History is taught in schools but you are taught what the government wants you to learn. The objective of learning history is to know the development of civilization, polity, economy, and science.
You learn about important civilizations, personalities, and dates. But no teacher will tell you about unbelievable facts. So, I decided to compile historical facts that you won’t believe were true.
Welcome to my class on weird history. After this class, you will find history to be stranger than fiction. But I don’t want to give you any lesson on history. My objective is to highlight the creative thinking of our forefathers.
1. Abraham Lincoln In The Wrestling Hall Of Fame
My first chapter on curious history is about the sixteenth president of the US, Abraham Lincoln. He was also a 6’4” tall wrestler. Also, like politics, he attained a great height in wrestling. Out of the 300 contests he participated in, he lost only one. This feat made him an elite fighter in New Salem, Illinois.
2. George Washington Opened A Distillery After Presidency
Strange but true that the first president of the US, George Washington started making whiskey after his presidency. Also, his distillery became the largest distillery by 1799. It was producing the highest over 11,000 gallons of uncaged whiskey at that time.
3. Dance Epidemic Of 1518
The next in the line of historical oddities is the dance epidemic. In 1518, the people of Strasbourg were gripped by a sudden and uncontrollable urge to dance. It was named “dancing plague” and it saw people dancing until they died of exhaustion or other complications.
4. Boston’s Deadly Molasses Flood
Boston will never forget January 1919 when it witnessed a deadly molasses flood due to the bursting of a tank containing two and a half million gallons of molasses. The stick substance ran to the streets at the speed of 35 mph creating a 15-foot-tall tide.
5. Great Stink
While looking for unbelievable facts, I stumbled upon the unhygienic past of modern London. British people learned the value of a sewage system in the summer of 1858 when the Thames River got flooded with human excreta and industrial waste. This period is known as the Great Stink in history.
6. Adolf Hitler’s Nomination For A Noble Peace Prize
History is full of strange events but no event could be as strange as Adolf Hitler getting nominated for a Noble Peach Prize. It came as a surprise in 1939 for the German dictator. A Swedish politician sent the letter of nomination after Hitler banned Germans from accepting the awards.
7. The British Royal Family Changed Their Name
Changing titles isn’t uncommon but the British Royal Family changing their title is curious history. The Royals who were originally Saxe-Coburg-Gotha changed to Windsor in 1917. They said Windsor sounded less German. Another reason given for choosing Windsor is their ties with the English town.
8. Gustave Eiffel Designed the Eiffel Tower For Barcelona
One of the most unbelievable facts is Eiffel Tower was originally designed for the city of Barcelona in Spain. However, the Spanish people didn’t like the design and even called it too ugly. But Paris agreed to use the tower as a temporary landmark for the 1889 International Exposition at the behest of Gustave Eiffel.
9. Pope Gregory IX Behind Bubonic Plague In 1300
A large number of cats were exterminated on the order of Pope Gregory IX who associated cats with the devil. It resulted in rats increasing in great numbers and moving freely. Some people believe that the bubonic plague of 1300 that is also called the Black Death was the result of the extermination of cats.
10. Northeast Greenland National Park
Here I conclude my curious history class with a lesser-known fact about national parks. Northeast Greenland National Park is the largest national park in the world. Located on the world’s largest island, it covers an area of 375,000 square miles.
Conclusion
The world is full of historical oddities but it is quite difficult to cover everything even in a book. Here I have tried to list some of the most interesting facts of history. If you know anything about the above-mentioned facts, you can share your information in the comment.