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I LOVE reading historical facts, especially the kind that make me gasp and immediately re-read the sentence just to be sure I understood it correctly. So when I came across a Redditor asking, “Historians of Reddit, what’s one cool history fact that people barely know about?” I had a very hard time stopping myself from scrolling. And thank God I didn’t, because otherwise, how would I have ended up with these 23 history facts that will have you seriously questioning how much you actually know?
1. "During World War II, a Polish army unit adopted a brown bear while traveling through Iran. During the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy, the be…
I LOVE reading historical facts, especially the kind that make me gasp and immediately re-read the sentence just to be sure I understood it correctly. So when I came across a Redditor asking, “Historians of Reddit, what’s one cool history fact that people barely know about?” I had a very hard time stopping myself from scrolling. And thank God I didn’t, because otherwise, how would I have ended up with these 23 history facts that will have you seriously questioning how much you actually know?
1. "During World War II, a Polish army unit adopted a brown bear while traveling through Iran. During the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy, the bear was seen helping move crates of ammunition. The bear, named Wojtek, was officially enlisted and given the rank of private in the Polish Army."
2. "In World War II, the Soviets used anti-tank dogs. They were fitted with explosives designed to detonate when the dog went underneath a tank. The problem was that the dogs were trained using Soviet tanks, which sounded different from German tanks, so some of the dogs ran toward the wrong tanks."
3. "Albert Einstein was offered the role of Israel’s second president in 1952, but he declined the offer."
4. "Even 60 years after his death, George Washington remained so popular that, when formerly enslaved African Americans were freed and given the opportunity to choose their surnames, more chose the last name Washington than Lincoln. Between 82 and 94 percent of all people with the surname Washington listed in the 1880–1930 census records were Black."
5. "During the American Revolutionary War, a small and highly effective spy network known as the Culper Ring provided critical intelligence to George Washington. The group included several men and at least one woman, known only by the code name Agent 355, whose real identity was never discovered. One member of the network, James Rivington, was a Loyalist printer who openly supported the British while secretly supplying information to the Americans. Through contacts like Rivington, the Culper Ring obtained valuable intelligence about British plans, including naval movements and coded signals."
"Agent 355 is believed to have been socially well-connected, possibly from an upper-class background, which allowed her access to British officers. She was later captured, and while her exact fate is unknown, many historians believe she died in captivity."
6. "Crescent rolls aren’t French. They were first made by bakers in Vienna after the Polish helped defeat the Ottomans. Since the Ottoman flag featured a crescent moon, the pastries were meant to celebrate the victory by eating the enemy’s symbol."
7. "When women began serving during World War II, there was widespread talk that they were unwomanly, promiscuous, or even lesbians. The controversy became intense enough that many women feared enlisting out of concern for their reputations. At first, officials believed the rumors were part of enemy propaganda, but it later became clear that they were coming from within the U.S. military itself."
The Drew Barrymore Show / Via giphy.com
8. "Hardly anyone knows that Texas was its own country for 10 years."
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9. "MI6 used semen as invisible ink in WWI. A diary entry belonging to a senior member of the British Secret Intelligence Service revealed that during the First World War, it was discovered that semen could act as an effective invisible ink. In June 1915, Walter Kirke, deputy head of military intelligence at GHQ France, wrote in his diary that Mansfield Cumming, the first chief (or “C”) of the British SIS, was inquiring about invisible inks at the University of London. In October, he noted that he had heard from Cumming that the best invisible ink was semen, because it did not react to the main methods of detection and was readily available."
10. "Napoleon once had an extremely unfortunate run-in with rabbits. To celebrate a military victory, he organized a hunting event and had hundreds of rabbits brought in. Instead of wild animals, however, the rabbits turned out to be tame and immediately swarmed him and his men, expecting food. The situation became so chaotic that Napoleon reportedly retreated in embarrassment."
11. "Mozart wrote a song titled “Leck mich im Arsch” (which translates to “lick me in the ass”)."
12. "There was a major Native American city called Cahokia in what is now the Midwestern United States. At its peak around the 11th to 12th centuries, Cahokia was one of the largest urban centers in the pre-Columbian Americas, with an estimated population of 10,000 to 20,000 people. The city covered about six square miles and featured more than 100 earthen mounds, including Monks Mound, which was roughly 10 stories tall and remains the largest prehistoric earthwork in North America. Cahokia’s population rivaled that of major European cities of the same era, including medieval London. By the time the Pilgrims arrived in North America in the 17th century, Cahokia had already been abandoned for several centuries, likely due to environmental stress, disease, and social factors."
"The persistence of the idea that Indigenous societies were “uncivilized” ignores the reality that many Native cultures built large, complex cities long before European contact. After Europeans arrived, diseases and violence led to the deaths of an estimated up to 90 percent of Indigenous people in the Americas, devastating societies whose histories are still often overlooked today."
13. "In late medieval England, it was fashionable for women to have extremely high foreheads, to the point that many would cut or pluck a significant portion of the hair at the front of their heads. Basically, they were half-bald by choice. Even the queen at the time, Elizabeth Woodville, took part in the trend."
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14. "Japan initially wanted to continue fighting even after the two atomic bombs were dropped. The war council was split, and it ultimately took the emperor speaking up in favor of ending the war for Japan to surrender."
15. "Theodore Roosevelt’s uncle was a Confederate spy and blockade runner. He was also responsible for procuring the purchase of the CSS Alabama and the CSS Florida."
U.S. National Archives / Via giphy.com
16. "Stanislav Petrov quietly helped prevent a potential nuclear war in 1983. A Soviet early-warning system indicated that the United States had launched nuclear missiles toward the USSR. Petrov chose not to report the alert, which could have led to retaliation, because he suspected it was a system malfunction. If he had reported it, it’s possible the USSR might have launched a retaliatory strike against the United States."
17. "In about AD 60–61, Queen Boudica led a revolt that saw Roman towns such as London (Londinium) burned. Archaeological digs have found layers of burned debris and ash from that destruction beneath parts of modern London."
18. "Japanese munitions actually reached the physical shores of the United States during World War II in the form of balloon bombs carrying explosives. One of these devices killed a family who encountered it while on a picnic."
19. "Lyndon B. Johnson would take people into the bathroom to keep talking if a conversation was already underway, and there was an assassination attempt on Winston Churchill that involved an exploding bar of chocolate. During the execution of one of the English kings (I forget which—sue me), a snowball fight even broke out."
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20. "The earliest named author in world history was a woman named Enheduanna, the daughter of King Sargon of Akkad and the high priestess of the moon god Nanna in Ur. She wrote in ancient Sumerian. Her surviving works include three long poems dedicated to Inanna and 42 temple hymns."
21. "Abraham Lincoln’s tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery was almost robbed, and his body was nearly held for ransom. However, law enforcement stopped the counterfeiters after one of them blabbed about the plan during a drunken night."
22. "The New Madrid seismic zone in southeastern Missouri and surrounding states is one of the most active earthquake regions in the central United States. Between late 1811 and early 1812, it produced a series of powerful earthquakes that devastated local settlements and reshaped the landscape, contributing to the creation of Reelfoot Lake. Today the zone still produces frequent minor quakes, and scientists consider it capable of generating a major earthquake in the future."
23. "During World War I, troops along the Western Front temporarily ended fighting during the Christmas period. Carols were sung, and in a few cases, German and British or French troops played football. This did not go down well with officers on either side, and hostilities eventually resumed. It’s worth remembering that, for a brief moment during WWI, the fighting stopped and the soldiers simply shared the season."
If these made you pause and rethink what you thought you knew, you’re not alone. History is wild like that. And if you know a lesser-known historical fact that would blow some minds—not literally—drop it in the comments below!
Text has been edited for length and clarity.
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