History
Discover facts about history. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
History
Herodotus mistook marmots for gold-mining ants
The 'Father of History' was notoriously bad at verifying his sources, resulting in some deeply hilarious historical records. In the 5th century BC, Herodotus…
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Lord Byron brought a tame bear to live with him at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1806 because the university's strict rules explicitly forbade students from keeping dogs.
Lord Byron brought a tame bear to live with him at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1806 because the university's strict rules explicitly forbade students from…
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French cavalry completely captured a Dutch naval fleet in 1795 by charging at the warships on horseback across the frozen Zuiderzee.
French cavalry completely captured a Dutch naval fleet in 1795 by charging at the warships on horseback across the frozen Zuiderzee. The winter was so…
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Central Intelligence Agency operatives spent roughly twenty million dollars in the 1960s surgically implanting a microphone, a radio transmitter, and an antenna into a cat to spy on Soviet officials.
Central Intelligence Agency operatives spent roughly twenty million dollars in the 1960s surgically implanting a microphone, a radio transmitter, and an…
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The Royal Navy once banned forks
Toxic masculinity in the 1800s dictated that you had to eat your rock-hard salted beef with your bare hands or a knife, like a real, scurvy-ridden man. Up…
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Why Benjamin Franklin preferred the turkey to the eagle
If one of America's most famous founding fathers had his way, the national symbol of freedom would literally be the ugliest bird at the petting zoo. In a 1784…
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Napoleon Bonaparte organized a massive rabbit hunt in 1807 to celebrate his signing of the Treaties of Tilsit, expecting a relaxing day of shooting defenseless woodland creatures.
Napoleon Bonaparte organized a massive rabbit hunt in 1807 to celebrate his signing of the Treaties of Tilsit, expecting a relaxing day of shooting…
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Queen Victoria was prescribed cannabis for menstrual pain
The matriarch of the incredibly prudish and sexually repressed Victorian era was getting absolutely baked once a month. Her personal physician, Sir J. Russell…
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Pope Stephen VI ordered the nine-month-old corpse of his predecessor, Pope Formosus, to be dug up, dressed in papal vestments, and put on trial in 897.
Pope Stephen VI ordered the nine-month-old corpse of his predecessor, Pope Formosus, to be dug up, dressed in papal vestments, and put on trial in 897. During…
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When 30 congressmen turned the House floor into a brawl
C-SPAN would be infinitely more entertaining if modern politicians handled disputes like they did in 1858. Tensions over slavery were boiling over when a…
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When two writers dueled over a poem
Grammar police used to have some serious bite to back up their pedantry. In the 17th century, two prominent French writers, Charles-Claude Genest and an…
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Why John Adams called tea un-American
If you wonder why America runs on bean water instead of leaf soup like the British, blame the revolution. After the Boston Tea Party in 1773, drinking tea was…
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Four future dictators lived in Vienna in 1913
Vienna in 1913 was essentially the worst crossover episode in human history. Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky, and Josip Broz Tito all lived within a…
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Benjamin Franklin actually wrote an entire scientific essay in 1781 titled Fart Proudly to mock the pretentious academic societies of Europe.
Benjamin Franklin actually wrote an entire scientific essay in 1781 titled Fart Proudly to mock the pretentious academic societies of Europe. While serving as…
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Bayer pharmaceutical company aggressively marketed literal heroin as a safe, non-addictive cough suppressant for children in the late nineteenth century.
Bayer pharmaceutical company aggressively marketed literal heroin as a safe, non-addictive cough suppressant for children in the late nineteenth century. Long…
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President Andrew Jackson owned a pet African grey parrot named Poll who had to be removed from Jackson's funeral in 1845 because she wouldn't stop swearing.
President Andrew Jackson owned a pet African grey parrot named Poll who had to be removed from Jackson's funeral in 1845 because she wouldn't stop swearing.…
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Britain fought the shortest recorded war in human history against the Zanzibar Sultanate in 1896, with the entire conflict lasting roughly 38 minutes.
Britain fought the shortest recorded war in human history against the Zanzibar Sultanate in 1896, with the entire conflict lasting roughly 38 minutes. When…
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Bohemian Protestants kicked off the Thirty Years' War in 1618 by literally tossing three Catholic officials out of a third-story window in Prague.
Bohemian Protestants kicked off the Thirty Years' War in 1618 by literally tossing three Catholic officials out of a third-story window in Prague. In an era…
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Boston was struck by a devastating flood of molasses in 1919 when a massive storage tank burst and sent a 25-foot wave of sticky syrup tearing through the streets at 35 miles per hour.
Boston was struck by a devastating flood of molasses in 1919 when a massive storage tank burst and sent a 25-foot wave of sticky syrup tearing through the…
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Ancient Romans regularly imported urine from Portugal to use as mouthwash because the ammonia in it naturally whitened their teeth.
Ancient Romans regularly imported urine from Portugal to use as mouthwash because the ammonia in it naturally whitened their teeth. This wasn't some…
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Liechtenstein sent an army of exactly 80 men to guard the Brenner Pass during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and they returned with 81 men.
Liechtenstein sent an army of exactly 80 men to guard the Brenner Pass during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and they returned with 81 men. Unlike literally…
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The bizarre plan to build an aircraft carrier from ice
Desperation forces military leaders to put their absolute blindest faith in frozen water. Struggling against German U-boats, Winston Churchill actually…
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Ancient Romans shared a toilet sponge
The glory of Rome apparently did not extend to its toilet paper alternatives. Citizens utilizing the famous public latrines shared an unsanitary tool known as…
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The ancient sword edged with volcanic glass
The Macuahuitl was basically an ancient, eco-friendly chainsaw. Instead of forging steel, Aztec warriors carved heavy wooden clubs and embedded the edges with…
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