History Facts

    Random History Facts

    There are 163 History Facts!

    The universally popular Hershey bar was used overseas during World War II as currency.
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    Pirate Jean Lafitte Countered Governor's $500 Bounty for Him with a $5,000 Bounty for Governor
    When pirate Jean Lafitte saw the governor advertising a $500 reward for his capture, Lafitte offered $5,000 for the capture of the governor.
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    Cleopatra wasn't Egyptian; she was Greek.
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    585 BC Solar Eclipse
    585 BC Solar Eclipse
    In 585 BC, a solar eclipse occurred in the middle of a battle between the Lydians and the Medes. They promptly ceased fighting and signed a peace treaty.
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    Approximately 25,000 workers died during the building of the Panama Canal, and approximately 20,000 of them contracted malaria and yellow fever.
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    During the Gold Rush in 1849, some people paid as much as $100 for a glass of water!
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    Romans used a plant called Silphium as contraception. They had so much sex that they drove it into extinction.
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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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