Weird history facts all gathered right here under our history category. Once you have had your fill of history facts head over to our random fact generator to learn more random factoids!
In 1948, Lyndon B Johnson used a helicopter to campaign for a seat in the Texas senate. The “Johnson City Windmill” was equipped with a loudspeaker and flew all over Texas making impromptu stops as people gathered to see it as most had never seen a helicopter before. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_United_States_Senate_election_in_Texas
The movie term “blockbuster” was originally a military term to describe bombs in WW2 that could destroy an entire city block. Thus, it first entered the American lexicon as a metaphor for something explosive and shocking before becoming associated with movie success. – WTF Fun Facts
The Bath curse tablets are a collection of ~130 Roman era tablets discovered in 1979 in Bath, England. The tablets invoke the intercession of the goddess Sulis Minerva to aid in the return of the stolen goods and to curse the thieves. – WTF Fun Facts
The football shape is known as a prolate spheroid. The football is shaped as such because it’s the shape of an inflated pig’s bladder, which is what the first footballs were made out of. – WTF Fun Facts
Throughout central Europe, there are carved “hunger stones” which mark river levels during droughts. These stones warn future generations of famine if the water level gets low enough to see the carving. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Hunger stone – Wikipedia
In 1930, Indiana Bell moved the building to make way for the new construction. Over a 34-day period, the 11,000-short-ton (10,000 t) building was shifted 52 feet (16 m) south, rotated 90 degrees, and then shifted again 100 feet (30 m) west. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT%26T_Building_(Indianapolis)
In 1923, the Archbishop of Canterbury vetoed live radio coverage of King George VI’s wedding, fearing men in pubs would listen while still wearing their hats. Instead, a silent newsreel was shown in cinemas worldwide. – WTF Fun Facts
In England during the 1700 and 1800’s, pineapples were a status symbol often displayed at social gatherings and were even available to rent. A single “King Pine” cost roughly £11,000 in today’s money. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: The rise, fall, and rise of the status pineapple – BBC News
The “coffee break” was invented in 1952 by the Pan American Coffee Bureau (PACB). Before WW2, a work “break” was unheard of. The PACB spent millions on advertising including the slogan “Give Yourself a Coffee Break–And Get What Coffee Gives to You.” – WTF Fun Facts
Source: http://www.herbmuseum.ca/content/invention-coffee-break
School bus yellow was specifically formulated for use on school buses in North America in 1939. Originally named :National School Bus Chrome,” the color is now officially known in Canada and the U.S. as “National School Bus Glossy Yellow.” – WTF Fun Facts
Source: School bus yellow – Wikipedia
In 1816, the generally accepted first recorded ship to ever sink in the Great Lakes was a wooden ship employed in the fur trade named “Invincible”. – WTF Fun Facts
The White House Correspondent’s Dinner was for men only until 1962, when JFK refused to attend unless women did. – WTF Fun Facts
The evolution of eyebrows performed an important function in expressing friendliness for early humans. This helped our ancestors survive by enabling them to collaborate with other groups of humans. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: The evolutionary advantage of having eyebrows (theconversation.com)
From 1925 to 1939, the Phoebus cartel controlled the global lightbulb market and worked to remove long-lasting bulbs from the market in order to increase profits. They reduced bulb life from 2,500 hours to 1,000. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Phoebus cartel – Wikipedia
Classical Greece wasn’t filled with pure white marble statues and structures. The statues and ruins we see today were at one time painted in all kinds of vivid colors that time has just worn away to the bare white marble. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Were Greek & Roman Statues Painted? True Colors of Classical Art – The Ancient Home
Back during the Soviet Union, high school students learned how to assemble and take apart an AK-47 in class. In 2019, Russia’s Education Ministry published a set of methodological guidelines again calling for nationwide lessons on the AK-47 to foster patriotism. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Why Soviet children were prepared for war better than anybody else – Russia Beyond (rbth.com)
Russian students to be taught how to assemble AK-47s in themed lessons (businessinsider.com)
During the Siege of Weinsberg, a surrender was agreed that allowed the women to leave with whatever they could carry, so the women lifted their husbands onto their shoulders and walked out. – WTF Fun Facts
A trencher is a type of tableware commonly used in medieval cuisine. It was originally a flat round piece of (usually stale) bread used as a plate, upon which the food could be placed to eat. You could then eat it with sauce or give it to the poor. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Trencher (tableware) – Wikipedia