History — Page 3
Surprising historical events
152 facts
Piltdown Man was one of the greatest scientific frauds in history.
In 1912, skull and jaw fragments were presented as a missing link between humans and apes. In 1953, it was discovered…
In 1518, hundreds of people in Strasbourg danced uncontrollably for days.
The so-called dancing plague began with one woman, Frau Troffea, and spread rapidly. People danced until they…
The Hjortspring boat, 2,400 years old, was sacrificed in a Danish lake.
Denmark's oldest warship was deliberately sunk in a lake as an offering to the gods. Excavated in the 1920s, the…
Humans mastered fire 400,000 years ago.
Recent studies indicate that humans mastered fire about 400,000 years ago, not 1 million years ago as previously…
A 2,500-year-old statue was found buried face down under a Roman road in Turkey.
The statue, over 2.13 metres tall, was discovered in Sardis, the ancient capital of the Lydian Empire, during…
A 1,600-year-old Egyptian mummy contained a scroll with Homer's Iliad.
Archaeologists discovered in Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, a papyrus scroll with excerpts from Homer's epic poem placed on the…
The Hundred Years War actually lasted 116 years.
The conflict between England and France began in 1337 and ended in 1453, totalling 116 years. The name is a later…
A Maya royal tomb has been discovered in Belize that may belong to the founder of Caracol.
Archaeologists found a Maya royal tomb in Belize that may belong to the king who founded the city of Caracol. The…
The first evidence of an unknown funerary ritual 4,000 years old has been discovered in Sudan.
Archaeologists found traces of a funerary banquet in northeastern Sudan associated with the ancient Kingdom of Kerma…
The city of Peñico in Peru was built by the Inca civilisation.
Peruvian archaeologist Ruth Shady discovered in 2025 the city of Peñico, 3,800 years old, built by the Caral…
Stone tools made by fish have been found on the ocean floor.
Scientists discovered stone tools in the Pacific Ocean that would have been used by fish to crack shells and obtain…
The Library of Alexandria was probably not destroyed in a single fire.
Contrary to popular belief, the Library of Alexandria did not disappear in a single fire. Historians believe it was…
The United States Declaration of Independence was voted on 2 July 1776, but it is celebrated on 4 July.
The Continental Congress voted in favour of independence on 2 July 1776. The written declaration was approved on 4…
The road network of the Roman Empire was over 400,000 kilometres long.
At the height of the Empire, the Romans built a network of more than 400,000 kilometres of roads, of which about…
In ancient Egypt, workers were paid with bread and beer.
Egyptians received rations of bread and beer as payment for work, including those who built the pyramids. Beer was a…
The shortest war in history lasted about 38 minutes.
The Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 began when the Sultan of Zanzibar refused to abdicate and lasted about 38 minutes. The…
The Vikings did not wear horned helmets.
The image of Vikings with horned helmets is a 19th-century invention, popularised in operas and romantic…
During the First World War, enemy soldiers exchanged gifts and played football on Christmas 1914.
In December 1914, along the Western Front, British and German soldiers left their trenches, exchanged cigarettes and…
The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens.
The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece. A total of 241 athletes from 14 countries took…
The Ottoman Empire lasted more than 600 years.
The Ottoman Empire was founded in 1299 and lasted until 1922, totalling more than 600 years. At its height, it…
The Vikings reached North America about 500 years before Columbus.
Leif Erikson, a Viking explorer, reached North America around the year 1000, about 500 years before Christopher…
The Egyptian pyramids were originally covered in polished white limestone.
The pyramids of Giza were covered with blocks of polished white limestone, which reflected sunlight and gave them a…
The University of Bologna, founded in 1088, is the oldest in the world in continuous operation.
The University of Bologna was founded in 1088 and is considered the oldest university in the world in continuous…
Mansa Musa, emperor of Mali in the 14th century, is often cited as the richest person in history.
Mansa Musa ruled the Mali Empire between 1312 and 1337. His wealth came from gold and salt. During his pilgrimage to…
