In Times Square in New York City, the tradition of dropping a ball to mark the start of the New Year has been a longstanding tradition. The first ball drop was held on December 31, 1907, and it has been a staple of New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square ever since. The ball is… Read More »
The ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, which took place in December, was a time of revelry and inversion of social norms. During the festival, slaves and masters would swap places, with slaves being treated to elaborate feasts and given temporary freedom to speak their minds. The festival was also marked by gambling, drinking, and gift-giving,… Read More »
In the 18th century, a group of pirates known as the Flying Gang terrorized the coasts of Europe, using a unique method of attack that involved flying kites to hoist themselves up the sides of ships and then dropping down onto the decks to plunder them. The Flying Gang was led by a notorious pirate… Read More »
In the early 20th century, a group of scientists in the United States conducted a series of experiments in which they tried to communicate with the dead through the use of psychic mediums. These experiments, known as the “Cross Correspondences,” involved the mediums receiving messages from spirits who claimed to be deceased scientists and scholars.… Read More »
One of the craziest historical facts is that during the Tang Dynasty in China (618-907), Emperor Xuanzong had a favorite concubine named Yang Yuhuan who was renowned for her beauty and intelligence. Yang Yuhuan was so beloved by the Emperor that he is said to have neglected his duties and spent most of his time… Read More »
In the early 19th century, there was a group of people in the United States called the “Founding Fathers of Singing Societies.” These were men who were passionate about singing and choral music, and they formed singing societies as a way to promote the art form and bring people together through song. One of the… Read More »
In the early 20th century, a man named Charles Osborne had a medical condition called “harmonica tongue,” which caused him to hiccup continuously for 68 years. His hiccups began in 1922 and continued almost nonstop until his death in 1990, at the age of 97. Osborne’s hiccups were so severe that he was unable to… Read More »
In ancient Rome, it was considered a sign of wealth and sophistication to have one’s own private urine collection. Urine was collected and then sold to launderers, who used it to bleach clothing because it contained ammonia, a natural cleaning agent. Urine from men who ate a lot of vegetables was considered the most valuable… Read More »
In the Middle Ages, people believed that a “mandrake root” was a human-shaped root that grew beneath the gallows where criminals had been hanged. It was believed that the mandrake root would shriek when it was pulled out of the ground, and that anyone who heard the shriek would die. As a result, people would… Read More »
In the early 20th century, a group of scientists and engineers in the Soviet Union attempted to reverse the course of a major river and redirect it to a new location. The project, known as the “White Sea-Baltic Canal,” involved the construction of a massive canal that would connect the White Sea in the north… Read More »