20 Wild History Facts Not Everyone Knows

Daniel Bonfiglio Published 12/29/2023 in wow

Not even the biggest history buffs can know it all, so what are some cool facts they might not have heard? From World War II to the ancient Egyptians, this gallery shares some fascinating, and rarely-read tidbits of history.

Although we think of the Egyptian empire as an ancient society, human history has spanned for much longer than most of us can comprehend. Famously, Cleopatra's rule was closer in time to the present day than it was to the construction of the pyramids. Believe it or not, the majority of human history took place before people could record it in writing, and even the earliest societies talk of "ancient" civilizations. For example, the first-ever joke in recorded history references "time immemorial," implying that even the ancient Sumerians thought of themselves as modern. Its subject matter is also something relatable for every human couple throughout history: wives passing gas on their husbands' laps.

“Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not [pass gas] in her husband’s lap.”

If you found that joke new and amusing - how could you not - then consider checking out the rest of this historical gallery full of facts that you probably haven't heard before.

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1.
The University of Oxford is older than the Aztec Empire.
2.
The first battle of the American Civil War was fought on land owned by a Mr. Wilmer McLean. After the battle he decided to move further out in the country to avoid the war, where four years later Gen. Lee surrendered to Gen. Grant in Mr. McLean’s house. The war started and ended on his property.
3.
Legend has it that the Egyptians once lost a battle because their enemies, the Medes, had live cats attached to their shields.
4.
The oldest recorded joke is a 4,000 year old flatulence joke from ancient Sumeria. “Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not [pass gas] in her husband’s lap.”
5.
After the United States dropped its first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, many Japanese leaders speculated that the United States was incapable of producing more than a few bombs, prompting them to continue the war.
6.
In 1943 a group of German sailors on a U-Boat emplaced a weather station on the Canadian coast in Labrador, so the Germans could more accurately predict the weather for military operations. The weather station was marked with fake signs indicating that it was a Canadian military facility and for unauthorized personnel to keep out. The weather station was eventually discovered by the Canadians… in 1977.
7.
There was a molasses flood in Boston in 1919 that was 25 feet high, and killed 21 people.
8.
Wine in medieval Europe was very sour. To make it sweeter, people mixed it with honey until sugar imports became more common.
9.
Abraham Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln, was present at three different presidential assassinations. After McKinley, he decided not to accept any more invitations.
10.
In the 90 years from 1841 to 1930, Ireland's population halved from 8.4 million to about 4 million due to the famine and emigration. There are more people who claim Irish descent in the United States than there are people in Ireland.
11.
In 1972, as much as 26 feet of snow fell on small towns in Iran killing thousands of people.
12.
More planes were destroyed in WWII than currently exist on earth today.
13.
In 1895, the entire state of Ohio had only two cars, and they had an accident with each other. (This picture does not show that event.)
14.
Fax machines were invented in 1843, well before the telephone.
15.
The entire country of Malta was awarded the George Cross for its efforts in WWII. It's still on their flag.
16.
In World War II, the Allies were about to invade Sicily and Germany knew it. So in order to keep them from stationing all available troops in Sicily to fight off an invasion, the British hatched a plan to fit a body with a British Royal Marines uniform and with letters that said that the Allies were going to invade Greece, and that they were using Sicily as a decoy. This was called Operation Mincemeat. They then dropped the body off the coast of Spain. The Spanish found the body and turned in the letters. Taking the bait, the Germans concentrated on defending Greece instead of Sicily. The Allies then successfully invaded Sicily. A year later, when the Allies were preparing for D-Day, real plans for D-Day fell into German hands, but the Germans thought they were fake because of how they had been fooled in the past.
17.
Underneath London there is still a layer of ash from when Boudica and her 120,000 troops set fire to the capital as revenge on the Romans. This happened around 60 A.D.
18.
During the Second World War, a Polish Corps bought a Brown Bear while traveling through Iran. During the battle of Monte Casino in Italy, the bear was seen helping move crates of ammunition. The bear was called Wojtek and made a private in the Polish army.
19.
Louis XIV's court at Versailles had very few toilets despite accommodating thousands of people. As a result, many courtiers would relieve themselves in corners and corridors during parties and leave it for the servants to clear up. Often richer guests bribed servants to bring them chamber-pots, but there simply weren't enough. Foreign dignitaries considered Versailles the “filthiest palace in the world.”
20.
The earliest documented aerial warfare took place in ancient China, when a manned kite was set off to spy for military intelligence and communication.
21.
One of the largest fault lines in America isn't in California, but in Missouri. The New Madrid fault triggered a series of earthquakes in the area in 1811-1812 that not only destroyed homes, livestock, and natural habitat, but created a crater that became Reelfoot Lake.

1.
The University of Oxford is older than the Aztec Empire.
2.
The first battle of the American Civil War was fought on land owned by a Mr. Wilmer McLean. After the battle he decided to move further out in the country to avoid the war, where four years later Gen. Lee surrendered to Gen. Grant in Mr. McLean’s house. The war started and ended on his property.
3.
Legend has it that the Egyptians once lost a battle because their enemies, the Medes, had live cats attached to their shields.
4.
The oldest recorded joke is a 4,000 year old flatulence joke from ancient Sumeria. “Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not [pass gas] in her husband’s lap.”
5.
After the United States dropped its first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, many Japanese leaders speculated that the United States was incapable of producing more than a few bombs, prompting them to continue the war.
6.
In 1943 a group of German sailors on a U-Boat emplaced a weather station on the Canadian coast in Labrador, so the Germans could more accurately predict the weather for military operations. The weather station was marked with fake signs indicating that it was a Canadian military facility and for unauthorized personnel to keep out. The weather station was eventually discovered by the Canadians… in 1977.
7.
There was a molasses flood in Boston in 1919 that was 25 feet high, and killed 21 people.
8.
Wine in medieval Europe was very sour. To make it sweeter, people mixed it with honey until sugar imports became more common.
9.
Abraham Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln, was present at three different presidential assassinations. After McKinley, he decided not to accept any more invitations.
10.
In the 90 years from 1841 to 1930, Ireland's population halved from 8.4 million to about 4 million due to the famine and emigration. There are more people who claim Irish descent in the United States than there are people in Ireland.
11.
In 1972, as much as 26 feet of snow fell on small towns in Iran killing thousands of people.
12.
More planes were destroyed in WWII than currently exist on earth today.
13.
In 1895, the entire state of Ohio had only two cars, and they had an accident with each other. (This picture does not show that event.)
14.
Fax machines were invented in 1843, well before the telephone.
15.
The entire country of Malta was awarded the George Cross for its efforts in WWII. It's still on their flag.
16.
In World War II, the Allies were about to invade Sicily and Germany knew it. So in order to keep them from stationing all available troops in Sicily to fight off an invasion, the British hatched a plan to fit a body with a British Royal Marines uniform and with letters that said that the Allies were going to invade Greece, and that they were using Sicily as a decoy. This was called Operation Mincemeat. They then dropped the body off the coast of Spain. The Spanish found the body and turned in the letters. Taking the bait, the Germans concentrated on defending Greece instead of Sicily. The Allies then successfully invaded Sicily. A year later, when the Allies were preparing for D-Day, real plans for D-Day fell into German hands, but the Germans thought they were fake because of how they had been fooled in the past.
17.
Underneath London there is still a layer of ash from when Boudica and her 120,000 troops set fire to the capital as revenge on the Romans. This happened around 60 A.D.
18.
During the Second World War, a Polish Corps bought a Brown Bear while traveling through Iran. During the battle of Monte Casino in Italy, the bear was seen helping move crates of ammunition. The bear was called Wojtek and made a private in the Polish army.
19.
Louis XIV's court at Versailles had very few toilets despite accommodating thousands of people. As a result, many courtiers would relieve themselves in corners and corridors during parties and leave it for the servants to clear up. Often richer guests bribed servants to bring them chamber-pots, but there simply weren't enough. Foreign dignitaries considered Versailles the “filthiest palace in the world.”
20.
The earliest documented aerial warfare took place in ancient China, when a manned kite was set off to spy for military intelligence and communication.
21.
One of the largest fault lines in America isn't in California, but in Missouri. The New Madrid fault triggered a series of earthquakes in the area in 1811-1812 that not only destroyed homes, livestock, and natural habitat, but created a crater that became Reelfoot Lake.

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1. The University of Oxford is older than the Aztec Empire.

3. Legend has it that the Egyptians once lost a battle because their enemies, the Medes, had live cats attached to their shields.

4. The oldest recorded joke is a 4,000 year old flatulence joke from ancient Sumeria. “Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not [pass gas] in her husband’s lap.”

5. After the United States dropped its first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, many Japanese leaders speculated that the United States was incapable of producing more than a few bombs, prompting them to continue the war.

7. There was a molasses flood in Boston in 1919 that was 25 feet high, and killed 21 people.

8. Wine in medieval Europe was very sour. To make it sweeter, people mixed it with honey until sugar imports became more common.

9. Abraham Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln, was present at three different presidential assassinations. After McKinley, he decided not to accept any more invitations.

10. In the 90 years from 1841 to 1930, Ireland's population halved from 8.4 million to about 4 million due to the famine and emigration. There are more people who claim Irish descent in the United States than there are people in Ireland.

11. In 1972, as much as 26 feet of snow fell on small towns in Iran killing thousands of people.

12. More planes were destroyed in WWII than currently exist on earth today.

13. In 1895, the entire state of Ohio had only two cars, and they had an accident with each other. (This picture does not show that event.)

14. Fax machines were invented in 1843, well before the telephone.

15. The entire country of Malta was awarded the George Cross for its efforts in WWII. It's still on their flag.

17. Underneath London there is still a layer of ash from when Boudica and her 120,000 troops set fire to the capital as revenge on the Romans. This happened around 60 A.D.

18. During the Second World War, a Polish Corps bought a Brown Bear while traveling through Iran. During the battle of Monte Casino in Italy, the bear was seen helping move crates of ammunition. The bear was called Wojtek and made a private in the Polish army.

20. The earliest documented aerial warfare took place in ancient China, when a manned kite was set off to spy for military intelligence and communication.

21. One of the largest fault lines in America isn't in California, but in Missouri. The New Madrid fault triggered a series of earthquakes in the area in 1811-1812 that not only destroyed homes, livestock, and natural habitat, but created a crater that became Reelfoot Lake.

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eBaum's Picks

1.
The University of Oxford is older than the Aztec Empire.

3.
Legend has it that the Egyptians once lost a battle because their enemies, the Medes, had live cats attached to their shields.

4.
The oldest recorded joke is a 4,000 year old flatulence joke from ancient Sumeria. “Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not [pass gas] in her husband’s lap.”

5.
After the United States dropped its first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, many Japanese leaders speculated that the United States was incapable of producing more than a few bombs, prompting them to continue the war.

7.
There was a molasses flood in Boston in 1919 that was 25 feet high, and killed 21 people.

8.
Wine in medieval Europe was very sour. To make it sweeter, people mixed it with honey until sugar imports became more common.

9.
Abraham Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln, was present at three different presidential assassinations. After McKinley, he decided not to accept any more invitations.

10.
In the 90 years from 1841 to 1930, Ireland's population halved from 8.4 million to about 4 million due to the famine and emigration. There are more people who claim Irish descent in the United States than there are people in Ireland.

11.
In 1972, as much as 26 feet of snow fell on small towns in Iran killing thousands of people.

12.
More planes were destroyed in WWII than currently exist on earth today.

13.
In 1895, the entire state of Ohio had only two cars, and they had an accident with each other. (This picture does not show that event.)

14.
Fax machines were invented in 1843, well before the telephone.

15.
The entire country of Malta was awarded the George Cross for its efforts in WWII. It's still on their flag.

17.
Underneath London there is still a layer of ash from when Boudica and her 120,000 troops set fire to the capital as revenge on the Romans. This happened around 60 A.D.

18.
During the Second World War, a Polish Corps bought a Brown Bear while traveling through Iran. During the battle of Monte Casino in Italy, the bear was seen helping move crates of ammunition. The bear was called Wojtek and made a private in the Polish army.

20.
The earliest documented aerial warfare took place in ancient China, when a manned kite was set off to spy for military intelligence and communication.

21.
One of the largest fault lines in America isn't in California, but in Missouri. The New Madrid fault triggered a series of earthquakes in the area in 1811-1812 that not only destroyed homes, livestock, and natural habitat, but created a crater that became Reelfoot Lake.