Tag Archives: History

WTF Fun Fact 13129 – Dorothy Parker and MLK Jr.

Writer Dorothy left her estate to Martin Luther King, Jr. Click to read the full fact. The post WTF Fun Fact 13129 – Dorothy Parker and MLK Jr. appeared first on WTF Fun Facts. Source

The Race to Create Working, Practical Personal Jetpacks

In the opening sequence of the 1965’s Thunderball, James Bond, having just dispatched the villainous SPECTRE agent Colonel Jacques Bouvar, flees to the rooftop of Bouvar’s French chateau, dons a futuristic-looking jetpack, and makes his dramatic escape. Given its fantastical, over-the-top nature, this scene was obviously accomplished via the magic of Hollywood special effects, right?… Read More »

The Women Who were Used for Breeding by the Nazis

Among a truly mind boggling number of atrocities the Nazis and their cohorts committed, that even closing in on a century later still have us all collectively occasionally surprised by their extent, is a little talked about program that saw hundreds of thousands of children kidnapped and many thousands more bred by the Nazis for… Read More »

Alexander the Great’s general in…

Alexander the Great’s general in India is said to have been surprised by such parrots talking like…Source

WTF Fun Fact 13124 – Signalman Jack

In the 1880s, a railway employed a baboon for a very important job. Click to read the full fact. The post WTF Fun Fact 13124 – Signalman Jack appeared first on WTF Fun Facts. Source

The Secret Cold War Project Behind the Roswell UFO Incident

On July 6, 1947, foreman William Brazel was patrolling the Foster cattle ranch, 50 kilometres outside the town of Roswell, New Mexico, when he noticed some strange debris strewn across the ground. The debris was composed of a strange, silvery metallic substance, parts of which were covered in strings of mysterious symbols resembling Egyptian hieroglyphs.… Read More »

The Largely Forgotten Entirely Mad Adventure of Half Safe The Amphibious Car That Could

If you suddenly decided to travel around the world, what sort of vehicle would you choose? Likely a sailboat, or – of you’re feeling particularly ambitious – an aeroplane. Well if so, then you’re a far more reasonable person than Ben Carlin. When this former Australian mining engineer began planning his own round-the-world trip in… Read More »

The Young War Gamers Who Changed the Course of WWII

The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest single campaign of the Second World War. Lasting from the very first day of the war in Europe to the very last, the battle pit German U-boats against Allied merchant shipping in a struggle for control of the Atlantic sea lanes, essential to keeping the British Isles… Read More »

The One-Eyed Barnstormer Who Invented the Space Suit in the 1930s

The space suit has become synonymous with the astronaut, defining the occupation more than any other piece of equipment. Essentially flexible, one-person spacecraft, space suits protect astronauts from the harsh environment of outer space and have been key to countless spaceflight achievements, from walking on the moon to the building the International Space Station. But… Read More »

WTF Fun Fact 13118 – Oldest Known Pet Cat

Pet cats may date back almost 10,000 years. Click to read the full fact. The post WTF Fun Fact 13118 – Oldest Known Pet Cat appeared first on WTF Fun Facts. Source

The Forgotten Carnival Sideshow That Saved Countless Babies’ Lives

If you were to visit New York’s Coney Island in the early 20th Century, you would have found no shortage wonderful amusements to occupy your time. You could swim in the ocean, enjoy an ice cream or a hot dog, or brave the death-defying mechanical rides of the island’s three giant amusement parks. If you… Read More »