1930s Quiz: Trivia, Pop Culture And History Questions

Depression, holiday camps and the first television service.

Below are 13 1930s questions with the answers underneath each one, sorted into pop culture, history and news, and art and design.

Every fact is real and dateable. Print it, read it out, or play the same questions against the clock in our decade trivia game.

Years covered in the 1930s

• 1930 - The R101 disaster, rising unemployment and Amy Johnson flying to Australia. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1930
• 1931 - The National Government, the gold standard abandoned and the means test. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1931
• 1932 - Broadcasting House opened, the Empire Service began and hunger marches reached London. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1932
• 1933 - Bodyline, the first Loch Ness photograph and the opening of the Tube map. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1933
• 1934 - Driving tests announced, Belisha beacons and the Queen Mary being built. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1934
• 1935 - The Silver Jubilee, the first driving tests and the 30mph limit. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1935
• 1936 - Three kings in one year, the Jarrow March, Butlin's and the first television service. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1936
• 1937 - The coronation of George VI, the Hindenburg and the first Billy Butlin summer. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1937
• 1938 - Munich, gas masks and the Holidays with Pay Act. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1938
• 1939 - Evacuation, the blackout, the declaration of war and television going off air. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1939
• That is every 1930s year we have written up so far: 1930 to 1939.

1930s pop culture round

• From where did the BBC begin its regular television service in 1936? Answer: Alexandra Palace. Only a few thousand London households could watch.
• Which Disney film, released in 1937, was the first full-length animated feature? Answer: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was an enormous risk that paid off.

1930s history and news round

• Where did Billy Butlin open his first holiday camp in 1936? Answer: Skegness. Full board, entertainment and childcare for about a week's wage.
• The Jarrow March of 1936 set out for which city? Answer: London. Around 200 men walked roughly 300 miles to petition Parliament.
• Which Act gave many British workers paid holiday for the first time? Answer: The Holidays with Pay Act 1938. It made the annual week away possible for millions.
• Who abdicated the throne in 1936? Answer: Edward VIII. He gave up the throne to marry Wallis Simpson.
• The Hindenburg airship disaster happened in which year? Answer: 1937. It burned on arrival at Lakehurst, New Jersey.
• The 1932 mass trespass that helped open the countryside took place on which hill? Answer: Kinder Scout. It fed directly into the later National Parks movement.
• Who became Prime Minister in 1937 and returned from Munich in 1938? Answer: Neville Chamberlain. The 'peace for our time' speech followed the Munich Agreement.
• What was a lido, built in towns across Britain in the 1930s? Answer: An outdoor swimming pool. Hundreds were built; a few survive and still open each summer.

1930s art and design round

• Which artist painted The Persistence of Memory, with the melting clocks, in 1931? Answer: Salvador Dali. It is barely bigger than a sheet of A4.
• Picasso painted Guernica in response to the bombing of a Spanish town in which year? Answer: 1937. Painted for the Spanish pavilion at the 1937 Paris exhibition.
• Barbara Hepworth, who worked in St Ives, was best known as what? Answer: A sculptor. She moved to Cornwall in 1939 and stayed for the rest of her life.

How to run it

• Read the question and hold back the answer - the note after it makes a good follow-up fact.
• Ten questions is one round; split the pop culture and history sections for two shorter rounds.
• For a birthday party, use the decade the guest of honour was born in and finish on their birth year page.
• In a care home session, stop wherever the conversation starts rather than finishing the list.

Shop greetings cards

How to write it so it lands

• Mix two decades in one round if the room spans a wide age range.
• The notes under each answer are the bits people actually enjoy - read them out.
• Pair the quiz with that decade's party playlist for a themed night.

Where to shop next

• Play the decade quiz: test your memory
• Play the decade trivia game: score points against the clock
• Decade art finder: search artists and styles by era
• Guess the year quiz
• Care home reminiscence quiz
• All decade quizzes in one place
• 1930s trivia: fun facts
• Look back to 1930
• Look back to 1931
• Look back to 1932
• Look back to 1933
• Look back to 1934
• Look back to 1935
• Look back to 1936
• Look back to 1937
• Look back to 1938
• Look back to 1939
• 1930s history: events, politics and culture
• 1930s calendar: year by year
• 1930s timeline: key dates and events
• 1930s music: songs, genres and trends
• 1930s films and directors
• 1930s books, films and TV
• 1930s books: novels and authors
• 1930s art: artists and styles
• 1930s fashion: styles, designers and trends
• 1930s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
• 1930s travel: destinations and holidays
• 1930s technology: gadgets and computers
• 1930s shopping guide: what to buy
• 1930s games: board, card and video
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The decade before: the 1920s
• The decade after: the 1940s
• All decade guides in one place
• Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
• Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
• Decade history by era
• Decade calendars: every year from 1920
• Decade timelines: key dates and events by era
• Decade music: songs, genres and trends
• Decade films: best movies and directors
• Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends
• Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
• Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays
• Decade technology: gadgets and computers
• Decade shopping guides
• Decade games: board, card and video games by era
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Shop art prints and posters
• Shop greetings cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Shop funny cards
• Milestone birthday cards
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Good luck cards
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What are some good 1930s quiz questions?

Where did Billy Butlin open his first holiday camp in 1936? The answer is Skegness. There are 13 more above, with answers, across pop culture, history and art.

How many questions are in the 1930s quiz?

13, split into a pop culture round, a history and news round and an art and design round.

Can I use these for a quiz night or care home session?

Yes, freely. Print them, read them out, copy them - no permission needed.

Is there a version I can play online?

Yes. The decade quiz gives instant feedback and a score, and the decade trivia game is timed with points for speed and streaks. Both use these same questions.