125 '90s Trivia Questions For The Ultimate Nostalgia Trip

The '90s were a wild and wonderful time. The decade is just vintage enough to be remembered with a tinge of dreamlike nostalgia, but it also still feels contemporary enough for the current world to connect with it. It's not without reason that '90s trends keep returning to public consciousness. The clothes, the art, the fads, the pop buzz — everything was just that special. 

Much as it makes every millennial wistful to think back to the '90s, it also proves equally hard to capture the zeitgeist of that period in a singular time capsule. The cultural landscape was taking a sharp turn in the '90s, driven as much by era-defining toys as it was by the gigantic leaps tech was taking to configure the early stages of an internet community. 

It was a decidedly youth-forward decade; while the younger ones reveled in the delight of everything that was sparkly and cool at school, the slightly older millennials were out shaping the bold sensibilities of that era through fashion, quotable cinema, slang, music tastes, and just about everything else. Everyone had something to take forward from that last glimmer of the 20th century.

So here's an ultimate list of '90s trivia questions to turbo-blast you back to the past. 

Q1. What was Steve Urkel's catchphrase in "Family Matters"?

A1. "Did I do that?"

Q2. Name the Banks family's sarcastic British butler in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."

A2. Geoffrey

Q3. Which journalist controversially interviewed Princess Diana for the BBC in 1995?

A3. Martin Bashir

Q4. Who threw makeup at Madonna and then crashed her interview at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards?

A4. Courtney Love

Q5. What did Sinéad O'Connor do on "Saturday Night Live" that triggered global outrage?

A5. She tore up a picture of the pope.

Q6. On "Friends," what song does Rachel sing at Barry and Mindy's wedding?

A6. "Copacabana"

Q7. Which two men were at the center of the white Ford Bronco car chase televised live in 1994?

A7. O.J. Simpson and Al Cowlings

Q8. Name the popular '90s ad campaign aimed at increasing dairy consumption.

A8. Got Milk?

Q9. On which iconic episode of her namesake sitcom did Ellen DeGeneres come out to the world?

A9. "The Puppy Episode"

Q10. Which two child stars of "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" went on to become one of the biggest millennial pop couples?

A10. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake

Q11. What food could Celine Dion not stop talking about on "Total Request Live" in 1999?

A11. Hotdog

Q12. What was the name of the Boston bar the locals hung out at in "Cheers"? 

A12. Cheers

Q13. In the controversial finale of "Seinfeld," where did the four main characters end up?

A13. Jail

Q14. Which brand's ad campaign popularized the dramatically goofy earworm slogan "Wazzup"?

A14. Budweiser

Q15. Which paper does Carrie Bradshaw write a column for in "Sex and the City"?

A15. The New York Star

Q16. Name the mock horror documentary BBC presented in 1992 as a live broadcast, triggering large-scale panic and outrage.

A16. "Ghostwatch"

Q17. What was Taco Bell's four-legged mascot in the '90s and what was its catchphrase?

A17. A chihuahua who said, "Yo quiero Taco Bell"

Q18. Which character from "The Simpsons" made it to Time's list of the 100 most influential figures of the 20th century in 1998?

A18. Bart Simpson

Q1. How many rules does Fight Club have?

A1. Eight

Q2. What is the Japanese name of the original 1954 classic film that inspired the 1998 Hollywood landmark "Godzilla"?

A2. "Gojira"

Q3. How many times is the F-bomb famously dropped in "Pulp Fiction"?

A3. 265

Q4. Name the 1997 film that features a law firm led by Satan himself.

A4. "The Devil's Advocate"

Q5. What did Sam always reply with when Molly said "I love you" to him in "Ghost"?

A5. Ditto

Q6. To which film does the legendary maxim, "Get busy living or get busy dying," belong?

A6. "The Shawshank Redemption"

Q7. Which 1991 film is widely credited with giving Brad Pitt his big Hollywood breakthrough?

A7. "Thelma & Louise"

Q8. Which other legendary director was also eyeing an adaptation of "Jurassic Park" before Steven Spielberg secured the rights?

A8. James Cameron

Q9. Which Sonny & Cher song wakes Phil up every day when he's caught in a time loop in "Groundhog Day"?

A9. "I Got You, Babe"

Q10. How many Oscars did "Forrest Gump" win?

A10. Six

Q11. Name the character who can famously see dead people in "The Sixth Sense."

A11. Cole Sear

Q12. The cult '90s rom-com "10 Things I Hate About You" was loosely based on which Shakespeare play?

A12. "The Taming of the Shrew"

Q13. Before Jodie Foster bagged the role in "The Silence of the Lambs," which actress was famously favored as the first choice to play Clarice Starling?

A13. Michelle Pfeiffer

Q14. Which beloved 1991 fantasy film featured an unforgettably colorful food fight scene?

A14. "Hook"

Q15. What is the one main grouse fans have had with "Titanic" for years?

A15. That there was enough space for Jack on the floating wooden door.

Q16. Who made Oscars history as the youngest (and first Black) nominee in the best director category for his cult classic "Boyz n the Hood"?

A16. John Singleton

Q17. What was the Wet Bandits' calling card in "Home Alone," which led to their unique nickname?

A17. They left the taps running in the houses they robbed.

Q18. What is the New York address of the Men in Black headquarters in the 1997 sci-fi film?

A18. 504 Battery Drive

Q1. Which Michael Jackson song inspired the music video for "Everybody" by the Backstreet Boys?

A1. "Thriller"

Q2. Name the 1992 debut single by Radiohead that initially flopped but eventually became a global hit.

A2. "Creep"

Q3. What's the name of the Spanish pop duo behind "Macarena"?

A3. Los del Río

Q4. What nicknames were each of the Spice Girls known by?

A4. Posh Spice (Victoria Beckham), Baby Spice (Emma Bunton), Scary Spice (Melanie Brown), Sporty Spice (Melanie Chisholm), Ginger Spice (Geri Halliwell)

Q5. What was the name of Eminem's unsuccessful debut album?

A5. "Infinite"

Q6. Which revival of a legendary music festival from the '60s ended in violence and chaos?

A6. Woodstock '99

Q7. Celine Dion won an Oscar for which song in 1998?

A7. "My Heart Will Go On"

Q8. Which event marked Nirvana's disbandment in 1994?

A8. Kurt Cobain's death

Q9. Name the music manager behind '90s boy bands like Backstreet Boys and NSYNC who was later convicted of running a large-scale Ponzi scheme.

A9. Lou Pearlman

Q10. What did Destiny's Child originally call themselves?

A10. Girls Tyme

Q11. Which Hollywood star featured in Shania Twain's lyrics for "That Don't Impress Me Much"?

A11. Brad Pitt

Q12. What did Freddie Mercury announce to the world one day before his death?

A12. That he had AIDS

Q13. Which pop duo became the first (and only) act in Grammys history to have their award revoked?

A13. Milli Vanilli

Q14. Name the artist who changed their name to an unpronounceable symbol in 1993.

A14. Prince

Q15. Though Whitney Houston became synonymous with "I Will Always Love You" after her 1992 cover, who originally wrote the song?

A15. Dolly Parton

Q16. Name the two famous rappers who were killed during the East Coast–West Coast hip-hop rivalry.

A16. Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.

Q17. Who sang "Mambo No. 5"?

A17. Lou Bega

Q18. Besides marking a major comeback for Cher, what music tech did the 1998 song "Believe" popularize?

A18. The use of auto-tune

Q1. Which color of lip liner was a staple of '90s makeup routines?

A1. Brown

Q2. What modeling fee did Linda Evangelista famously say she wouldn't get out of bed for?

A2. Less than $10,000 a day

Q3. What legendary outfit did Julia Roberts wear to the 1990 Golden Globes? (Bonus if you can name the brand.)

A3. An oversized gray pantsuit by Armani

Q4. What was the '90s teen youth's gO-to fAsHiOn caTaLoG for all things trendy?

A4. dELiA*s

Q6. Which hairstyle did Jennifer Aniston popularize through her "Friends" character?

A6. The Rachel

Q7. This mall store was the ultimate one-stop shop for fashion-forward tweens in the '90s.

A7. Limited Too

Q8. This footwear style, which had a revival in the '90s, famously caused Naomi Campbell to fall on the ramp during a Vivienne Westwood show in 1993.

A8. Platform heels

Q9. Name the fashion photographer behind the iconic 1990 British Vogue cover featuring the big five supermodels.

A9. Peter Lindbergh

Q10. Which lipstick brand dominated the '90s makeup aesthetic, with Cindy Crawford as its long-running poster face?

A10. Revlon

Q11. What is the original "It bag" design popularized by Fendi in the '90s? (Hint: It shares its name with a food item.)

A11. Baguette

Q12. Name the line of clothing that turned heat-reactive T-shirts into a '90s fashion craze. 

A12. Hypercolor 

Q13. Which translucent, glittery plastic footwear trend had '90s girls obsessed with it?

A13. Jelly shoes

Q14. Name the fashion house behind Elizabeth Hurley's iconic safety pin dress from 1994.

A14. Versace

Q15. What do you call the notoriously '90s style of wearing your pants super low and baggy with a little underwear showing?

A15. Sagging 

Q16. From red carpets to runways and your older sibling's wardrobe, this satiny, strappy dress design was everywhere in the '90s.

A16. Slip dress

Q17. What did Salma Hayek famously accessorize her outfit with instead of jewelry at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards?

A17. Butterfly tattoos

Q18. What stretchy, emo-coded neck accessory was a fixture of '90s teen jewelry boxes?

A18. Tattoo chokers

Q1. Which funky (and often painful) metal accessory did '90s teens snap onto their wrists?

A1. Slap bracelets

Q2. Name the stuffed collectibles at the center of the '90s toy sensation, often likened to today's Labubu.

A2. Beanie Babies

Q3. How would a '90s kid nonverbally call someone a loser?

A3. An "L" hand signal to the head

Q4. Which animal served as the official mascot for Dunkaroos?

A4. Kangaroo

Q5. Which 1995 teen film popularized the use of "As if!" to express sarcastic disbelief?

A5. "Clueless"

Q6. Name the toy brand that made '90s summers synonymous with epic water gun fights.

A6. Super Soaker

Q7. What dance fitness technique originated in the '90s in Colombia and took over the world?

A7. Zumba

Q8. Which popular flavored fruit drink brand, known for its character-based squeeze bottles, introduced juices that could change color?

A8. Squeezit

Q9. These colorful cases served as vanity kits for '90s divas.

A9. Caboodles

Q10. Complete the sassy '90s phrase that tells a person to stop talking: "Talk to the hand ... "

A10. " ... 'cause the face ain't listening."

Q11. Which ready-to-eat kiddie meals took over American school cafeterias in the '90s?

A11. Lunchables

Q12. In a game of POGs, what was the disc used to topple a stack called?

A12. A slammer

Q13. Though it was a commercial failure, this transparent Pepsi drink holds nostalgic value for '90s kids.

A13. Crystal Pepsi

Q14. Which actress was the face of the viral fitness trend led by ThighMaster?

A14. Suzanne Somers

Q15. Featuring 36 inches of candy, this was the '90s answer to Fruit Roll-Ups from the '80s.

A15. Fruit by the Foot

Q16. Which TV show is credited with originating the slang "shipping" for two characters fans think should link up?

A16. "The X-Files"

Q17. What was the deadly trend that had '90s kids riding on top of moving lifts called?

A17. Elevator surfing

Q18. These ancient string-attached spinning toys enjoyed a sudden boom in the '90s.

A18. Yo-yos

Q1. What greeting alerted AOL users to new emails in their inbox — and also inspired an iconic '90s rom-com?

A1. "You've got mail."

Q2. Which Japanese toy featuring a virtual alien pet housed inside a tiny portable egg became a massive global rage in the '90s?

A2. Tamagotchi

Q3. This computer typeface introduced in 1994 was beloved for its casual, comic style before becoming the world's most hated font.

A3. Comic Sans MS

Q4. Complete this internet phrase that had a whole website dedicated to its translations: "I can eat glass ... "

A4. " ... it does not hurt me"

Q5. Name the phenomenon that triggered panic over a global tech shutdown at the turn of the millennium.

A5. Y2K

Q6. Which diaper-clad 3D animation from the mid to late '90s is distinct as one of the world's first viral memes?

A6. Dancing Baby

Q7. This video game created for the Nintendo Game Boy in the '90s grew into one of the most successful media franchises in history. 

A7. "Pokémon"

Q8. People could build their own webpages and sort themselves into "neighborhoods" on this iconic early internet platform.

A8. GeoCities (Aside: Google GeoCities for a nostalgic surprise.)

Q9. What year was Apple's first iMac launched?

A9. 1998

Q10. Name the '90s media player that originated the iconic catchphrase: "It really whips the llama's ass!"

A10. Winamp

Q11. Which '90s internet hoax scared users into believing that a virus could enter their computers via email?

A11. Good Times virus

Q12. Name the '90s portal that started out as an online directory of other websites before becoming an internet giant.

A12. Yahoo!

Q13. Which pizza chain is widely credited with pioneering online food ordering in the '90s?

A13. Pizza Hut

Q14. This now-retired, wide-eyed digital cartoon assistant launched in 1997 was deemed more annoying than helpful by Microsoft users.

A14. Clippy

Q15. Which month, coinciding with the start of college, saw a high influx of new Usenet users and thus had an early internet phenomenon named after it?

A15. September

Q16. What was Amazon originally named when it was launched in 1994 as an online bookstore?

A16. Cadabra

Q17. Name the iconic '90s interface aimed at making digital drawing and painting easier for kids that is still active (and used by icons like Ringo Starr).

A17. Kid Pix

Q18. What were you expected to do with a rented VHS tape before returning it?

A18. Rewind it back to the beginning.

Q1. Which was famously the first video game to be played in space?

A1. Tetris

Q2. What did Johnny Depp's tattoo for '90s flame Winona Ryder famously say? 

A2. Winona Forever

Q3. Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch was a '90s hip-hop group featuring which future Hollywood star?

A3. Mark Wahlberg

Q4. What moniker was given to the U.S. women's gymnastics team that won gold at the 1996 Olympics?

A4. The Magnificent Seven

Q5. In which year was the Hubble Space Telescope launched from Earth?

A5. 1990

Q6. Which U.S. President found himself in the middle of a scandal involving a White House intern during his tenure?

A6. Bill Clinton

Q7. What youth-led, free-spirited phenomenon dominated the cultural scene in '90s Britain?

A7. Cool Britannia

Q8. Name the sheep at the center of pioneering research on cloning in the '90s.

A8. Dolly

Q9. Name the two Olympic figure skaters at the center of a massive sports scandal in the '90s that inspired the Margot Robbie film "I, Tonya." 

A9. Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan

Q10. Which '90s soft drink was a sensation in Norway, leading Coca-Cola to launch it in America as Surge? (Hint: A single letter separates the question and answer.)

A10. Urge

Q11. What defining symbol of AIDS awareness was conceptualized in the early '90s?

A11. Red ribbon

Q12. Name the surreal but popular '90s decor item that featured a singing, plaque-mounted rubber fish.

A12. Big Mouth Billy Bass

Q13. What major basketball milestone thrust Michael Jordan into the global spotlight in 1991?

A13. He won his first NBA title.

Q14. Which boxing champ endorsed a namesake double-sided grill machine that took over American markets in the '90s?

A14. George Foreman

Q15. Where did J.K. Rowling famously conceptualize the idea for her "Harry Potter" series?

A15. On a train from Manchester to London

Q16. In which state did Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the United States, open in 1992?

A16. Minnesota

Q17. Which toy was banned by the National Security Agency on grounds of being a possible spy device?

A17. Furby