The most interesting historical facts in the world. The most interesting historical facts

Incredible facts

History is a fairly vast subject and it is impossible to study it completely, especially in great detail.

Sometimes these seemingly insignificant details can become the very part of it.

Here are some interesting facts from history that won't be taught in class.

1. Albert Einstein could have become president. In 1952, he was offered the post of second president of Israel, but he refused.

2. Kim Jong Il was a good composer and a lifelong Korean leader composed 6 operas.

3. The Leaning Tower of Pisa has always been leaning. In 1173, the team building the Leaning Tower of Pisa noticed that the base was curved. Construction stopped for almost 100 years, but the structure was never straight.

4. Arabic numerals were not invented by Arabs, and Indian mathematicians.

5. Before the invention of alarm clocks, there was a profession that consisted of wake other people in the morning. For example, a person would shoot dried peas at other people's windows to wake them up for work.

6. Grigory Rasputin survived many assassination attempts in one day. They tried to poison him, shoot him and stab him, but he managed to survive. In the end, Rasputin died in the cold river.

7. The shortest war in history lasted less than an hour. The Anglo-Zanzibar War lasted 38 minutes.

8. Longest war in history occurred between the Netherlands and the Scilly Archipelago. The war lasted 335 years from 1651 to 1989, and both sides suffered no casualties.

People, stories and facts

9. This amazing species known as " Majestic Argentine bird", whose wingspan reached 7 meters, is the largest flying bird in history. It lived about 6 million years ago in the open plains of Argentina and the Andes. The bird is related to modern vultures and storks, and its feathers reached the size of a samurai sword.

10. Using sonar, researchers discovered at a depth of 1.8 km two strange pyramids. Scientists have determined that they are made of a kind of thick glass and reach enormous sizes (larger than the Cheops pyramids in Egypt).

11. These two men with the same name were sentenced to the same prison and look very similar. However, they have never met, are not related and are the reason why fingerprints began to be used in the judicial system.

12. Foot binding- An ancient Chinese tradition in which girls' toes were tied to their feet. The idea was that the smaller the foot, the more beautiful and feminine the girl was considered.

13. The strangest and most frightening mummies are considered Guanajuato mummies. Their distorted faces make you believe that they were buried alive.

14. Heroin once used as a replacement for morphine and used to relieve coughs in children.

15. Joseph Stalin may have been the inventor of Photoshop. After the death or disappearance of some people, photographs of him were edited.

16. Recent DNA tests have confirmed that The parents of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun were brother and sister. This explains many of his illnesses and defects.

17. The Parliament of Iceland is considered oldest functioning parliament in the world. It was founded in 930.

Inexplicable and mysterious facts of history

18. For many years, miners in South Africa were excavating mystery balls about 2.5 cm in diameter with three parallel grooves. The stone from which they are made belongs to the Precambrian period, that is, they are about 2.8 billion years old.

19. It is believed that Catholic saints do not decay. The oldest of the "non-decomposing" is Cecilia of Rome, who was martyred in 177 AD. Her body remains virtually the same as it was 1,700 years ago when it was discovered.

20. Encryption from Shaboro in Great Britain is one of the still unsolved mysteries. If you look closely, you can see an inscription in the form of letters on the monument: DOUOSVAVVM. No one knows who carved this inscription, but many believe it is the key to finding Holy Grail.

History is a fairly vast subject and it is impossible to study it completely, especially in great detail. Sometimes these seemingly insignificant details can become the most interesting part of it. Here are some interesting facts from history that won't be taught in class.

1. Albert Einstein could have become president. In 1952, he was offered the post of second president of Israel, but he refused.

2. Kim Jong Il was a good composer and the Korean leader composed 6 operas throughout his life.

3. The Leaning Tower of Pisa has always been leaning. In 1173, the team building the Leaning Tower of Pisa noticed that the base was curved. Construction stopped for almost 100 years, but the structure was never straight.

4. Arabic numerals were not invented by Arabs, but by Indian mathematicians.

5. Before alarm clocks were invented, there was a profession that involved waking up other people in the morning. For example, a person would shoot dried peas at other people's windows to wake them up for work.

6. Grigory Rasputin survived many assassination attempts in one day. They tried to poison him, shoot him and stab him, but he managed to survive. In the end, Rasputin died in the cold river.

7. The shortest war in history lasted less than an hour. The Anglo-Zanzibar War lasted 38 minutes.

8. The longest war in history took place between the Netherlands and the Scilly Archipelago. The war lasted 335 years from 1651 to 1989 and suffered no casualties.

9. This amazing species, known as the "Majestic Argentine Bird", whose wingspan reached 7 meters, is the largest flying bird in history. It lived about 6 million years ago in the open plains of Argentina and the Andes. The bird is a relative of modern vultures and storks, and its feathers reached the size of a samurai sword.

10. Using sonar, researchers discovered two strange pyramids at a depth of 1.8 km. Scientists have determined that they are made of a kind of thick glass and reach enormous sizes (larger than the Cheops pyramids in Egypt).

11. These two men with the same name were sentenced to the same prison and look very similar. However, they have never met, are not related, and are the reason why fingerprints began to be used in the judicial system.

12. Foot binding is an ancient Chinese tradition where girls' toes were tied to their feet. The idea was that the smaller the foot, the more beautiful and feminine the girl was considered.

13. The Guanajuato mummies are considered the strangest and most frightening mummies. Their distorted faces make you believe that they were buried alive.

14. Heroin was once used as a substitute for morphine and was used to relieve coughs in children.

15. Joseph Stalin may have been the inventor of Photoshop. After the death or disappearance of some people, photographs of him were edited.

16. Recent DNA tests have confirmed that the parents of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun were brother and sister. This explains many of his illnesses and defects.

17. The Icelandic Parliament is considered to be the oldest functioning parliament in the world. It was founded in 930.

18. For years, miners in South Africa have been unearthing mysterious balls about 2.5cm in diameter with three parallel grooves. The stone from which they are made belongs to the Precambrian period, that is, they are about 2.8 billion years old.

19. It is believed that Catholic saints do not decay. The oldest of the “undecayed” is Caecilia of Rome, who was martyred in 177 AD. Her body remains virtually the same as it was 1,700 years ago when it was discovered.

20. The Chaboro encryption in Great Britain is one of the still unsolved mysteries. If you look closely, you can see an inscription in the form of letters on the monument: DOUOSVAVVM. No one knows who carved this inscription, but many believe it is the key to finding the Holy Grail.

History is rich in interesting facts, many of which are little known. So, a little excursion into history.

Tobacco enema. This picture shows the "tobacco enema" procedure, which was very popular in Western Europe in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Like smoking tobacco, the idea of ​​blowing tobacco smoke through the anus for medicinal purposes was adopted by Europeans from North American Indians.

One of the weight units of antiquity was the scruple, approximately equal to 1.14 grams. It was mainly used to measure the weight of silver coins. Later, scruple was used in the pharmaceutical system of measures. Today it is not used, but is preserved in the word "scrupulousness", which means extreme precision and accuracy in detail.

Fifty years ago, English referee Ken Aston was driving home, thinking about some of the problems of international communications. He
stopped at a traffic light and then it dawned on him - this is how yellow and red cards appeared in world football.

Count Potemkin proposed to Catherine II to order convicts from the English government for the development of the Black Sea steppes. The queen was seriously interested in this idea, but it was not destined to come true, and English convicts began to be sent to Australia.

Caesar's resourcefulness. When invading Africa, the army of Julius Caesar suffered setbacks from the very beginning. Strong storms scattered ships in the Mediterranean Sea, and Caesar arrived on the African shores with only one legion. While leaving the ship, the commander tripped and fell face down, which was a strong sign for his superstitious soldiers to return back. However, Caesar was not at a loss and, grabbing handfuls of sand, exclaimed: “I hold you in my hands, Africa!” Later he and his army triumphantly conquered Egypt.

The Russian scientist Vasily Petrov, who was the first in the world to describe the phenomenon of an electric arc in 1802, did not spare himself when conducting experiments. At that time there were no instruments such as an ammeter or a voltmeter, and Petrov checked the quality of the batteries by the sensation of electric current in his fingers. And in order to feel very weak currents, the scientist specially cut off the top layer of skin from the tips of his fingers.

Children tried to shoot the actor who played Superman to test his invulnerability. American actor George Reeves became famous for playing the lead role in the television series The Adventures of Superman in the 1950s. One day, Reeves was approached by a boy holding his father's loaded Luger in his hands - he intended to test Superman's superhuman capabilities. George barely escaped death, managing to persuade the boy to give him the weapon. The actor was saved by the fact that the boy believed that the bullet could bounce off Superman and hit someone else.

In the 1950s and 1960s, American aircraft often violated Chinese airspace for reconnaissance purposes. The Chinese authorities recorded every violation and each time sent a “warning” to the United States through diplomatic channels, although no real action followed them, and such warnings were counted in the hundreds. This policy has given rise to the expression “China's final warning,” meaning threats without consequences.

Berdashi. In almost all Indian North America there were so-called berdaches, or people with two souls, who were classified as the third gender. Berdash men often performed only female functions - cooking, farming, and Berdash women took part in hunting. Due to the special status of the berdashes, men who had sexual intercourse with them were not considered homosexuals, but the berdashes themselves were not allowed to build relationships with each other. In some tribes they were given cult status, since it was believed that they were closer than ordinary people to the world of spirits and gods, so berdashes often became shamans or healers.

In Sparta, after the death of the king, two institutions were closed for 10 days - the court and the market. When the Persian king Xerxes learned about this custom, he declared that such a custom would be impossible in Persia, since it would deprive his subjects of his two favorite activities.

In 1913, 19-year-old student Terry Williams invented eye mascara by mixing soot with Vaseline. His discovery was first used by a sister named Maybelle, after whom the first and most popular mascara in the history of cosmetics was named.

Previously, the monument to Minin and Pozharsky stood in the center of Red Square. When the Mausoleum was built, the monument pointed specifically to it. One night, someone wrote on the monument: “Look, Prince, what scum has appeared within the Kremlin walls!” After this incident, the monument was moved.

History is an interesting science; it tells about distant eras and various events, forces us to analyze facts and baffles scientists. Historical finds are still not uncommon, and some refute generally accepted versions of the development of human civilization and force new hypotheses to be put forward. More than once history was rewritten, adjusted to fit templates, and interpreted in a form convenient for the ruling class. It seems that the modern level of technology and knowledge allows us to explain the most incredible and strange events. But there is still room in the world for the unknown and inexplicable.

Ancient archaeological finds

The work of archaeologists has repeatedly presented the world with surprises: the artifacts and household items found have baffled historians. Their antiquity did not correspond to the official version of human development. How to explain the presence of iron weapons among wild tribes unfamiliar with metallurgy? Why were certain objects built? How could they be built if even modern technologies are not capable of reproducing similar ones or simply transporting building materials of the same weight? Get acquainted with some architectural objects around which controversy still does not subside, despite the presence of many articles and scientific theories.

Pyramids

The pyramids of the Egyptian pharaohs, well known throughout the world, existed already 2600 thousand years BC. (this time is determined approximately, the exact age has not yet been established). A lot is known about the life of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, but many questions still remain unanswered. Why is the angle of inclination along a line that can connect all the pyramids exactly the same as the angle of inclination of Orion's Belt in 10,500 BC? Are they completely the same?

Another inexplicable fact: construction technologies during the reign of the pharaohs do not explain the appearance of such large and majestic buildings. Amazing stories about the curse of the pharaohs raise many questions, but even now it is impossible to fully explain why punishment overtakes everyone who disturbed the peace of the ancient rulers of Egypt.

And one more important and unusual point: the pyramids found on different continents are surprisingly similar to each other. In addition to Egypt, the following can be proud of their huge monuments:

• Latin America (Mayan and Aztec pyramids);
• Andes (religious buildings of Norte Chico);
• China (tombs of the rulers of the Zhou and Zhao, Ming, Tang, Qin, Han, Sui dynasties);
• Rome (Pyramid of Cestius);
• Nubia (city of Meroe);
• Spain (Gumar pyramids);
• Russia (pyramids of the Kola Peninsula, Aryan Temple in Rostov-on-Don).

All religious buildings date back to different centuries, but have a number of similar features. Interesting fact: the artificially created pyramids of the Kola Peninsula were built approximately 10 thousand years ago, which allows us to speak of them as the oldest in the world. And it makes you remember the mysterious Hyperborea, which is considered either a myth or the cradle of all humanity.

It is also worth mentioning underwater finds. It is possible that pyramidal structures have been found in the Bermuda Triangle, which have already been called the legendary Atlantis that went under water. True, there is very little information about the find and it is contradictory. But Japanese underwater pyramidal structures are being studied carefully.

Disputes about their age are still ongoing: some scientists talk about 5 thousand years, others - about 10. Apparently, there is a lot of truth in ancient myths; the history of human development can be changed by new data.

Mysterious finds

Historical places of worship, unusual monuments, strange ancient monuments, interesting archaeological finds have more than once baffled scientists. Sometimes it is very difficult to understand and explain how and why some objects and buildings appeared. A number of objects can be added to the list of the most inexplicable.

Easter Island idols. They are over 1000 years old, but who created them from pressed volcanic ash?

Stonehenge. There are many legends associated with this place: mentions of Druids, the wizard Merlin, and the legendary Holy Grail. But the question is that Stonehenge was created much earlier. This has been precisely established by scientists. Radiocarbon dating suggests an age of 3,500 BC. But this does not stop one from putting forward the most incredible theories about the origin of this mysterious structure. There are already about 200 of them.

Interestingly, in addition to the famous English Stonehenge, there are similar buildings:

• Little Henge in England;
• Karahunj in Armenia;
• ancient stones found in the city of Gela (Italy);
• basalt boulders in Australia (near Melbourne);
• prehistoric earthen henge of Ireland;
• cromlech in the Rostov region (Russia);
• cromlech of Khortitsa island (Ukraine);
• stone blocks of Salem (USA);
• stone forest in Bulgaria.

They are all unique. They are often called ancient observatories, sundials, religious buildings, but their true purpose remains a mystery.

Nazco drawings in Peru. The Nazca Plateau is painted: there are images of birds, animals, geometric shapes. What's unusual about this? Only the scale is amazing; you can see them entirely from a bird's eye view. But they were created about 900 years ago, at that time they seemed to only dream about flights...

Stainless steel column in Delhi. For 1,600 years it has stood in an open-air Indian city. The height of the column is 7 meters; it is not clear how it was smelted. But the most amazing fact is this: rust does not form on the iron, not even a speck.

Kailasanatha Temple. According to legend, seven thousand craftsmen carved a majestic Indian temple over a hundred years using a simple pick and a chisel, moving from top to bottom along a huge rock. How they managed to reproduce such precise forms and maintain all proportions is unclear.

These and other interesting historical finds baffle scientists. Will people ever be able to accurately determine their purpose or method of creation? There is no such confidence. For now we have to be content with more or less plausible theories.

Science is interesting

The history of the development of various sciences is filled with interesting facts. It is no secret that many discoveries were accidental, and sometimes unrelated scientists living in different countries came to the same conclusions almost simultaneously. Or they went down in history as inventors, although they only improved and disseminated other people’s ideas.

Some myths are still stubbornly perceived as real historical events:

• Edison light bulb. He is still considered its inventor, although he only improved an already finished invention, and with the help of his employees after numerous experiments. But at the origins of the creation were the Russian inventors Yablochkov and Lodygin, the Englishman Joseph Swan, the British Frederick de Moleynes and the American John Starr.

Little-known, sometimes deliberately “forgotten” facts from the history of various sciences can significantly change the usual ideas about their development and formation.

Some historical events are associated with animals. Remember the legendary story of how geese saved Rome. It so happens that our smaller brothers become the cause of global upheavals and can change the fate of nations.

Check out the most interesting moments:

• The mass extermination of sparrows in China caused the death of about 30 million people. The disappearance of natural enemies of locusts and caterpillars from the fields has led to their mass reproduction. As a result of the destruction of crops, famine began. And bugs have also multiplied, which also caused a lot of inconvenience and problems for the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom.

These are negative examples, but there are also positive ones. Pets have saved their owners more than once during earthquakes. They sensed the approaching catastrophe and warned by their behavior of the impending disaster. Seismobiologists have learned to correctly interpret the signals of snakes, birds, fish and mammals.

Unusual medicine

The historical facts about what were sometimes used as medicines are amazing.

Here are some of the most unusual treatments:

• Soothing syrup for children. Nurses and young mothers in England and America in the 19th century used a syrup based on ammonia and morphine. The medicine was considered universal.
• Children were previously treated for cough with heroin, which was used as a morphine substitute.
• Tobacco enema was used in Western Europe for medicinal purposes. By the way, back in the middle of the last century, cigarettes were advertised as a healthy product.
• In the Middle Ages, an iron stake heated over a fire was used to treat hemorrhoids.
• Ancient doctors performed trepanation with a hammer to treat mental disorders; it is not surprising that patients often died right on the operating table.
• It was believed that venereal diseases could be cured with mercury or lead. After such rubbing, people died more often than from the disease itself.

Reincarnation: myth or truth

There are many references in history to the reincarnation of dead people. Should this be considered a myth or does reincarnation exist?

You will seriously think about this if you learn some facts from the lives of great people:

• Napoleon and Hitler. Having studied their biography, it is not difficult to believe in reincarnation; many significant events in the lives of both dictators occurred with an interval of 129 years. 1760 and 1889 are the years of birth of Napoleon and Hitler. Further dates go accordingly: coming to power - 1804 and 1933, conquest of Vienna and attack on Russia - 1812 and 1841, defeat in the war - 1816 and 1945.
• Lincoln and Kennedy. These American presidents are exactly 100 years apart: Lincoln was born in 1818, Kennedy in 1918. And further coincidences: they became presidents in 1860 and 1960, respectively. Both were killed on Friday, Lincoln at the Kennedy Theater, Kennedy in a Lincoln car. Their killers were also born 100 years apart. As were their successors as president: both Johnson Andrew and Lyndon assumed the presidency after the assassination, one born in 1808, the other in 1908.

By studying historical legends, myths and theories, you can learn many interesting facts about humanity, the lives of great people, their discoveries and inventions.

Prospects for profit - it was believed that at a speed of 60 km/h passengers would suffocate.