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33 Fascinating History Facts You Probably Didn't Know

1. Napoleon was once attacked by a horde of rabbits

During a hunting expedition, Napoleon's men released hundreds of rabbits, but instead of fleeing, the rabbits charged at him.

2. Cleopatra lived closer to the Moon landing than the building of the pyramids

Cleopatra was born in 69 BC, while the Great Pyramid of Giza was built around 2560 BC—over 2,000 years earlier.

3. The shortest war in history lasted only 38 minutes

The Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 is considered the shortest war ever, ending within 38 minutes.

4. The Eiffel Tower was originally intended for Barcelona

Gustave Eiffel proposed the design to Barcelona before Paris accepted it for the 1889 World’s Fair.

5. Oxford University is older than the Aztec Empire

Teaching at Oxford began as early as 1096, while the Aztec civilization was founded in 1325.

6. Abraham Lincoln was a licensed bartender

Before becoming president, Lincoln co-owned a bar called Berry and Lincoln in Illinois.

7. The Great Fire of London killed all the city’s rats

The 1666 fire burned for four days, and it's believed that the rat population was nearly wiped out.

8. Ancient Romans used urine to clean their clothes

Urine contains ammonia, which made it useful as a cleaning agent in Roman laundries.

9. Julius Caesar was once kidnapped by pirates

He demanded they increase his ransom because he believed he was worth more—and later had them executed.

10. The Leaning Tower of Pisa took nearly 200 years to build

Construction began in 1173 and was completed in the 14th century due to wars and delays.

11. The first Olympics didn’t allow women to participate

The ancient Olympic Games in 776 BC were male-only events, with women forbidden even from watching.

12. George Washington didn’t have wooden teeth

His dentures were made from ivory, gold, and human teeth, but never wood.

13. Vikings never wore horned helmets

This popular image is a myth from 19th-century costume design, not historical fact.

14. The Colosseum had a retractable roof

Ancient Romans used an awning system called the “velarium” to shade spectators from the sun.

15. Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other

He was ambidextrous and used this ability to work on different tasks simultaneously.

16. The Titanic had a near-identical sister ship

Britannic was nearly identical to Titanic but was converted into a hospital ship during World War I.

17. The Berlin Wall fell by accident

A mistaken announcement in 1989 led crowds to the wall, where confused guards eventually opened the gates.

18. The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire in history

At its peak, it covered over 9 million square miles, led by Genghis Khan and his successors.

19. Marie Curie is the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different sciences

She won in Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911) for her work on radioactivity.

20. The Statue of Liberty was originally a lighthouse

It functioned as a lighthouse from 1886 to 1902 but was not very effective due to weak light output.

21. Ancient Egyptians invented the first known prosthetic limb

Archaeologists discovered a wooden toe attached to a mummy, showing early advances in medical science.

22. In ancient Sparta, boys were removed from their families at age 7

They were trained in a state-sponsored military system known as the agoge to become warriors.

23. The U.S. bought Alaska from Russia for just $7.2 million

In 1867, the U.S. purchased Alaska in what was initially called “Seward’s Folly.”

24. Hitler was once Time Magazine’s Man of the Year

In 1938, the title was given not to praise but to acknowledge his influence on world events.

25. The Great Wall of China is not visible from space

This popular myth has been debunked; it’s too narrow and follows natural terrain.

26. Pablo Escobar once burned $2 million in cash to keep warm

While on the run, he reportedly burned the money to keep his daughter from freezing.

27. The first person convicted of speeding was going 8 mph

Walter Arnold of the UK was fined for speeding in 1896 while driving his “horseless carriage.”

28. The Eiffel Tower can grow over 6 inches in summer

Due to metal expansion from heat, the tower can increase in height during hot weather.

29. Thomas Edison didn’t invent the light bulb

He improved upon earlier designs to make it commercially viable; others like Humphry Davy came before him.

30. The original London Bridge is now in Arizona

It was dismantled in 1967 and rebuilt in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

31. The Cold War saw a Russian cosmonaut almost stranded in space

Vladislav Volkov and his crew died when their capsule depressurized on re-entry in 1971.

32. The U.S. had a plan to nuke the moon

During the Cold War, Project A119 was considered to demonstrate American power to the Soviets.

33. The Black Death killed nearly half of Europe’s population

Between 1347 and 1351, the plague wiped out an estimated 25 to 50 million people in Europe.