History Facts

    Random History Facts

    There are 163 History Facts!

    In 1518, a "dancing plague" struck Strasbourg, Alsace, whereby hundreds of people danced fervently in the streets over the period of a month. Some suffered heart attacks or strokes, and many others died from sheer exhaustion. It remains unexplained.
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    Knocker-Up
    Knocker-Up
    Until the 1920s, there was a profession called 'knocker-up', which involved going from client to client and tapping on their windows (or banging on their doors) with long sticks until they woke up.
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    Grenades were invented in China over 1,000 years ago.
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    Ancient Romans at one time used human urine as an ingredient in their toothpaste.
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    In 1980, the city of Detroit presented Saddam Hussein with a key to the city.
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    The Grateful Dead were once called 'The Warlocks'.
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    The first known contraceptive was crocodile dung, used by Egyptians in 2000 B.C.
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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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