Summertime Info & Facts Quiz

What is considered the hottest place on Earth?

• Death Valley, CA

• Sahara Desert

• Flaming Mountains, China

Answer explanation

While somewhat disputed, the hottest temperature on record was registered in our very own country. In July of 1913, in Furnace Creek, California, the mercury read 134 degrees F. The tiny town within the larger Death Valley is no stranger to scorching weather, registering record temperatures almost annually. 

In which 2 months are the Summer Olympics usually held?

• June and July

• July and August

What is the traditional birthstone for July?

• Pearl

• Alexandrite

• Opal

• Ruby

Answer explanation

A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). Rubies are often associated with wealth and prosperity.

Warriors, back in the day would wear or even embed rubies into their skin, as they believed this July birthstone signified strength and protection.

What US city hosts a UFO festival every year in July?

• McMinnville, OR

• Roswell, NM

• Aurora, TX

• Phoenix, AZ

Answer explanation

Roswell is the UFO capital of the world. Annually, folks flock to Roswell for the UFO festival in July.

What vitamin do you get from sunshine?

• Vitamin X

• Vitamin A

• Vitamin D

• Vitamin C

Answer explanation

Our bodies produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight—about 15 minutes in the sun a day is adequate if you're fair skinned. And since Vitamin D helps your body maintain calcium and prevents brittle, thin, or misshapen bones, soaking in sun may be just what the doctor ordered.

What star does the phrase "dog days of summer" come from?

• Sirius

• Alpha Lupi

• Vega

• Cygnus

Answer explanation

To the Greeks & Romans, the “dog days” occurred around the time Sirius appears to rise alongside the sun, in late July in the Northern Hemisphere. They believed the heat from the two stars combined is what made these days the hottest of the year, a period that could bring fever or even catastrophe.

Who holds the record for most home runs ever?

• Hank Aaron

• Barry Bonds

Answer explanation

Barry Bonds holds the Major League Baseball home run record with 762. He passed Hank Aaron, who hit 755, on August 7, 2007. The only other player to have hit 700 or more is Babe Ruth with 714.

What holiday marks the unofficial end of summer in the US?

• Labor Day

• Memorial Day

• Independence Day

• Earth Day

Answer explanation

For many Americans, particularly children and young adults, Labor Day represents the end of the summer and the start of the back-to-school season.

Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed it into law.

What year was the beach ball invented?

• 1911

• 1938

• 1963

• 1927

Answer explanation

Beach balls came to be in 1938 in California and were the idea of Jonathon DeLong.

What year was Jaws released?

• 1975

• 1978

• 1987

• 1995

Answer explanation

Jaws is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the 1974 novel by Peter Benchley.