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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Shakespeare invented over 1,700 words that we use today.
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Leonardo Da Vinci predicted the mass use of solar energy as long ago as 1447.
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Pineapples were such a status symbol in 18th century England that you could rent one for the evening to take to a party.
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A man named Heraclitus had an illness that made his body swell up with water. To try to sweat it off, he buried himself in a steaming pile of animal poo, but then overheated and died of dehydration.
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In 1949, an official boxing match between a bear and a man was held. The bear won.
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