Daily Trivia for August 24, 2026: 25 Chances to Prove You’re a Fact Pro

We’ve hit another Monday. No matter what you did with your weekend, you’re probably feeling a bit more tired than usual today. That just means your brain needs to work a little harder to get started, and what better way to do so than with some trivia? August 24 is a notable day in history, with events like Mount Vesuvius’s eruption in 79 A.D. (as widely believed but disputed) and Pluto’s demotion in 2006 having anniversaries. How well do you know this day in history? Let’s get your mind going.

For today’s edition of Mental Floss’s Trivia of the Day, we’re testing our readers on this day in history, along with general August questions, and finally, totally random facts that the biggest trivia pros will likely know. How well will you fare with these 25 questions? Only one way to find out! Once you’re done reading through the questions, you’ll find an answer key for easy access if you scroll to the end of the page.

August 24 Questions

How well do you know the history of today’s date? Put your trivia knowledge to the test with these 10 questions, ranging in difficulty level.

1. What famous U.S. residence was set on fire by British forces on August 24, 1814?

2. Which U.S. inventor received a patent for the waffle iron on August 24, 1869?

3. Which former planet was officially reclassified as a dwarf planet on August 24, 2006?

4. Which Windows operating system was released to the public on August 24, 1995?

5. Which Argentine writer famous for works including Ficciones and “The Library of Babel” was born on August 24, 1899?

6. Which actor known for playing Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films was born on August 24, 1988?

7. Which Visigothic king captured and sacked Rome on August 24, A.D. 410?

8. Which U.S. territory was formally organized on August 24, 1912, decades before becoming the 49th state?

9. Which international military alliance's founding treaty officially went into effect on August 24, 1949?

10. The Sterling Hall bombing took place on August 24, 1970 at which college?

General August Questions

Those might’ve been a bit too difficult this Monday, and that’s okay! Let’s switch things up by getting into general August trivia. These might be easier to figure out.

11. Which neighboring South Asian countries celebrate independence one day apart on August 14 and 15?

12. Which famous 1965 neighborhood uprising began in Los Angeles in August?

13. Which 1973 hip-hop pioneer hosted a Bronx party in August that is often cited as a foundational event in the genre’s history?

14. Which U.S. agency responsible for national parks was established in August 1916?

15. Which Italian holiday on August 15 traditionally marks the height of the country's summer vacation season?

16. Which U.S. state was struck by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake on August 23, 2011, that was felt across much of the East Coast?

17. Which global conflict began in Europe shortly after the August 1939 Nazi-Soviet pact?

18. Which famous American naval officer and War of 1812 hero died on August 23, 1819?

19. Which Texas Rangers pitcher became the first MLB player to reach 5,000 career strikeouts on August 22, 1989?

20. Which country declared independence on August 17, 1945, shortly after Japan's surrender in World War II?

General Knowledge Questions

And last but not least, let’s finish off this Monday brain challenge with five totally random general knowledge questions. We bet these might be the easiest of the bunch!

21. What is the largest island in the Caribbean?

22. Which scientist formulated the three laws of motion?

23. Which U.S. state is nicknamed the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”?

24. Which Greek god served as the messenger of the gods?

25. Which author created the detective Hercule Poirot?

As promised, you’ll find the answer key below to all 25 questions. Happy Monday, and check back with us at Mental Floss for tomorrow’s new Trivia of the Day.

Answer Key

1. The White House.

2. Cornelius Swartwout.

3. Pluto.

4. Windows 95.

5. Jorge Luis Borges.

6. Rupert Grint.

7. Alaric I.

8. Alaska Territory.

9. NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization). 

10. The University of Wisconsin–Madison.

11. Pakistan and India.

12. The Watts Uprising (or Watts Riots).

13. DJ Kool Herc.

14. The National Park Service.

15. Ferragosto.

16. Virginia.

17. World War II.

18. Oliver Hazard Perry

19. Nolan Ryan.

20. Indonesia

21. Cuba.

22. Isaac Newton.

23. Minnesota.

24. Hermes.

25. Agatha Christie.