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.
19
The word 'mile' is derived from the Latin word for 1,000 - the number of paces it took the average Roman!
6
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.
28
Sifrhippus was a species of horse about the size of an average duck and roamed North America 56 million years ago.
2
Ancient Greeks believed that redheads turned into vampires after they died.
40
Pineapples were such a status symbol in 18th century England that you could rent one for the evening to take to a party.
25