When Charles Darwin first discovered the Galapagos Tortoises, he tried to ride them!
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Shakespeare invented over 1,700 words that we use today.
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Genghis Khan exempted the poor and clergy from taxes, encouraged literacy, and established free religion, leading many peoples to join his empire before they were even conquered.
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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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The exact cause of death and burial site of Genghis Khan is unknown, because all of the 2000 funeral guests and 800 soldiers were killed in order to preserve the secret.
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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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The ‘@’ sign is centuries old, and was used in Europe to denote a unit of weight (the “arroba”) equivalent to 25 lbs.
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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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