1. In Pascagoula, Mississippi in 1942, a phantom barber broke into several people's homes and cut their hair while they were sleeping. (Source) (via)
2. Benjamin Franklin served on the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence, but it has been said he was not to chosen to draft the document for fear that he may conceal a joke in it. (Source)
3. Henry V of England was the first English king to speak English as a primary language. (Source)
4. There is a Greek legend that says Zeus sent a flood to destroy humanity, but Deucalion, son of Prometheus, built an ark to ride the flood out. Afterwards, he and his wife repopulated the earth. (Source)
5. Back in the 1990's during a massive power outage in Southern California, some Los Angeles residents called 911 to report mysterious lights in the sky. The lights were the Milky Way, which they weren't used to seeing because of all the Los Angeles lights. (Source)
6. It is said Napoleon entered the Great Pyramid and then came out pale and shaking. He refused to speak about it, but hinted that he had seen a vision of his future. (Source)
7. In 1625, an English invasion of Spain was called off because the soldiers stopped in village in the wine producing region of Andalusia and got to drunk to carry on. (Source)
8. Archduke Francis Ferdinand was wearing a bulletproof vest when visiting Sarajevo in 1914. It did him no good since he was shot in the neck though. (Source)
9. Telling ghost stories at Christmas was a Victorian era tradition (hence the verse from Andy William's "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" about telling scary ghost stories). The tradition has mostly faded away now, except for Charles Dicken's classic tale A Christmas Carol. (Source)
10. Swiss-born watchmaker Pierre Jaquet-Droz built a robotic boy capable of writing in the 1700's. (Source)
Showing posts with label random facts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random facts. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Random Facts of History 4
1. Pope Innocent III declared that there should be a waiting period between betrothal and marriage, which led to separate engagement and wedding rings. (Source)
2. Ioannis Kapodistrias, a Greek Prime Minister, introduced the potato to Greece in the 1830's. Initially, the potato met with indifference to the public, so to cultivate curiosity, he stationed guards around the potatoes as they were being unloaded and told the guards to ignore thefts. The stolen potatoes then spread around Greece. (Source)
3. George Washington retired as a Lieutenant General, so in theory, he was outranked by later 4 and 5 star generals. Thinking this unseemly, Congress posthumously promoted him to General of the Armies of the United States and declared that no general would ever outrank him. (Source)
4. The man who invented to the Super Soaker water gun was also a systems engineer for the Galileo mission to Jupiter and the Cassini mission to Saturn. (Source)
5. The Ikh Khorig is an area of land in Mongolia that Genghis Khan declared sacred and was off limits to everyone but the Mongol Royal family and a tribe of elite warriors known as the Darkhads. The Darkhads guarded Ikh Khorig from 1227 until after the country came under Soviet influence in 1924. It is thought Genghis Khan's tomb may be there. (Source)
6. The Bible described Nimrod as a "mighty hunter before the Lord." The name "Nimrod" has often been used to describe a dolt though. This is because Bugs Bunny sarcastically referred to Elmer Fudd as a "Nimrod" because Fudd was a hunter. But he's also a dolt, and a lot people didn't understand the reference, so the name became associated with being a dolt instead. (Source)
2. Ioannis Kapodistrias, a Greek Prime Minister, introduced the potato to Greece in the 1830's. Initially, the potato met with indifference to the public, so to cultivate curiosity, he stationed guards around the potatoes as they were being unloaded and told the guards to ignore thefts. The stolen potatoes then spread around Greece. (Source)
3. George Washington retired as a Lieutenant General, so in theory, he was outranked by later 4 and 5 star generals. Thinking this unseemly, Congress posthumously promoted him to General of the Armies of the United States and declared that no general would ever outrank him. (Source)
4. The man who invented to the Super Soaker water gun was also a systems engineer for the Galileo mission to Jupiter and the Cassini mission to Saturn. (Source)
5. The Ikh Khorig is an area of land in Mongolia that Genghis Khan declared sacred and was off limits to everyone but the Mongol Royal family and a tribe of elite warriors known as the Darkhads. The Darkhads guarded Ikh Khorig from 1227 until after the country came under Soviet influence in 1924. It is thought Genghis Khan's tomb may be there. (Source)
6. The Bible described Nimrod as a "mighty hunter before the Lord." The name "Nimrod" has often been used to describe a dolt though. This is because Bugs Bunny sarcastically referred to Elmer Fudd as a "Nimrod" because Fudd was a hunter. But he's also a dolt, and a lot people didn't understand the reference, so the name became associated with being a dolt instead. (Source)
7. There are numerous examples of Medieval artworks depicting knights fighting snails...and no one knows why. (Source)
8. The buttons on men and women's clothing are typically on opposites sides because for centuries, middle and upper class women who wore elaborate clothing usually were assisted in getting dressed by servants whereas men typically dressed themselves. Clothiers realized that reversing the buttons on women's clothing made it easier for servants to help them dress. (Source)
9. A man claiming to be the son of Ivan the Terrible ruled Russia from 21 July 1605 until his death on 17 May 1606 under the name of Dimitriy Ioannovich. It is not known for sure who he really was. (Source)
10. Narwhal tusks were sold as unicorn horns in Medieval times, perpetuating the myth of the unicorn's existence. (Source)
8. The buttons on men and women's clothing are typically on opposites sides because for centuries, middle and upper class women who wore elaborate clothing usually were assisted in getting dressed by servants whereas men typically dressed themselves. Clothiers realized that reversing the buttons on women's clothing made it easier for servants to help them dress. (Source)
9. A man claiming to be the son of Ivan the Terrible ruled Russia from 21 July 1605 until his death on 17 May 1606 under the name of Dimitriy Ioannovich. It is not known for sure who he really was. (Source)
10. Narwhal tusks were sold as unicorn horns in Medieval times, perpetuating the myth of the unicorn's existence. (Source)
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Random Facts from History 3
1. James K. Polk, the 11th President of the United States, had a Chinese character tattoo. He was told it meant "eager." (Source)
2. In 1939, the New York Times predicted that Television would fail because people wouldn't have time for it. (Source)
3. There are more than 700 underground tunnels in Bavaria of unknown origin and purpose. There are no historical records of them, but it is thought they probably date back to Medieval times. (Source)
4. Braxton Bragg, a 19th century U.S. Army officer and Confederate General, was known to have denied his on request on one occasion and then argued with himself about it. While simultaneously serving as company commander and company quartermaster, he sent a request (as company commander) to the company quartermaster (himself), and then as quartermaster, he denied the request and gave an official reason for doing so in writing. As company commander, he replied back claiming he was justly entitled to what he requested. As quartermaster, he stubbornly continued to refuse the request. Ultimately, Bragg requested the post commander intervene. The post commander responded by saying, "My God, Mr. Bragg, you have quarreled with every officer in the army, and now you are quarreling with yourself." (Source)
5. The oldest known living individual clonal tree in Norway is called Old Tjikko and is said to be 9550 years old. (Source)
6. The Grand Mosque of Paris helped some Jews escape Nazi persecution in the 1940's by issuing them Muslim identity papers. (Source)
7. In 18th century England, men who dressed and spoked outlandishly in an epicene manner were referred to as "Macaronis." The term came from men who belonged to a non-formal club called the "Macaroni Club" and referred to anything they considered fashionable as "macaroni." This is where the famous line from "Yankee Doodle" about sticking a feather in his hat and calling it macaroni came from. (Source)
8. During World War II, German military tanks would run over camel dung for good luck. The Allies caught on to this and began placing land mines in camel dung. When the Germans caught on to that tactic, they began to avoid fresh piles of camel dung. In turn, the Allies began placing land mines in camel dung that looked like it had already been run over. (Source)
9. Julius Caesar was once captured by pirates who he threatened to punished when he was freed. His ransom was paid and he later returned with a Roman fleet and captured all of his ex-captors and crucified them. (Source)
10. In 1959, mail was packed into a missile and launched from the submarine USS Barbero. It reached it's intended target in Mayport, Florida in 22 minutes. Despite the success, they apparently decided against making rocket mail delivery a regular service. (Source)
2. In 1939, the New York Times predicted that Television would fail because people wouldn't have time for it. (Source)
3. There are more than 700 underground tunnels in Bavaria of unknown origin and purpose. There are no historical records of them, but it is thought they probably date back to Medieval times. (Source)
4. Braxton Bragg, a 19th century U.S. Army officer and Confederate General, was known to have denied his on request on one occasion and then argued with himself about it. While simultaneously serving as company commander and company quartermaster, he sent a request (as company commander) to the company quartermaster (himself), and then as quartermaster, he denied the request and gave an official reason for doing so in writing. As company commander, he replied back claiming he was justly entitled to what he requested. As quartermaster, he stubbornly continued to refuse the request. Ultimately, Bragg requested the post commander intervene. The post commander responded by saying, "My God, Mr. Bragg, you have quarreled with every officer in the army, and now you are quarreling with yourself." (Source)
5. The oldest known living individual clonal tree in Norway is called Old Tjikko and is said to be 9550 years old. (Source)
6. The Grand Mosque of Paris helped some Jews escape Nazi persecution in the 1940's by issuing them Muslim identity papers. (Source)
7. In 18th century England, men who dressed and spoked outlandishly in an epicene manner were referred to as "Macaronis." The term came from men who belonged to a non-formal club called the "Macaroni Club" and referred to anything they considered fashionable as "macaroni." This is where the famous line from "Yankee Doodle" about sticking a feather in his hat and calling it macaroni came from. (Source)
8. During World War II, German military tanks would run over camel dung for good luck. The Allies caught on to this and began placing land mines in camel dung. When the Germans caught on to that tactic, they began to avoid fresh piles of camel dung. In turn, the Allies began placing land mines in camel dung that looked like it had already been run over. (Source)
9. Julius Caesar was once captured by pirates who he threatened to punished when he was freed. His ransom was paid and he later returned with a Roman fleet and captured all of his ex-captors and crucified them. (Source)
10. In 1959, mail was packed into a missile and launched from the submarine USS Barbero. It reached it's intended target in Mayport, Florida in 22 minutes. Despite the success, they apparently decided against making rocket mail delivery a regular service. (Source)
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Random Facts from History 2
-Benjamin Franklin wrote an essay about flatulence titled, "Fart Proudly." (Source)
-The first message sent over the internet in 1969 was "LO." They were attempting to type "LOGIN" but the system crashed while processing all the information. (Source)
-Greek statues were originally painted, but their colors faded over time. (Source)
-Pirates wore eyepatches to have one eye adjusted for the top deck and one eye adjusted for the darkness below deck. (Source)
-Adolph Hitler was Time Magazine's Man of the year in 1938 and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1939 (though it's said the nomination was supposed to be satirical). (Source 1) (Source 2)
-Teddy Roosevelt is the only person to ever receive a Nobel Peace Prize and a Congressional Medal of Honor, the two highest awards for war and peace. (Source)
-The Statue of Liberty was originally intended for Egypt. (Source)
-Thomas Jefferson invented the swivel chair. (Source)
-The Eiffel Tower was originally going to be demolished in 1909, but was saved because the antenna added to it could be used for communications. (Source)
-There was a shopping mall in ancient Rome that was 4 stories tall with 150 shops and offices.
-The first message sent over the internet in 1969 was "LO." They were attempting to type "LOGIN" but the system crashed while processing all the information. (Source)
-Greek statues were originally painted, but their colors faded over time. (Source)
-Pirates wore eyepatches to have one eye adjusted for the top deck and one eye adjusted for the darkness below deck. (Source)
-Adolph Hitler was Time Magazine's Man of the year in 1938 and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1939 (though it's said the nomination was supposed to be satirical). (Source 1) (Source 2)
-Teddy Roosevelt is the only person to ever receive a Nobel Peace Prize and a Congressional Medal of Honor, the two highest awards for war and peace. (Source)
-The Statue of Liberty was originally intended for Egypt. (Source)
-Thomas Jefferson invented the swivel chair. (Source)
-The Eiffel Tower was originally going to be demolished in 1909, but was saved because the antenna added to it could be used for communications. (Source)
-There was a shopping mall in ancient Rome that was 4 stories tall with 150 shops and offices.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Random Facts from History
I may make this Random Facts from History a series, but I'm not sure yet. It definitely won't be a weekly series though.
- The famous "I Love NY" logo was created by Milton Glaser for free. He expected the ad campaign to only last a couple of months, but it has since become a recognized symbol of New York City. The torn envelope with his original doodle on it now resides in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. (Read more.)
- Honey does not rot or spoil if stored properly. A jar of honey can remain edible for 1000s of years. (Read more. Also this.)
- William Franklin, son of of American patriot Benjamin Franklin, remained loyal to the British crown throughout the American Revolutionary War. He and his father never reconciled. (Read more.)
- In the 1960s, the CIA created a cyborg cat that it intended to use as a spy in an operation known as Acoustic Kitty. Unfortunately, the cat was not very trainable and after being driven to a park to listen in on a conversation between two men as a test, the cat instead wandered into the street and was killed by a taxi. The project was abandoned after that. (Read more.)
-Famed 19th century wild west show performer Annie Oakley was falsely reported to have been arrested for cocaine use in 1903. Her "highest ambition" was "to be considered a lady," so she filed 55 lawsuits against newspapers that had libeled her. She won or settled 54 or the 55 lawsuits. (Read more.)
-The Dutch East India Company is considered to be the most valuable company in history. In 1637, the company was valued at 78 million Dutch Guilders, which when adjusted to 2012 dollars would be 7.4 trillion dollars. The company was in business from 1602 to 1800. (Read more.)
-Nineteenth century Texas politician and cattle rancher Samuel A. Maverick refused to brand his cattle and, ironically, his own surname became a term for independent people who refuse to follow the precepts of social order. (Read more.)
-US President Lyndon Johnson owned an amphibious car known as the Amphicar and enjoyed surprising unsuspecting guests when taking them for a ride in it. (Read more.)
-Spiked dog collars were invented in ancient Greece to protect dogs throats from attacks by wolves. (Read more.)
-The act of performing a "toast" to the health of friends was started in ancient Greece when a host would pour wine from a common pitcher and drink it before his guests, who, when satisfied it was good, would raise his glass to his friends to do likewise. This showed that the wine was not poisoned. The Romans later adapted the custom and would also drop a piece of burnt bread into the wine, hence the term "toast." (Read more.)
- The famous "I Love NY" logo was created by Milton Glaser for free. He expected the ad campaign to only last a couple of months, but it has since become a recognized symbol of New York City. The torn envelope with his original doodle on it now resides in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. (Read more.)
- Honey does not rot or spoil if stored properly. A jar of honey can remain edible for 1000s of years. (Read more. Also this.)
- William Franklin, son of of American patriot Benjamin Franklin, remained loyal to the British crown throughout the American Revolutionary War. He and his father never reconciled. (Read more.)
- In the 1960s, the CIA created a cyborg cat that it intended to use as a spy in an operation known as Acoustic Kitty. Unfortunately, the cat was not very trainable and after being driven to a park to listen in on a conversation between two men as a test, the cat instead wandered into the street and was killed by a taxi. The project was abandoned after that. (Read more.)
-Famed 19th century wild west show performer Annie Oakley was falsely reported to have been arrested for cocaine use in 1903. Her "highest ambition" was "to be considered a lady," so she filed 55 lawsuits against newspapers that had libeled her. She won or settled 54 or the 55 lawsuits. (Read more.)
-The Dutch East India Company is considered to be the most valuable company in history. In 1637, the company was valued at 78 million Dutch Guilders, which when adjusted to 2012 dollars would be 7.4 trillion dollars. The company was in business from 1602 to 1800. (Read more.)
-Nineteenth century Texas politician and cattle rancher Samuel A. Maverick refused to brand his cattle and, ironically, his own surname became a term for independent people who refuse to follow the precepts of social order. (Read more.)
-US President Lyndon Johnson owned an amphibious car known as the Amphicar and enjoyed surprising unsuspecting guests when taking them for a ride in it. (Read more.)
-Spiked dog collars were invented in ancient Greece to protect dogs throats from attacks by wolves. (Read more.)
-The act of performing a "toast" to the health of friends was started in ancient Greece when a host would pour wine from a common pitcher and drink it before his guests, who, when satisfied it was good, would raise his glass to his friends to do likewise. This showed that the wine was not poisoned. The Romans later adapted the custom and would also drop a piece of burnt bread into the wine, hence the term "toast." (Read more.)
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