How much do you know about Columbus Day? Do you remember what you were taught at school about this controversial holiday? Give our Columbus Day trivia quiz a try!
Columbus Day is celebrated every year in the US, and it’s even celebrated in a couple of European countries, too.
The holiday officially celebrates Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas.
However, it’s not celebrated by every state, and some consider it problematic.
Want to test how much you know about the history of Columbus Day?
Columbus Day is celebrated every year in the US. But how much do you know about the origins of this holiday?
Let’s find out with round one of our general Columbus Day questions!
While Columbus Day is an excellent opportunity for a day off work or school, it’s not without controversy, and some people believe it shouldn’t be celebrated at all.
But before we get into the legacy of Columbus himself, let’s start with some basic questions about Columbus Day.
1. When is Columbus Day?
The second Monday in October every year
2. In what year did Columbus Day become a holiday?
1937
3. Which state was the first to celebrate Columbus Day?
New York
4. What is the alternative holiday some states choose to celebrate instead?
Indigenous People's Day
5. When did the date for Columbus Day become fixed?
1971
6. On what date did Christopher Columbus arrive in the Bahamas?
October 12, 1942
7. In what century did opposition to Columbus Day first emerge?
The 19th century
8. Which religion did Columbus want to convert people to?
Catholicism
9. Why did the holiday start to lose popularity?
Because of the way the natives were treated
10. In how many states is Columbus Day not celebrated?
8
11. In which European countries is Columbus Day celebrated?
Spain and Italy
12. Which city is named after Christopher Columbus?
Washington D.C
13. Which state was the first to stop celebrating Columbus Day?
South Dakota
14. Is Columbus Day a federal holiday?
Yes
15. How many federal holidays are there in the US?
11
Christopher Columbus Background & History Trivia Questions and Answers
Christopher Columbus achieved a lot in his lifetime and left a significant legacy behind him.
Born in Europe, Columbus is known for taking incredibly important voyages to the Americas. These voyages would go on to change the world.
Today, we celebrate Columbus for these voyages. But how much do you know about his early life?
Give these 15 Columbus background & history questions a shot!
1. When was Christopher Columbus born?
October 31, 1451
2. In which country was Christopher Columbus born?
Italy
3. What were the names of Christopher Columbus's parents?
Domenico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa
4. How many siblings did Christopher Columbus have?
4
5. What was Christopher Columbus's birth name?
Cristóbal Colón
6. Why did he change his name?
To sound more natural in Spanish when he moved to Spain
7. At what age did Columbus first go to sea?
14
8. How many transatlantic voyages did Columbus have altogether?
4
9. What did Christopher Columbus's father do as a job?
He was a wool merchant
10. When did Christopher Columbus die?
1506
11. In which country did he die?
Spain
12. What were Columbus's last words?
In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum (into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit)
13. Did Columbus marry?
Yes
14. What was Columbus's wife's name?
Filippa Perestrello-Moniz
15. How many children did Columbus have?
2
Christopher Columbus’s Voyages Trivia Questions and Answers
Columbus had more than one voyage in his lifetime, each taking several years to complete.
He was just one explorer in the Age of Exploration, a fascinating and tumultuous time in world history.
These journeys were perilous and difficult, leading to a dramatic change in the relationship between Europe and the Americas.
How much do you remember about Columbus’s pivotal journeys?
Test your knowledge with the following 15 questions on Christopher Columbus’s voyages!
1. When was Columbus's first voyage?
August 3rd, 1492
2. What was the goal of Columbus's first voyage?
To find a route to Asia
3. When did the Age of Exploration begin?
The 1400s
4. Who gave Columbus financial backing for his voyages?
Ferdinand II and Isabella I, joint monarchs of Spain
5. How many countries refused to back Columbus's voyages?
Three
6. How many crew members did Columbus have for his first voyage?
90
7. How many ships did he have for his first voyage?
3
8. Did Columbus discover North America?
No
9. Which continent was Columbus convinced he discovered?
Asia
10. How many crew members did Columbus have for his second voyage?
1200
11. What was the name that Columbus gave to Barbados?
San Salvador
12. What did Columbus offer the native people to persuade them to talk to him?
Cloth
13. Did Columbus believe the earth was flat?
No
14. What was Columbus's favorite ship?
The Nina
15. When did Columbus make it back to Spain?
March 1493
Christopher Columbus Legacy Trivia Questions and Answers
While Columbus opened up new communication between Europe and the Americas, he also had a huge impact on the indigenous people.
The terrible treatment and exploitation of the native people is the reason why some Americans believe that Columbus Day shouldn’t be celebrated at all.
For better or worse, Columbus left a huge legacy behind him.
How much do you know about the impact of Columbus’s voyages?
Check out these 15 Columbus legacy questions to test your knowledge!
1. What killed millions of indigenous people?
Diseases like smallpox and syphilis
2. What happened to the indigenous people that remained alive?
They were exploited
3. Why was Columbus considered cruel?
His treatment of the Native people
4. What titles were given to Columbus?
Admiral of the Ocean Sea and Governor of the Indies
5. Who sent Columbus to jail?
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain
6. Why was he arrested?
For his tyrannical governance
7. Why did Columbus call the native people Indians?
Because he thought he was in the Indies
8. What was Columbus's main legacy?
Creating a link between the Old and New Worlds
9. How do we know so much about Columbus's voyage?
He kept a diary
10. What happened to Columbus's original diary?
It was lost
11. Where is Columbus buried?
Either Spain or the Dominican Republic - both believe they have his remains
12. How many monuments to Columbus are there in the US?
150+
13. What does Indigenous People's Day celebrate?
Native people in the US
14. What percentage of Americans believe Columbus should have a federal holiday?
