History in facts

24/11/2020

Cleopatra Was Not Egyptian

Despite what you may believe, the last queen of Egypt wasn't born in Egypt. As best as Historians can tell, Cleopatra VII (that's her formal name) was Greek. She was a descendant of Alexander the Great's Macedonian general Ptolemy.

24/11/2020

The Titanic's Owners Never Said the Ship Was "Unsinkable"

Despite what James Cameron's iconic 1997 film may have you believe, the owners never said that it could never sink. Historian Richard Howells said that "the population as a whole were unlikely to have thought of the Titanic as a unique, unsinkable ship before its maiden voyage."

24/11/2020

Using Forks Used to Be Seen as Sacrilegious

What the fork? Forks, the widely used eating utensils, were once seen as blasphemous. They were first introduced in Italy in the 11th Century. These spiked spaghetti-twirling instruments were seen as an offense to God. And why, do you ask? Because they were "artificial hands" and as such was considered to be sacrilegious.

24/11/2020

Captain Morgan Actually Existed

Yes, face of the well-loved rum brand was a totally real guy. He was a Welsh privateer who fought alongside the English against the Spanish in the Caribbean in the 1660s and 1670s. His first name was Henry and was knighted by King Charles II of England. His exact birth date is unknown, but it was sometime around 1635. He died in Jamaica in 1688, apparently very rich.

24/11/2020

The Government Literally Poisoned Alcohol During Prohibition

During Prohibition in the United States, the U.S. government literally poisoned alcohol. When people continued to consume alcohol despite its banning, law officials got frustrated and decided to try a different kind of deterrent—death. They ordered the poisoning of industrial alcohols manufactured in the U.S., which were products regularly stolen bootleggers. By the end of Prohibition in 1933, the federal poisoning program is estimated to have killed at least 10,000 people.

18/11/2020

Women Were Once Banned from Smoking in Public

In 1908, New Yorker Katie Mulcahey was arrested for striking a match against a wall and lighting a cigarette with it. Why? Because this was a violation of The Sullivan Ordinance, a city law banning women (and only women!) from smoking in public. During her hearing at the district court, Mulcahey argued about her rights to smoke ci******es in public. She was fined $5.00. Two weeks later, The Sullivan Ordinance was vetoed by New York City's mayor.

18/11/2020

Napoleon Was Once Attacked By a Horde of Bunnies

Once upon a time, the famous conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte was attacked by…bunnies. The emperor had requested that a rabbit hunt be arranged for himself and his men. His chief of staff set it up and had men round up reportedly 3,000 rabbits for the occasion. When the rabbits were released from their cages, the hunt was ready to go. At least that was the plan! But the bunnies charged toward Bonaparte and his men in a viscous and unstoppable onslaught. And we were taught that Waterloo was the conqueror's greatest defeat…

18/11/2020

One Time, 100 Imposters Claimed to Be Marie Antoinette's Dead Son

After the French Revolution, eight-year-old Louis XVII was imprisoned and then never seen in public ever again. His parents were executed in 1793 and, afterward, he was horrifically abused, neglected, and left isolated in a prison cell in the Paris Temple. In 1795, he died of Tuberculous at 10-years-old. His body was buried in secret in a mass grave. Years later, dozens of men came forward claiming to be him because a Bourbon restoration was a possibility and a successful claimant could then potentially find himself on the throne of France.

16/11/2020

The Olympics Used to Award Medals for Art.

From 1912 to 1948, the Olympic Games held competitions in the fine arts. Medals were given for literature, architecture, sculpture, painting, and music. Naturally, the art created was required to be Olympic-themed. According to the founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Frédy, the addition of the arts was necessary because the ancient Greeks used to hold art festivals alongside the games. Before the art events were eventually removed, 151 medals were awarded.

16/11/2020

Paul Revere Never Actually Shouted, "The British Are Coming!"

While everyone knows the story of Revere's famous ride in which he was said to have warned colonial militia of the approaching enemy by yelling "The British are coming!" This is actually false. According to History.com, the operation was meant to be quiet and stealthy, since British troops were hiding out in the Massachusetts countryside. Also, colonial Americans still considered themselves to be British.

16/11/2020

Turkeys Were Once Worshipped Like Gods

While the turkey is currently America's favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal, in 300 B.C., these big birds were heralded by the Mayan people as vessels of the gods and were honored as such, so much so that they were domesticated to have roles in religious rites. They were symbols of power and prestige and can be found everywhere in Maya iconography and archaeology.

16/11/2020

16/11/2020