History
Discover facts about history. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
History
Thomas Crapper did not actually invent the flush toilet, but he was a wildly successful Victorian plumber who relentlessly promoted sanitary plumbing and proudly stamped his name on manhole covers across London.
Thomas Crapper did not actually invent the flush toilet, but he was a wildly successful Victorian plumber who relentlessly promoted sanitary plumbing and…
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Egyptian Pharaoh Pepy II despised flies so much that he reportedly kept several naked slaves completely slathered in honey standing near him at all times.
Egyptian Pharaoh Pepy II despised flies so much that he reportedly kept several naked slaves completely slathered in honey standing near him at all times.…
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Genghis Khan established an incredibly efficient postal system across the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, utilizing a massive network of relay stations that allowed riders to cover up to 200 miles in a single day.
Genghis Khan established an incredibly efficient postal system across the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, utilizing a massive network of relay stations…
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Mechanical engineer Thomas Midgley Jr possesses the horrifying distinction of being the single organism responsible for the most environmental damage in Earth's entire planetary history.
Mechanical engineer Thomas Midgley Jr possesses the horrifying distinction of being the single organism responsible for the most environmental damage in…
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Executioner Richard Royston completely botched the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1587, requiring three agonizingly separate swings of his heavy axe to finish the job.
Executioner Richard Royston completely botched the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1587, requiring three agonizingly separate swings of his heavy axe to…
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Olympic marathon runners in the 1904 St.
Olympic marathon runners in the 1904 St. Louis games faced incredibly dangerous conditions, including a course entirely covered in thick dust, only one water…
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Medieval women who brewed beer wore tall pointy hats and kept cats to protect grain, which heavily inspired the modern cultural depiction of evil witches.
Medieval women who brewed beer wore tall pointy hats and kept cats to protect grain, which heavily inspired the modern cultural depiction of evil witches.…
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Austrian soldiers accidentally attacked their own army during the Battle of Karánsebes in 1788, reportedly suffering massive casualties without a single enemy Ottoman soldier ever stepping onto the battlefield.
Austrian soldiers accidentally attacked their own army during the Battle of Karánsebes in 1788, reportedly suffering massive casualties without a single enemy…
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Abraham Lincoln operated a wildly successful saloon in New Salem, Illinois, making him the only licensed bartender in the history of the United States presidency.
Abraham Lincoln operated a wildly successful saloon in New Salem, Illinois, making him the only licensed bartender in the history of the United States…
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French showman Tarrare possessed a medically inexplicable appetite in the eighteenth century, routinely eating vast quantities of food, live animals, and garbage without ever…
French showman Tarrare possessed a medically inexplicable appetite in the eighteenth century, routinely eating vast quantities of food, live animals, and…
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Parliament had to soak their curtains in chloride of lime in 1858 just to survive a crisis known as the Great Stink, which happened when human waste in the river boiled under the summer sun.
Parliament had to soak their curtains in chloride of lime in 1858 just to survive a crisis known as the Great Stink, which happened when human waste in the…
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German knight Götz von Berlichingen lost his right arm to cannon fire in 1504, so he had a local blacksmith forge him an intricate mechanical iron prosthetic capable of holding both a sword and a delicate quill pen.
German knight Götz von Berlichingen lost his right arm to cannon fire in 1504, so he had a local blacksmith forge him an intricate mechanical iron prosthetic…
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King Henry VI decided to hold a diplomatic diet at the Petersberg Citadel in Erfurt in 1184 to settle a nasty feud between two powerful nobles, but the sheer weight of the…
King Henry VI decided to hold a diplomatic diet at the Petersberg Citadel in Erfurt in 1184 to settle a nasty feud between two powerful nobles, but the sheer…
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Roman Emperor Caligula marched his legions to the shores of the English Channel in 40 CE and ordered them to attack the ocean by stabbing the water with their swords.
Roman Emperor Caligula marched his legions to the shores of the English Channel in 40 CE and ordered them to attack the ocean by stabbing the water with their…
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Andrew Jackson received a 1,400-pound block of cheddar cheese as a gift and left it aging in the White House foyer for nearly two years.
Andrew Jackson received a 1,400-pound block of cheddar cheese as a gift and left it aging in the White House foyer for nearly two years. The dairy behemoth…
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Polish soldiers in World War II enlisted a Syrian brown bear named Wojtek, giving him an official rank, a paybook, and a steady supply of beer and cigarettes.
Polish soldiers in World War II enlisted a Syrian brown bear named Wojtek, giving him an official rank, a paybook, and a steady supply of beer and cigarettes.…
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Pope Gregory IX published a papal bull in the thirteenth century called Vox in Rama that officially linked domestic cats to Satan worship.
Pope Gregory IX published a papal bull in the thirteenth century called Vox in Rama that officially linked domestic cats to Satan worship. This religious…
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Central Intelligence Agency operatives genuinely plotted to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro by slipping him an exploding cigar, alongside other cartoonish schemes like…
Central Intelligence Agency operatives genuinely plotted to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro by slipping him an exploding cigar, alongside other…
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British and American military forces engaged in a tense, months-long standoff in 1859 on San Juan Island, all because an American farmer shot a British-owned pig that was eating his potatoes.
British and American military forces engaged in a tense, months-long standoff in 1859 on San Juan Island, all because an American farmer shot a British-owned…
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Roman Emperor Caligula pampered his favorite chariot horse, Incitatus, to such an absurd degree that he gave the animal a marble stall, an ivory manger, and a jeweled collar.
Roman Emperor Caligula pampered his favorite chariot horse, Incitatus, to such an absurd degree that he gave the animal a marble stall, an ivory manger, and a…
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British soldiers in World War I were issued a daily ration of rum, and the military actually scientifically calculated that a lack of rum would decrease troop morale and combat effectiveness.
British soldiers in World War I were issued a daily ration of rum, and the military actually scientifically calculated that a lack of rum would decrease troop…
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Thomas Edison electrocuted an elephant named Topsy in 1903 just to prove that his rival Nikola Tesla’s alternating current was dangerous.
Thomas Edison electrocuted an elephant named Topsy in 1903 just to prove that his rival Nikola Tesla’s alternating current was dangerous. He literally filmed…
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Spartans bathed their newborn babies in wine instead of water to test their constitution, believing that sickly infants would go into convulsions and die from the alcohol exposure.
Spartans bathed their newborn babies in wine instead of water to test their constitution, believing that sickly infants would go into convulsions and die from…
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During the Middle Ages, animals could be legally put on trial, provided with defense lawyers, and sentenced to prison or execution.
During the Middle Ages, animals could be legally put on trial, provided with defense lawyers, and sentenced to prison or execution. Pigs were the most…
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