History Facts

    History Facts

    History is rich with fascinating and sometimes unbelievable things, so learn more about it with this regularly-updated list of history facts.

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    There are 92 known cases of nuclear bombs lost at sea.
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    22
    Traces of cocaine were found on 99% of UK bank notes in a survey in London in 2000.
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    23
    In ancient Egypt, priests plucked EVERY hair from their bodies, including their eyebrows and eyelashes.
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    24
    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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    25
    Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had only one testicle.
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    26
    The universally popular Hershey bar was used overseas during World War II as currency.
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    27
    Cleopatra wasn't Egyptian; she was Greek.
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    28
    The time interval from first sighting of the iceberg that sank the Titanic to impact was a little over 30 seconds.
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    29
    The flushing toilet was invented in 1596, not by Thomas Crapper as most people think, but by Sir John Harington.
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    30
    The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship resulting from the diplomatic relationship between the United States and France.
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    31
    The first telephone book was one page long and had only 50 names in it.
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    32
    Kung Fu actually originated in India, but was developed further in China.
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    Derinkuyu Underground City
    Derinkuyu Underground City
    In 1963, a man found a mysterious room behind a wall in his home that lead to a huge underground city that once housed up to 20,000 people, complete with schools, livestock pens, and food stores, dating back over a millennium.
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    34
    In 1987 American Airlines saved $40,000 by eliminating one olive from its First Class salads.
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    35
    Fire Hydrant Patent
    Fire Hydrant Patent
    No one really knows who invented the fire hydrant, because its patent was burned in a fire.
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    36
    The first chocolate eggs were made in Germany in the 19th century and remain one of the most popular Easter candies today.
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    37
    February 1865 is the only month in recorded history to not have a full moon.
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    38
    The Taj Mahal took 20 years and 20 thousand men to finish!
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    39
    The ancient Egyptians bought jewelry for their pet crocodiles.
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    40
    Nobuo Fujita
    Nobuo Fujita
    The Japanese pilot who attacked a town in Oregon during WW2 returned years later to present his family's 400-year-old samurai sword to the city as a symbol of regret.
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