Tie Breaker Questions: 50 Nearest Wins Questions with Answers

Answer: 80

A hummingbird flaps its wings up to 80 times per second. This makes its flight sound like a soft hum. It can even fly backwards and hover right in place. No other bird in the world can do that. Its tiny heart beats over 1,000 times per minute.

Answer: 25,000

A swan has about 25,000 feathers on average. That is more than almost any other bird. Most of the feathers sit on its long neck. They keep the swan warm and repel water. A chicken, by comparison, only has about 8,000 feathers.

Answer: 10

A camel can go about 10 days without water. Its body loses far less liquid than other animals do. In the fat of its hump, it stores extra energy. When it finally gets to drink, it gulps down huge amounts in just minutes.

Answer: 45

A giraffe's tongue is about 45 centimeters long. That is as long as a school notebook. Its color is dark blue to purple. This protects the tongue from sunburn. With it, the giraffe can even grab pointy leaves between thorns without getting hurt.

Answer: 71,000

An Arctic tern flies about 71,000 kilometers every year. That is the longest migration of any animal on Earth. It travels from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back each year. Over its lifetime, it covers more distance than three trips to the moon.

Answer: 6,000 to 8,000 spines

A grown hedgehog carries 6,000 to 8,000 spines on its back. As a baby it starts with only about 100 white spines (NABU, 2024).

Answer: up to 60,000 bees

In summer up to 60,000 bees live in one colony. In winter only about 20,000 are left (NABU, 2025).

Answer: about 7.5 million flowers

For one 500 gram jar of honey, bees fly to about 2 million plants and visit around 7.5 million flowers (German Beekeepers Association, 2025).

Answer: 319

A dog has about 319 bones in its body. That is around 100 more bones than a human has. Many of them sit in the long tail and help it wag around. Puppies are born without kneecaps, which only grow in a few weeks later.

Answer: 20.14

The heaviest lobster ever caught weighed 20.14 kilograms. It was pulled from the sea off Nova Scotia in 1977. Lobsters keep growing their whole lives. Very old ones can reach more than a hundred years of age.

Answer: 236

Friends has 236 episodes across ten seasons. The show ran from 1994 to 2004. Millions of people still rewatch it today. More than 50 million viewers in the USA alone watched the final episode.

Answer: 194 minutes

Titanic from 1997 runs 194 minutes, over three hours long. That was very long for a Hollywood film back then. Director James Cameron cut nothing out. It still made 2.2 billion dollars at the box office. Many cinemas had to add extra breaks.

Answer: About 238 minutes

The film from 1939 runs almost four hours. Back then cinemas even had an intermission in the middle. Despite its length it became a huge success. Adjusted for inflation it is still one of the most successful films of all time.

Answer: 59

Game of Thrones won 59 Emmys in total. That is a record for a drama series. The show ran from 2011 to 2019 across eight seasons. No other fantasy programme has ever been this successful on television.

Answer: 213

The Beatles officially released 213 songs together. They did it in only about eight years. Many of their songs are still world famous today. Few bands have changed music as much as they did.

Answer: About 400,000

About 400,000 people came to the Woodstock festival. The organisers had expected far fewer. Roads were jammed and food ran short. The festival is still seen as a symbol of peace and music today.

Answer: 62

Breaking Bad has 62 episodes across five seasons. The show ran from 2008 to 2013. It tells the story of a chemistry teacher who turns to crime. Many consider it one of the best series of all time.

Answer: 403

Bob Ross painted in 403 episodes of his show The Joy of Painting. The programme ran on US television from 1983 to 1994. In each episode he completed a full landscape painting in about half an hour. His calm voice made him famous around the world.

Answer: About 15 minutes

The first Oscar ceremony in 1929 was over after about 15 minutes. There were no long speeches and no suspense, because the winners were known in advance. Today the show often runs for more than three hours. Few award shows have grown so much.

Answer: About 50 seconds

The first film by the Lumière brothers from 1895 lasted only about 50 seconds. It showed workers leaving a factory. For the audience back then it was a sensation. All of today's cinema grew out of these short films.

Answer: 38 minutes (Anglo-Zanzibar War)

The shortest war in history lasted just 38 minutes. It was the Anglo-Zanzibar War in the year 1896. Britain fought against the new Sultan of Zanzibar. The British fleet shelled the palace into rubble. After that the war was already over.

Answer: 462 days

The Berlin Airlift lasted 462 days, from 1948 to 1949. Western Allied planes flew food and coal into West Berlin. The Soviet Union had blocked all land routes into the city. A plane landed every few minutes. Berliners called them 'raisin bombers'.

Answer: 56 people

On 4 July 1776 the 13 colonies in Philadelphia declared their freedom from England. Most of the 56 signers were lawyers, merchants, or farmers. John Hancock wrote his name extra large so the king could read it easily. That was brave, because all of them risked their lives.

Answer: 267

According to the Vatican's official papal list, there have been 267 popes so far. The first was the Apostle Peter (around 30 to 64 AD). The current pope is Leo XIV. He was elected on May 8, 2025, after the death of Pope Francis. The exact count is debated. Some historians include so-called antipopes, others don't.

Answer: Over 5,000

When Howard Carter opened the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, he found over 5,000 objects. Among them was a mask made of solid gold weighing 11 kilograms. The young pharaoh was only nine years old when he became king. He died at around 19 years old. His tomb is the most famous in the world.

Answer: 4 hours and 29 minutes

Fidel Castro from Cuba gave the longest speech in United Nations history in 1960. It lasted 4 hours and 29 minutes. The other representatives had to listen the entire time. He still holds the top spot in the UN record book today.

Answer: 32 countries

Thirty-two countries were involved in the First World War. The war lasted from 1914 to 1918. More than 17 million people lost their lives. It started after the murder of the Austrian heir to the throne in Sarajevo. In the end Germany and its allies lost.

Answer: 14 countries

Fourteen countries took part in the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. Around 240 athletes competed, all of them men. Today over 200 countries and thousands of athletes join the Games. The idea came from Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin. He wanted to revive the old Greek tradition.

Answer: Around 170 pharaohs

Ancient Egypt was ruled by about 170 pharaohs. They held power for almost 3,000 years. The most famous is probably Tutankhamun, who became king as a child. Cleopatra was the last. Many pharaohs were buried in rich tombs, often with gold and treasures.

Answer: 122 years

Jeanne Calment from France lived to be 122 years and 164 days old. She died in 1997. This makes her the official world record holder as the oldest person of all time. As a young girl she even met the painter Vincent van Gogh in her shop. She found him rude and dirty back then.

Answer: 27

One hand has 27 bones. Both hands together contain more than a quarter of all the bones in the body. Add to that many small joints, muscles and tendons. Only this lets us grip, write and do delicate work.

Answer: About 20,000

A person breathes about 20,000 times a day. It happens automatically, without us thinking about it. At rest we take about 12 to 16 breaths per minute. During exercise it becomes much more.

Answer: About 7,000 litres

The heart pumps about 7,000 litres of blood through the body each day. That is roughly 35 full bathtubs. It beats around 100,000 times a day to do this. It works a whole lifetime without a break.

Answer: About 243

Venus spins extremely slowly. A single rotation takes about 243 Earth days. Its year is actually shorter, because it circles the Sun in only 225 Earth days. So on Venus a day is longer than a year.

Answer: About 16 times

The ISS circles the Earth about 16 times a day. One orbit takes only about 90 minutes. The astronauts on board therefore see around 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets per day. Keeping a normal daily rhythm is difficult up there.

Answer: About 3,475 kilometres

The Moon has a diameter of about 3,475 kilometres. That is roughly a quarter of the Earth's diameter. It would almost exactly fit between Lisbon and Moscow. Yet in the sky it looks only as big as a coin held at arm's length.

Answer: About 37 trillion

An adult human is made of about 37 trillion cells. That is a 37 followed by 12 zeros. Every second millions of cells die and are replaced. On top of that, trillions of bacteria live on and inside us.

Answer: About 50 to 100

A healthy person loses about 50 to 100 hairs every day. That is completely normal and no reason to worry. A new hair usually grows for each one that falls out. A single scalp hair grows for several years before it is shed.

Answer: About 1.3 seconds

Light from the Moon takes only about 1.3 seconds to reach the Earth. So when we look at the Moon, we see it almost exactly as it is right now. Sunlight, by contrast, travels for a good 8 minutes. Light is the fastest thing in the universe.

Answer: About minus 196 degrees

Liquid nitrogen is about minus 196 degrees Celsius. At this temperature the air around it turns misty. A flower dipped into it becomes hard as glass and shatters. Laboratories use liquid nitrogen for cooling.

Answer: 50

The Channel Tunnel runs about 50 kilometers in total length. Of those, 38 kilometers lie right under the sea, making it the longest undersea rail tunnel ever built. It links France with Britain in only 35 minutes of travel time. A true masterpiece of European teamwork and engineering skill.

Answer: About 8,900 kilometres

The border between the USA and Canada is about 8,900 kilometres long. It is the longest land border in the world between two countries. A large part runs dead straight along a line of latitude. Walking it without a break would take several months.

Answer: About 14 kilometres

At its narrowest point, only about 14 kilometres of sea separate Europe and Africa. On a clear day you can see the coast of Morocco from Spain. Tens of thousands of ships pass through the strait every year. Athletes have even swum across it.

Answer: About 4 kilometres

At the Diomede Islands in the Bering Strait, Russia and the USA are only about 4 kilometres apart. One island belongs to Russia, the other to the USA. The international date line runs between them. That is why the Russian island is almost a full day ahead of the American one.

Answer: 336

A standard golf ball has around 336 dimples. These small dips help the ball travel through the air. Without dimples, a ball would fly only half as far. Brands use anywhere from 300 to 500 dimples. The dimple design was discovered by accident in the 1800s.

Answer: 30

The Grand National at Aintree makes horses jump 30 fences. The race covers two laps with 16 different obstacles. Two of them are only jumped once. Famous jumps include Becher's Brook, The Chair and Canal Turn. The race has been run since 1839.

Answer: 11

The longest tennis match in history lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes. John Isner beat Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010. The match was spread over three days. The fifth set ended 70-68 for Isner. The rules later changed to add tiebreaks in final sets.

Answer: 7,260

An Olympic shot put for men weighs 7,260 grams, or 7.26 kilos. That is as heavy as a full 7-liter water jug. Women throw a lighter shot weighing 4 kilos. The men's world record stands at over 23 meters. The shot is pushed from a small throwing circle.

Answer: 114000

The Rungrado Stadium in Pyongyang holds around 114,000 people. That makes it the largest soccer stadium in the world, ahead of Camp Nou or Wembley. It is mostly used for huge political mass shows. Actual soccer matches are played there only rarely.

Answer: 113

The Tour de France was held for the 113th time in 2026. The race was founded in 1903 by sports journalist Henri Desgrange. He wanted to boost sales of his newspaper L'Auto. The race has only been cancelled during the two World Wars. The route changes every year, but it always has 21 stages.