History is the study of past events. We know what happened in the past thanks to the thousands of humans who kept track of historical events in books, paintings, recordings, and photographs.
In most cases, these records have survived over several decades, centuries and in some cases, even thousands of years. But most kids in school only learn about the history of their own country and maybe a few historical tidbits. Most of us have a difficult time putting together a timeline of the biggest events in the history of the world. So if you're looking to refresh your mind, check out these incredible history facts that will make you question the passage of time.
Hocus Pocus
The Eucharist is a Christian ritual commemoration of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ and his disciples, where everyone feasted on bread and wine. According to legend, the bread represented his body and it was blessed. The wine (which was also blessed) represented his blood. This ritual has been continuously used in ceremonies such as baptisms. But during the traditional Eucharist, the priests make the sign of the cross and say, “Hocus Pocus.” This is surprising given that the phrase is associated with wizards, magicians and witches—three things that go against the teachings of the church.
Medieval Bird Armor
Medieval knights have always been portrayed as powerful and intimidating, but it’s easy to see how their enemies might have chuckled a bit at the sight of their helmets as some of them were shaped like bird beaks. Can you imagine a heavy steel helmet with eye holes shaped like bird’s eyes and a beak as well as metal feathers on the sides. Even the squiggly lines under the neck and sides of the arms were inspired by birds. Regardless, they’re still pretty nifty and undoubtedly did their job in keeping the knight inside safe.
Iran Banned Mullets
In 2010, Iran released a list of hairstyles that were approved for people in their country. Unfortunately, the mullet was banned because it represented a decadent Western cut just like ponytails. And anyone who was seen walking around with a mullet were either harassed or arrested by authorities. In many cases, the individual was forced to undergo a haircut. While this rule might have seemed silly, it served as a reminder to the Iranian people that they needed to look over their shoulders to remember who was in charge.
Spock’s Vulcan Dilemma
Actor Leonard Nimoy played Mr. Spock, a half-human, half-Vulcan with pointy ears in the original “Star Trek” series from the 1960s, as well as several movies. He also made a guest appearance in the two-parter “Unification” episode on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Fans may also recall that he wrote one autobiography called “I Am Not Spock” and later one called “I Am Spock.” In “I Am Not Spock,” the actor compared his life to Spock’s life to explain the difference between the two of them. But in “I Am Spock,” he explained that Spock had always been a part of him.
No Title
During Italy’s fascist period in the 1930s, the Palazzo Braschi became the political headquarters of Benito Mussolini’s fascist party. And to ensure that there was no mistake, the front of the building was adorned with an enormous sculpture of Mussolini’s face. But after the war ended, the headquarters became a refuge for 300 families. Unfortunately, many of the frescoes that adorned the interior were damaged by the fires the refugees used to stay warm.
Boys Wore Pink and Girls Wore Blue
Up until the 20th century, pink was considered the little red, or the red that was associated with soldiers and war, which is why baby boys were dressed in pink. Meanwhile, girls were dressed in blue because it was considered the color of the Virgin Mary, particularly the shawl she wore over her head in many sculptures and drawings. But somewhere along the line, pink became a color that was more appropriate for women and blue became a color for men. Of course, these days, anyone can wear whatever they want regardless of their gender.
Smoking in Tour de France
Forget about bread and water! That’s the last thing bike racers wanted during the Tour de France in 1920. Instead, they opted for something they thought at the time was better which was to share a cigarette. Granted in those days no one really knew about the risks of developing lung cancer. They just thought smoking was cool. It also distracted these men from the pain and suffering they experienced while professionally cycling in this sports event.
French Revolution Barricades
If anyone knows how to plant a revolt, it’s the French. They did during the 1789 Revolution and again during the War of the Streets between 1830 and 1848. In fact, this photo was taken in 1848. It’s one of the earliest photographs showing barricades in the Parisian streets. These structures were created as an obstacle to control, block passage, or force the flow of traffic in a specific direction. But it was also used as a field fort during urban warfare in the French Revolution.
A Folding Globe
In approximately 1852, John Betts, who was an English doctor and philanthropist, published the first of many folding globes that unfold like an umbrella. The 15-inch globe also came with a box container and this became a fad in the 19h century as an affordable and easy means of storing globes. The globe was a lithographed map on linen which could be mounted on a pliable spherical metal frame which could be contracted and expanded.
The Grand Staircase
The Grand Staircase was considered the largest staircase in the Palace of Knossos and has been described as one of several masterpieces of Minoan architecture. The staircase includes two flights of stairs repeated on each floor and framed by a colonnade. Although centuries have passed since these stairs were used, it remains a major feature of Minoan palatial architecture. Unfortunately, the staircase remains inaccessible to visitors to protect and conserve this precious piece of history.
Telephone Tower in Sweden
The old Stockholm telephone tower was a metallic structure built to connect about 5,500 telephones in Stockholm, which is the Swedish capital. It was designed by Architect Fritz Eckert and built in 1887. The antenna spire was 260 feet tall and remained in use until 1913. After that, it was kept as a historical reminder of how convoluted telephone lines were at the time. Unfortunately, the tower caught fire in 1952 and was so badly damaged that it was demolished in 1953.
No Title
A German sculptor named Phillip Griebel is said to have made the first garden gnomes and rumor has it that he believed in them. Garden gnomes eventually migrated to the United Kingdom thanks to Sir Charles Isham, who brought 21 of these figures back from a trip to Germany and place them around his garden in 1847. Another rumor claims that the creator of the gnomes had this weird notion that he could actually attract actual gnomes by placing these faux versions in this property. Germans also believed at the time that gnomes were real and that they attracted luck and protected gardens.
1950s Cars in Cuba
The United States embargo against Cuba prevented American businesses and businesses organized under Unite States law or ones owned by American citizens from conducting any kind of trade with Cuban interests. This was done in retaliation of Cuba’s ties to the nuclear missile crisis. As a result, Cuba is like a time capsule for 1950s cars, many of which remain operational on the island. So, it’s almost like stepping back in time whenever tourists pay the island a visit.
The End of Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States was a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages which was upheld by the 18th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. The prohibition began on January 17, 1920, which led to many underground establishments selling alcohol in secret the way controlled substances are sold today. But when the ban was lifted on December 5, 1933, people started drinking like it was the end of the world. Then they re-discovered the woes of a hangover the morning after.
Turkish Female Fighter Pilot
Sabiha Gökçen was a Turkish aviator who flew approximately 8,000 hours and participated in 32 different military operations during her flight career. She also became the first female fighter pilot by the time she was 23, which was pretty impressive for the early 20th century. This photo was taken of her sitting in the cockpit of one of the fighter planes back in 1937. The efforts of women like herself paved the way for other female pilots to take the lead in aviation and eventually even space flights.
A Medieval Book Box
A book box is the ideal choice for packing those last-minute heavy and small items. They’re generally 1.5 cubic feet and is essentially a backpack. But this book box that dates all the way back to Medieval times looks very ethereal like the kind of thing one would expect to see in a “Harry Potter” or “The Lord of the Rings” film. And while today’s book box is usually lighter when it’s empty, book boxes like the ones in this photo were sometimes heavier than the objects placed inside.
Airline Reservations in 1945
Making an airline reservation these days is easy. They can either go to a travel agent and book a flight or they can go on sites like expedia.com and book a flight from the comfort of their own home. But in 1945, the technology we take for granted was still in its infancy, so airline reservations were done a lot more differently. Just looking at this picture makes one realize the amount of coordination required to schedule flights and make reservations, which was obviously quite staggering.
Lost Language
Languages are like certain species. When the last remaining member of a culture ceases to exist, everything about them dies with them. Well, that’s exactly what happened to a certain language, which had been lost for 40 years, or so everyone believed. But German geographer Alexander von Humboldt had encountered a parrot who still spoke a few words of a dead language and decided to learn their meaning. So, as it turns out, what was once lost was found again.
Early Born Woman Photographed
Hannah Stilley Gorby was believed to have been born in 1746, though the exact date is uncertain. She is said to have been the first woman ever photographed in human history. This photo was taken in 1840. But some dispute this claim and say that the earliest born woman photographed would have been Elizabeth Rockwood Cutler, whose life is well documented. In retrospect, the earliest-born individual photographed may have actually been a shoemaker from Massachusetts named John Adams who was born in 1745.
A Parrying Dagger
This parrying dagger is a small handheld weapon used in the late European Middle Ages and early Renaissance. These weapons were used in conjunction with a single-handed sword. During a battle, the dagger is used to move the opponents’ sword blade away, allowing the attacker to strike with their own sword. Most left-hand parrying daggers were abandoned except in areas of the world like Spain and southern Italy where these daggers remained fairly popular well into the 18th century.
Colin Powell’s First Selfie
Selfies are defined as a self-portrait taken with someone’s cellphone, but although the technology used to take them is as new as the social media sites people use to share them, the concept of taking selfies isn’t new. Just ask the late former secretary of state Colin Powell who was seen here taking a selfie of himself in front of a mirror using an old style camera about 60 years before anyone even really knew what a selfie was.
Selwyn College’s Very Large Cat
Selwyn College, Cambridge, is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded way back in 1882 by the Selwyn Memorial Committee in memory of George August Selwyn, the first bishop of New Zealand. But they have this silly rule where dogs are banned from the premise, but cats are allowed. Ironically, the master of the college that banned dogs was allowed to keep a dog after convincing officials there that it was a very large cat.
Caesar’s Death Site Now a Cat Sanctuary
Julius Caesar was a Roman dictator in 44 BC who was stabbed 23 times by the senators in attendance of the Senate at the Curia of Pompey of the Theatre of Pompey in Rome. So, it’s hard to imagine that a site where such a heinous act took place could become such a beautiful site and yet it has. It turns out the area where Caesar’s blood was spilled became a cat sanctuary thousands of years later among the ruins of what once was.
Female Pilots Ferried Aircrafts
Most people think of the 1930s and 1940s as a time where women didn’t have a lot of rights and were forced to slave over a hot stove in the kitchen all day long. But that wasn’t necessarily true. Not only did women join the workforce to become the breadwinners and pay the bills while their husbands were at war, but some actually helped out during the war like Hazel Ying Lee. It turns out that she was one for the first Chinese-American pilots, and like a lot of female pilots at the time, she helped ferry aircrafts during World War II.
Blind Leading the Blind
Everyone’s heard of the adage, the blind leading the blind, which often indicates that neither side knows what they’re doing. But in 1952, Londoners found themselves completely blind by the Great Smog of London, which made it almost impossible for them to find their way home. Luckily, blind people were used to finding their way around without relying on their sight, so they actually lent their temporarily blind counterparts a hand and guided them towards their intended destination.
Nijmegen Helmet
The Nijmegen helmets were worn by elite Roman cavalry in sports. The head portion of these helmets were made of iron, while the mask and diadem were made of brass or bronze. The helmet also had a neck-protecting projecting rim and had a diadem above the forehead with two male and three female figures. Sadly, it’s rare to find a complete wearer’s mask because of oxidation over time, but there are a couple that have been found over the years, particularly in a gravel bed on the left bank of the Waal River near the Dutch city of Nijmegen.
An Ostrakon
It turns out that cancelling people out isn’t relatively a 21st century concept. An ostracon is a piece of pottery, often broken off from a vase and has writing scratched into them, but that’s not all. These inscriptions were either short or long. But in the case of Ostracism, Greeks would vote whether to exile a member of their society by writing the name of the individual on an ostracon. If the person received enough votes against them, they would be exiled from the city for up to ten years.
Trained Baboons
According to this hieroglyphic, the ancient Egyptians once trained their baboons to act as guards and protect their loot from criminals. So, whenever a thief tried to steal anything, these baboons would spot them and attack. The only thing this image doesn’t explain is how the Egyptians taught these baboons how to spot the difference between a regular person and a criminal. But it’s safe to say that the owner used a command like “attack” to get the baboon to go after the criminal.
Shepherds Wore Stilts
This photograph shows a shepherd standing on stilts, which are a pair of upright poles with supports for the feet that enabled them to walk at a safe distance above the ground. This might have seemed like something one would expect to see at the circus, but shepherds in certain areas of France were forced to wear these to keep their legs and feet from getting soaked by the marshy ground below. The five-foot wooden stilts were strapped to their legs and supplemented with a long staff that the shepherd used as a support to rest and to direct the flock.
Bicycle Face
In the 19th century, doctors came up with a lame medical condition known as Bicycle Face to discourage women from cycling. The idea was that they would scare them by making them believe that riding a bike would cause their chins to jut out because of the strain to stay balanced on the bikes. A secondary side effect of bicycling was bulging of the eyes. Oddly enough, they claimed this condition only affected women and not men. But some women saw through the ruse and kept on riding.
Two-Thousand-Year-Old Tree
This photo was taken in the early 20th century and shows two people on the ground and one standing on top of a ladder in front of a two-thousand-year-old tree that was cut down by hand in California using that long saw standing next to the ladder. This is actually kind of sad given that the tree had been around for so many centuries and had survived battles, wars, and brushfires only to get cut down by humans who undoubtedly wanted to use it for logging purposes.
First Eiffel Tower Sketch
This is the first sketch of the Eiffel Tower before it was built in Paris, France. At the time, the project’s working title was "Pylone de 300 mètres de hauteur," which loosely translates to pylon with a height of 300 meters. And although Eiffel had the naming rights, it was Maurice Koechlin and Emilie Nouguier who reportedly drew the tower’s original design along with Stephen Sauvestre, a French architect. Another fun fact is that it took 300 steelworkers two years, two months and five days to complete the tower.
Toilet on A-1 Skyraider
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was an American single-seat attack aircraft in service from 1946 to the early 1980s. But in this photo taken in 1965, there’s a toilet seat where a missile should be. The person in charge of arming the plane fitted a broken toilet and hid it from sight by standing around it until the plane launched. And by the time the carrier air commander noticed it, it was too late because the plane had already taken off.
Cannabis Was First Online Transaction
Although reports are conflicting, some say that the first online transaction was for cannabis in 1972. This paved the way for other online sales such as in 1974 when Donald Sherman ordered a pizza with a talking computer. 10 years later, Jane Snowball used a Videotex linked to her TV to order groceries. But like the cannabis transaction of 1972, Snowball’s purchase was just an online order. She still had to pay in person. The first recognized online transaction didn’t occur until 1994 when Dan Kohn sold a copy of the Sting album “Ten Summoner’s Tales” to a guy in Philadelphia, who paid $12.48 plus shipping using an encrypted credit card.
The Sno-Cat Tractor
The sno-cat tractor, named Able, was used by Vivian Fuchs, the leader of the Commonwealth Trans Antarctic Expedition in 1957. The expedition had their hearts set on making the first overland crossing of the Antarctic Continent and as this photo proves, their efforts paid off thanks to this tractor. But judging from that massive crevice separating the two landmasses, it’s obvious that it was extremely risky and could have easily had a tragic ending for both the tractor and the expedition.
Vikings in Greenland
Vikings once lived in Greenland for nearly 5 centuries up until approximately 1450. That’s 40 years before Christopher Columbus, but that’s not all. It’s believed that nearly 500 years before Columbus, a group of Viking Explorers led by expedition leader Leif Eriksson, traveled across the Atlantic Ocean on a wooden ship and dropped anchor on an unknown land that would one day become America. Accounts of how he made it to the new world were spread by word of mouth before they were recorded in the 12th and 13th century. And as the saga goes, he crossed the Atlantic by accident after going of course on his way home.
Chinese Warriors Juggled
During a battle in 603 B.C., a Chinese warrior named Xiong Yi Liao walked out between the armies and started to juggle 9 balls. Generally, a warrior will use distraction tactics to gain the upper hand against an opponent and defeat them. But he didn’t have to raise a sword once because the opposing troops were so mesmerized by his juggling skills that all 500 of them simply turned and fled without any bloodshed. If only all wars could be so easily solved.
Kilroy Was Here
James J. Kilroy was a worker at the Fore River Shipyard and is believed to have been responsible for the creation of the expression “Kilroy was here.” According to The New York Times, Kilroy had marked the ships as there were being built but the phrase was not found until much later chalked in places that no graffiti artist could have reached like inside the sealed hull spaces. So, it was concluded that Kilroy was behind the expression.
F-16 With Half a Wing
The F-16 fighting falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. It was originally designed to function as an air superiority day fighter before becoming an all-weather multirole aircraft. It’s also pretty amazing too as proven by this photo that shows half of one of its wings missing. Impressively enough, the pilot of the F-16 managed to fly the plane back home safely without crashing.
Medieval Atlas
This Medieval atlas from 1375 didn’t have any of the longitude and latitude grid lines that became common in later maps, but it certainly looked a lot more fun. There are graphics or flags that show what you’ll find in certain areas that quite frankly looks like those maps they give out at the Magic Kingdom at Disney. In fact, everything seems a lot more identifiable and less complicated than most maps that geographers and cartographers designed in modern time.
Winston Churchill Diet Secret
Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 during World War II, and again from 1951 to 1955. He was also a very clever man, especially when it came to cheating on his wife, but not in the way you’re thinking. His wife had nagged him about taking better care of his health by going on a diet. But instead of going on a diet, he bought a scale that was rigged to make it seem like he was at the ideal weight.
Ancient Roman’s Kid Shoes
In ancient Rome, Roman kids wore shoes that reflected their parents’ status, as in their financial status and in some cases their political power or reflected that they were part of a Roman military life. So, the more complex a child’s shoes were, the more likely their parents were very important people. And although these leather shoes may not look like much today, they held up pretty well considering that they are thousands of years old.
Fido’s Latin Origin
The name Fido is a fairly common dog name. In fact, it’s been used so much that it’s almost a cliché. But most dog owners are unaware that the name Fido is derived from the Latin word fidus, which means to trust or confide in. This might explain why US President Abraham Lincoln named all five of his dogs Fido before he became president. It’s difficult to find trustworthy people in politics, but luckily he had his dogs who were blindly faithful.
John Adams’ Dog Named Satan
While John Adams was the second president of the United States, he was the first one to actually live in the White House. So naturally, he had stables built in the White House for his animals. And his dogs were the first pets to run around in the presidential lawn. But Adams and his bridge, Abigail, has some unusual names for their pets, including a horse named Cleopatra, and a dog named Satan, who thankfully was not a terror like his namesake.
Black Cat Audition
There were three parts to the 1962 film “Tales of Terror” that were adapted from a story from Edgar Allan Poe. One of those stories was called “The Black Cat.” So naturally, Hollywood needed black cats for the movie, so an audition was held on the sidewalk in the 600 block of N. Bronson Avenue in Hollywood. Over 100 black cats were lined up after cat owners read in the newspaper that an audition was being held for “a sagacious black cat.” Ironically, there were all sorts of cats at the audition including gray and even a white cat.
Elephant Sword
An elephant sword, also known as a tusk sword, is a sharp weapon designed to be attached to the tip of an elephant’s tusk. Since elephants have two tusks, these elephant swords were used in pair. War elephants were used in the Middle East and India for centuries. But thousands of years before that, elephants were equipped with steel tusks that were as effective as the elephant swords in battle. Sometimes, the blades were coated in poison in case stabbing didn’t do the trick.
Meaning of Senate in Latin
A senate isn’t a modern concept and neither is the word. In fact, it was used in Ancient Rome thousands of years ago. But the word senate is derived from the Latin word senex, which translates to old man. So, senate means board of old men which in today’s world would translate to council of elders. The word is reportedly connected to the same root as the word senile, which some might find accurate.
This Monowheel from 1931
This monowheel or uniwheel was a one/wheeled single/track mode of transportation not unlike a unicycle. But instead of sitting above the wheel like a unicycle, the rider sat within the wheel or next to it. But most of them have the same principle as a bicycle in that the rider has to pedal their way, but this one looks like it has a motorcycle engine and a steering wheel. That’s pretty inventive considering that this image was taken in 1931 when mechanical gadgets were still in their infancy.
Hafted Axe from Ancient China
This dragon axe is actually a Hafted axe with dragons and is categorized as an Ancient Chinese Bronze and Jade Sculpture created sometime between 1200 BCE and 1100 BCE, making it approximately 3,000 years old. It’s currently on display at the Freer Gallery of Art in the United States. The interesting thing about this axe is that the design is similar to Meso-American, which is odd given that both landmasses are nowhere near each other, and neither side knew the other existed so long ago, so the odds of being influenced by one another’s art would have been impossible.
The Key Gompa Monastery in India
The Key Gompa Monastery is located in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, Lahaul and Spiti district in India. It’s considered the largest and oldest monastery of the Spiti Valley and serves as a religious training center for lamas. Rumor has it that monastery was once home to 100 monks back in 1855. But it was reportedly founded approximately 1,000 years ago and looks like a majestic temple, particularly during the snowy winter.