History
Discover facts about history. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
History
King Wenceslas IV of Bohemia was historically known as Wenceslas the Idle because he completely ghosted his own coronation ceremony to rule the Holy Roman Empire simply because he felt like taking a nap.
King Wenceslas IV of Bohemia was historically known as Wenceslas the Idle because he completely ghosted his own coronation ceremony to rule the Holy Roman…
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The De Witt brothers' murder left grisly historical relics.
The De Witt brothers' murder left grisly historical relics. A mob killed Johan and Cornelis de Witt in The Hague in 1672 and mutilated their bodies. The…
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British tank crews can heat food without leaving their armor.
British tank crews can heat food without leaving their armor. A boiling vessel inside the vehicle heats water and ration packs. The equipment appeared in the…
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A CIA adviser described using a fake vampire attack to frighten rebels in the Philippines.
A CIA adviser described using a fake vampire attack to frighten rebels in the Philippines. Edward Lansdale’s account says a patrol killed a captured…
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Athens could vote a powerful citizen into a ten-year exile.
Athens could vote a powerful citizen into a ten-year exile. In an ostracism, citizens scratched a name onto a pottery fragment. The process targeted people…
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Darwin recognized an important bird after it had become dinner.
Darwin recognized an important bird after it had become dinner. During the Beagle voyage, a small rhea was cooked before Darwin realized it might be the…
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Justus von Liebig accidentally created the massive modern bouillon cube industry because he was desperately trying to figure out what to do with mountains of rotting cow flesh!
Justus von Liebig accidentally created the massive modern bouillon cube industry because he was desperately trying to figure out what to do with mountains of…
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Agatha Christie's disappearance left a mystery outside her novels.
Agatha Christie's disappearance left a mystery outside her novels. After her car was found abandoned in December 1926, an extensive search followed. Eleven…
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The Kettering Bug was a World War I attempt at a pilotless flying bomb.
The Kettering Bug was a World War I attempt at a pilotless flying bomb. A gyroscope helped keep it on course, while an engine-revolution counter estimated…
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The marathon turned a messenger legend into a real race.
The marathon turned a messenger legend into a real race. The story tells of a runner reaching Athens with news of victory at Marathon and dying after…
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The Kettle War was a confrontation too small for its name.
The Kettle War was a confrontation too small for its name. In 1784, Joseph II challenged Dutch control of navigation on the Scheldt. The brief confrontation…
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Greek art could use anatomy as characterization.
Greek art could use anatomy as characterization. Classical male ideals commonly had modest genitals, while satyrs and fertility figures could be portrayed…
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Cutting off an emperor's nose did not end his claim.
Cutting off an emperor's nose did not end his claim. Justinian II was deposed and mutilated in 695, an act meant to make a return to Byzantine rule…
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George Washington firmly believed the perpetrators of the Boston Tea Party should financially compensate the British East India Company for the destroyed cargo.
George Washington firmly believed the perpetrators of the Boston Tea Party should financially compensate the British East India Company for the destroyed…
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Queen Victoria returned to a route where a gunman had aimed at her.
Queen Victoria returned to a route where a gunman had aimed at her. After John Francis pointed a pistol at her carriage in May 1842 and escaped, Victoria rode…
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A spy microphone could hide in a shoe heel.
A spy microphone could hide in a shoe heel. Cold War surveillance devices were small enough to conceal inside footwear. A bugged shoe could travel into…
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Factory managers in the 1920s encouraged female workers to lick paintbrushes coated in radioactive radium to keep the tips pointed while painting glowing numbers on watch dials.
Factory managers in the 1920s encouraged female workers to lick paintbrushes coated in radioactive radium to keep the tips pointed while painting glowing…
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Americans and German soldiers defended the same castle against the SS.
Americans and German soldiers defended the same castle against the SS. At Castle Itter in Austria in May 1945, American troops, German soldiers and French…
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Catherine the Great described Peter III putting a rat on trial.
Catherine the Great described Peter III putting a rat on trial. In her account, Peter had a rat hanged after it damaged his toy soldiers. The miniature army…
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The Boston Tea Party destroyed the tea but replaced a broken lock.
The Boston Tea Party destroyed the tea but replaced a broken lock. Accounts of the 1773 protest describe a deliberate effort to spare the ships and other…
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Edgar Allan Poe gave a fictional cannibalism victim the same name as a real victim decades later.
Edgar Allan Poe gave a fictional cannibalism victim the same name as a real victim decades later. His 1838 novel features a shipwreck survivor named Richard…
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Tug of war once awarded Olympic gold.
Tug of war once awarded Olympic gold. The event appeared at the Olympics from 1900 through 1920. Teams competed in a contest whose basic action could be…
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Early American movies faced a gatekeeper made of patents.
Early American movies faced a gatekeeper made of patents. The Motion Picture Patents Company, formed in 1908, pooled important film-industry patents and used…
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Gorbachev turned up in a Pizza Hut ad.
Gorbachev turned up in a Pizza Hut ad. Filmed in 1997, the commercial has restaurant diners argue over his political legacy before agreeing on pizza. His…
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