Random History Facts

    107 facts tagged with History Facts

    Nicholas Alkemade
    Nicholas Alkemade
    Nicholas Alkemade, a pilot during World War 2, survived falling 18,000 feet after jumping from a burning Lancaster bomber.
    48
    Pirate Jean Lafitte Countered Governor's $500 Bounty for Him with a $5,000 Bounty for Governor
    When pirate Jean Lafitte saw the governor advertising a $500 reward for his capture, Lafitte offered $5,000 for the capture of the governor.
    73
    Alligator snapping turtles can live for over 150 years. Scientists know this because some of the turtles had musket balls in their stomachs.
    271
    In the 1830s, a Greek prime minister tried to spread the potato in Greece but people weren't interested so he put armed guards in front of shipments of potatoes so people would think they were important. People then started stealing these potatoes so much that the crop spread to all of Greece.
    29
    Yucatán Name
    Yucatán Name
    The Mexican state of Yucatán was named so after a misunderstanding when the Spaniards arrived and asked the locals what they called the place. The locals replied "Yucatan" which means "I don’t understand you" in their native tongue.
    35
    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.
    118
    In 1846, a 14 year old French peasant girl named Angelique Cottin was found to possess extraordinary electrical power. With a gentle touch she could knock over heavy pieces of furniture and even shock people near her.
    17
    In 1537, England's King Henry VII officially declared February 14th the holiday of St. Valentine's Day.
    52