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.

    81
    In 1537, England's King Henry VII officially declared February 14th the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.
    52
    82
    Grenades were invented in China over 1,000 years ago.
    50
    83
    In the 1930's, American track star Jesse Owens used to race against horses and dogs to earn a living.
    50
    84
    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.
    50
    85
    Japanese Holdout
    Japanese Holdout
    After World War 2 ended in 1945, a Japanese officer named Hiroo Onoda didn't surrender and continued the war for 29 years because he didn't know that Japan had surrendered and the war was over.
    50
    86
    In 1976 an LA secretary named Jannene Swift officially married a 50 pound rock in a ceremony witnessed by more than 20 people.
    49
    87
    The life expectancy in 1900 was just 47 years.
    49
    88
    Alexander Selkirk
    Alexander Selkirk
    Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor, was left stranded on a deserted island in 1704, but survived for over 4 years, partly by using feral cats to protect him from ravenous rats that attacked during the night.
    49
    89
    Cleopatra married two of her brothers.
    47
    90
    Approximately 40% of the U.S. paper currency in circulation was counterfeit by the end of the Civil War.
    47
    91
    Allegedly, Chrysippus, the Greek philosopher, died of laughter after getting his donkey drunk and watching it try to eat figs.
    47
    92
    Moustache Tea Cups
    Moustache Tea Cups
    In the Victorian era, they had special tea cups that protected your moustache from getting dunked in your tea.
    47
    93
    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.
    46
    94
    Voltaire's Last Words
    Voltaire's Last Words
    When Voltaire was asked to renounce Satan on his deathbed, his last words were: "This is no time for making new enemies."
    46
    95
    No one knows who designed the first American Flag.
    45
    96
    During World War 1, starving wolves amassed in such great numbers that Germans and Russians had a temporary cease fire to fight off the wolf attacks.
    45
    97
    Pilgrims did not eat with forks. They only used spoons, knives and their fingers.
    44
    98
    The great wall of China is 1,400 miles long!
    44
    99
    Chinese General With Only 100 Men Made An Army of 150,000 Retreat
    According to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Shu general Zhuge Liang had to defend a town with a mere 100 troops against an army of 150,000. He hid his men, flung open the gates, and sat on the walls playing a lute. The opposing general of Wei, Sima Yi, certain it was a trap, ordered a retreat.
    43
    100
    Clocks made before 1660 had only one hand - an hour hand.
    41
    More