History Facts

    Random History Facts

    There are 163 History Facts!

    During the Black Plague, it was thought that bad smells were the cause of the plague. "Plague Doctors" therefore wore masks with long beak-like noses stuffed with flowers or smoke to hide the smells.
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    Napoleon Bonaparte thought torture should be abolished because the information obtained from it is worthless.
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    A WW2 observation pilot, bored of not being in combat, decided to strap 6 bazookas to his plane. He destroyed several enemy tanks and vehicles. His name was Lt. Col. Charles Carpenter, aka Bazooka Charlie / The Mad Major.
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    In 1518, a "dancing plague" struck Strasbourg, Alsace, whereby hundreds of people danced fervently in the streets over the period of a month. Some suffered heart attacks or strokes, and many others died from sheer exhaustion. It remains unexplained.
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    Candle Clocks
    Candle Clocks
    Before clocks, there were candle clocks that when burned, indicated the passage of periods of time. To set an alarm, you pushed a nail into the desired point and the nail would fall and clank on the metal holder.
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    Henry Ford was Charles Lindbergh's first passenger in the Spirit of St. Louis.
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    Derinkuyu Underground City
    Derinkuyu Underground City
    In 1963, a man found a mysterious room behind a wall in his home that lead to a huge underground city that once housed up to 20,000 people, complete with schools, livestock pens, and food stores, dating back over a millennium.
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    In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant that she accepted.
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