107 Memorial Day Trivia Questions And Answers (2023)
Memorial Day is a national holiday in the United States dedicated to those who have lost their lives serving in the U.S. military. Friends and family members often show their respect by placing American flags on their graves.
The holiday is also considered the unofficial start to summer. These 60 Memorial Day Trivia Questions And Answers will test how much you know about the history of this holiday.
Related: Veterans Day Trivia Questions And Answers (2022), Independence Day Trivia, Summer Trivia, or Veterans Day Trivia.
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60 Memorial Day Trivia Questions And Answers
1. In which month does Memorial Day get celebrated?
2. What was Memorial Day originally known as?
3. In what year did Memorial Day become an official annual holiday?
4. What flower will typically be worn on this holiday in remembrance of fallen soldiers?
6. Which day of the week is Memorial Day celebrated?
7. Approximately how many countries does the U.S. have military bases in?
8. How many American soldiers died in the Vietnam War?
9. What year did Memorial Day become a federal holiday?
10. What time does the Moment of Remembrance take place on Memorial Day?
11. How many American soldiers died during World War II?
12. The 1970s hit TV show “M*A*S*H” follows the staff at an Army hospital during which war?
13. What year was Waterloo, NY, declared as the official birthplace of Memorial Day?
14. What is the name of the Army General who is considered to be the founder of Memorial Day?
15. In what year did the world’s first use of submarines in warfare occur?
16. Which American woman is credited with beginning the tradition of wearing red poppies on Memorial Day?
17. Memorial Day is often considered the unofficial start of which season?
18. How many American military personnel died during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941?
19. The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated on Memorial Day in which year?
20. What percentage of U.S. employers offer Memorial Day off as a paid holiday?
21. Which film, released in 1962, focuses on the invasion of Normandy on D-Day and is considered one of the greatest World War II movies of all time?
22. About how many active service dogs are in the U.S. military today?
23. How many branches are there in the U.S. military?
24. Which two men are known for exploring and mapping the United States in 1804 who was also part of an army unit?
25. Dan Bullock is the youngest U.S. serviceman to be killed in action. How old was he when he died?
26. How many of the 46 U.S. Presidents have served in the U.S. military?
27. How many 5-star Generals have there been in the Army?
28. In which year did the American Civil War begin?
29. Which U.S. President declared NY as the official birthplace of Memorial Day?
30. Which cemetery located in Virginia hosted the first official Memorial Day?
31. What year was the first Medal of Honor awarded to a U.S. serviceman?
32. Arlington Cemetery has approximately how many Civil War soldiers buried in it?
33. The Air Force was originally established as a part of the Army. In what year did they become an independent branch?
34. On Memorial Day, which position should the U.S. flag be flown at from dawn until noon?
35. Which popular sunglass brand originally started by making glasses for U.S. pilots in 1937?
36. What is the name of the poem that was the inspiration behind wearing red poppies on Memorial Day?
37. Which branch of the U.S. military has the most active-duty personnel?
38. Which branch of the U.S. military has the least active-duty personnel?
39. What were the two most popular things placed on graves and used to remember fallen soldiers?
40. What is the longest war in U.S. history?
41. Which military branch has had the most U.S. Presidents serve in it?
42. Which U.S. city is the host of the oldest Memorial Day parade?
43. Approximately how many people does the U.S. military employ?
44. In what year was the first-ever recorded celebration of Memorial Day?
45. On average, how many Americans qualify for military service?
46. On Memorial Day, the U.S. flag should be flown at full mast from what time?
47. Where was the first-ever recorded celebration of Memorial Day located?
48. Which war is considered the deadliest conflict in American history?
49. Which U.S. military branch is smaller than the New York City Police Department?
50. How many towns in the United States claim to be the actual birthplace of Memorial Day?
51. The U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, depicting 6 U.S. servicemen holding up an American flag, was built in which U.S. city?
52. Which branch of the U.S. military is the oldest, established in 1775?
53. Which was the first veteran’s organization to sell red poppies nationally on Memorial Day?
54. What is the bloodiest single day in U.S. history when 2,500 American soldiers were killed?
55. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, created in 1921 to honor unidentified remains of U.S. servicemen, is located where?
56. Which popular sporting event takes place on Memorial Day weekend?
57. Which war is also commonly known as “The Forgotten War”?
58. What is the name of the period of hostility between the United States and the Soviet Union, which lasted 45 years?
59. What date did Memorial Day fall on up until 1971?
60. What does the President or the President designee place on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Memorial Day?
61. Who is credited with establishing Memorial Day?
62. Which US president laid the wreath at Arlington National Cemetery on the first Memorial Day?
63. Which US state was the first to officially recognize Memorial Day?
64. How many national cemeteries are there in the United States?
65. Which war claimed the most American lives?
66. Which amendment officially made Memorial Day a federal holiday?
67. Who wrote the poem “In Flanders Fields” that inspired the tradition of wearing poppies?
68. What is the significance of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?
69. Where is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier located?
70. What was the largest American cemetery in Europe established after World War II?
71. What do the flags on soldiers’ graves symbolize on Memorial Day?
72. Which US president requested that the flag be flown at half-staff until noon on Memorial Day?
73. What is the name of the Vietnam War memorial in Washington, D.C.?
74. Which memorial in Washington, D.C., honors those who served in World War II?
75. How many stars are on the WWII Memorial’s Freedom Wall, each representing 100 American lives lost?
76. In which city did the tradition of Memorial Day parades begin?
77. What sporting event is held annually on Memorial Day weekend?
78. In what year did Congress establish the National Moment of Remembrance?
79. What do the 13 folds of a flag-draped coffin symbolize?
80. What is the name of the Korean War memorial in Washington, D.C.?
81. What is the traditional flower used in Memorial Day ceremonies in Hawaii?
82. Which American composer wrote the patriotic song “Stars and Stripes Forever”?
83. What patriotic song is often sung at Memorial Day parades and events?
84. Which popular concert takes place on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Memorial Day?
85. How many active duty personnel are currently serving in the U.S. military?
86. What U.S. city is known as the birthplace of Memorial Day?
87. What is the correct etiquette for flying the American flag on Memorial Day?
88. What famous speech did President Abraham Lincoln give during the Civil War, honoring the fallen?
89. What President started the tradition of hosting a Memorial Day concert at the White House?
90. In which war did the United States last declare war formally?
91. What was the United States’ main contribution in World War I?
92. Who was the longest-serving U.S. President during a war?
93. What does TAPS stand for in military terms?
94. How many World Wars has the United States participated in?
95. What major World War II event is commemorated on D-Day?
96. What does the acronym “POW/MIA” stand for?
97. What U.S. President served as a general during World War II?
98. How many branches are in the U.S. military?
99. What is the highest military award for valor in action?
100. What is the name of the largest military cemetery in the United States?
101. Who was the only U.S. President to have received the Purple Heart?
102.What is the minimum number of notes in a bugle call?
103. What were U.S. soldiers in World War I colloquially referred to as?
104. What was the main U.S. military base in Vietnam called during the Vietnam War?
105. What war began in the United States in 2001 as a response to the September 11 attacks?
106. What major World War II battle is considered a turning point in the Pacific Theater?
107. What is the longest war in U.S. history?
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