Tag Archives: History

Great Emu War

During the Great Emu War in Australia in 1932, the Australian military used machine guns to fight against an army of emus. Despite the use of heavy artillery, the emus proved too elusive and only a small number were killed, leading to the military’s defeat in the so-called “war”. Source

WTF Fun Fact 13234 – Oregon Trail Game History

Oregon Trail was introduced in schools in 1971. Click to read the full fact. The post WTF Fun Fact 13234 – Oregon Trail Game History appeared first on WTF Fun Facts. Source

WTF Fun Fact 13233 – History of the State of the Union Address

The State of the Union address wasn’t always a speech. Click to read the full fact. The post WTF Fun Fact 13233 – History of the State of the Union Address appeared first on WTF Fun Facts. Source

The Great Depression in 1931 and Cameroon

During the Great Depression in 1931, reports of American citizens suffering from starvation were so widespread that colonial-era Cameroon in West Africa collected funds to aid them. The amount raised was $3.77, equivalent to approximately $70 in today’s currency. Source

WTF Fun Fact 13227 – The First Insurance Company

The first modern insurance company dates to 14th century Italy. Click to read the full fact. The post WTF Fun Fact 13227 – The First Insurance Company appeared first on WTF Fun Facts. Source

The Mercury 13

On February 14, 1960, Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb arrived at the sprawling Lovelace Clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and prepared to make history. At age 30, Cobb was already one of the world’s most accomplished female pilots, having been the first woman to fly the Paris Air Show and holding three world records for speed, distance,… Read More »

The Original Uber Eats India’s Amazing Near Century and a Half Old Dabbawala

Every morning around 7 o’clock, a small army descends upon the Indian port city of Mumbai. Dressed in distinctive white uniforms and topi or Gandhi caps, they fan out across the city’s sprawling suburbs to collect their wares before regrouping at local train stations and streaming down a network of rail lines into Mumbai’s commercial… Read More »

Forgotten History- The U.S. Military’s Obsessive WWII Ice Cream Crusade

An army, Napoleon Bonaparte once noted, marches on its stomach. No matter how vast its ranks, advanced its weaponry, or brilliant its commanders, a military force full of hungry, malnourished troops is unlikely to be an effective one. The central role of food in combat effectiveness goes beyond merely supplying calories; there is no quicker… Read More »

Force Z and the Death of the Battleship

On April 6, 1945, the Imperial Japan launched Operation Ten-Go, a desperate last-ditch naval attack against the Allied fleet supporting the invasion of Okinawa. Supported by the light cruiser Yahagi and eight destroyers, the charge was led by the pride of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the mighty battleship Yamato. A quarter-kilometre long, displacing 65,000 tons,… Read More »

Where Did Dogs Really Come From?

Looking at a small dog like a Chihuahua or a Pomeranian, it can be hard to imagine that such a creature is in any way related to a wolf. Yet every modern dog breed, no matter how big, small, or cute, can trace its genetic lineage directly back to a population of wild wolves living… Read More »

What’s Up With the Very Real ‘Doomsday Clock’?

On January 23, 2020, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a non-profit research and education organization based in Chicago, moved the hands on its Doomsday Clock forward to 100 seconds to midnight – the closest in its 74-year history. According the Bulletin, this change reflects the growing threat posed by climate change, nuclear proliferation, and… Read More »