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41 Historical Trivia Tidbits for All the History Big Brains Out There

Those who don’t learn history are doomed to not know cool history facts

41 Historical Trivia Tidbits for All the History Big Brains Out There

November 05, 2023

The interesting thing about history as a subject is it literally encompasses (by definition) everything that’s already happened. When you consider the sheer volume of stuff that’s occurred in the world, well, shoot — it’s a lot. Needless to say, there’s more than enough to fill your vast and cavernous cranium.

For example, in World War I, two enemy captains just decided to, well, not fight. When a British and a German captain who had been friends prior to the war encountered one another on Lake Nyasa, the British captain shot once and “captured” the German so they could get back to drinking and hanging like old times. With enemies like that, who needs friends?

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40

In WWI, two enemy captains just decided not to fight. SS Gwendolen, the British ship The captain of the British ship and the German ship patrolling Africa's Lake Nyasa (now Lake Malawi) didn't want their decade-long friendship ruined. So when WWI started, the British captain shot the German ship once and faked the capture of its captain. Then they got back to hanging out and drinking as usual. CRACKED COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

39

The Hatfields vs. The McCoys

A rare genetic condition probably stoked the Hatfield-McCoy feud. Several descendants of the McCoys were found to have von Hippel-Lindau disease, which causes adrenal tumors that make you short-tempered and violent. So, at least on the McCoy side, the feud was probably fuelled by tumors pressing on the adrenal glands of those involved. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

38

The first African American presidential secretary was announced on a game show. $ MR. DALY Instead of letting the world know about his appointment through a boring press conference, Lyndon Johnson wanted to use What's My Line?, a hit game show where people guessed what job guests had. The secretary, Geraldine Whittington, said OK, and history was made. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

37

When the Berlin Wall fell, banana sales exploded. Titanic ME - Zonen-Gaby (17) im Glück (BRD) Meine erste Banane пл I - I I East Germany only got mushy brown bananas, so when the Wall came down, East Germans went crazy for unripe green bananas. There's a joke that they rose up for bananas, not democracy, and whenever a long line forms, Germans say, Are they handing out bananas or what? CRACKED COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

36

The Civil War

A Civil War battle stopped so the soldiers could watch a fistfight. In the Battle of the Wilderness, a Confederate and a Union soldier hiding in the same gully began to duke it out after trying, and failing, to capture each other. Soon, both sides stopped firing and got closer so they could cheer on their dude. (The Union guy lost, and got captured.) CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

35

Salt Lake City has the widest streets of any major U.S. city. At 130 feet, they're twice as wide as Manhattan's. CRACKED.COM Brigham Young, the Mormon president who planned the city, chose the wide streets so settlers could turn their cattle around without resorting to profanity. — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

34

For years after the Battle of Waterloo, companies would dig up the bones of fallen soldiers, grind them up, and sell them as fertilizer. Bones are rich in calcium which farmers believed was beneficial to plants. The practice went on for a couple decades and only stopped when the farmers were criticized for fertilizing their lands with the bodies of their relatives. GRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

33

The infamous Milwaukee serial killer and cannibal, Jeffrey Dahmer, was a class clown in high school. 75 72 69 66 63 MILWAUKEE COUNTY MILWAUKEE COUNTY p SHEKIFF b DEPARTMENT His pranks and antics I - were known as doing a Dahmer around school. CRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

32

THE FIRST EVER TWEET WAS SENT OUT ON 21 MARCH 2006. jack Follow @jack just setting up my twttr 12:50 PM - 21 Mar 2006 106,353 Retweets 80,147 Likes 3.1K 106K 80K This historic and thought- provoking tweet was sent out by Twitter's co-founder Jack Dorsey. CRACKED COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

31

Abraham Lincoln was a trash-talking wrestler in the army. As a president, Lincoln was a patient leader, but as a young adult, he'd kick your ass. During one of his matches, Lincoln defeated his opponent, then turned to the crowd and said: I'm the big buck of this lick. If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns. Which is basically 19th century speak for Come at me, bro. CRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

30

Greetings From The BX Secret B G TENNA City During WWII, Oak Ridge TN was commissioned to develop and build the first atomic bomb. The vast majority of the city's workers had absolutely no idea what they were working on and only found out after the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. CRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

29

Due to fire, decay, negligence, or deliberate destruction, 75% T US 42 la - of all American CRACKED.COM silent movies на RA no longer exist. — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

28

CRACKED.COM BILLY THE KID was denied a pardon.* in 2010 The Kid was allegedly promised a pardon by 1879 New Mexico Governor Lew Wallace in exchange for testifying about a murder he witnessed, but the pardon was never granted. In 2010 Governor Bill Richardson decided to re-affirm Billy's status as a criminal and deny the original pardon. — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

27

A WWII submarine had a reindeer onboard for six weeks. The British sub HMS Trident carried Pollyanna the reindeer, a personal gift from a Soviet admiral, back to England. She ate so much food (plus some navigation charts) that she got too big to walk out, and had to be lifted out with a winch (a sailor with a broom helped). CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

26

WWII landmines are being dug up, and reused, by ISIS. Because the Sahara's dry, hot climate is great for preserving things, plenty of the 17 milliom landmines left there after WWII still work. So ISIS has been digging them up and MacGyvering them into IEDs. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

25

Germans trained WWII tank operators with porn. Mollo: Wohltätig ist des Wassers Macht, Nottma falls Du an Glysantin gedacht. Wasser ist ein Kühlmittel is umspült wie eine frische Brause unablässig das Gehäuse nd führt die Hitze, die durch Verbrennung und Reibung ntsteht, zu den Kühlern. Es speichert im Winter außerdem ie Wärme wie ein Sammler den Strom und hält dadurch en Motor startbereit. 20 Liter braucht Dein Tiger. Bei 85° fühlt er sich sauwohl Wasser ist ein Sprengmittel Wenn es zu Eis friert, dehnt es sich u.n 10% aus. Wenn die Wände nicht nachgeben können, werden sie mit Urgewalt gesprengt. — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

24

Bourg, France

In WWI and WWII, a French village mourned a latrine. During WWI, the villagers of Bourg, France, where general Patton ran a tank school, thought a sealed pit with two crossed sticks was a U.S. soldier's grave. It was a latrine, and the sticks meant keep away. Patton didn't correct them. When he came back in WWII, it was still treated like a grave. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

23

On the Manhattan Project, safety standards basically didn't exist. In a key experiment, the plutonium was contained by one technician holding a screwdriver. But the screwdriver slipped, and the plutonium killed the technician. This happened twice. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

22

During the French Revolution, they caught Louis XVI because GNAT his face was on money. IBRE 17 NES s ASSIGNATS DES FRANCOIS NAT par le décr vvil 1790, sanctionné LOUISXVL.ROT m CU SMDF While running to the countryside, Louis and Marie Antoinette (both disguised) were stopped by a postmaster who thought he recognized Marie. Once he compared the guy with her to a 50-franc note, he was sure. Pretty soon, they were arrested, then beheaded. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

21

At Mao and Stalin's first meeting, the USSR stole Mao's poop. On Stalin's personal orders, the sewage pipes in the house where the two met were rerouted to special storage boxes. The thinking was that an analysis of the chemicals in his poop would reveal secrets about Mao's psychology. (Did it work? Nobody knows.) CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

20

Walt Disney himself helped to design a Mickey Mouse gas mask Though few remain, you can find several on display in various museums in the United States. CRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

19

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina improved children's health in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina stirred up the sediment in Lake Pontchartrain to such a degree that when it overflowed, the sediment carried along helped bury the lead-contaminated soil of New Orleans, resulting in reduced amounts of lead in children's blood. CRACKED COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

18

CRACKED.COM A two-inch drop caused the Apollo 13 crisis. An oxygen tank was dropped, but inspections turned up only inconsequential damage, so it was approved for use on Apollo 13. However, combined with a perfect storm of design flaws and other errors, this led to an electrical spark while performing a routine procedure during the mission, and BLAM! Houston, we've had a problem. — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

17

The first submarine dates way back to the 1620s and was made by Cornelius van Drebbel. Called the Drebbel I, it was basically an enclosed GRACKED COM rowboat and was proprelled just like one. — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

16

Vaseline originated as a byproduct of the oil drilling - Vaseline - - - - process. - - HON In 1859, British chemist Robert Augustus Chesebrough visited a small town in Pennsylvania where petroleum had been discovered. Не noticed Vaseline's skin-healing properties after seeing how oilers used it to heal cuts and burns. CRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

15

THE BEATLES OFFICIALLY ENDED ON DISNEY PROPERTY. IN 1974, ON VACATION AT DISNEY'S POLYNESIAN VILLAGE RESORT, JOHN LENNON SIGNED THE CONTRACT THAT DISSOLVED THE GROUP. Disney's Polynesian Village Resort CRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

14

The repeal of the prohibition of alcohol in 1933 led to the CRACKED.COM emergence of the modern drug cartels. Crime syndicates needed a replacement for their source of income, and drug trafficking was the best alternative available. — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

13

The U.S. was still paying a Civil War pension in 2016. Irene Triplett in 2016 The sum was $73.13 per month, paid to one Irene Triplett (b. 1929), the daughter of a soldier who fought on both sides of the Civil War. When she was born, her father Mose was a spry 83. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

12

The first man returning from space was met by potato farmers. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin parachuted from his space capsule down to the village of Saratov, and walked up (in his orange spacesuit) to a woman farming potatoes with her granddaughter. They freaked out the moment they saw him, then he calmly told them who he was. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

11

Hurricane Katrina flung over a thousand coffins all around New Orleans. Even worse, many were ripped open, which scattered the remains inside. A lot of the coffins ended up in remote or inaccessible spots, like swamp and forest areas (some got stuck in trees). People are still searching for and identifying the remains. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

10

The Challenger

The team searching for the Challenger's wreckage found cocaine worth millions. Experts spent nine weeks scanning 420 square miles of ocean with sonar. They found ordinary trash, a refrigerator, half of a torpedo, eight shipwrecks, and more. Oh, and a duffel bag with 25 kilos of cocaine (that came from who knows where), worth about $13 million. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

9

King George V

King George V's time of death was chosen for its PR value. When George lay dying in 1936, the royal family wanted the morning journals, not the lower-class evening ones, to announce his death. So he got a lethal dose of morphine and cocaine at 11:55 p.m. on January 19. Не apparently wasn't asked, and probably wouldn't have approved. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

8

World War I

In WWI, a random Russian got kidnapped by his own country's peace negotiators. 6281 The team negotiating Russia's withdrawal from WWI planed to bring a peasant (to represent the common people), but on the way to the train, they realized they forgot him. So they snatched a badly dressed guy off the street, and next thing he knew, he was talking to European princes. CRACKED.COM — Source: 18 Historical Facts That Don't Get Mentioned

7

During WWII, brothers Rudolf and Adolf Adi Dassler manufactured boots for the German soldiers, as well as anti-tank weapons. УБ Panzerschreck Adolf plotted against his brother When Rudolf to get him captured recovered his as a prisoner of war, freedom, he also in order to develop started his own a new business of sport clothing his own called: company called: adidas PUMA® CRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

6

James Dean

Just weeks before he died after slamming his Porsche head-on into another vehicle, JAMES DEAN made a PSA for the National 130 Safety Council, warning of the dangers of reckless driving. TAKE IT EASY DRIVING. THE LIFE YOU SAVE MIGHT BE MINE. CRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

5

George Washington never wore a wig. TE SPRINKLE WASHINGTON The kind of hairstyle one would see in most of his portraits was achieved by following a process which includes yanking the hair, gathering and tying it up, and curling the side hairs. The last step is covering his natural, reddish-brown hair with a generous amount of white powder. CRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

4

Sir Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton was a waiter. Until he got an undergraduate scholarship, he waited tables at Cambridge. CRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

3

Like wearing pajamas? You have WWI air raids to thank. In WWI, people were being driven out of their homes by night-time air raids, and they needed warm, practical, and decent-looking sleepwear. So pajamas became hugely popular: they were loose, covered you up, and could be very stylish. CRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

2

The distinction of being the very first reality show goes to the 1973 PBS mini series An American Family. The show followed the Louds (a large middle class Californian family) which documented their divorce and featured their openly gay son - both rare on TV at that time. CRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

1

Henry Ford tried to end WWI by sailing to Europe on a Peace Ship. Не sailed with a group of pacifists and reporters, planning to convince European soldiers to go on strike. When they landed, they were greeted by eight college students in total. The half-million-dollar expedition ended in failure and ridicule. Ford told the pacifists he couldn't go on to Stockholm because he was sick, and then he sailed home on an ocean liner. CRACKED.COM — Source: These 47 Facts Will Make You A Walking History Channel

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