History Facts

    Random History Facts

    There are 163 History Facts!

    Knocker-Up
    Knocker-Up
    Until the 1920s, there was a profession called 'knocker-up', which involved going from client to client and tapping on their windows (or banging on their doors) with long sticks until they woke up.
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    Tablecloths were originally meant to serve as towels with which guests could wipe their hands and faces after dinner.
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    Lincoln and Darwin Birthday
    Lincoln and Darwin Birthday
    Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born on the same day.
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    There was a bear called Wojtek who was adopted by Polish soldiers during WW2. It carried ammunition, wrestled with soldiers, and drank beer.
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    Modern humans first appeared about 200,000 years ago, but record keeping didn't begin until about 6,000 years ago. That means about 97% of human history is lost.
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    In 1980, the city of Detroit presented Saddam Hussein with a key to the city.
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    Nuclear Survivor
    Nuclear Survivor
    In 1945, a man survived the atomic blast at Hiroshima, dragged himself to an air-raid shelter, spent the night, caught the morning train so he could arrive at his job on time - in Nagasaki - where he survived another atomic blast.
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    The life expectancy in 1900 was just 47 years.
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