January 4 is National Trivia Day. Here are 5 ways you can test your knowledge on the occasion

Ways to test your trivia knowledge on Jan. 4 include a 'Jeopardy!' tournament or playing in a game held at your local restaurants and bars

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What occasion has been celebrated on January 4 since 1980? 

The answer would be National Trivia Day. 

Those who excel at their local pubs' trivia nights often know a slew of completely random facts. 

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The origins of trivia on a large scale are often said to come from the 1940s radio show "Take It or Leave It." 

Trivia moved to an even bigger stage with large sums of money on the line with the introduction of the game show "Jeopardy!" in 1964.  

Trivial Pursuit board game

The earliest version of Trivial Pursuit was created in Canada. (Martin Chan/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)

For "Jeopardy!" contestants, it truly does pay to practice and gain as much knowledge as you can. 

"Jeopardy!" players have walked away with millions of dollars. 

Brad Rutter holds the record for biggest "Jeopardy!" payout, winning a total of $4,938,436 million in his appearances on the popular game show, according to People.  

In 1979, the popular Trivial Pursuit game was created by Chris Haney and Scott Abbott in Montreal. 

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Since its release, there have been many different versions of the game put out that follow different themes. Nickelodeon, "Star Trek," The Beatles, "Star Wars," Warner Brothers, "Friends," horror movies, "Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings" and Marvel are a handful of the different editions that have come out of the classic trivia game.  

Ken Jennings on "Jeopardy!"

Ken Jennings is the current host of "Jeopardy!" after the passing of long-time host Alex Trebek. (Jeopardy Productions Inc.)

National Trivia Day has been celebrated since 1980 and was first established by Robert L Birch, according to National Day Calendar. 

Whether you're a novice trivia player or an expert, there are plenty of ways you can mark the occasion. 

Play your old Trivial Pursuit game 

If you have an old Trivial Pursuit game in your basement that you haven't touched in years, wipe the dust off and play a round of trivia. 

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Play electronic trivia 

If you don't have Trivial Pursuit or any similar quiz game, fear not. In a world full of technology, it comes as no surprise that there are plenty of mobile trivia games you can play right from your phone. 

Person holding cell phone

Many different trivia games can be played right on your phone. (istock)

Games you can download for solo players include "Jeopardy!," Trivia Star and Popcorn Trivia.

You can also use Kahoot! to play trivia games created on specific topics. In order to play, participants will need to type in the game code provided on their phones, and questions are answered by each player using their individual mobile device. 

You can also create your own trivia questions using Kahoot!, but then you won't be able to participate in the game yourself since you'll already know all the questions and answers. 

Play ‘Jeopardy!’ with the players 

Tune into "Jeopardy!" on Jan. 4 and play along with the contestants. 

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You may be surprised at how many questions you know. 

A photo of the cast of "Friends"

There are several themed versions of trivia that focus on television shows and movies popular in pop culture, like "Friends." (Jon Ragel/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal)

You can do this on your own or play with others. If you are playing against other people, keep track of each individual score. You can even participate in the Final Jeopardy question at the end of the game. 

Make sure to answer in the "what is" format, just like on the show. 

Play themed trivia 

If you don't know a lot of general random facts, but you know a lot about a TV show like "Friends" or movie like "Harry Potter," play a themed version of trivia with questions all around the topics you know well. 

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You can also find more generally themed trivia games that have questions all revolving around a topic like sports, music or even a certain generation. 

Attend trivia night at a local restaurant or bar 

Tons of restaurants and bars hold trivia on a weekly basis. Many even give out prizes to the winners. 

Trivia night at bar

Many bars hold trivia nights for guests on a weekly basis. (Santiago Felipe/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

Get a team together and find a spot in your area hosting trivia on National Trivia Day. 

You may have so much fun that you want to make it a weekly event. 

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital. 

Authored by Ashlyn Messier via FoxNews January 4th 2024