Random historical facts you didn’t know

[jw5]

Random historical facts you didn’t know​

The world is full of astonishing stories that often get forgotten or overlooked in history classes. This shows that there are plenty of interesting and random historical facts that you probably never knew of in the first place.

 

[jw5]

Jeremy Quek is a gongcheebye spammer.

 

[jw5]

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day​

Both Founding Fathers and eventual American presidents died on July 4, 1826, four hours apart. This day also marked the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

 

[jw5]

Beethoven used a metal rod to feel the musical vibrations​

By the time German composer Ludwig van Beethoven was in his forties, he’d gone completely deaf. And in order to continue with music, he discovered that if he clenched a metal rod between his teeth and attached it to his piano, he could make out faint vibrations.

 

[jw5]

British tanks are equipped with tea-making facilities​

Since 1945, all British tanks have a special spot for tea-making. This way, the soldiers don’t have to leave the tank in order to boil water and thereby diminish the risk of getting caught by the enemy.

 

[jw5]

Alexander Fleming invented penicillin by accident​

When Scottish biologist Alexander Fleming left for vacation in 1928, he forgot to properly clean one of his Petri dishes. When he came back, he noticed mold on it and figured that it had prevented bacteria from growing. He understood that the mold contained antibacterial properties, thus discovering penicillin.

 

[jw5]

Women were once banned from public s m o k i n g in New York​

In 1908, Katie Mulcahey was arrested for lighting a cigarette. She had just become the victim of New York’s newest law, a short-lived ordinance that banned only women from having a s m o k e in public. During her hearing she was fined US$5.

 

[jw5]

Ernest Hemingway survived two plane crashes in two days​

In 1954, Ernest Hemingway and his wife Mary Welsh had a disastrous trip, resulting in two plane crashes. They were embarking on a sightseeing tour in Uganda when their first plane crashed and they had to spend the night in the jungle. The next day, they boarded a rescue plane, which also crashed and caught on fire. Luckily, they escaped without any harm.

 

[jw5]

An all-black regiment called the Harlem Hellfighters fought during World War I​

The 369th New York regiment fought longer than any other unit during the war. Sadly, although many Hellfighters hoped that their service would improve race relations, they returned home to find racist Jim Crow laws still in place.

 

[jw5]

Adolf Hitler and Nazi solders used drugs​

During World War II, German physicians prescribed the methamphetamine drug Pervitin when troops felt tired or depressed. Historical documents also suggest that Hitler inhaled powdered cocaine to treat sinus problems.

 

[ginfreely]

View attachment 157394

Women were once banned from public s m o k i n g in New York​

In 1908, Katie Mulcahey was arrested for lighting a cigarette. She had just become the victim of New York’s newest law, a short-lived ordinance that banned only women from having a s m o k e in public. During her hearing she was fined US$5.

Women in Switzerland were once not allowed to vote too until less than 100 years ago.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_suffrage_in_Switzerland

Women in Switzerland gained the right to vote in federal elections after a referendumin February 1971.[1] The first federal vote in which women were able to participate was the 31 October 1971 electionof the Federal Assembly. In 1991 following a decision by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, Appenzell Innerrhoden became the last Swiss canton to grant women the vote on local issues. Appenzell Innerrhoden is the smallest Swiss canton with c.14,100 inhabitants in 1990.[2]

A previous referendum on women's suffrage was held on 1 February 1959 and was rejected by the majority (67%) of Switzerland's men. Despite this, in some French-speaking cantons women obtained the right to vote in local referendums.[1] The first Swiss woman to hold political office, Trudy Späth-Schweizer, was elected to the municipal government of Riehen in 1958.[3

 

[jw5]

The Leaning Tower of Pisa was never straight​

Known for its four-degree lean, the Italian tower was constructed in the 12th century. When construction on the second story started, the tower started to lean, due to the unstable ground.

 

[jw5]

The US enlisted over 1,000 Nazi scientists after World War II​

As the space race began between the US and the Soviet Union, the Americans drew in Nazi technology to get ahead in the Cold War. The top secret program was called Operation Paperclip, which brought in Nazi scientists to the United States and quietly eliminated evidence of war crimes.

 

[jw5]

Oxford University is older than the Aztec Empire​

The university first opened its doors to students in 1096, while the Aztec Empire is said to have originated in the city of Tenochtitlán (present-day Mexico City) in 1325.

 

[steffychun]

Very boring nothing on PAP?

 

[jw5]

Around 20,000 Confederates fled to Brazil​

As the Confederacy crumbled in 1865, many didn't accept the defeat. Instead, around 20,000 fled to Brazil in hope that the country’s legalized slavery would preserve their traditions. Slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888, but to this day descendants of the Confederates gather to celebrate their heritage.

 

[ginfreely]

View attachment 158053

Oxford University is older than the Aztec Empire​

The university first opened its doors to students in 1096, while the Aztec Empire is said to have originated in the city of Tenochtitlán (present-day Mexico City) in 1325.

1096 already got Angmoh studying in university. Angmoh the best indeed.

 

[ginfreely]

Women in Switzerland gained the right to vote in federal elections after a referendumin February 1971.

1096 already got people study university but 1971 then Switzerland passed referendum for women to vote. What an irony.

 

[jw5]

A group of female Soviet pilots called the Night Witches terrorized Nazis during World War II​

Pilot Marina Raskova convinced Joseph Stalin to let her form an all-female flying unit, which became known as the Night Witches. And even with their outdated equipment and planes, they still managed to fly over the Germans without being detected, launching surprise attacks.

 

[jw5]

Alexander the Great was accidentally buried alive​

When Alexander the Great died in Babylon in 323 BCE, his body didn’t begin to show signs of decomposition for six days. But today's scientists suggest that he wasn't actually dead, and instead suffered from a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré Syndrome. They believe that he was actually paralyzed and mentally aware.