History Facts

    Random History Facts

    There are 163 History Facts!

    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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    Winston Churchill's Letter of Apology for Escaping from Prison
    Before escaping prison, Winston Churchill left a letter of apology on his bed. The letter began: "I have the honour to inform you that as I do not consider that your Government have any right to detain me as a military prisoner, I have decided to escape from your custody."
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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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    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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    In Ancient Egypt, some people paid their taxes in honey.
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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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    London's Pall Mall became the first street lit by gaslight in 1807!
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    A baboon called Jackie became a private in the South African army in World War I.
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