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History
Remarkable facts from ancient civilizations, wars, empires, and world-changing events.
History
Ancient Sumeria elected 'Substitute Kings' during eclipses to protect the king from a prophecy of death. Once a real king, 'Erra-imitti' suddenly died while eating hot porridge and his substitute, 'Enlil-bani' formerly a random gardener, stayed king for 24 years.
March 23, 2019
History
Black Mormons couldn't become priests until 1978 when their Prophet had an unprecedented revelation that the "time had come" to allow it, after which black people thanked him for his "many hours" begging God to permit it.
March 21, 2019
History
Native Americans created a universal sign language that allowed 2/3 of all Indigenous tribes to communicate across most of North America, hundreds of years before Europeans invented a sign language of their own.
March 19, 2019
History
Polish priest Maximilian Kolbe provided shelter to 2000 Jews during WW2. He was later sent to Auschwitz where he volunteered to sacrifice his life for a stranger.
March 18, 2019
History
There was a Russian woman named Mariya Oktyabryskaya whose husband was killed by Nazi's in WW2, so she sold her house for a tank. With permission from the Soviet union, she went to kill Nazi's with her own tank, avenging her husband death.
March 16, 2019
History
President William McKinley (who was assassinated) often wore a trademark good luck charm. It was a red carnation worn on his lapel. While meeting with the public a 12 year old girl asked him for the flower. He gave it to her and moments later was shot.
March 16, 2019
History
The last time a living Democratic president transferred the presidency to another Democrat was on March 4, 1857.
March 12, 2019
History
The real Johnny Appleseed did plant apples on the American frontier, but they were mostly used for hard apple cider. Safe drinking water was scarce, and apple cider was a safer alternative to drink.
March 12, 2019
History
The number of men working in a lighthouse in the UK was increased from 2 to 3 following an 1801 incident where one half of a duo died, the other placed him outside and was then driven mad by the wind causing his dead colleagues arm to appear to beckon him.
March 8, 2019
History
The boycott was named after Charles Boycott, a man so hated that people wanted nothing to do with him
March 7, 2019
History
Only 388k slaves out of a total 12.5 million that crossed the Atlantic were sold in the US. The rest (10.7 million) went to Mexico and South America.
March 5, 2019
History
The term scapegoat comes from an old Jewish ritual where they would put all the sins of the townspeople onto a goat and then banish that goat from town sending the burden of their sins with it.
March 4, 2019
History
The Tragic Loss of Leland Stanford Jr. that Led to the Creation of Stanford University
February 12, 2019
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