61 Trivia Questions for Seniors and Retired Folks

Posted by Trudie Dory on Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Trivia questions provide an excellent opportunity to take a walk down memory lane and are excellent for jogging the memory. Our bumper trivia for seniors is guaranteed to bring back some moments of time gone by. 

After 5, 6, or 7 decades of life, few people know more interesting facts than seniors. 

A recent study in Topics in Cognitive Science made the point that seniors, and retired folk, have much more information in their brains than younger people – but can you remember all this information?

In our trivia for seniors, we have a whopping 61 questions to truly test some memories. 

Whether you’re a senior, work with seniors, or simply enjoy a challenge and want to try to complete our special trivia for seniors, we are certain you’ll enjoy this trivia game. 

Without further ado, let’s begin! 

Table of Contents

Related: 1960s Trivia | 1950s Trivia

General Trivia for Seniors 

The first round of our trivia for seniors is the big general knowledge one! 

Here, you will find 20 random questions to wake up those memories of yesteryear and hopefully bring a smile to your face. 

Although some of the questions are pretty tough, you will find a few that are sure to make you feel full of magical nostalgia

Let’s find out how much you know about American seniors, and how good your memory is! 

Here we go!

1: At what age can you start to receive Social Security retirement benefits in the US?Show Answer2: As of 2021, how many American citizens were officially retired?69 million.Show Answer3: If you were born in 1955, how old would you be today (2022)?Show Answer4: What unprecedented activity did Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay do in 1953?Climb Mount Everest.Show Answer5: In 1972, which Olympic athlete set a record by winning 7 gold medals?Mark Spitz.Show Answer6: What was the brand behind the first commercial for TV dinners?Show Answer7: What kind of skirt was fashionable in the 1960s?Show Answer8: The Office for National Statistics has revealed that the average person over 65-years spends how long per day on leisure activities?Show Answer9: On the official US list of popular baby names, what was the number 1 name for a girl born in 1950?Show Answer10: Who was the first person of color in the US to make commercial records?George Washington Johnson.Show Answer11: What percentage of people over 65-years lived with their spouse, or partner, in 2020?Show Answer12: How much was the average slice of diner pie in 1965?Show Answer13: In which movie did Humphrey Bogart say: 'We'll always have Paris'?Casablanca.Show Answer14: In 1950, 9% of Americans owned a TV. What was this figure by 1960?Show Answer15: What did the Scott Paper Company sell in 1966 for $1.25?Paper dresses.Show Answer16: How many husbands did Marylin Monroe have?Show Answer17: Which blood type is known as the universal donor?O-negative.Show Answer18: How many states are there in the US?Show Answer19: What is offal?Animals organs.Show Answer20: What was the surname of the main family who starred in The Little House on the Prairie?Show Answer

Celebrity Trivia for Seniors 

Seniors have seen famous people come and go over the decades; some have stuck around, others were notable for a short time, and there are those who were mere flashes in the pan. 

But, famous people leave their mark on the world and on us. 

In this trivia round for seniors, we will take a look at some of the most notable people from around the world over the decades. 

They could have stepped onto red carpets, Hollywood’s walk of fame, podiums, stages, or the silver screen

Ready to test your celebrity culture knowledge

Here we go! 

1: Who did Pope John Paul II succeed as Pope?John Paul I.Show Answer2: Whose death postponed the 1968 Oscars for 48-hours and led to huge civil unrest in the US?Martin Luther King.Show Answer3: Which famous actor says the iconic phrase 'you talkin' to me' in the 1976 movie Taxi Driver?Robert De Niro.Show Answer4: What kind of accident rendered actor Christopher Reeves paralyzed?Horseback riding accident.Show Answer5: Who did Time Magazine name 'Man of the Year' in 1938?Adolph Hitler.Show Answer6: What was the name of the 1942 classic movie starring Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart?Casablanca.Show Answer7: What is the name of the British comedy actor who started life in an English workhouse and rose to fame in the US during the era of silent movies?Charlie Chaplin.Show Answer8: Which 1960s heartthrob made their Broadway debut in 1953?Paul Newman.Show Answer9: Who was the 34th President of the US, running two consecutive terms from 1953 to 1961?Dwight D. Eisenhower.Show Answer10: Which political figure was released from prison in 1990 after serving 27-years?Nelson Mandela.Show Answer11: Ally McBeal actress, Calista Flockhart, is the longstanding wife of which long-established, multi-award-winning, billionaire American actor?Harrison Ford.Show Answer12: Who famously said, 'it costs a lot of money to look this cheap!'?Dolly Parton.Show Answer13: Michael Jackson married the daughter of which Rock and Roll singer?Elvis Presley.Show Answer14: Which president was the recipient of Marilyn Monroe's special rendition of Happy Birthday?John F. Kennedy.Show Answer

Historical Event Trivia for Seniors 

The historical events in living memory for seniors today are pretty incredible. 

There have been astronomical changes; in economies, diversity, societies, and laws over the last half a century and more – and few of us today have been around to see them all. 

This isn’t so for seniors! 

Seniors have witnessed firsthand some incredible transitions, monumental moments, and landmark events, and in this round of our trivia for seniors, we will take a brief look at just some of these. 

If you’re a senior who was there the first time around, then hopefully, you will pass this round with 100% success. 

Good luck! 

1: In what year did the famous Apollo 11 moon landing seem to occur?Show Answer2: Who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era in 1947?Jackie Robinson.Show Answer3: In what year was Pearl Harbor attacked by Japanese warplanes, leading to the US joining WWII?Show Answer4: In 1920, who got the right to vote in America?Show Answer5: What act was implemented in 1964 that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, national origin, gender, or religion?The Civil Rights Act.Show Answer6: Racial segregation in schools becomes unconstitutional in what year?Show Answer7: In 2015, the US Supreme Court struck down all state bans on what kind of ceremony?Same-sex marriages.Show Answer8: Who famously refused to give up their bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, to a white person, igniting the Montgomery Bus Boycott and ultimately having bus segregation seen as unconstitutional?Rosa Parks.Show Answer

Music Trivia for Seniors 

Few things have changed more than music over the last few decades, but have you been able to keep up with current trends?

Find out how good your music knowledge is right here! 

This round will test your memory about some of the true greats of yesterday

Whatever your favorite genre is, we’re sure you’ll be reminded of some long-forgotten classics. 

1, 2, 3, 4…

1: Who sang 'Summertime' and 'God Bless the Child'?Billie Holiday.Show Answer2: Who was known as The King of Swing?Benny Goodman.Show Answer3: Who had a number 1 hit in 1957 with the track 'Wake up Little Susie'?The Everly Brothers.Show Answer4: What kind of music was Ella Fitzgerald known as the Queen of?Show Answer5: Which Patsy Cline song led to her getting 3 standing ovations at the Grand Ole Opry?Show Answer6: What was Elvis Presley's first number 1 hit in the US?Stuck on You.Show Answer7: Which British band had their first American hit with 'I Want to Hold Your Hand'?The Beatles.Show Answer8: Who married fellow country star George Jones in 1969?Tammy Wynette.Show Answer9: How many weeks was Don McLean's 'American Pie' a US number one in 1972?Show Answer10: Which married couple had global success with the 1965 hit 'I Got You Babe?'Sonny and Cher.Show Answer

Movie Trivia for Seniors 

Remember when going to the movies was truly special and a big event? 

Now we can just stream movies like they’re no big deal, but surely this doesn’t leave people today with the same romantic memories of the cinema’s back seat!

In this round of our trivia for seniors, we will take you back to some of the greatest movies ever produced, their stars, quotes, and most memorable scenes.

And, action! 

1: 'Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn,' was said by which actor, in which movie?Clarke Gable in Gone With the Wind.Show Answer2: Which singer played a Red Indian in the movie Stay Away Joe?Elvis Presley.Show Answer3: Who played Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther?Peter Sellers.Show Answer4: For which movie did John Wayne win his only Best Actor Oscar?True Grit.Show Answer5: What is Agent007 otherwise known as?James Bond.Show Answer6: In what year was E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial released?Show Answer7: Who did Marlon Brando portray in The Godfather?Don Corleone.Show Answer8: What was the name of the character played by Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain?Don Lockwood.Show Answer9: Which Belgian actress starred in Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday, and My Fair Lady?Audrey Hepburn.Show Answer

More Trivia For Seniors Fun – Video

You’ve reached the end of our trivia for seniors! How well did you do? If you want to try some more specialized trivia challenges, here are some you may like:

Thank you for playing our trivia for seniors; we hope you enjoyed a look back at some of the best things to come out of America over the last few decades! God bless. 

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