Historical Nonfiction

fun facts, quotes, and pictures from history

College Admissions: Causing Panic Attacks in Students Since 970 CE

Since 970 CE., students of philosophy, Islamic law, history, and Arabic have gathered at Al Azhar, the beautiful and distinguished university in Cairo’s old city. For many years, it was also the largest college in the world. Candidates for admission have traditionally faced a very challenging qualifying exam; entering students are required to recite the entire Koran. Even besides the length, Arabic is not the first language for many of the best Muslim students. And the Arabic used in the Koran is completely different from normal, spoken Arabic. Put that together, and this is truly a difficult test.

(Source: allfunandgames.ca)

Keith Relf of the Yardbirds was electrocuted by his own electric guitar, or more specifically, its amplifier.

Keith Relf of the Yardbirds was electrocuted by his own electric guitar, or more specifically, its amplifier.

(Source: blogs.static.mentalfloss.com)

Many a man floated in water before Archimedes; apples fell from trees as long ago as the Garden of Eden, and the onrush of steam against resistance could have been noted at any time since the discovery of fire and its use under a covered pot of water. In all these cases it was eons before the significance of these events was perceived. Obviously a chance discovery involves both the phenomenon to be observed and the appropriate, intelligent observer.

—Walter Cannon, The Way of an Investigator, 1945

(Source: futilitycloset.com)

John Cleese declined becoming a “Commander of the British Empire” because he thought it was “silly.”

John Cleese declined becoming a “Commander of the British Empire” because he thought it was “silly.”

(Source: Wikipedia)

Kim Jong Il, jealous of Seoul’s Olympic Games in 1988, decided to create his own. He called it The World Festival of Youth and Students. To prepare, Pyongyang was cleared of people who were disabled and shorter people had to take ‘height medicine’ to grow taller.

(Source: kingsrowe.com)

People enjoying a picnic in the middle of a highway during the 1973 oil crisis.

People enjoying a picnic in the middle of a highway during the 1973 oil crisis.

(Source: iliketowastemytime.com)

Mail by Nuke?

Experiments in delivering mail by rocket had met with mixed success since the first rocket mail was sent between two Austrian villages in 1931. Subsequent attempts tended to explode, which explains why countries did not immediately switch, despite rockets being undeniably faster. The first successful delivery in the United States occurred in 1936. Two rockets fired from Greenwood Lake, New Jersey, landed on the New York shore about a thousand feet away.

In 1959, the US Postal Service tried something entirely new. They modified a nuclear warhead so that it could carry mail! Because this was strictly an experiment, the mail consisted entirely of commemorative postal covers addressed to a host of government officials, including President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It was fired from a submarine off the coast of Virginia, and received and sorted in Jacksonville, Florida twenty-two minutes later.

(Source: Wired)

Shibam, a town in Yemen, is considered to have the world’s oldest skyscrapers. It has about 7,000 inhabitants and all of the town’s houses are made out of mud bricks. Some of these houses rise 5 to 9 stories high. It protected residents from Bedouin attacks. While Shibam has existed for around 2,000 years, most of the city’s houses come mainly from the 16th century. Shibam is often called “the Manhattan of the desert”.

Shibam, a town in Yemen, is considered to have the world’s oldest skyscrapers. It has about 7,000 inhabitants and all of the town’s houses are made out of mud bricks. Some of these houses rise 5 to 9 stories high. It protected residents from Bedouin attacks. While Shibam has existed for around 2,000 years, most of the city’s houses come mainly from the 16th century. Shibam is often called “the Manhattan of the desert”.

(Source: toxel.com)

Fun Facts about Ancient China

A short facts list about China:

  • an ancient Chinese curse is: “May  you live in interesting times”
  • Chinese Emperor Shi Huang-Ti came to power in China as a 13-year-old boy in 222 B.C.
  • sauerkraut was invented by the Chinese
  • physician Hua T’o, born between 140 and 150 A.D., was the first doctor known to perform surgery under general anaesthetic: a mixture of hemp and strong wine

(Source: allfunandgames.ca)

The name Adolf was actually quite popular, as well as common, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is a compound derivation from the Old High German word “adal” or “athal,” meaning “noble” or “high,” and the word “wulf” meaning “wolf.” So Adolf essentially translates to “Noble Wolf,” a strong, upstanding sort of name. However, being associated with Hitler has, seemingly forever, demonized the meaning of Adolf. Since World War II, almost no babies have been given this once popular name.

The name Adolf was actually quite popular, as well as common, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is a compound derivation from the Old High German word “adal” or “athal,” meaning “noble” or “high,” and the word “wulf” meaning “wolf.” So Adolf essentially translates to “Noble Wolf,” a strong, upstanding sort of name. However, being associated with Hitler has, seemingly forever, demonized the meaning of Adolf. Since World War II, almost no babies have been given this once popular name.

(Source: toptenz.net)

Why The Shakers Are More Than An Interesting But Failed Utopian Experiment

In the late 18th century, a religious sect known as the Shakers emerged. Shakers valued living communally (albeit celibately), with equality between the sexes and hard work. Tabitha Babbitt lived in a Shaker community in Massachusetts and worked as a weaver. In 1810, she observed men cutting wood with a pit saw, which is a two-handled saw that requires two men to pull it back and forth. Though the saw is pulled both ways, it only cuts wood when it’s pulled forward; the return stroke is useless. To Babbitt, that was wasted energy, so she created a prototype of the circular saw that would go on to be used in saw mills. She attached a circular blade to her spinning wheel so that every movement of the saw produced results. Because of Shaker precepts, Babbitt didn’t apply for a patent for the circular saw she created.

(Source: science.howstuffworks.com)

The sternwheeler “Belle of Calhoun” and sidewheeler “Belle of the Bends” taking on cargo on the Mississippi River, 1906.

The sternwheeler “Belle of Calhoun” and sidewheeler “Belle of the Bends” taking on cargo on the Mississippi River, 1906.

(Source: shorpy.com)

It’s that time of year! Let’s talk about everyone’s favorite subject, taxes

  • The word “tax” is from the Latin taxo, meaning “I estimate.”
  • The Magna Carter was drafted in large part in response to the excessive high tax rate imposed by King John.
  • In 1691, England taxed the number of windows on a house. Consequently, houses began to be built with very few windows or people would close up existing windows. When people began to suffer health problems from lack of windows/air, the tax was finally repealed in 1851.
  • One of the contributing factors to the French Revolution was a salt tax called the gabelle. It was one of the most hated and unequal taxes.
  • Canada created the Chinese Head Tax in the 1880s, which taxed the entrance of Chinese immigrants into Canada

(Source: facts.randomhistory.com)

In January of 1863, at the height of the American Civil War, Lieutenant Colonel James Keith was dispatched with the 64th North Carolina Regiment to the town of Marshall, on the border with Tennessee. A posse of pro-Union civilians had broken into the home of Colonel Lawrence Allen, looted and destroyed much of it, then broke into a storehouse for salt and stolen what they could carry, blowing it up on their way out.s He searched the Shelton Laurel Valley, found and fought with the men who conducted the raid, shot down 12, and captured about 7. He then tracked down these men’s family homes and tortured their mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters by breaking their fingers until they revealed the locations of about 8 more Union sympathizers. Keith arrested these men and marched the 15 of them for Tennessee, but two escaped into a steep ravine. Keith deliberately disobeyed the order of the North Carolina Governor, Zebulon Vance, to hold the prisoners until they could be tried, and had them all executed by firing squad and thrown in a ditch. Keith was given 2 years in prison for this before escaping. He was never seen again.

In January of 1863, at the height of the American Civil War, Lieutenant Colonel James Keith was dispatched with the 64th North Carolina Regiment to the town of Marshall, on the border with Tennessee. A posse of pro-Union civilians had broken into the home of Colonel Lawrence Allen, looted and destroyed much of it, then broke into a storehouse for salt and stolen what they could carry, blowing it up on their way out.s

He searched the Shelton Laurel Valley, found and fought with the men who conducted the raid, shot down 12, and captured about 7. He then tracked down these men’s family homes and tortured their mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters by breaking their fingers until they revealed the locations of about 8 more Union sympathizers. Keith arrested these men and marched the 15 of them for Tennessee, but two escaped into a steep ravine.

Keith deliberately disobeyed the order of the North Carolina Governor, Zebulon Vance, to hold the prisoners until they could be tried, and had them all executed by firing squad and thrown in a ditch. Keith was given 2 years in prison for this before escaping. He was never seen again.

(Source: listverse.com)