#22. Albert Einstein Was Offered To Become President Of Israel
It’s widely known that scientist Albert Einstein went down in history after coming up with the theory of relativity, which earned him a Nobel Prize. However, did your science teachers ever tell you that he nearly pursued a career in politics?
In 1952, the first President of Israel, Chaim Weizmann, offered Einstein to replace him. But why? Well, Weizmann was affected by ill health, so he needed to appoint a successor, while Einstein had always supported Zionism. Apparently, Einstein considered that assuming as President would obstruct his scientific research, so he declined the offer.
#21. A Mexican President Ordered A Burial For His Amputated Leg
As crazy as it sounds, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna served as Mexican President a whopping 11 times after the country’s independence from Spain. He fought countless battles and suffered many injuries on the battlefield, but in 1838 he had his first true near-death experience.
In a battle, the former President was nearly killed by a French cannon, but he was saved by sheer luck. However, his leg was severely injured, and doctors were left with no choice but to have it amputated. Santa Anna ordered to have a military burial for his leg, but this is not even the best part! 4 years later, he had his leg exhumed and paraded it across Mexico City, only to have it re-buried with military honors.
#20. Antarctica Was Named After The Greek Word For Bear
Ever wondered where the name “Antarctica” comes from? Although the first people to ever explore these remote lands were Norweigan, the name actually comes from the Greek language.
The name “Arctic” stems from the word _arkto, _which means bear in Greek, so “Antarctica” means _“opposite the land of bears.”_ You’re probably thinking they chose the name “Arctic” because of the polar bears, right? Wrong!! They chose this name because Ursa Major and Minor's constellations are only visible from the northern hemisphere, and Ursa means bear in Latin. But these constellations can’t be seen from Antarctica, which is located on the Southern pole, hence the name.
#19. North Korean President Kim Jong-Il Wrote 6 Operas
Kim Jong-Il was North Korea’s second leader, having ruled from 1994 until his death in 2011. He was a very controversial figure, mainly due to the millions he invested in nuclear weapons, but it turns out that Kim had a hidden facet.
Apparently, the late politician was a talented classical music composer and wrote six operas. He inherited the passion for opera from his father, Kim Il-Jung, and he has compilated his works in a book called _The Art of Opera_.
#18. Empress Josephine’s Best Friend Was An Orangutan
Josephine was Napoleon’s first wife, and she was most famous for her many exotic pets, which included monkeys, kangaroos, and even emus! But can you guess which was her favorite pet?
The empress’s favorite buddy was an orangutan called Rose, and this adorable primate made history. She was the first orangutan ever to reach France, and she would often have dinner with Josephine. She would even eat with a fork and knife!
#17. A Paris Orphanage Raised Funds By Raffling Babies In 1911
This is probably the creepiest fact on this list, so be ready! In 1911, an orphanage from Paris came up with an unusual and preposterous strategy to raise money. They carried out a raffle, but the thing they raffled was… a baby!
The baby was alive, obviously, meaning that the winners of the raffle would then become his adoptive parents. Allegedly, the orphanage authorities evaluated the winners’ suitability to become parents before giving them their prize if that.
#16. Ancient Egyptians Didn’t Use Pillows
Can you believe ancient Egyptians didn’t use pillows for sleeping? They built some of the finest pieces of architecture in the history of humankind, but somehow, they never came up with the idea of pillows. You won’t believe how they slept.
While a 4000-year-old linen pillow was once found in Egyptian territory, it is believed that Egyptians used to rest their heads on these extremely impractical headrests made out of ivory or marble. How did they not live with muscle contractions all the time?
#15. The Ghent Altar Piece Is The Most Stolen Painting
As you probably know, hundreds of the world’s most popular paintings were stolen at some point, the _Mona Lisa_ being the most famous case. However, the _Ghent Altar Piece_ is the most stolen piece of artwork of all time.
Belgian artist Jan Van Eyck painted this artwork, and over the years, it was snatched both by anti-Calvinists, French soldiers, Nazis, and countless art dealers. Miraculously, the six times it was stolen, the painting was recovered and returned to its home, the St. Bravo’s Cathedral in Ghent.
#14. A Pirate Tried To Rescue Napoleon Using A Submarine
After losing the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon was defeated, and his reign came to an end. He was then sent as a prisoner to a remote island called St. Helena. The chances of escaping were grim, as it was located 1200 miles off the coast.
What many people don’t know is that an Irish pirate that went by the name Tom Johnson offered him £40,000 in exchange for planning and carrying out an escape plan. According to the plan, Johnson would help him down the rocky cliffs in a boson’s chair, and meanwhile, two submarines would be waiting near the shores of the island. Napoleon finally refused to play along, as he insisted on being rescued heroically by an army. It would’ve made a great Hollywood movie, don’t you think?
#13. The First Person To Survive A Drop Over Niagara Falls Was A Teacher
Located on the American-Canadian border, Niagara Falls are among the 3 most visited waterfalls in the world, together with Iguazú and Victoria. The fall is 176 feet tall, and it has a volume of water of 150,000 U.S. gallons per second.
This being said, it may come as a shock that a few people have actually survived a drop over Niagara Falls. But what’s even crazier is that the first survivor was an American schoolmistress named Annie Edson Taylor. For some reason, she chose to celebrate her birthday by riding over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She miraculously survived, with just a few bruises on her body.
#12. The Oldest Parliament In The World Dates From 930 AD
Even though the British Parliament is often referred to as the “_Mother of all Parliaments_, “it’s actually not the oldest one. Surprisingly, the oldest running Parliament is the Icelandic Althingi. Can you guess when it was founded?
The Althingi was established as far back as 930 AD. Originally, it was only an outdoor assembly that was called into session only once a year, and it was there where the laws would be passed. Obviously, it now works like any other Parliament, and this is how the building looks like.
#11. Louis Antoine De Bourbon-Artois Was King Of France For 20 Minutes
After Napoleon’s reign came to an end following the battle of Waterloo, the Bourbon dynasty was finally restored. However, the new constitutional monarchy suffered its first major political crisis in 1830, mainly due to King Charles X's ruthless leadership.
To appease the protests, Charles decided to abdicate but attempted to bypass Louis Antoine (who was his legitimate heir) in favor of his grandson, Henri Duc de Bordeaux. However, for 9-year-old Henri to be crowned as King, the declaration had to be signed by Louis. Therefore, Louis became King of France for 20 minutes until he formally abdicated Henri's favor.
#10. The Dutch-Scilly War Lasted 350 Years But Nobody Died
While many people believe that the Hundred Years’ War was the longest in history, the Dutch-Sicily War holds this record by far. It lasted for a whopping 350 years, but as crazy as it sounds, nobody died during the conflict.
In 1651, the British Army raided several Dutch vessels when they found out that the Dutch Empire would no longer be supporting the royalists in the English Civil War. As a result, Dutch commander Cornelis Trump declared war against the Scilly Isles, which then belonged to the British Empire. Trump sent 12 ships to the Isles to demand monetary reparations for the raided ships, but the British refused such terms. Both countries signed a peace treaty in 1986 after a historian found documents that proved the war had formally never come to an end.
#9. Rabbits Attacked Napoleon In 1807
Napoleon was, without a doubt, one of the most powerful military leaders in world history. As such, it comes as a shock that he was almost defeated by an army of… rabbits! Yes, it’s exactly as it sounds.
In 1807, Napoleon defeated Russia and Prussia, which were then forced to become the French Empire’s allies against the British. To celebrate, Napoleon invited the leaders of the recently defeated territories to a rabbit hunt. Hundreds of rabbits were captured and caged for the event, but they began attacking the leaders instead of running away once they were released. Napoleon was left with severe bites on his heels and legs, but he made it out alive.
#8. The Anglo-Zanzibar War Lasted 38 Minutes
While the Dutch-Scilly War lasted over 3 centuries, the Anglo-Zanzibar War holds an equally impressive record. As ridiculous as it sounds, the war lasted almost… 40 minutes! How did they lose so fast?
It all began when the pro-British sultan of Zanzibar Hamad bin Thuwani died mysteriously. Hamad’s cousin, Khalid bin Barghash, declared himself sultan of the British protectorate without the Queen’s approval. The British ordered Barghash to abdicate, but he refused, thus triggering the shortest war in history. The Zanzibari army didn’t stand a chance against the world’s most powerful empire, and their artillery was destroyed in only 2 minutes. The war had ended by 9.40 AM, only 38 minutes after it broke out.
#7. Ronald Reagan Was A Lifesaver And Saved 77 Lives
It’s a known fact that Ronald Reagan won two terms as the U.S. President, from 1981 to 1989. It’s also widely known that, before delving into politics, he had a short-lived career as a Hollywood actor. But here’s something I’m sure you never knew!
In the summer of 1925, before landing his first Hollywood gig, Reagan worked as a lifesaver at the Lowell Park sanctuary, one of the most popular parks in Illinois. He worked a 12-hour shift from Mondays to Sundays, and during those three months, he reportedly saved up to 77 lives. Now that was one hell of a gig!
#6. Researchers Turned A Live Cat Into A Telephone In 1929
Get ready for our top 6 most unusual history facts cause this is as bizarre as it gets! In 1929, two scientists from Princeton University – Ernest Glen Wever and Charles William Bray – carried out one of the craziest experiments in history when they tried to turn a live cat into a telephone.
The researchers attached a telephone wire to the cat’s auditory nerve after having him sedated. After that, they had the wire connected to a telephone receiver. To their surprise, when Bray tried speaking through the feline’s ears, Wever would hear everything through the receiver up to a 50-feet distance. Sadly, the cat died when Bray and Wever carried out their second experiment.
#5. Pirate Henry Avery Was Subject Of The First Worldwide Manhunt
Back in the 17th and 18th centuries, piracy was a major issue, and many of the most powerful monarchies would carry out worldwide manhunts in search of some of the most feared thieves. But when did manhunts become a trend, and why?
One of the first internationally famous pirates was Henry Avery, AKA Long Ben, born in Britain in the 1670s. After assaulting 25 ships that belonged to the Indian Mughal government, he made a name of himself, stealing a $78-million fortune. The Mughal authorities closed some of the East India Company’s trading stations in retaliation, forcing the British to launch a millionaire bounty for Henry’s capture. Despite the hefty reward, Henry was never captured.
#4. Tsutomu Yamaguchi Was The Only Survivor Of Both Atomic Bombs
If you ever paid attention to your high school history teacher, you probably remember that World War II ended shortly after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in what became the deadliest and most tragic nuclear attack in history.
But here’s something that not even your history teacher knew: a man named Tsutomu Yamaguchiis the only person to have survived both bombings. He was visiting Hiroshima the day of the nuclear attack, and he survived despite being 1.8 miles away from the drop site. He suffered from second-degree burns all over his body but traveled back to his hometown Nagasaki two days later. The following day upon his arrival, Nagasaki was bombed. Miraculously, the man survived both attacks with minor injuries.
#3. Arabs Did Not Invent The Arabic Numeral System
It’s a widely known fact that the Western numeral system was invented by the Arabs… Or so we thought! While the modern numerical system is often called the Arabic system, it should actually be referred to as the Hindu-Arabic system, and here’s why.
The numbers that we use were actually invented in India, and this is a fact. Just a few decades ago, many archaeologists found symbols resembling modern numbers in India, which dated as far back as the 3rd century BC. Historians believe that the trade routes that connected the East Indian Company with the Middle East favored the adoption of the Hindu numerals in the Arab world.
#2. The First Bomb Dropped In WW2 Killed An Elephant But No Humans
The first bomb of World War II was dropped in the German capital, Berlin, one of the main targets for allied troops. To be more precise, the first bomb was dropped by British planes on August 26, 1940, but they targeted the most unusual spot of the city.
The bomb was dropped just a few feet from the Berlin Zoo, and it was closed at that time of the day. Only two people were injured by the bombings, and the only casualty was… an elephant! The zoo was bombed once again in 1944, and only one of the eight elephants survived the war.
#1. The U.S. Missed Out Of The Metric System Due To The Misfortunes Of A French Scientist
Ever wondered why the U.S. has a totally different metric system than the rest of the world? The reason will leave you baffled! Back in the 18th century, a French scientist named Joseph Dombey was sent on a mission to the USA to help them reform the measurement system they had inherited from British colonial rule.
Unfortunately, Dombey’s ship was blown off course, and he ended up stranded in the French Caribbean Island of Guadalupe. He was imprisoned for a few weeks but was captured by pirates upon his release. He died in captivity, and the pirates stole his measurement items. Talk about bad luck!