History
Discover facts about history. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
History
A conquistador described Montezuma's chocolate arriving in great frothing vessels
Bernal Díaz del Castillo wrote of lavish quantities served at the ruler's table and associated the drink with royal life. Cacao appeared as an elaborate…
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The stolen treasure that built the Colosseum
Scholars reconstructed an earlier Colosseum inscription from holes where bronze letters had once been attached. Its wording linked construction to war spoils,…
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Stephen Hawking invited time travelers to a party
Hawking made the test brutally simple: he held a party with champagne and balloons, then sent the invitations after it was over. Nobody arrived from the future.
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The impostors who claimed Russia's throne
With Russia’s succession in crisis, rumors that Dmitry had survived became a political weapon: at least three pretenders won support. The first ruled for…
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A medieval weapons ban depended on whom you aimed at
In 1139, the Second Lateran Council condemned the use of crossbowmen and archers against Christians. The restriction was framed around the target's religious…
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Cambodian temple moats stabilize underlying sandy soil
The moats were more than defensive barriers: water pressure helped keep the sandy ground beneath the heavy stone temples from shifting. The water outside…
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Russian impostors repeatedly claimed the vacant royal throne
The dead prince's name became a political credential: claimants said Dmitry had survived and was entitled to the throne. Some raised mercenary armies and…
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When tariffs were governments' main source of income
Before income taxes became a major revenue source, governments could collect tariffs as goods crossed their borders. Customs duties helped fund the budget…
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When communities crowned a holiday fool king
Winter festivals crowned a local fool to mock the nobility and lead absurd public games.
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The signed urinal that became a work of art
Marcel Duchamp submitted a store-bought urinal signed “R. Mutt” to an exhibition that promised to show every entry. The judges rejected it, turning a plumbing…
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How Egyptians preserved bodies with desert salt
Natron drew moisture from the bodies, helping preserve them in the dry desert air. Embalmers packed the hollowed-out bodies with the salt mixture and left…
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Ancient Egypt mummified millions of birds
Ibises were sacred to Thoth, so Egyptians mummified them as offerings to the god. The devotion left a vast archaeological record: catacombs containing…
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Why countries blamed each other for syphilis
No country wanted syphilis to be its problem, so nations blamed their neighbors: the English called it the “French disease,” the French the “Neapolitan…
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Silla's ally became its next opponent
Silla joined Tang China to defeat Baekje and Goguryeo in the seventh century. It then fought Tang forces over control of the conquered territory, eventually…
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Aristotle thought the brain was a radiator
Aristotle put thought and feeling in the heart, leaving the brain to cool the blood. In his model, the brain was less command center than built-in radiator.
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The Incas thought silver was moon goddess's tears
The Incas believed silver came from the tears of Mama Quilla, the moon goddess, and used the metal to make lunar decorations.
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Tombstone's theater tells of an eight-year poker game
The Bird Cage Theatre traces its famous underground game to 1881–1889, with players taking turns at the table. Its basement gambling rooms are real; the…
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Sheng mouth organs utilize vibrating reeds
Its bundled bamboo pipes let players produce several notes at once, blowing chords through the instrument.
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The hippo goddess who protected mothers
Taweret’s fierce mix of hippo, lion, and crocodile features made her a powerful protector to invoke. Expectant mothers wore her image on amulets, seeking help…
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The princess who thought she swallowed a piano
She was so convinced a grand piano was lodged in her intestines that she spent her life walking sideways through doorways to avoid damaging it.
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A Swedish coffee experiment reportedly outlived its king
A famous account says Gustav III assigned twins to drink coffee or tea so doctors could compare the effects. In the story, the king died before the experiment…
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Tesla was in love with a white pigeon
In his later years, Tesla became devoted to feeding pigeons in New York and singled out one white bird, saying he loved her “as a man loves a woman.” He…
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The Mongol army won battles by running away
The retreat was a trap: Mongol cavalry broke formation to draw enemies into a chase. Pursuers could exhaust their horses and scatter their ranks, leaving them…
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Liberia once recorded more votes than voters
In Liberia’s 1927 election, President Charles D. B. King was credited with roughly 243,000 votes despite an electorate commonly put at about 15,000. The…
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