History Facts

    Random History Facts

    There are 163 History Facts!

    There was a bear called Wojtek who was adopted by Polish soldiers during WW2. It carried ammunition, wrestled with soldiers, and drank beer.
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    Roman Farting Edict
    Roman Farting Edict
    After hearing of a man who almost died from holding in farts whilst dining, Emperor Claudius is said to have proclaimed an edict that allowed Romans to fart at the dinner table.
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    Candle Clocks
    Candle Clocks
    Before clocks, there were candle clocks that when burned, indicated the passage of periods of time. To set an alarm, you pushed a nail into the desired point and the nail would fall and clank on the metal holder.
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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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    In 1537, England's King Henry VII officially declared February 14th the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.
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    The first Ford cars had Dodge engines.
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    In 1799, a boy found a 17lb. rock in a creek in North Carolina and used it as a doorstop. It was actually gold.
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    To take an oath, ancient Romans put a hand on their testicles
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