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History loves paraphrasing, and we’re sick of it!

34 Little-Known Historical Trivia Tidbits That Are Like the Dark Matter of History Books

March 23, 2024

History may have drag-and-dropped these trivia tidbits in the trash, but they didn’t click “Empty Trash,” now did they? And it’s a good thing they didn’t. While dumpster diving in history’s laptop, we found some pretty zany little facts that occurred in and around the history we already know. To be fair, adding every little historical detail would’ve made for some pretty beefy textbooks. But we’d risk a slipped disc for these any day!

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34

The German government sold pieces of the Berlin Wall. After the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the commercial use of complete segments was approved in order to gain funds in foreign currencies. One of the pieces made its way to the men's room of the Main Street Station Casino in Las Vegas. CRACKED.COM — Source

33

The afterparty for George Washington's inauguration CRACKED.COM in New York had such a huge turnout that his carriage could not get through the streets at the end of the day. Не had to WALK home. — Source

32

When Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded for plotting to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I... ...she was hiding her Skye Terrier under her dress, which refused to leave her corpse after the execution. CRACKED.COM — Source

31

Andrew Jackson's parrot had to be expelled from his owner's funeral... Because it wouldn't stop swearing. CRACKED.COM — Source

30

Caesar really shouldn't have been surprised when one of his assassins turned out to be his long-time family friend, Brutus... since for years his mistress had been Servilia, Brutus' mother. GRACKED.COM — Source

29

Apollo

The Apollo Spacecraft lacked functioning toilets In lieu of a loo, astronauts used baggies that sealed to their... areas And yes, the lack of gravity was an issue. CRACKED.COM — Source

28

When people think of Joan of Arc being burned at the stake it's usually for the crime of being a witch. In actuality she was burned alive for wearing men's clothing, the only thing she was ever formally charged with. CRACKED.COM — Source

27

Mary Todd Lincoln was not allowed to stay in the room as her husband took his last breath. Why? Edward Stanton, Secretary of War, was furious that Mrs. Lincoln would not stop crying! GRACKED.COM — Source

26

At Japan's surrender during WW2 Emperor Hirohito offered to convert the entire nation to Christianity. Gen. MacArthur turned down the offer stating It must be done on a voluntary basis. CRACKED.COM — Source

25

The ticker tape machines in use during the 1929 Stock Market Crash were unable to keep up with trading. They ran hours behind, struggling to report 14,410,030 trades in a single day. CRACKED.COM — Source

24

Dusko Popov, a Serbian spy, brought J. Edgar Hoover proof that an attack on Pearl Harbor would happen, four months before it did. Hoover decided to ignore Popov because he disliked the spy's playboy lifestyle. CRACKED.COM — Source

23

When the Titanic Sank in 1912 706 people lived, 1517 people died, S.S.TITÁNIC and 3 dogs survived. CRACKED.COM They were a Pekingese and two Pomeranians. — Source

22

Qin Shi Huang ate mercury pills. The first emperor of China died in 210 BC ate mercury pills, believing they would give him eternal life. They had the opposite effect. CRACKED.COM — Source

21

Chrysippus died laughing at his own joke. The Greek Stoic philosopher saw a donkey eating figs out of a basket, and jokingly told a servant to give the donkey wine to wash them down with. Не couldn't breathe from laughing too hard. CRACKED.COM — Source

20

Mithridates

Mithridates was executed by scaphism. The soldier was punished by his king by allegedly trapping him between two boats, feeding and covering him with milk and honey, and waiting for him to be devoured by insects. Не stayed alive for 17 days. CRACKED.COM — Source

19

Pythagoras was murdered after refusing to run through a bean field. The Greek philosopher was being chased by political enemies. Instead of escaping through a bean field (as by his own teachings they were considered ritually unclean), he stopped running and was murdered. CRACKED.COM — Source

18

Claudius Drusus choked on a pear. The eldest son of Roman Emperor Claudius died while playing with a pear, tossing it up in the air and catching it with his mouth ... a little TOO successfully. CRACKED.COM — Source

17

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

16

The MoMA hung a painting upside down for 47 days before someone realized INCORRECT CORRECT A visitor was one who caught the wrong orientation of Matisse's Le Bateau. NOW YOU KNOW CRACKED.COM — Source

15

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

14

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

13

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

12

Ernesto Che Guevara was also nicknamed El Chancho (The Pig)... Because he seldom bathed. CRACKED.COM — Source

11

GENERAL GAIUS JULIUS CAESAR WAS FAMED FOR BEING SUCH A LADIES' MAN THAT HIS OWN SOLDIERS OFTEN MARCHED TO THE TUNE OF ROMANS, LOCK UP YOUR WIVES. THE BALD ADULTERER IS BACKIN TOWN CRACKED.COM — Source

10

Cleopatra

Cleopatra is known for being the last pharaoh of Egypt, but she was not actually Egyptian. She was Macedonian. CRACKED.COM — Source

9

CRACKED COM Ernest Hemingway, author of literary classics such as For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea, had also published recipes for apple pie and hamburger (to name a few). - - - heart - - - - - - the - and - CHARLE the HEMINGWAY COOKBOOK CRAIO BORETH — Source

8

Leonardo da Vinci fought for animal welfare. Leonardo had a habit of buying caged birds at the marketplace just to release them. Не was furious about the fact that humans raise animals just to slaughter them, and apparently refused to eat meat. CRACKED.COM — Source

7

Isaac Newton was a waiter. Until he got an undergraduate scholarship, he waited tables at Cambridge. CRACKED.COM — Source

6

CRACKED.COM SADDAM HUSSEIN WROTE ROMANCE NOVELS Не consulted with professional writers on his works before releasing them under a pen name that translates to Written by Не Who Wrote It. — Source

5

NAPOLEON: LEADER, STATESMAN, ROMANCE NOVELIST? Before Josephine, before his conquest of Europe, a broken-hearted Napoleon wrote Clisson et Eugénie, a romance novella based on his doomed rela- tionship with Eugénie Désirée Clary. At the end of the novella, the hero dies tragically in battle, pierced by a thousand blows. CRACKED.COM — Source

4

John Wilkes Booth

John Wilkes Booth's family was obsessed with the play Julius Caesar CRACKED COM CELL John's father and elder brother were both named Junius Brutus Booth after the play's hero. An 1864 production of Julius Caesar was also the only play to star all three of the famous Booth Brothers, months before one of them became an assassin in real life. — Source

3

AMELIA EARHART WAS IN AN OPEN MARRIAGE. She didn't want to be tied down to one person and she didn't want her relationship to interfere with her work. CRACKED.COM — Source

2

The life of celebrated architect FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT was marred by incredible TRAGEDY. In August 1914, he returned home to discover a disgruntled former employee had burned Wright's house down after murdering Wright's entire family with an axe. GRACKED.COM — Source

1

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

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