January gets a bit of a bad rap. It’s usually pretty chilly, the days are generally pretty short, and because it comes right after Christmas AND New Year, you might find yourself once again contemplating the gym and maybe try and stick to your New Years’ resolutions for once.
There are lots of fun and funky facts about January which you may or may not know, though. Maybe you think you know them, or perhaps you have a friend who thinks they know everything.Â
Whatever the weather, why not have a go at these 61 January trivia questions and answers and find out how many you get right.
Ready to get started?
Let’s go!
Table of Contents
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Related: February Trivia | Winter Trivia
General January Trivia Questions & Answers
We’ll kick off with some more general questions about January. From the origin of the word and month ‘January’ to particular star signs and everything in between, how much do you think you know?Â
Let’s see how you get on with this January trivia quiz!
1. What is January’s affiliated birthstone?
The garnet
2. What flower is commonly associated with January?
The snowdrop
3. Who added the month of January to the calendar?
The Romans
4. Which astrological sign is represented between January 20 and February 18?
Aquarius
5. And which star sign covers December 22 to January 19?
Capricorn
6. In non-leap years, January always starts on the same day of the week as in which other month?
October
7. And in leap years, which months does January start on the same day of the week as?
April and July
8. January has 31 days - how many other months have 31 days?
6
9. What are the names of the other months that have 31 days?
March, May, July, August, October, and December
10. How many days did January initially have when it was added to the calendar?
30
11. In the northern hemisphere, why is January significant temperature-wise?
It’s the coldest month of the year
12. Between what dates in January do the Japanese celebrate their New Year?
From January 1 to January 4
13. Who added an extra day to January, giving it 31 days instead of 30?
The Roman emperor, Julius Caesar
14. Before January was added to the calendar, how many months were there?
10
15. Which Roman god was January named after?
Janus
16. What was this god also in charge of?
Doors and gates
17. This god also had a peculiar feature about him. What was it?
He had two faces
18. Which city translates as ‘River of January’?
Rio de Janeiro
January Throughout History Trivia Questions & Answers
We hope that you’re good and warmed up after those general questions. Let’s move on to the next section of our January trivia questions.Â
Lots of things happen in January. How many of them do you know about?
1. Which famous English diary writer started his diary on January 1, 1660?
Samuel Pepys
2. In January 1892, which island was used to process more than 20 million people?
Ellis Island
3. Which currency was first used in January 2002?
The euro
4. Which state became part of the US in January 1959?
Alaska
5. In January of 2009, who was inaugurated as President of the USA?
Barack Obama
6. Which British Queen died in January 1901?
Queen Victoria
7. In January, of which year did the Challenger space shuttle explode?
1986
8. Which famous British rock band performed for the last time on a rooftop in London, England, in January 1969?
The Beatles
9. What is the name of the first film to gross more than $2 billion in January 2010?
Avatar
10. What happened on New Year's Eve in New York in 1908 for the first time ever?
The infamous Times Square Ball Drop happened for the first time
11. Which two sporting bowls first started in January 1925?
The Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl
12. What year did the Surgeon General start publishing on cigarette packs that smoking is hazardous for your health?
1966
13. In January of 1924, which famous mummified Pharoah was discovered in Egypt?
Tutankhamun
14. Apple Inc was incorporated in January of what year?
1977
15. In January 1987, Aretha Franklin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Why was this a significant moment?
She was the first female artist to be inducted
16. What happened in January 1980 involving the Winter Olympics?
The USA boycotted the competition
17. Which iconic American foodstuff had its name first written in a Walla Walla, Washington newspaper in January 1889?
The hamburger
18. Which iconic San Francisco landmark was started in January of 1933?
The Golden Gate Bridge
19. Which legendary American basketball team based in New York played their first match in January 1927?
The Harlem Globetrotters
20. In January 1918, which American state was the first to implement prohibition?
Mississippi
21. What is the name of the painting, painted by Leonardo da Vinci, exhibited in the US for the first time in January 1963?
The Mona Lisa
22. Which US state became the 5th state in January 1788?
Connecticut
23. What iconic alien-themed TV show starring John Lithgow first debuted in January of 1996?
3rd Rock From The Sun
24. In January 2007, Apple revealed which iconic device for the first time?
The iPhone
25. What happened in January 1949 in Los Angeles for the first time?
It snowed!
26. Which iconic soul- and funk-based record label was founded in January 1959?
Motown Records
27. What was the first car created in January 1914?
The Model-T Ford
Celebrity January Trivia Questions & Answers
Now we’ve gone through the various historical dates of January, let’s take a look at some of the celebrity happenings in January.Â
Lots of people celebrate their birthdays in January or have days to commemorate them.Â
Try your luck in our next section of January trivia questions.
1. January Jones starred in which hit sitcom?
Mad Men
2. Which country celebrates Margaret Thatcher Day on January 10?
The Falkland Islands
3. January 8 is a big day for lots of celebrities. Who celebrates their birthday on this day?
David Bowie, Elvis, Stephen Hawking, and Kim Jong-Un.
4. Which writer, famous for his poem the Raven, was born in January 1809?
Edgar Allen Poe
5. Who out of the following doesn’t celebrate their birthday in January - Orlando Bloom, LL Cool J, Michael Stipe, Prince?
Prince
6. The singer who has the nickname ‘Old Blue Eyes’ has a birthday in January. What is his actual name?
Frank Sinatra
7. How many presidents celebrated their birthdays in January?
Four
8. And can you name all the presidents who celebrated a January birthday?
President Roosevelt, President McKinley, President Nixon, and President Fillmore
9. Can you name the Black civil rights leader who celebrated his birthday in January?
Martin Luther King
10. What did James Marshall find in California in January 1948 that caused a huge rush to find more?
Gold
11. Who obtained the patent for the first-ever lightbulb in January 1880?
Thomas Edison
12. The Cuban revolution came to a close in January 1959, after the dictator Batista was driven from power by who?
Fidel Castro
13. Which filmmaker responsible for Twin Peaks, Eraserhead, and Mulholland Drive, celebrates a January birthday?
David Lynch
14. Pride and Prejudice was first published in January 1813. Who wrote it?
Jane Austen
15. Which Indian civil rights leader was murdered in January 1948?
Mahatma Gandhi
16. Cassius Clay was born on January 17, 1942. What is he also known as?
Muhammed Ali
If you’ve enjoyed answering these January trivia questions and answers, and you want to have a go at some more, then check these out:
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- 61 Fun Road Trip Trivia Questions and Answers
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- 64 Work Trivia Questions and Answers
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Other January Trivia Quiz Games
How did you get on with this batch of January trivia questions and answers? It’s a pretty important month of the year.Â
