History
Discover facts about history. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
History
Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin secretly employed a team of photo retouchers to physically airbrush his political enemies out of historical photographs after he had them executed.
Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin secretly employed a team of photo retouchers to physically airbrush his political enemies out of historical photographs after he…
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Catherine the Great possessed a secret room in her palace entirely decorated with erotic furniture, including tables and chairs intricately carved to resemble human genitalia.
Catherine the Great possessed a secret room in her palace entirely decorated with erotic furniture, including tables and chairs intricately carved to resemble…
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Victor Hugo attended a massive party celebrating the restoration of his own health in 1885, only to die shortly afterward because he ate entirely too much food at the celebration.
Victor Hugo attended a massive party celebrating the restoration of his own health in 1885, only to die shortly afterward because he ate entirely too much…
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Spartan warriors engaged in institutionalized bullying of their helot slave population by forcing them to get blackout drunk in public to show young Spartan boys how embarrassing intoxication could be.
Spartan warriors engaged in institutionalized bullying of their helot slave population by forcing them to get blackout drunk in public to show young Spartan…
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Medieval doctors commonly diagnosed illnesses by tasting the urine of their patients to check for sweetness, which was an early and deeply disgusting method for detecting diabetes.
Medieval doctors commonly diagnosed illnesses by tasting the urine of their patients to check for sweetness, which was an early and deeply disgusting method…
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Ancient Egyptian workers staged the first recorded labor strike in human history during the reign of Ramses III because the government failed to deliver their monthly ration of garlic and beer.
Ancient Egyptian workers staged the first recorded labor strike in human history during the reign of Ramses III because the government failed to deliver their…
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Cleopatra actually lived closer in time to the release of the first iPhone than she did to the construction of the Great Pyramid.
Cleopatra actually lived closer in time to the release of the first iPhone than she did to the construction of the Great Pyramid. Despite being linked in pop…
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Parisians literally ate the entire zoo during the brutal Prussian siege of 1870, treating the city's exotic animal enclosures like an upscale, apocalyptic delicatessen when the food supply completely ran out.
Parisians literally ate the entire zoo during the brutal Prussian siege of 1870, treating the city's exotic animal enclosures like an upscale, apocalyptic…
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Henry Cavendish was an insanely brilliant 18th-century British scientist who discovered hydrogen and calculated the mass of the Earth, but he was also painfully, paralyzingly introverted.
Henry Cavendish was an insanely brilliant 18th-century British scientist who discovered hydrogen and calculated the mass of the Earth, but he was also…
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Taco Bell executives spotted an incredibly absurd marketing opportunity in 2001 when the Russian space agency announced they were going to de-orbit the massive, aging Mir Space Station.
Taco Bell executives spotted an incredibly absurd marketing opportunity in 2001 when the Russian space agency announced they were going to de-orbit the…
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Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin allegedly ordered a rogue scientist named Ilya Ivanov to create an invincible army of half-human, half-ape super-soldiers in the 1920s.
Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin allegedly ordered a rogue scientist named Ilya Ivanov to create an invincible army of half-human, half-ape super-soldiers in the…
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Pope Leo X was gifted a rare, majestic white elephant named Hanno by the King of Portugal in 1514, and the pontiff immediately became obsessed with his massive new pet.
Pope Leo X was gifted a rare, majestic white elephant named Hanno by the King of Portugal in 1514, and the pontiff immediately became obsessed with his…
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NASA funded a bizarre scientific experiment in the 1960s that involved feeding LSD to a dolphin to see if it would help the animal learn to speak English.
NASA funded a bizarre scientific experiment in the 1960s that involved feeding LSD to a dolphin to see if it would help the animal learn to speak English. A…
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Japan tried to bomb the United States mainland during World War II by strapping explosives to thousands of paper balloons and floating them across the Pacific Ocean via the jet stream.
Japan tried to bomb the United States mainland during World War II by strapping explosives to thousands of paper balloons and floating them across the Pacific…
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Contractors renovating Benjamin Franklin's former home in London in 1998 made the horrifying discovery of more than a thousand human bones buried in his basement.
Contractors renovating Benjamin Franklin's former home in London in 1998 made the horrifying discovery of more than a thousand human bones buried in his…
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Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa drowned in knee-deep water during the Third Crusade in 1190 because he was too impatient to wait for a bridge to cross the Saleph River.
Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa drowned in knee-deep water during the Third Crusade in 1190 because he was too impatient to wait for a bridge to cross…
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Ancient Egyptian police forces actively utilized trained baboons to patrol markets, apprehend criminals, and maintain public order thousands of years ago.
Ancient Egyptian police forces actively utilized trained baboons to patrol markets, apprehend criminals, and maintain public order thousands of years ago.…
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Unscrupulous administrators caused the deadliest school disaster in American history in 1937 by secretly tapping into a leftover natural gas line to save money on heating costs.
Unscrupulous administrators caused the deadliest school disaster in American history in 1937 by secretly tapping into a leftover natural gas line to save…
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Thousands of angry citizens rioted in Leicester in 1864, destroying property and setting fires simply because a highly anticipated hot air balloon failed to launch.
Thousands of angry citizens rioted in Leicester in 1864, destroying property and setting fires simply because a highly anticipated hot air balloon failed to…
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Archaeologists discovered a 3500-year-old Babylonian stone tablet that contains a series of riddles, including what scholars universally agree is the oldest recorded yo-mama joke…
Archaeologists discovered a 3500-year-old Babylonian stone tablet that contains a series of riddles, including what scholars universally agree is the oldest…
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Hundreds of small towns in New England maintain an incredibly morbid tradition where a golden-headed cane is formally presented to the oldest living resident, meaning possessing the artifact is a literal death sentence.
Hundreds of small towns in New England maintain an incredibly morbid tradition where a golden-headed cane is formally presented to the oldest living resident,…
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Famous diarist Samuel Pepys chose to save his most valuable possession during the catastrophic Great Fire of London in 1666 by burying a massive wheel of Parmesan cheese in his garden.
Famous diarist Samuel Pepys chose to save his most valuable possession during the catastrophic Great Fire of London in 1666 by burying a massive wheel of…
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President John Quincy Adams allegedly kept a pet alligator in a bathtub at the White House, delighting in terrifying his unsuspecting political guests when they went to use the restroom.
President John Quincy Adams allegedly kept a pet alligator in a bathtub at the White House, delighting in terrifying his unsuspecting political guests when…
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Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries flew the first hot air balloon across the English Channel in 1785, but almost crashed into the ocean because they packed too much unnecessary junk.
Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries flew the first hot air balloon across the English Channel in 1785, but almost crashed into the…
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