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35 Largely-Unknown Segments of History We’ll Make Fall Into Place for You

Filling in history’s blanks. One fact at a time

35 Largely-Unknown Segments of History We’ll Make Fall Into Place for You

February 28, 2024

Do historians purposely leave out the interesting stuff to help keep us lethargic in history class? We’re a lot easier to control that way, aren’t we? Well, we drummed up some lesser-known historical facts that’ll perk everyone right up! Yup, you could teach us these bad boys in a dim, warm room directly after a lasagna lunch, and we’d still be amped up to learn.

35

Pepsi was once the 6th largest navy in the world. L'Est CHIN Y VIII MITH IN IV . F WIL HE VI VII - IV - XI VII WILL ... es hwep ПЕПСИ-КОЛ ПЕПСИ ПЕПСИ-КОЛА - ЗОВАРНЫЙ E ПЕПСИ-КОЛА SPAR RANBER ТОВАРНЫЙ il AOR - - NET НИ the - DE 13 11 17 .. 33 : DE 12 ЛЬНИЙ 179 11 21 = 37 27 13 15 17 10 The USSR had restrictions on transporting rubles outside of their territory, so they made good on a $3 billion contract in 1990 with 17 submarines, a frigate, a cruiser and a — Source

34

Yang Kyoungjong was a Korean soldier in WWII who was forced to fight on 3 sides of the war. V Не was conscripted into the من Japanese army, captured and forced to fight by the Soviet army, then again by the German army, over the course of 5 years. CRACKED.COM — Source

33

Ohio and Michigan once went to war - over Toledo. N Est L MICHIGAN Maumee Toledo Bay Disputed Toledo Strip Perrysburg OHIO Maumee River Aniwage From 1835-36, the two states argued over a thin strip of land at their border. It escalated to a brawl wherein someone was stabbed with a pen knife, but that was the only casualty. CRACKED.COM — Source

32

The 1767 expedition of the HMS Dolphin had to be cut short due to accidental horny mutiny. Captain Samuel Wallis noticed his crew were dismantling the ship for iron parts, which were traded for sex with locals. CRACKED.COM — Source

31

The Anglo-Zanzibar War was the shortest war in recorded history. N Est The 1896 skirmish between Aniward the British Empire and the Zanzibar Sultanate lasted 45 minutes, tops. The British managed to kill 500 soldiers in that time, while losing only 1 of their own. CRACKED.COM — Source

30

The Largest Bell Ever Made

The largest bell ever made was lost by a greedy governor. Est Portugese warlord Filipe de Brito e Nicote was granted a governorship, then promptly declared independence. Не tried to melt the Shwedagon Pagoda's 23-ton bell to make cannons, then dropped it in a river. De Brito was executed at the stake. CRACKED.COM — Source

29

An astronaut pooped and puked all over Apollo 8 in mid-orbit. Frank Borman got briefly but violently ill, to the extent that it overwhelmed the waste system. Meaning: poo and spew orbs floating around the cabin. CRACKED.COM — Source

28

In WWI, the German ship SMS Cap Trafalgar was disguised to look like British ocean liner RMS Carmania in order to raise hell behind enemy lines. But the first ship the Trafalgar encountered was the real Carmania, which laid waste to the imposter. CRACKED.COM — Source

27

Napoleon's first wife performed a sex act that baffles modern historians. NNEst ft. S S They exchanged tons of extremely dirty letters, which mentioned, but never explained, something called a zig-zag. CRACKED.COM — Source

26

Cleopatra wasn't known for her beauty She was attractive for her inbred family, but, by her time's standards, she wasn't known as a looker. However, she was known for seducing any person by using her intellect and charsima. CRACKED.COM — Source

25

Elvis was a natural blonde Не dyed his hair black because he believed it brought out his features better on film. CRACKED.COM — Source

24

Pocahontas probably had a shaved head IM The child's real name was Matoaka, and she probably had her head shaved completely bald and didn't wear clothes, as was tradition with prepubescent girls within her tribe. CRACKED.COM — Source

23

St. Nick had a crooked nose From studying the remains of the man behind Santa Claus, researchers know jolly ol' St. Nick had a badly broken nose that healed asymmetrically. CRACKED.COM — Source

22

George Washington had red hair Surprisingly, he didn't wear a wig, but he did powder his (real, red) hair as was the fashion at the time. CRACKED.COM — Source

21

Michelangelo hid underground for three months While avoiding the wrath of the Pope, the artist doodled on the walls of a room underneath the Medici Chapel. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

20

A computer can tell a real Jackson Pollock from a fake It has 93% accuracy. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

19

Rembrandt

Rembrandt's Portrait of Jacob de Gheyn III has been stolen 4 times The 9x12 inch painting has been nicknamed the takeaway Rembrandt as its small size has led to its numerous thefts. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

18

Basquiat was in Blondie's music video for Rapture. Debbie Harry bought Basquiat's first painting for $200. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

17

Picasso was once suspected of stealing the Mona Lisa in 1911. One of Picasso's friends had sold him art stolen from the Louvre before and reported him to the police. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

16

When Dali's remains were exhumed, his mustache was still perfectly intact X His body was removed for DNA samples for a paternity case, 28 years after his death. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

15

Leonardo Da Vinci was a wedding planner for four years The seating for The Last Supper mirrors his layout for the wedding of the Duke of Milan Leonardo. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

14

Henry Hudson 1565-1611? ABANDONED BY MUTINEERS Hudson, an English explorer, was abandoned by his crew and never seen again. CRACKED — Source

13

King Alexander of Greece 1893-1920 KILLED BY A MONKEY Alexander was the only European monarch to ever be killed by a monkey. Не was trying to keep his dog away from a Barbary macaque when it bit him. CRACKED — Source

12

CRACKED Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier 1754-1785 DIED IN THE FIRST HOT-AIR BALLOON ACCIDENT De Rozier was a French chemist who was trying to cross the English Channel when the balloon he was piloting crashed. — Source

11

CRACKED Franz Reichelt 1878-1912 JUMPED OFF THE EIFFEL TOWER Reichelt, an Austrian-born tailor, died after jumping off the first platform of the Eiffel Tower while testing his design for a parachute suit. It didn't work. — Source

10

Laughter

SAT 314 Thomas Urquhart 1611-1660 DIED OF LAUGHTER Urquhart passed away in exile in the Netherlands in 1660. Allegedly, he died laughing after hearing about Charles II being restored to the throne. CRACKED — Source

9

CRACKED ANUSPPAYS Valentinian I 321-375 DIED WHILE RANTING Valentinian I, the Roman Emperor from 364 to 375, had a stroke and died while he was angrily complaining about the Quadi invading Pannonia. — Source

8

President Hoover briefly had a possum as a pet at the White House. Some toymakers tried and failed to market Billy the Possum toys. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

7

Abraham Lincoln turned down the opportunity to populate the country with elephants. King Somdetch Phra Paramendr Maha Mongkut offered to send elephants for breeding. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

6

Harriet Tubman was the first American woman to lead a military assault. The Combahee Ferry Raid freed more than 700 slaves. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

5

Die Hard

Frank Sinatra was offered the lead role of Die Hard The producers were contractually obligated to offer the role to the 70-year-old Sinatra because he starred in The Detective. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

4

The Flag

There's no evidence Betsy Ross made the flag. The story originated with Ross's grandson William Canby's account. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

3

Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi attempted suicide as children. The famed leaders both suffered through severe bouts of depression later in life as well. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

2

Maya Angelou was the first Black streetcar conductor in San Francisco She was only sixteen when she staged a sit-in for weeks until she was allowed to apply for the job. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

1

JFK refused to let Sammy Davis Jr. perform at his inauguration because of Davis' interracial marriage Davis had campaigned for John F. Kennedy, but Kennedy was upset that Davis had married a white actress. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

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