25 Fascinating Facts You May Not Know From History

Have you ever wondered about the hidden stories behind historical events? Or maybe you’re just curious about some lesser-known facts from the past? Look no further! This article is full of interesting and surprising facts that you may not have heard before. From ancient history to modern times, we’ll take you on a journey through time and uncover some of history’s most fascinating secrets. So get ready to be amazed as we explore some of the most fascinating facts from history.

#1 During the late 1800s a baboon was employed by the railroad as a signalman. He never once made a mistake and worked for the railroad until his death.

During the late 1800s, a baboon named Jack was employed by the South African railroad company as a signalman. Jack was brought to the railroad by his owner, a ship’s captain, who believed that Jack had the intelligence to perform the job. Jack’s duties included operating levers to switch tracks and signaling to oncoming trains.

Despite initial skepticism from some of the railroad workers, Jack quickly proved himself to be highly skilled and efficient. He was never once known to have made a mistake and worked for the railroad until his death from tuberculosis in 1890.

#2 From War to Sex Therapy: The Incredible Journey of Dr. Ruth Westheimer

Dr. Ruth Westheimer’s life is a testament to resilience and adaptability. Born in Germany in 1928, she was sent to Switzerland as part of the Kindertransport program during the Holocaust. After the war, she moved to Israel and joined the Haganah, where she worked as a scout and sniper spotter. She was wounded in action in 1948, but her experience in the military led her to pursue a career in psychology.

After studying in France and the United States, Dr. Ruth became a renowned sex therapist and media personality, known for her frank and open discussions of human sexuality. Today, at the age of 94, she continues to be an advocate for sexual education and awareness, proving that one can overcome even the most challenging of circumstances to lead a fulfilling life.

#3 The Fearless Night Witches: Soviet Women Aviators in WWII Who Bombed the Germans with Silence.

During World War II, the Soviet Air Force deployed a unit of women aviators who became known as the Night Witches. These fearless pilots flew in the cover of darkness to bomb German positions on the Eastern Front, using a unique and daring technique. They would idle their engines and glide to the bomb release site so that only the sound of the wind rushing past their wooden planes revealed their position.

This made them almost invisible to the German anti-aircraft defenses, earning them the nickname “Night Witches.” Despite flying without parachutes and facing immense danger, these women aviators flew over 30,000 missions and dropped over 23,000 tons of bombs, playing a crucial role in the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.

#4 Adidas was founded by Adolf Dassler in 1949.

He was a former member of the Nazi Party. Dassler’s nickname was “Adi”, and he used the first three letters of his last name to create the name “Adidas” for his company.

#5 Belgium’s Royal Family: A Story of Bravery and Sacrifice During WWI.

During World War I, Belgium’s royal family demonstrated their courage and dedication to their country by actively participating in the defense against the invading German forces. King Albert, I led the defense efforts, risking his life on the front lines to inspire his troops and coordinate their movements.

Meanwhile, his wife, Queen Elisabeth, served as a nurse, tending to wounded soldiers in field hospitals and aiding the civilian population. Even their son, Prince Leopold, enlisted in the infantry and fought alongside his fellow soldiers. Their bravery and selflessness during the war earned them the respect and admiration of their countrymen and people around the world.

#6 In 1923, Germany’s hyperinflation was so high.

The exchange rate went from 9 marks to 4.2M marks to USD 1. One German worker, who used a wheelbarrow to cart off billions of marks that were his week’s wages, was robbed by thieves who stole the wheelbarrow but left the piles of cash on the curb.

#7 King Harald of Norway vowed to remain unmarried for life unless he could marry his true love, the daughter of a cloth merchant. She became the Queen of Norway.

#8 The rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford was well-known in Hollywood, and the two actresses had a contentious relationship for many years.

After Joan Crawford died in 1977, Bette Davis was asked to comment on her passing. According to various sources, Davis responded with the now-famous quote: “You should never say bad things about the dead, you should only say good… Joan Crawford is dead. Good.”

#9 Actress Hedy Lamar was also a mathematician and the inventor of frequency hopping spread spectrum, a technology still used for Bluetooth and wifi.

#10 Japanese Pilot’s Symbol of Regret: A 400-Year-Old Sword Presented 20 Years After Attacking Oregon Town During WWII

During World War II, a Japanese pilot named Nobuo Fujita attacked a town in Oregon to start forest fires as part of a larger campaign to cause panic and disrupt the war effort. However, 20 years later, in 1962, Fujita returned to the town, now named Brookings, as a symbol of reconciliation and presented his family’s 400-year-old sword to the community. His act was an attempt to make amends for the harm he had caused and to promote peace between the two nations.

His daughter later revealed that if Fujita had received a hostile reaction, he had planned to use the sword to perform a ritual suicide by disembowelment as an ultimate act of contrition. Fortunately, the people of Brookings welcomed Fujita with open arms and even made him an honorary citizen. The sword remains on display in the town’s library as a symbol of forgiveness and reconciliation.

#11 Against All Odds: How Submarine R14 Sailed Back to Hawaii with No Fuel or Radio Communications.

A submarine ran out of fuel about 100 miles from Hawaii while searching for a lost tug. Sub R14 had empty reserve tanks, no radio communications, and a week’s worth of food. The crew rigged up blankets and mattress covers as sails. It sailed back to Hawaii over 5 days.

In a remarkable feat of ingenuity and determination, the crew of Submarine R14 managed to sail back to Hawaii over a distance of 100 miles without fuel or radio communications. The submarine had been searching for a lost tug when it ran out of fuel, leaving the crew stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no means of communication or propulsion. With no other options, the crew rigged up blankets and mattress covers as sails, using the wind to propel the vessel toward Hawaii.

#12 During the Great Depression, Al Capone started one of the first soup kitchens, called”Free Soup Coffee & Doughnuts for the Unemployed.” Every day the soup kitchen served three meals to over 2,000 Chicagoans.

#13 Nobuo Fujita was a Japanese naval aviator who bombed an Oregon town during WWII.

When he was invited to the town on the 20th anniversary of the bombing, he gifted them a 400-year-old Samurai sword that had been in his family for generations as a gesture of friendship. His daughter later said that if he had received a hostile reaction, he would have committed ritual suicide by disemboweling himself to appease their fury.

#14 The population of Ireland has never reached the level it was before the Great Famine hit in 1845. It only recently surpassed 50% of the pre-famine population level.

#15 The surviving SEAL from the events that inspired Lone Survivor supports the Afghani man who saved him with royalties from the book.

The events that inspired the book and subsequent movie “Lone Survivor” are well known, where a team of US Navy SEALs was ambushed in Afghanistan, leaving only one survivor, Marcus Luttrell. However, what is less known is that Luttrell was rescued and protected by an Afghan man named Mohammed Gulab. Gulab risked his own life and those of his family members to provide Luttrell with shelter, food, and protection from the Taliban.

In gratitude for Gulab’s heroism, Luttrell has pledged to share his royalties from the book with him, providing a steady income for his family. This act of generosity has helped to repay Gulab’s kindness and sacrifice, while also highlighting the importance of cross-cultural understanding and cooperation in times of crisis.

#16 Wedding Bands that were removed from Holocaust victims before being executed, in 1945.

As victims were stripped of their belongings and sent to concentration camps, their rings were often taken as a cruel reminder of their lost lives. In 1945, as Allied forces closed in on the Nazis, many victims were executed in a last-ditch effort to erase evidence of their crimes.

In some cases, the wedding bands were removed from the victims’ bodies before they were cremated or buried. These rings, representing stolen lives and lost love, serve as a haunting reminder of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust.

#17 Besides 9/11, the only other attack by an outside force on Washington D.C. was in 1814 when George Cockburn, an admiral in the British Royal Navy, literally walked into the White House, ate James Madison’s dinner, drank his wine, and then set fire to the place.

#18 Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, the respected commander of German forces in East Africa during WW1 was offered a job by Hitler in 1935. He told Hitler to “go fuck himself” though other reports say he didn’t “put it that politely.”

#19 In 1944, Claude Hensinger, an American serviceman, jumped out of his burning aircraft over war-torn Japan, deployed his parachute, and eventually found his way to safety. After the war, his fiancee used material from the parachute to make her wedding gown.

#20 3 Scottish soldiers escaped capture by German soldiers when they spoke their native Gaelic to confuse them after their capture claiming they were Ukrainian. The German soldiers let them go.

#21 In the 1880s, American farmers in sparsely populated areas used steel barbed wires to create telephone lines, and they could even connect as many as 20 telephones, which meant all of them would ring simultaneously regardless of who was calling and who they were trying to call.

This ingenious trick helped the homesteaders avoid loneliness and depression.

#22 A Moment of Peace: The Christmas Truce of 1914 During WWI.

The Christmas Truce of 1914 was a remarkable moment of peace during the horrors of World War I. On Christmas Day, soldiers from both the British and German sides laid down their weapons and crossed no man’s land to join each other in celebration. They exchanged food, played games, and even attended burials for their fallen enemies.

#23 During the medieval period, Royal women used to give birth in front of an audience to prove that the child was indeed the fruit of the royal woman’s womb.

#24 The Salvation Army’s Four-Penny Coffin: A Symbol of Hope for London’s Homeless

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, homelessness was a major issue in central London. In response, the Salvation Army created one of the first homeless shelters in the city, known as the Four Penny Coffin. For just four pennies, the homeless could receive a hot meal and a place to sleep in a coffin-shaped wooden box with a tarp.

Despite its name, the Four-Penny Coffin provided a crucial source of hope and support for those who had nowhere else to turn. It gave the homeless a sense of dignity and provided a safe place to sleep, away from the dangers of the streets.

#25 Planes used to be a lot more comfortable.

In the 1940s, the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser had reclining club chairs throughout the cabin. On intercontinental flights, every seat could be adjusted into a bed so each passenger could sleep.