History

History During WW2, Ernest Hemingway used his fishing boat named after his ex-wife (Pilar) to hunt German U-boats in the Caribbean armed only with Thomson machine guns and hand grenades. He was given unlimited gasoline by the US government. April 13, 2021

History After Puyi, the last Emperor of China, was dethroned, he worked as a street cleaner and would visit the Forbidden Palace as a tourist and point out the various objects on display that he used to own as Emperor. March 28, 2021

History People who speak Icelandic can still understand the old Icelandic Sagas because of how little the language has changed over the past 1000 years. March 23, 2021

History The statue of George Washington in Trafalgar Square in London sits on a base of soil imported from Virginia because Washington swore he would never set foot on British soil again. "In a square that marks one of Britain's greatest victories stands a reminder of one of its greatest defeats." March 21, 2021

History For centuries the city of Troy was considered a myth until it was re-discovered in 1871 in present day Turkey. The area had been excavated before but the ruins of Troy were beneath newer excavations and had gone untouched for millennia even though the site had people living on top of it. March 21, 2021

History There is no physical description of Jesus Christ in the Bible. All current evidence and portrayals of his appearance are based on cultural settings, political settings and theological contexts. March 20, 2021

History It was illegal for Americans to own gold (except for some jewelry and collectors coins) between 1933 and 1975. March 15, 2021

History The soviets built a chain of remote lighthouses along the arctic coast, each one powered by it's own miniature nuclear generator. In total 1007 of these generators were put in place, several of which remain unaccounted for. March 15, 2021

History In 1992, a California middle school ordered teachers to cover up all "obscene" words in Fahrenheit 451 with black marker before issuing copies to students. The school stopped this practice after local newspapers commented on the irony of defacing a book that condemns censorship. March 14, 2021

History A Christian sect called "Millerites" believed that Christ would return by Oct. 22, 1844. When that didn't happen, the "Great Disappointment" caused them to fall into confusion and disband, with some former Millerites reinterpreting their doctrine and forming the Seventh Day Adventists. March 5, 2021

History When Truman told Stalin about the Manhattan project in July of 1945, Stalin displayed little reaction, since Stalin had known about the project for almost 4 years before Truman, and he arguably knew more about it than Truman himself did. February 26, 2021

History In 427BC Athens sent a ship to Mytilene which had instructions to kill all adult men in the city-state. The next day, Athenians voted to change their decision - a second ship was dispatched. Racing through the night, it reached Mytilene just in time to prevent the massacre from happening. February 25, 2021

History Female gladiators or "gladiatrices" existed in ancient Rome, but were rare because it was considered unwomanly. One gladiatrix of note was a woman who fought wild boars with a spear while topless, and who would squat to urinate in front of a stunned crowd. February 22, 2021

History During World War I, the German government carried out a census of Jews to prove that german Jews weren't pulling their weight in the war effort. What they found out instead was that Jews were overrepresented on the front lines. February 21, 2021

History French cavalry captured a Dutch warship fleet trapped in ice in 1795, "The only time in history that men on horseback captured a fleet of ships". February 18, 2021

History The famous Madame Tussaud started out in Paris during the French Revolution. Marie Tussaud used to make 'death masks' of famous people who's heads had been chopped by the Guillotine. She went on tour to Britain for 30 years with her collection before setting up her waxworks in London. February 17, 2021

History Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" was not intended to be released as a single. They were later convinced to do so by Michael Jackson who had attended a Queen concert in Los Angeles and suggested it to Freddie Mercury backstage. February 13, 2021

History Los Angeles County has a bigger population (10.04 million) than 40 US states. (9.986 million or less) February 9, 2021

History An ancient Roman oracle once prophesied that "Caligula had no more chance of becoming emperor than of riding a horse across the Bay of Baiae". After becoming emperor, Caligula ordered ships to construct the largest pontoon bridge in history, and rode his horse across the Bay of Baiae. February 6, 2021

History Women also competed as gladiators in ancient Rome and there is a marble relief dating to around the 2nd century A.D. depicting a bout between two women dubbed "Amazon" and "Achillia," whom the inscription says fought to an honorable draw. February 1, 2021