40 Interesting Facts About History

26-30 Interesting Facts About History

26. Italy built an entire courthouse to prosecute the Mafia. They charged 475 members in a trial that lasted from 1986 to 1992. To date, it is one of the biggest trials in history. – Source

27. A Man paralyzed from the waist down made history by walking again using a mind-controlled implant to power his legs. – Source

28. In 2000, The Guinness Book of World Records cited Michael Jackson as the most philanthropic pop star in history. He gave over $300 million dollars to charity in his life and visited hospitals and orphanages at every stop of his tours handing out gifts and making donations. – Source

29. In 1999, hackers revealed a security flaw in Hotmail that permitted anybody to log in to any Hotmail account using the password ‘eh’. At the time it was called “the most widespread security incident in the history of the Web”. – Source

30. The longest war in recorded history lasted 335 years and 19 days. It was between the Dutch and the Isles of Scilly, there were no casualties, and the Dutch actually forgot about the conflict until a Scilly historian contacted them about it in 1985. A treaty was signed between them in 1986. – Source

31-35 Interesting Facts About History

31. Oil magnate J. Paul Getty, one of the richest humans in history, was so miserly that he laundered his own shirts by hand, reused envelopes and paper, made all the phones in his home coin-operated, and stood in line for hours for show tickets to save 50 cents. – Source

32. The Dutch East India Company was the most valuable company in history. Worth 78 Million Dutch Guilders, adjusted to dollars it was worth $7.4 Trillion. – Source

33. In the Liberian General Election (1927), there were 15,000 voters but the winner received 243,000 votes. It made it the Guinness Book of Records as the most fraudulent election reported in history. – Source

34. The largest movement of physical wealth in history was during WWII, Operation Fish had 186,332 gold bars and more than 8 million ounces of gold coins sent to Canada from the UK with not even one crate or treasury bill going missing. – Source

35. Sweden’s early history is largely unknown because there are no written documents from Sweden before the 12th century. On its formation, a Swedish history book simply states: “How and when the Swedish kingdom appeared is not known.” – Source

36-40 Interesting Facts About History

36. During WWII, India produced the largest volunteer army in world history, over 2.5 million men. Winston Churchill called their bravery “Unsurpassed”, with at least 38 Indians awarded the Victoria Cross or the George Cross. – Source

37. The worst maritime disaster in US history was Steamboat Sultana, where 1192 souls perished after its boilers exploded just outside Memphis. Not very many people heard about it since news coverage focused on the killing of John Wilkes Booth the previous day.

38. The worst maritime disaster in US history was Steamboat Sultana, where 1192 souls perished after its boilers exploded just outside Memphis. Not very many people heard about it since news coverage focused on the killing of John Wilkes Booth the previous day. – Source

39. The USS William D. Porter was the only vessel in US Navy history to have its entire crew placed under arrest after accidentally firing a live torpedo at a vessel carrying the President of the United States and the Secretary of State. – Source

40. The very first strike ever recorded in history started in 1152 BC. During the reign of Rameses III in Ancient Egypt, while building a royal necropolis, the workers felt they were being underpaid, so they organized a massive strike. Their wages were actually increased and workers returned to work. – Source