History
Discover facts about history. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
History
Why Aztec emperors drank so much chocolate
Montezuma II was essentially the ancient world's most aggressive chocoholic. The Aztecs revered cacao beans so much they used them as currency. The emperor…
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The stolen treasure that built the Colosseum
The greatest architectural marvel of the ancient world was paid for entirely with stolen cash. After the brutal Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the Roman legions…
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Stephen Hawking invited time travelers to a party
Testing the boundaries of theoretical physics can be surprisingly depressing. Hawking set up an extravagant party with champagne and balloons, but only sent…
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The impostors who claimed Russia's throne
Identity theft is not a joke, unless you're a Russian peasant trying to steal the throne. After the young heir to the Russian throne, Dmitry, was mysteriously…
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The crossbow ban with one surprising exception
The medieval equivalent of banning overpowered weapons in a video game server. In 1139, the Second Lateran Council declared the crossbow to be so deadly and…
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Cambodian temple moats stabilize underlying sandy soil
Those massive rectangular lakes surrounding stone temples are not just for aesthetic reflections. The constant water pressure forcibly keeps the sandy ground…
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Russian impostors repeatedly claimed the vacant royal throne
During a massive dynastic crisis, literally anyone with a vaguely familiar face tried to grab power. Multiple random guys simultaneously claimed to be the…
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When tariffs were governments' main source of income
Before income tax became the holy grail of state revenue, governments mostly survived by acting as aggressively greedy tollbooths at their own borders. Entire…
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When communities crowned a holiday fool king
During winter festivals, communities would crown the absolute most ridiculous local to gleefully mock the nobility and command a series of absurd public games.
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The signed urinal that became a work of art
Turning a common plumbing fixture ninety degrees is apparently profound artistic genius. A prankster submitted a literal signed porcelain urinal to an open…
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How Egyptians preserved bodies with desert salt
The secret to surviving eternity is extreme desiccation. Embalmers stuffed hollowed-out bodies with natron, a naturally occurring compound of baking soda and…
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Ancient Egypt mummified millions of birds
Mummification wasn't just for rich humans with massive egos. The ibis bird was heavily associated with Thoth, the god of wisdom, leading to an absolute frenzy…
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Why countries blamed each other for syphilis
National pride strictly dictates that embarrassing venereal diseases must always belong to your immediate neighbors. When massive outbreaks swept across the…
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How Silla won Korea by turning on its ally
Winning a massive three-way civil war requires extreme tactical flexibility. This ancient kingdom essentially formed a massive alliance with a massive foreign…
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Aristotle thought the brain was a radiator
For a guy hailed as an ancient genius, Aristotle had a wildly embarrassing take on anatomy. He firmly believed the heart was the seat of intelligence and…
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The Incas thought silver was moon goddess's tears
If the sun was sweating gold, the moon was apparently having a deep emotional breakdown. The Incas believed silver was formed from the actual tears of Mama…
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The poker game that lasted eight years
Talk about refusing to fold. A legendary game in a subterranean theater in Arizona reportedly ran non-stop for nearly a decade, with players rotating in and…
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Sheng mouth organs utilize vibrating reeds
Because a single pipe is never enough. This handheld cluster of bamboo shoots functions like a portable pipe organ, allowing the player to exhale entire…
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The hippo goddess who protected mothers
Taweret was depicted as a heavily pregnant hippopotamus with lion paws and a crocodile tail, which sounds terrifying but was deeply comforting to expectant…
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The princess who thought she swallowed a piano
Or at least, she was completely convinced she did. The royal spent her life walking cautiously sideways through doorways to avoid breaking the fictional grand…
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A Swedish king used twins to test whether coffee was deadly
Desperate to prove coffee was poison, the Swedish king forced identical twins to drink massive amounts of tea and coffee daily until they died. The king was…
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Tesla was in love with a white pigeon
Inventing the modern alternating current system apparently takes a severe toll on your romantic life. In his later, incredibly lonely years, Tesla became…
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The Mongol army won battles by running away
Nothing screams military genius quite like running away crying. Mongol cavalry perfected the 'feigned retreat,' deliberately breaking formation and fleeing in…
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Liberia once recorded more votes than voters
When you're going to rig an election, you might as well go all out and break the laws of mathematics. Charles D.B. King won the 1927 presidential election in…
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