If you’re like me and a bit of a history buff, you’re in the right place! You’ll love reading these interesting facts about historical events, people, and ancient civilizations.
Here, we bring together the most interesting & unknown history fact pictures that you didn’t know you needed to know!
From World War I to crazy historic civilizations, these interesting facts should leave you more knowledgeable than before.
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History Facts
Arthur Guy Empey’s 1917 trench memoir “Over the Top” is the first known use of “thumbs-up” as approval, where British soldiers on the Western Front used it to mean “everything’s fine.”
In 1943, U.S. officials imposed a short-lived ban on sliced bread as a wartime conservation measure, which lasted less than two months.
If the electors of the Holy Roman Emperor did not vote within 30 days, they were only allowed to eat bread and water and were forbidden to leave the city.
In the 1940s, air conditioning became popular in movie theaters and was advertised as “cool entertainment.”
In 1983, a Royal Navy Sea Harrier made an emergency landing on the Spanish ship Alraigo; the owners claimed they “rescued” the jet under maritime law and received £570,000 compensation.
In Ancient Greece, throwing an apple to a woman was a symbolic gesture of romantic interest, and catching it indicated acceptance of that interest.
At its peak, the British Empire covered about 35.5 million square kilometers, which is 93.4 percent of the Moon’s surface area.
In 1930, an 11-year-old girl proposed the name “Pluto” for the newly discovered planet, inspired by the Roman god of the underworld.
Clocks turned “clockwise” because of sundials. As the sun moves across the Northern Hemisphere’s sky, the shadow it casts moves clockwise.
In the 1930s, Meyer Lansky (a major Jewish mob figure) frequently disrupted Nazi rallies by breaking limbs, cracking skulls, and throwing attendants out of windows.
The name Alfred means “elf counsel” in Old English, combining “ælf” (elf) and “ræd” (counsel). One of the earliest famous Alfreds was Alfred the Great.
Prisoners at Alcatraz had regular warm showers, which made it harder to escape via the ice-cold water surrounding the prison.
An Iranian refugee lived in an airport in Paris for over 18 years. This true story later on inspired the movie “The Terminal.”
In 18th-century England, having a pineapple was a symbol of wealth because of high import fees. They were often used as displays instead of being eaten.
When George Washington died, Napoleon Bonaparte of France gave a personal eulogy and ordered a ten-day mourning period for France.
When Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew, Louis, was made king of Holland, he mixed up his words and told the crowd, “I am the Rabbit of Holland” instead of “I am the King.”
Mahmud II, who ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1808 to 1839, is believed to have had about 19 consorts and fathered at least 37 children, including 18 sons and 19 daughters.
The Golden Orphism Book is one of the world’s oldest surviving books. It’s made of six gold pages bound together, and dates back to approximately 600–660 BC.
On September 19, 1967, the Republic of Benin was declared but lasted only seven hours before Nigerian forces retook Benin City.
Blacksmiths aren’t the only type of smiths; whitesmiths, for example, work with tin and other lighter-colored metals.
In 2014, the Fresno chapter of the Hells Angels waited in line for five days at a Walmart to purchase over 200 bicycles, which they donated to children in need.
Stonehenge was restored several times in the 20th century, including re-erecting fallen stones, straightening leaning ones, and stabilizing them with concrete foundations.
