10 Crazy Pieces of History That You Probably Didn't Know About

Author image for Eric Lund
Eric Lund
Jul 29, 2018 11:00 AM EDT

Why don't they teach this in schools? Cause it's interesting, that's why.

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  • 01
    Text - 18 hours ago .edited 4 hours ago steviesmum 20.6k points Diarrhea was so widespread and common in the 19th century that people would develop opium habits because opium makes you constipated.
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    Text - MrMango69 14.8k points 18 hours ago 1014 AD: After defeating a large Bulgarian army at the battle of Kleidion, Byzantine Emperor Basil II had 99 of every 100 prisoners blinded, leaving each 100th man with one eye so that he could lead his comrades home. Upon seeing his thousands of blinded soldiers, the Bulgarian Emperor reportedly died of a heart attack. Basil II was known thereafter as Basil Bulgar-Slayer
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    Text - 18 hours ago .edited 7 hours ago bakerton 12.7k points George Washington was an amazing man, but very proper and stern, but also revered by all. But one guy thought it was perhaps overblown, and was talking smack that George wasn't all that awe inspiring in person Gouverneur Morris thought that it couldn't be that intimidating meeting George Washington, so Alexander Hamilton made him a bet. If he would, upon meeting the general, clap him on the shoulder and say "My dear General, how happy
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    Text - Sarcastic_ 18 hours ago .edited 16 hours ago 2.4k points Battle of Castle Itter where Americans, Germans, Austrians, and French prisoners fought together against the Nazis. Operation Unthinkable which was a plan by Allied Command to launch an Allied attack aided by American, British, Polish, and re-armed German soldiers on the Soviets should they turn out to be untrustworthy. Stanislav Petrov is the guy who stopped a nuclear war from happening based on the belief that the other side would
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    Text - 1 edited 14 hours ago Rattplats 10.7k points 18 hours ago I know so much random history trivia, but of course at this moment, I can't think of anything truly fascinating.Not really fascinating, but funny, is the lion of Gripsholm castle. As a part of some diplomatic back and forths, Fredrik the first of Sweden received a lion from the ruler of Algeria. It was now up to the royal taxidermist to make sure the lion was restored to its former glory. During the 1730's however, not a great deal
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    Lion
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    Text - automaticpotato 4.9k points 19 hours ago When Philip of Macedon had ravaged many Greek city states, things were looking bad for Greece. He then turned his attention to Sparta, sending the doomed state a letter that read: You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your city The Spartans sent back a rather to-the-point reply: If.
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    Text - Portarossa 3.7k points 19 hours ago edited 18 hours ago It's actually more badass even than that. That was the second message in that particular exchange. In the first, Philip asked the Spartans whether he should come to Sparta as a friend or as a foe. Their reply? 'Neither.
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    Text - TheVegetaMonologues 1.7k points 18 hours ago Not quite the same thing but I'm surprised at how little is known about Mansa Musa's famous pilgrimage to Mecca, considering how often it's brought up The economic impact of his generosity is infamous- he gave away so much gold that it's value in the Nile River Valley tanked for over a decade and he ended up borrowing it back at insane interest rates to stabilize the economy of northern Africa. Which raises the question in my mind, if his econo
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    Text - neildegrassebyeson 8.0k points 17 hours ago .edited 8 hours ago Peter the Great often forced dwarves to get married and him and his friends would get drunk and attend the wedding. He had a fascination with dwarves, and he once forced someone who had made him angry to marry a dwarf.
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    Text - AvidReader182 4.1k points 18 hours ago Robert Liston 1794-1847 A surgeon. In fact, he was described as "the fastest knife in the West End" and could amputate a leg in 2.5 minutes (the faster the surgery, the more likely the recovery) - though during this particular amputation he went so quickly he also removed his patient's testicles. However, he also amputer a man's leg (in less than 2.5 minutes), who would later die of gangrene. In his haste, he accidentally cut off his assistant's fing
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    Text - dahngrest 1.6k points 16 hours ago When Ivan III of Russia married Zoe/Sophia Palaiologina, niece of Dragases Palaiologos or Constantine XI, her uncle gifted them a library along with many other treasures. This library somehow survived the Burning of Moscow in 1493 and continued to be passed down to her son, Vasili III, and then on to her grandson, Ivan IV During Ivan IV's reign of terror (the second half of his reign), he feared the library was too precious a treasure and worried it woul
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  • 13
    Text - Mr_A 1.3k points 18 hours ago The Dancing plague of 1518 is always a bit of an interesting read. Fairly short Wiki article, noticeably missing a resolution, but somewhat interesting nonetheless. The dancing plague (or dance epidemic) of 1518 was a case of dancing mania that occurred in Strasbourg, Alsace, in the Holy Roman Empire in July 1518. Around 400 people took to dancing for days without rest and, over the period of about one month, some of those affected collapsed or even died of h
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