History Facts

    Random History Facts

    There are 163 History Facts!

    In the 1830s, a Greek prime minister tried to spread the potato in Greece but people weren't interested so he put armed guards in front of shipments of potatoes so people would think they were important. People then started stealing these potatoes so much that the crop spread to all of Greece.
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    The Titanic was the first ship to use the SOS signal.
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    The first known contraceptive was crocodile dung, used by Egyptians in 2000 B.C.
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    A baboon called Jackie became a private in the South African army in World War I.
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    Tsar Bomba
    Tsar Bomba
    The largest nuclear bomb ever built, the Tsar Bomba, caused damage up to approximately 1,000km away.
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    Capt. Robert Campbell
    Capt. Robert Campbell
    Capt. Robert Campbell, a British officer captured during World War I, was granted leave to visit his dying mother on one condition - that he return to captivity. He kept his word and returned, only to try escaping as soon as he returned.
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    The oldest glowing lightbulb was first switched on in 1901 and lives in fire stations in Livermore, CA. It is known as the Centennial Light.
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    Modern humans first appeared about 200,000 years ago, but record keeping didn't begin until about 6,000 years ago. That means about 97% of human history is lost.
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