1990s Quiz: Trivia, Pop Culture And History Questions

Britpop, dial-up, the National Lottery and Euro 96.

Below are 13 1990s 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 1990s

• 1990 - Thatcher resigned, Gazza cried, and the country spent a fortnight thinking England might actually win it. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1990
• 1991 - Bryan Adams would not get off the top of the chart, the Soviet Union ceased to exist, and Freddie Mercury died. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1991
• 1992 - Black Wednesday, a general election nobody predicted correctly, and the Premier League arrived. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1992
• 1993 - Mr Blobby was Christmas number one, which is somehow not the strangest thing about the year. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1993
• 1994 - The Lottery started, the Channel Tunnel opened, and Wet Wet Wet would not leave the number one spot. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1994
• 1995 - Blur against Oasis on the Six O'Clock News, and Toy Story changed films for good. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1995
• 1996 - Football came home, nearly, and the Spice Girls arrived and took the entire decade with them. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1996
• 1997 - A landslide in May, a death in August, and the best-selling single in British history. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1997
• 1998 - The Good Friday Agreement, a World Cup sending off nobody forgave, and Furby. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1998
• 1999 - An eclipse over Cornwall, a millennium everybody was quietly worried about, and boy bands everywhere. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1999
• That is every 1990s year we have written up so far: 1990 to 1999.

1990s pop culture round

• Which two bands were at the centre of the 1995 Britpop chart battle? Answer: Blur and Oasis. Blur's Country House beat Oasis's Roll With It to number one.
• Which mobile phone launched in 1999 came with the game Snake? Answer: Nokia 3210. It sold in enormous numbers and the aerial was internal.
• Which Spice Girls single reached number one in 1996? Answer: Wannabe. Their debut single, number one in dozens of countries.

1990s history and news round

• The National Lottery's first draw was in which year? Answer: 1994. November 1994, with Noel Edmonds presenting.
• Euro 96 was hosted by which country? Answer: England. England lost to Germany on penalties in the semi-final.
• The Channel Tunnel opened in which year? Answer: 1994. Trains through to France from May 1994.
• Who became Prime Minister in 1997? Answer: Tony Blair. A landslide Labour win in May 1997.
• Which operating system, released in 1995, made the home PC mainstream? Answer: Windows 95. Launched with a Rolling Stones song and midnight queues.
• Dolly the sheep, announced in 1997, was famous for being what? Answer: The first cloned mammal from an adult cell. Cloned at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh.
• The first Harry Potter book was published in which year? Answer: 1997. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, June 1997.

1990s art and design round

• Which artist won the 1993 Turner Prize for House, a concrete cast of the inside of a terraced home? Answer: Rachel Whiteread. The house was demolished weeks later.
• The Sensation exhibition of Young British Artists was held at which London gallery in 1997? Answer: The Royal Academy. It made the front pages for weeks.
• Damien Hirst's shark piece, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, dates from which year? Answer: 1991. Commissioned by Charles Saatchi.

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.

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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
• 1990s trivia: fun facts
• Look back to 1990
• Look back to 1991
• Look back to 1992
• Look back to 1993
• Look back to 1994
• Look back to 1995
• Look back to 1996
• Look back to 1997
• Look back to 1998
• Look back to 1999
• 1990s history: events, politics and culture
• 1990s calendar: year by year
• 1990s timeline: key dates and events
• 1990s music: songs, genres and trends
• 1990s films and directors
• 1990s books, films and TV
• 1990s books: novels and authors
• 1990s art: artists and styles
• 1990s fashion: styles, designers and trends
• 1990s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
• 1990s travel: destinations and holidays
• 1990s technology: gadgets and computers
• 1990s shopping guide: what to buy
• 1990s games: board, card and video
• 1990s party playlist
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• Retro gift guide: the 1990s
• The decade before: the 1980s
• The decade after: the 2000s
• 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
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What are some good 1990s quiz questions?

The National Lottery's first draw was in which year? The answer is 1994. There are 13 more above, with answers, across pop culture, history and art.

How many questions are in the 1990s 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.