Q20 · THE QUIZ POST

The Daily Quiz — 21 August 2026

Play the The Quiz Post quiz for 21 August 2026: 20 free general-knowledge questions covering Science, UK, Art and Geography, with explanations and crowd results.

About this edition

This 20-question The Quiz Post edition was published for 21 August 2026. Answer all four-option questions to reveal sourced explanations and see how other players answered.

Topics in this edition include Science, UK, Art and Geography.

Browse every past The Quiz Post edition.

Questions and sourced explanations

This archive edition remains playable. The notes below contain spoilers and provide the question text, explanatory context and source used for each item.

Read this edition’s question notes (spoilers)

  1. Science · Medium

    1. Which planet has the shortest day in the Solar System, rotating once in about 9.9 hours?

    Jupiter has the shortest day of any planet in the Solar System. It completes one rotation in about 9.9 hours.

    Source: NASA — Jupiter Facts

  2. Science · Easy

    2. Which chemical element has atomic number 79?

    Gold has atomic number 79 and the chemical symbol Au.

    Source: Royal Society of Chemistry — Gold

  3. Technology · Medium

    3. Who invented the World Wide Web while working at CERN in 1989?

    Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web at CERN in 1989, originally to improve information sharing between scientists.

    Source: CERN — A short history of the Web

  4. Art · Easy

    4. Who painted The Starry Night, completed at Saint-Rémy in June 1889?

    The Starry Night is an 1889 painting by Vincent van Gogh, created at Saint-Rémy in southern France.

    Source: Museum of Modern Art — The Starry Night

  5. History · Hard

    5. The Rosetta Stone carries the same decree in hieroglyphic, Greek and which other script?

    The Rosetta Stone contains the decree in three scripts: Egyptian hieroglyphic, Egyptian Demotic and Greek.

    Source: British Museum — The Rosetta Stone

  6. History · Medium

    6. Where was the first version of Magna Carta issued in 1215?

    The first version of Magna Carta was issued in 1215 at Runnymede, beside the River Thames between Windsor and Staines.

    Source: UK Parliament — Magna Carta

  7. UK · Medium

    7. Which part of the UK contains its highest mountain, Ben Nevis?

    Ben Nevis stands in the Scottish Highlands.

    Source: VisitScotland

  8. Nature · Easy

    8. Which is the largest living penguin species?

    The emperor penguin is the largest living penguin species. Adults can weigh up to about 40 kilograms at the start of the breeding season.

    Source: Australian Antarctic Program — Emperor penguin

  9. UK · Easy

    9. Which wetland landscape is especially associated with Norfolk and Suffolk?

    The Broads are a network of waterways and wetlands across Norfolk and Suffolk.

    Source: VisitBritain

  10. Geography · Easy

    10. What is the capital city of Canada?

    Ottawa is the capital city of Canada and the seat of the Canadian federal government.

    Source: Government of Canada — Land and climate

  11. Earth Science · Medium

    11. Challenger Deep, the deepest known point in the ocean, lies within which trench?

    Challenger Deep is the deepest known point in the ocean and lies within the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific.

    Source: NOAA Ocean Exploration — Mariana Trench

  12. Sport · Easy

    12. Wimbledon is the only tennis Grand Slam still played on which surface?

    Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament still played on grass courts.

    Source: Wimbledon — Keep Off the Grass

  13. Space · Easy

    13. Who became the first human to orbit Earth aboard Vostok 1 in 1961?

    Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit Earth on 12 April 1961 aboard Vostok 1. The flight lasted 108 minutes.

    Source: NASA — Yuri Gagarin: First Human in Space

  14. Nature · Easy

    14. Which species is the largest living animal on Earth?

    The blue whale is the largest animal on Earth and the largest animal known to have lived on the planet.

    Source: NOAA Fisheries — Blue Whale

  15. World · Medium

    15. Unlike the other Nobel Prizes, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in which city?

    The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway. The other Nobel Prize ceremonies are held in Stockholm, Sweden.

    Source: NobelPrize.org — Award ceremonies

  16. Art · Medium

    16. Who painted Guernica in 1937?

    Pablo Picasso painted Guernica in 1937 after being commissioned to create a large work for the Spanish Pavilion at the Paris International Exhibition.

    Source: Museo Reina Sofía — Rethinking Guernica

  17. Literature · Easy

    17. Who wrote Frankenstein, first published in 1818?

    Mary Shelley published Frankenstein in 1818. The novel follows scientist Victor Frankenstein and the living creature he creates.

    Source: British Library — Frankenstein

  18. Science · Hard

    18. What is the exact defined speed of light in vacuum?

    The speed of light in vacuum is exactly 299,792,458 metres per second. The SI definition of the metre fixes this value exactly.

    Source: NIST — SI units

  19. Geography · Easy

    19. Which is the largest ocean basin on Earth?

    The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's ocean basins, covering roughly 162 million square kilometres.

    Source: NOAA Ocean Service — Largest ocean basin

  20. UK · Medium

    20. Which architect designed the present St Paul's Cathedral in London?

    Wren designed the cathedral that replaced Old St Paul's after the Great Fire.

    Source: St Paul’s Cathedral — Wren 300