There are so many things in our interesting history that simply make sense. Someone marching into battle in the cold Russian winter in hopes of a victory only to meet a crushing loss? Someone coming into power on hate-filled rhetoric against a minority only to eventually commit unimaginable atrocities against the said minority? While some historical events might seem like an obvious outcome of one's actions, some weird history facts entirely deny our preconceptions.
You might not know, but our weird history is filled with crazy unknown facts like those in the list below. For example, when Churchill sent in bombers to destroy German cities and break the morale of the people, the first bombing turned out to be a complete failure with the only real casualty being an elephant? Or that at some point in history, Pepsi owned 17 submarines, a cruiser, a frigate, and a destroyer? If these weird facts piqued your interest, then this list is just for you. So scroll down below, indulge in these fun facts, and, oh, don't forget to comment and vote for your favorites!
#21
Ancient cultures often used bread stamps, partly because of human pride, but mostly to combat "bread fraud." Each baker had a unique bread stamp that could be traced back in case bread was found adulterated.
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28points
#22
Ancient Greek and Roman statues were, in fact, painted in various colors. A lot of the paint faded away over time or was removed by people.
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28points
#23
The Battle of Bull Run during the American civil war was called “The Picnic Battle” because many of Washington's civilians and the wealthy elite, including congressmen and their families, went on picnics on the sidelines and watched the battle.
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27points
#24
The shortest war occurred between the United Kingdom and the Zanzibar Sultanate on 27 August 1896, lasting between 38 and 45 minutes.
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27points
#25
The eldest son of the future Roman Emperor Claudius, Tiberius Claudius Drusus, died of asphyxiation when he tossed a pear high in the air and caught it with his mouth, but he choked on it. At the time, it was suspected that he had been murdered by Sejanus, the father of his betrothed, but Suetonius, a Roman historian, did not believe that.
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26points
#26
Around the 17th century, New England states outlawed Christmas because celebrations were rowdy public displays of excessive eating and drinking, the mockery of established authority, aggressive begging (often combined with the threat of doing harm), and even the boisterous invasion of wealthy homes.
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26points
#27
Herostratus burned down the Temple of Artemis. He did it for the sole purpose of becoming famous. His acts prompted the creation of a damnatio memoriae law forbidding anyone to mention his name, whether orally or in writing. The law was ultimately ineffective, as evidenced by mentions of his existence in modern works and parlance. Thus, Herostratus has become a metonym for someone who commits a criminal act in order to become famous.
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25points
#28
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the same day, July 4, 1826, which was also the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Adams' last words included an acknowledgement of his longtime friend and rival: "Thomas Jefferson survives." Adams was unaware that Jefferson had died several hours before.
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23points
#29
There is a castle in Austria called Castle Itter where the Wehrmacht and Americans fought side by side with French POWs against the SS. It is the only known time during the war in which Americans and Germans fought side-by-side.
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23points
#30
The longest ever US presidential inauguration speech belongs to William Henry Harrison. The day of the inauguration was overcast with cold wind and a noon temperature estimated to be 48.5 °F (9.2 °C), but the President-elect chose not to wear an overcoat, hat, or gloves for the ceremony. Harrison's speech consisted of 8,445 words. Weeks after inauguration, Harrison caught a cold that eventually turned into pneumonia. Harrison died on April 4, making his presidency the shortest in American history.
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22points