50 free 2021 trivia questions with answers — history quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
2021 was the year everything postponed from 2020 finally happened: the Tokyo Olympics with no crowds, a Euro 2020 final decided on penalties, Expo 2020 in Dubai. It was also the year a ship got stuck in the Suez Canal, a helicopter flew on Mars, a word game took over group chats and a Korean survival drama became Netflix's biggest show. These 50 questions span the news, science, sport and pop culture of the year: the January 6 attack and the inauguration two weeks later, the coup in Myanmar, the fall of Kabul, El Salvador's Bitcoin, Barbados the republic, COP26, the first malaria vaccine, Perseverance and Ingenuity, Webb's 18 mirrors, Bezos and Inspiration4, Verstappen and Hamilton, the Buccaneers at home, Squid Game, No Way Home's billions, Encanto, Dune, Wordle, Drivers License, Butter, Happier Than Ever, Bridgerton, Ted Lasso, Meta and Omicron. Easy questions ask who became president; hard ones ask how many flights Ingenuity made. Every answer is cited to a page we checked, with a short explanation so you learn something even when you miss. Play it solo or print it for a year-in-review quiz.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01Which container ship blocked the Suez Canal for six days in March 2021?
Ever Given
The 400-metre vessel was freed by fourteen Egyptian, Dutch and Italian tugs.
Q 02Which NASA rover landed in Mars's Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021?
Perseverance
It carried the Ingenuity helicopter and is caching rock samples for a future return mission.
Q 03How many flights did the Mars helicopter Ingenuity eventually complete, against a plan of five?
72
It flew for nearly three years before being retired.
Q 04Which space telescope launched on Christmas Day 2021 aboard an Ariane 5?
James Webb
It headed for the Sun–Earth L2 point, 1.5 million km away, and sent its first image in 2022.
Q 05Webb's gold-coated primary mirror is made of how many hexagonal segments?
18
Together they form a 6.5-metre mirror, against Hubble's 2.4 metres.
Q 06Which September 2021 SpaceX flight was the first orbital mission with only private citizens aboard?
Inspiration4
Jared Isaacman led it to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Q 07Which billionaire flew on Blue Origin's first crewed New Shepard flight in July 2021?
Jeff Bezos
Four crew members went to space on the reusable rocket.
Q 08Who was inaugurated as the 46th US president on January 20, 2021?
Joe Biden
At 78 he was then the oldest person to assume the presidency.
Q 09Which 22-year-old recited 'The Hill We Climb' at the 2021 inauguration?
Amanda Gorman
She is the youngest inaugural poet; Garth Brooks sang 'Amazing Grace'.
Q 10Rioters attacked the US Capitol during election certification on which day of January 2021?
6th
Five people died; the event was classed as domestic terrorism.
Q 11A February 2021 coup in which country removed Aung San Suu Kyi from power?
Myanmar
Sudan, Mali and Guinea also saw coups that year.
Q 12Which group captured Kabul on August 15, 2021?
The Taliban
US troops left Kabul airport two weeks later, ending 20 years of operations.
Q 13Which country became the first to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021?
El Salvador
It took effect on September 7, alongside the US dollar.
Q 14Which Caribbean nation became a republic on November 30, 2021?
Q 21What did the WHO endorse for the first time in October 2021?
A malaria vaccine
It was the first vaccine against the mosquito-borne disease.
Q 22Which journalists shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize?
Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov
Abdulrazak Gurnah won the literature prize.
Q 23Which Italian band won Eurovision 2021 in Rotterdam?
Måneskin
The 2020 contest had been cancelled; they won with 'Zitti e buoni'.
Where were the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics held in July and August 2021?
Barbados
It was the 55th anniversary of its independence; it stayed in the Commonwealth.
Q 15Which Caribbean president was assassinated at his home in July 2021?
Jovenel Moïse of Haiti
A 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti a month later.
Q 16Who was sentenced in June 2021 to 22 and a half years for the murder of George Floyd?
Derek Chauvin
He was convicted that April.
Q 17Who succeeded Angela Merkel's party at the 2021 German federal election?
Olaf Scholz and the SPD
Laschet's CDU/CSU and Baerbock's Greens were beaten.
Q 18Which highly mutated COVID-19 variant prompted a WHO emergency meeting in November 2021?
Omicron
It was first identified in South Africa and appeared more infectious than Delta.
Q 19In which city was the COP26 climate conference held in 2021?
Glasgow
Leaders agreed a 'phasedown' of unabated coal power.
Q 20Which city hosted the delayed Expo 2020, opening October 1, 2021?
Dubai
It had been scheduled for October 2020.
Tokyo
Events took place behind closed doors with no spectators.
Q 25Which country topped the Tokyo 2020 medal table with 39 golds?
United States
China had 38 and host Japan a record 27.
Q 26Which sports made their Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020?
Karate, climbing, surfing, skateboarding
Baseball and softball also made a one-off return, their first since 2008.
Q 27Who won UEFA Euro 2020, played in 2021, beating England on penalties at Wembley?
Italy
It was Italy's second European title; goalkeeper Donnarumma was player of the tournament.
Q 28How many countries hosted Euro 2020?
11
It was the first pan-European edition; Dublin was dropped over spectator guarantees.
Q 29Who won the 2021 Copa América, held behind closed doors in Brazil?
Argentina
The tournament ran from June 13 to July 10.
Q 30Which team won Super Bowl LV in February 2021 at its own home stadium?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Chiefs failed to score a touchdown for the first time under Patrick Mahomes.