48 Cool August Trivia Questions for Hot Summer Nights

Try our sizzling August trivia questions and answers to see how much you know about the month of August.

Published July 23, 2024
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Take a break from the heat with a cool game of August trivia. Our August trivia questions and answers will keep you entertained on hot August nights as you sit out under the stars sipping wine. With questions that range from easy to hard, how much do you know about August?

General August Trivia Questions & Answers

These questions are specifically about the month of August. Show how much you know about this summer month.

Who is August named after?

The Roman Emperor, Augustus Caesar

What was August originally called?

Sextilis

During a leap year, which month starts on the same weekday as August?

February

What are August’s two zodiac signs?

Leo and Virgo

What are August’s birthstones?

Peridot, spinel, and sardonyx

What are August’s birth flowers?

Poppy and gladiola

What’s the name of the holiday that celebrates the first day of harvest in the UK on August 1?

Lammas Day

How many days did August originally have?

30

Why was August changed to 31 days?

Because Augustus Caesar didn’t want his month to have fewer days than the one named after Julius Caesar (July). 

What meteor shower occurs every year in mid-August?

The Perseids

August History Questions

A lot of important things happened in August. Show how much you know by answering our historical August trivia questions.

On August 28, 1963, what famous speech was delivered in front of the Lincoln Memorial?

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech

What happened on August 24, 79 CE, in the Roman Empire?

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompei

Who penned her last diary entry on August 1, 1944?

Anne Frank

The parchment copy of which famous document was signed on August 2, 1776?

The Declaration of Independence

Which US President died suddenly on August 2, 1923?

Warren G. Harding

What US President took office on August 3, 1923?

Calvin Coolidge

What American tax was first signed into law by Abraham Lincoln on August 5, 1861, as an emergency measure for the expense of the Civil War?

A federal income tax (It was never enacted, but our current federal income tax was enacted in 1911.)

The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. What was the name of the bomber that dropped it?

Enola Gay 

Who famously quit their job on August 9, 1974, becoming the only person who worked that job to ever resign from it?

Richard M. Nixon

What French ruler was born in Corsica on August 15, 1769?

Napoleon Bonaparte

What was discovered in the Klondike on August 16, 1896?

Gold

On August 17, 1978, three Americans crossed the Atlantic in the Double Eagle, II. What was the Double Eagle II?

A hot-air balloon

The 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920. What did it grant?

It granted women the right to vote.

What U.S. state was added to the union on August 21, 1959?

Hawaii

On August 5, 1981, President Ronald Reagan fired 11,359 striking workers from their jobs. What was their job?

Air traffic controller

Famous August Birthdays Trivia Questions

Lots of famous people were born in August. See if you know the answers to these questions about people with August birthdays. 

What poet, who penned the poem Defense of Fort McHenry, was born on August 1, 1779?

Francis Scott Key. Defense of Fort McHenry later became the U.S. National Anthem.

Jazz trumpeter Satchmo was born on August 3, 1901. What was his real name?

Louis Armstrong

Which U.S. President was born on August 4, 1961?

Barrack Obama

What infamous international spy was born on August 7, 1876, in The Netherlands?

Mata Hari (Margaret Gertrude Zelle)

What Pulitzer Prize-winning author was born in Ithaca on August 11, 1921? His prize-winning novel was turned into a widely-watched miniseries.

Alex Haley

Good evening. What famous British suspense film director was born on August 13, 1899, in London?

Alfred Hitchcock

On August 17, 1786, the “King of the Wild Frontier” was born. What was his name?

Davy Crockett

What music and counterculture legend was born on August 1, 1942?

Jerry Garcia

“It’s a good thing” this famous businesswoman and DIY maven was born on August 3, 1941. Who is it?

Martha Stewart

The winningest quarterback in NFL history was born on August 3, 1977. Who is it?

Tom Brady

Happy Days actor Donny Most was born on August 8, 1953. What was the name of his Happy Days character?

Ralph Malph

What Wild West entertainer, born on August 13, 1860, was the subject of an Irving Berlin musical?

Annie Oakley (Annie Get Your Gun)

What NBA great, known as “the Stilt,” was born on August 21, 1936?

Wilt Chamberlain

Actor Macaulay Culkin was born on August 26, 1980. How old was he when he filmed Home Alone?

10

August Pop Culture Questions & Answers

Summertime is a great time for pop culture. Test your knowledge of these famous August pop culture events.

What lunch staple was created on August 6, 1762, in England?

The sandwich

What type of cheese is celebrated all month long in August in the U.S.?

Goat cheese - (National Goat Cheese Month)

What music icon died on August 16, 1977?

Elvis Presley

Who died on August 5, 1962, at the age of 36, from an overdose of sleeping pills?

Marilyn Monroe

What started on a farm in Bethel, New York, on August 15, 1969, lasted for 3 days, and became a cultural icon?

Woodstock

Who did the world grieve after her premature death on August 31, 1997?

Princess Diana

What was outlawed on August 2, 1937, that is starting to be legal again in various US states?

Marijuana

Whose parents were found murdered in Fall River, Massachusetts, in August of 1892?

Lizzie Borden’s

On August 7, 1959, the Lincoln Memorial replaced what on the back of the penny?

Wheat

Related: 10 Most Valuable Wheat Pennies & How to Spot Them

What world-famous museum opened in Paris, France, on August 10, 1873?

The Louvre

The first-ever PG-13 movie was released in theaters in August of 1984. What was it?

Red Dawn

What Comedy Central cartoon (that’s still on the air today) debuted on August 13, 1997?

South Park

The longest-running film release in history opened in Los Angeles in 1975. What’s the name of the cult film?

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

What historic Seattle landmark opened on August 17, 1907?

Pike Place Market

What was stolen by a museum employee from the Louvre on August 21, 1911, and returned two years later?

The Mona Lisa

What did Jim Weiner, Jack Weiner, Charles Foltz, and Charles Rak claim happened to them in Allagash, Maine, on August 26, 1976?

They claimed they were abducted by aliens.

Whose late-night talk show debuted on CBS on August 30, 1993?

David Letterman’s

What famous serial killer claimed their first victim on August 31, 1888?

Jack the Ripper

MTV debuted on August 1, 1980. What was the first music video they played?

Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles

Cool August Trivia for Hot Summer Nights

Kicking back with friends and family to play trivia is a great way to spend a warm summer afternoon. And with our August trivia questions, you'll be able to test your knowledge about this hot summer month. 

48 Cool August Trivia Questions for Hot Summer Nights