November Trivia
November is much more than Thanksgiving and cooler weather. It’s a month filled with fascinating history, unusual celebrations, famous birthdays, incredible scientific discoveries, and traditions from around the world.
Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner, planning a classroom quiz, organizing family game night, or simply love learning random facts, these November trivia questions will test your knowledge and teach you something new.
Grab a pencil and just challenge yourself to and see how many you can answer correctly before checking the answers!
Fun November Trivia (With Answers)
November History Trivia
1. Why is November called the ninth month even though it’s the eleventh month?
Answer: It gets its name from the Latin word novem, meaning “nine.” In the original Roman calendar, March was the first month of the year.
2. Which U.S. president officially made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863?
Answer: Abraham Lincoln.
3. Which famous speech did Abraham Lincoln deliver on November 19, 1863?
Answer: The Gettysburg Address.
4. Which famous wall began coming down on November 9, 1989?
Answer: The Berlin Wall.
5. Which ocean did explorer Ferdinand Magellan first enter in November 1520?
Answer: The Pacific Ocean.
6. Which famous cartoon mouse first appeared in November 1928?
Answer: Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie.
7. What famous British celebration takes place every November 5?
Answer: Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night).
8. Which famous monument was dedicated in New York Harbor during November 1886?
Answer: The Statue of Liberty.
9. Which U.S. holiday honors military veterans every November 11?
Answer: Veterans Day.
10. Which famous newspaper headline announced “Dewey Defeats Truman” in November 1948, even though it was wrong?
Answer: The Chicago Daily Tribune.
Thanksgiving Trivia
11. How many balloons floated in the very first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Answer: None! The first parade in 1924 featured live animals instead.
12. Which president began the tradition of pardoning a Thanksgiving turkey?
Answer: George H. W. Bush officially made it an annual White House tradition in 1989.
13. Approximately how many Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
Answer: Around 88%.
14. Which U.S. state raises the most turkeys each year?
Answer: Minnesota.
15. Which Native American tribe shared the harvest feast with the Pilgrims?
Answer: The Wampanoag.
16. The first Thanksgiving lasted how many days?
Answer: Three days.
17. Which president tried to move Thanksgiving to boost holiday shopping?
Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt.
18. What nickname was given to Roosevelt’s new Thanksgiving date?
Answer: Franksgiving.
19. Which Thanksgiving side dish was accidentally invented in 1955 after a company ordered too many sweet potatoes?
Answer: Sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows became popular after marketing campaigns.
20. Which pie outsells pumpkin pie during Thanksgiving in some southern states?
Answer: Pecan pie.
November Food Trivia
21. Cranberries can do something unusual when they’re ripe. What is it?
Answer: They bounce.
22. Why do cranberry farmers flood their fields before harvesting?
Answer: The berries float, making them easier to collect.
23. Which spice in pumpkin spice actually comes from the pumpkin?
Answer: None of them.
24. Pumpkin spice usually contains which four spices?
Answer: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
25. Which Thanksgiving dessert was once considered too expensive for many families because of one ingredient?
Answer: Pecan pie, because pecans were costly.
26. Which fruit contains more vitamin C than oranges and peaks during late autumn?
Answer: Persimmons.
27. Which nut commonly appears in stuffing but isn’t actually a nut?
Answer: Water chestnuts.
28. Which Thanksgiving vegetable was originally cultivated over 8,000 years ago?
Answer: Squash.
29. Which berry was once used by Native Americans as both food and natural dye?
Answer: Cranberries.
30. Which famous Thanksgiving food is technically a fruit?
Answer: Pumpkin.
Nature Trivia
31. Which animal can lower its heart rate to just a few beats per minute during hibernation?
Answer: Black bears.
32. Why do many birds migrate south in November?
Answer: To find warmer weather and more food.
33. Which tree keeps its leaves through winter instead of dropping them?
Answer: Evergreen trees.
34. What causes leaves to turn red and orange in autumn?
Answer: Chlorophyll breaks down, revealing other pigments.
35. Which mammal stores thousands of nuts each autumn but often forgets where they hid them?
Answer: Squirrels.
Famous November Birthdays
36. Which famous scientist was born on November 7, 1867?
Answer: Marie Curie.
37. Which famous author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was born in November?
Answer: Mark Twain.
38. Which martial arts movie legend was born on November 27, 1940?
Answer: Bruce Lee.
39. Which Harry Potter actor celebrates a November birthday?
Answer: Emma Watson.
40. Which famous conservationist and TV host known as the “Crocodile Hunter” was born in November?
Answer: Steve Irwin.
Weird November Trivia
41. Which day in November celebrates sandwiches?
Answer: November 3 is National Sandwich Day.
42. Which day celebrates homemade bread?
Answer: November 17.
43. Which month is National Peanut Butter Lovers Month?
Answer: November.
44. What unusual celebration takes place on November 13?
Answer: World Kindness Day.
45. Which day celebrates fast food’s favorite side dish?
Answer: National French Fry Day is in July, but November has National Fast Food Day on November 16.
Science & Space Trivia
46. Which annual meteor shower peaks every November?
Answer: The Leonids.
47. The Leonid meteor shower is caused by debris from which comet?
Answer: Comet Tempel-Tuttle.
48. Which planet is often easiest to spot in the November evening sky?
Answer: Jupiter (depending on the year).
49. Why do sunsets often appear more colorful during late autumn?
Answer: Cooler, cleaner air scatters sunlight differently.
50. November is one of the best months to see which famous constellation?
Answer: Orion.
November Fun Facts
- November was once the ninth month of the Roman calendar.
- More weddings are planned in October than November, making November one of the quieter wedding months.
- Thanksgiving wasn’t celebrated on the same date every year until 1941.
- Cranberries are one of only a handful of fruits native to North America.
- The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade didn’t feature giant balloons, they were introduced a few years later.
- The Leonid meteor shower has produced spectacular “meteor storms” with thousands of meteors per hour.
- Many squirrels never recover all the nuts they hide, helping plant new forests.
- The word hibernation comes from the Latin word meaning “to pass the winter.”
November is packed with history, traditions, incredible natural events, and fascinating facts that make it one of the most interesting months of the year. Whether you’re testing friends around the Thanksgiving table, entertaining students in the classroom, or planning a family game night, these November trivia questions are sure to spark conversation and plenty of “I never knew that!” moments.
If your family enjoyed these questions, be sure to explore our other seasonal trivia collections including Thanksgiving trivia, Fall trivia, Christmas trivia, Winter trivia, and holiday games that make every celebration even more fun.
