After Germany surrendered in WW2, people in Moscow partied until the entire city actually ran out of vodka.
66
Beethoven, was told by a music teacher that he had no talent for music. In fact, this teacher once remarked, “As a composer he is hopeless.”
184
In the 1930's, American track star Jesse Owens used to race against horses and dogs to earn a living.
50
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.
19
Leonardo Da Vinci predicted the mass use of solar energy as long ago as 1447.
153
In 2011, a couple bought a box of textbooks for $10. Inside, they found a 25-cent bill signed by the president of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston, and subsequently sold it for $63,250.
13
The ancient Egyptians bought jewelry for their pet crocodiles.
82