History
Discover facts about history. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
History
Composers often heavily reused their own musical themes
With deadlines pressing, Handel and Bach sometimes reused melodies from their own earlier works. A tune could get a second job instead of waiting for…
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The world’s oldest operating university is over 1,000 years old
Founded in 859 in Morocco, al-Qarawiyyin has operated continuously for more than 1,000 years.
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First modern athletic champion was a triple jumper
James Connolly left college to compete in Athens and won the triple jump, becoming the first champion of the modern Olympics in 1896.
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The composer who plunged opera houses into darkness
Wagner wanted audiences watching the stage, not chatting or showing off their clothes, so he had the lights dimmed. The darkened house made listening to the…
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Many early silent films are entirely lost to history
Studios sometimes melted down old reels to reclaim the silver in their film stock. An estimated 75% of silent films are now lost; some were treated less like…
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Why October is named for the number eight
The Roman year began with March, making October the eighth month in a ten-month calendar. January and February were added later, but the old name stayed:…
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Actors performed dangerous physical feats without protection
Buster Keaton performed stunts such as falling from moving trains and standing beneath a collapsing building facade, often without modern safety equipment.
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Academic grading systems were heavily debated for decades
Schools tried adjectives, 100-point scales, and other systems as they searched for a way to rank students. Letter grades came after decades of debate over how…
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Marathons once ended at wildly different distances
Before 1921, local organizers chose their own routes, so races could be 24 miles, 26 miles, or somewhere in between. Standardization finally gave every…
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M&M's copied the candy that inspired them
Soldiers needed chocolate that wouldn’t melt on the march, so candy makers gave it a hard sugar shell. M&M’s borrowed that practical fix and marketed it…
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A Nirvana hit was inspired by deodorant
A friend joked about a deodorant brand by writing “Kurt smells like Teen Spirit” on his wall. Kurt Cobain took the line as poetry and turned it into a song…
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The feud that created Puma and Adidas
After a bitter feud, brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler split their shoe business: Adolf founded Adidas, Rudolf founded Puma. Their hometown split along with…
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The Beatles could appear on television without going to the studio
Promotional films for songs such as 'Rain' and 'Paperback Writer' let broadcasters show the band performing a new single from a reusable recording. The 1966…
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The cookie inventor traded rights for chocolate
Ruth Wakefield traded Nestlé the rights to her cookie recipe for a lifetime supply of chocolate. The company got a recipe it could sell; its creator got the…
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Darth Vader's voice was missing from the original credits
James Earl Jones supplied the voice while David Prowse performed the armored figure. Jones initially regarded his contribution as part of the special effects…
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Television helped turn tennis balls yellow
The international tennis federation approved yellow balls in 1972 after experiments showed they were easier to follow on screen. White remained an option, so…
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Finishing Snow White depended on convincing a banker
As production costs grew, Walt Disney showed unfinished material to Bank of America's Joe Rosenberg while seeking more money. The bank backed completion, and…
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Spam is named after spiced ham
The name combines “spiced” and “ham,” a simple description of the canned pork.
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Under Pressure was nearly lost during a pizza break
The bassist stepped away to eat and came back unable to recall the riff. The band had to piece it back together in a brainstorming session; the song's most…
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Ben and Jerry planned a bagel company first
Bagel-making equipment cost too much to get started, so Ben and Jerry switched to ice cream. Their famous business began when the machinery for the original…
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A Skittle's flavor reaches you through more than your tongue
Sweetness and acidity are only part of the experience; aromas reaching the nose supply much of what feels like fruit flavor. Color creates expectations before…
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Michael Jackson made the moonwalk famous after learning an existing move
Dancers including Cooley Jaxson described helping him learn the backward-gliding step before his celebrated 1983 performance. Jackson's staging helped turn it…
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Color film existed long before The Wizard of Oz
Early color processes could make a film spectacular, but they cost far more than black-and-white production. Studios saved them for projects that could…
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Teenage Elvis surprised himself at a school talent show
Graceland's account describes him nervously singing with his guitar at Humes High School, then winning and returning for an encore. Before the fame, he was a…
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