4. Q4.Which of the following was not one of Joseph Stalin's ten blows during World War II?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Vistula-Oder Offensive

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.

  5. Q5.To what political party did Abraham Lincoln belong when elected POTUS?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Republican

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.

  6. Q6.The Hagia Sophia was commissioned by which emperor of the Byzantine Empire?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Justinian I

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.

  7. Q7.These two countries held a commonwealth from the 16th to 18th century.Tap to reveal

    Answer: Poland and Lithuania

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.

  8. Q8.When did the French Revolution begin?Tap to reveal

    Answer: 1789

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.

US vs Mexico — different celebrations

US: massive party, Mexican-American pride. Mexico: minimal observation, only state of Puebla celebrates broadly.

  1. Q1.Which American civilization is the source of the belief that the world would end or drastically change on December 21st, 2012?Tap to reveal

    Answer: The Mayans

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.

  2. Q2.What battle was the longest in World War I, lasting approximately 303 days?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Battle of Verdun

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.

  3. Q3.Pol Pot was the former dictator of which country?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Cambodia

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.

  4. Q4.Hong Kong was a part of which country's territory before Britain regained it in 1945?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Japan

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.

  5. Q5.On which aircraft carrier did the Doolitte Raid launch from on April 18, 1942 during World War II?Tap to reveal

    Answer: USS Hornet

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.

  6. Q6.Against which country did the Dutch Republic fight the Eighty Years' War?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Spain

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.

  7. Q7.Which country were potatoes originally grown?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Peru

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.

  8. Q8.The Spitfire L.F. Mk IX had what engine?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Merlin 66

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.

Food and drink traditions

Margaritas, mole poblano (the dish from Puebla), tacos, guacamole. Cinco de Mayo as a Mexican food celebration.

  1. Q1.Which South American country fought Great Britain over the Falkland Islands in 1982?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Argentina

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.

  2. Q2.Which day did World War I begin?Tap to reveal

    Answer: July 28

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.

  3. Q3.On which day did ARPANET suffer a 4 hour long network crash?Tap to reveal

    Answer: October 27, 1980

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.

  4. Q4.Abolitionist John Brown raided the arsenal in which Virginia Town?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Harper's Ferry

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Easy.

  5. Q5.In addition to his career as an astrologer and "prophet", Nostradamus published a 1555 treatise that included a section on what?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Making jams and jellies

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.

  6. Q6.In which years did the Battle of Gallipoli take place?Tap to reveal

    Answer: 1915 - 1916

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.

  7. Q7.In relation to the British Occupation in Ireland, what does the IRA stand for.Tap to reveal

    Answer: Irish Republican Army

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.

  8. Q8.Spain was formed in 1469 with the marriage of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of what other Iberian kingdom?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Aragon

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.

Pop culture and modern celebrations

Parades, mariachi music, Mexican-American film + TV moments. The cultural exchange between US and Mexico.

  1. Q1.Which of the following Physicists aided Nazi Germany in their production of a nuclear weapon?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Werner Heisenberg

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.

  2. Q2.Who is believed to have been the first European to 'discover' the land of New Zealand?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Abel Tasman

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.

  3. Q3.What year did Australia become a federation?Tap to reveal

    Answer: 1901

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.

  4. Q4.What Southeast Asian country was formerly known as 'Lan Xang'?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Laos

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Hard.

  5. Q5.John Moses Browning, the designer of the M1918 BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) was a part of which religion?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Mormon

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.

  6. Q6.Which country had an "Orange Revolution" between 2004 and 2005?Tap to reveal

    Answer: Ukraine

    Sourced from Open Trivia DB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Difficulty: Medium.

Hosting Cinco de Mayo trivia

Cinco de Mayo trivia is great at restaurants and parties. Mix history (universal) with food (everyone has favorites). Avoid stereotypes.

Trivio.NET has Cinco de Mayo packs in the Holidays & Events category.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cinco de Mayo Mexican Independence Day?

No — that's September 16. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla (1862) against French invasion.

Is Cinco de Mayo celebrated in Mexico?

Only minimally — primarily in the state of Puebla. The US celebrates it more than Mexico does.

Where can I find Cinco de Mayo trivia packs?

Trivio.NET's Holidays & Events category has Cinco de Mayo packs.

What's the most-missed Cinco de Mayo trivia?

It's NOT Mexican Independence Day. It's NOT widely celebrated in Mexico. Many assume both.

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