September 14, 2026 Trivia

The 5 dubtrivia questions from September 14, 2026, with answers and explanations.

1. Arts & Sports

   1. The groundhog is the star of Groundhog Day every February 2nd in the U.S. — but which animal did European immigrants originally use for this weather-predicting tradition before switching to groundhogs in America?

   ✓A hedgehog

   Did you know?

   German immigrants brought a tradition of watching a hedgehog emerge from hibernation on Candlemas Day (February 2nd) to predict the coming of spring. Finding few hedgehogs in Pennsylvania, they substituted the abundant groundhog — and the American version of the holiday was born.

2. Around the World

   2. Ferdinand Magellan is celebrated for leading the first circumnavigation of the globe — but he didn't actually complete it. How did he die before finishing?

   ✓He was killed in a battle in the Philippines in 1521

   Did you know?

   Magellan was killed on April 27, 1521, during the Battle of Mactan in the Philippines, after getting drawn into a local conflict. His navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano completed the voyage, bringing just 18 survivors home out of the original crew of roughly 270.

3. Around the World

   3. The Amazon River carries more water than any other river on Earth. Roughly what fraction of all the world's river water does it discharge into the ocean?

   ✓About one-fifth of all river water on Earth

   Did you know?

   The Amazon discharges roughly one-fifth of all the freshwater that flows from rivers into the world's oceans. It releases so much water that the Atlantic Ocean remains noticeably less salty for hundreds of miles offshore from its mouth.

4. Arts & Sports

   4. Shakespeare coined dozens of phrases we still use today — but which common expression did he invent in 'The Merchant of Venice' that we still use to mean getting exactly what you legally deserve?

   ✓A pound of flesh

   Did you know?

   'A pound of flesh' comes from Shylock's bond in The Merchant of Venice, where he is owed exactly that as collateral. The phrase now means any harsh, legalistic demand for full repayment — Shakespeare gave us dozens of such expressions that survive intact today.

5. K12

   5. Saturn's rings are one of the solar system's most stunning sights — but roughly how wide are those rings from edge to edge?

   ✓About the distance from Earth to the Moon

   Did you know?

   Saturn's rings span roughly 282,000 km — nearly as wide as the distance from Earth to the Moon. Despite that enormous width, they're remarkably thin, averaging only about 10 to 100 metres thick.