1940s Trivia

100 Best 1940s Trivia Questions & Answers

Mike Oberman

Updated: June 28th, 2023

Step back in time with our comprehensive trivia on the 1940s. Test your knowledge on pivotal World War II events, iconic films, major technological breakthroughs, fashion trends, and landmark sports events of the decade.

World War II Events

Question: What event triggered the U.S. entry into World War II?

Answer: Pearl Harbor

Question: What was the Holocaust?

Answer: Genocide

Question: Which countries made up the Axis Powers during World War II?

Answer: Germany, Italy, Japan

Question: What was the purpose of the Manhattan Project?

Answer: Nuclear weapon

Question: What were the two cities targeted by atomic bombs in Japan?

Answer: Hiroshima, Nagasaki

Question: What major World War II battle took place in Stalingrad?

Answer: Battle of Stalingrad

Question: Who was the British Prime Minister for most of World War II?

Answer: Winston Churchill

Question: What was the date of D-Day?

Answer: June 6, 1944

Question: What major conference shaped post-World War II Europe?

Answer: Yalta Conference

Question: Who succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt as U.S. President?

Answer: Harry S. Truman

1940s Film & Entertainment

Question: Who won the Best Actor Oscar in 1940?

Answer: James Stewart

Question: What was the highest-grossing film of the 1940s?

Answer: Bambi

Question: Who directed "Citizen Kane"?

Answer: Orson Welles

Question: Which actress starred in "Gone with the Wind"?

Answer: Vivien Leigh

Question: What is the name of the Disney film released in 1940 featuring a wooden puppet?

Answer: Pinocchio

Question: Who played Sam Spade in "The Maltese Falcon"?

Answer: Humphrey Bogart

Question: Which actor starred in "It's a Wonderful Life"?

Answer: James Stewart

Question: What was the first Bugs Bunny cartoon?

Answer: "A Wild Hare"

Question: Who directed "The Great Dictator"?

Answer: Charlie Chaplin

Question: Which Alfred Hitchcock film was released in 1940?

Answer: Rebecca

1940s Technology and Inventions

Question: What nuclear technology was developed in the 1940s?

Answer: Atomic bomb

Question: Which vehicle manufacturer produced the "Jeep" in the 1940s?

Answer: Willys-Overland

Question: What medical device was invented by Canadian scientists in 1941?

Answer: G-suit

Question: What was the ENIAC?

Answer: Computer

Question: What device did Percy Spencer invent in 1945?

Answer: Microwave oven

Question: What communication device was first designed in 1947?

Answer: Mobile phone

Question: What was introduced at the 1939 World's Fair and then made commercially available in the 1940s?

Answer: Television

Question: Who invented the first commercial photocopier?

Answer: Chester Carlson

Question: What type of data storage was invented in 1947?

Answer: Magnetic tape

Question: Who invented the transistor in 1947?

Answer: Bardeen, Brattain, Shockley

1940s Fashion

Question: What were the women's fashion trends in the 1940s?

Answer: Pencil skirts, blouses

Question: What men's fashion item became popular due to rationing?

Answer: Zoot suits

Question: What fabric was rationed during World War II?

Answer: Silk

Question: What fashion accessory was popular among women in the 1940s?

Answer: Headscarves

Question: What type of hat was popular among men in the 1940s?

Answer: Fedora

Question: What women's clothing item was first introduced during the 1940s?

Answer: Bikini

Question: What women's fashion piece was associated with Christian Dior in the 1940s?

Answer: New Look

Question: What type of dress, characterized by its length, was popular in the 1940s?

Answer: Tea dress

Question: What type of shoes were popular among women in the 1940s?

Answer: Platform shoes

Question: What fashion trend was launched by Edward Molyneux in 1942?

Answer: Utility clothing

1940s Sport Events

Question: What major sporting event was cancelled in 1940 and 1944 due to World War II?

Answer: Olympics

Question: Who won the World Series in 1940?

Answer: Cincinnati Reds

Question: Who was the heavyweight boxing champion at the beginning of the 1940s?

Answer: Joe Louis

Question: Who won the FIFA World Cup in 1950, the first one after the 1940s?

Answer: Uruguay

Question: What horse won the Triple Crown in 1943?

Answer: Count Fleet

Question: Who won the men's singles at Wimbledon in 1940?

Answer: No event

Question: Who won the first NBA championship (1947)?

Answer: Philadelphia Warriors

Question: Who won the NFL Championship in 1940?

Answer: Chicago Bears

Question: Which golfer won the U.S. Open in 1940?

Answer: Lawson Little

Question: Who was named Baseball's Most Valuable Player in 1940?

Answer: Hank Greenberg