10 Mind Blowing Facts Of History That Most People Didn't Know

Studying history is important because it enables us to understand our past, which in turn enables us to understand our present. ... Studying history can give us insight into our cultures of origin as well as the cultures that we may be less familiar with.

Here are 10 mind-blowing facts of history that most people didn't know:-

1. On 27 August 1896, the Anglo-Zanzibar War was a military war held between Great Britain and the Zanzibar Sultanate. The conflict lasted between 38 and 45 minutes, making it the shortest war ever recorded.


2. Ancient Romans used to use human as well as animal urine as a mouthwash to whiten their teeth. The thing is, it really does work, it's so gross. Our urine contains ammonia, a nitrogen and hydrogen compound which can function as a cleansing agent.

3. Oxford University (1096), The University of Oxford is 200 years older than the Aztecs, 300 years older than Machu Picchu, and 150 years older than the Easter Island heads.

4. Genghis Khan created one of the first postal systems of international origin. One of Khan 's earliest decrees included the establishment of a mounted courier service known as the "Yam." This medieval term consisted of a well-organized series of post-houses and stations extending across the Empire.

5. Dance marathons got popular during the Great Depression in the United States. ... Dance marathons were a big success during the Great Depression as they provided food, shelter, and cash prize prizes to competitors and viewers, at a time when many people wanted a meal and free entertainment.

6. The Dutch-Scilly War lasted 335 years and had neither battles nor deaths. When peace was officially declared between the Isles of Scilly and the Netherlands, 335 years of war ended, making it the longest war in history. However, during these three long centuries of continuous war, not a single shot was fired, and there were no casualties.

7. England saw pineapples as a symbol of wealth and status in the eighteenth century. When Christopher Columbus brought pineapple from the New World to Spain, people were astounded that it was considered a symbol of wealth and status.

8. Norvell Gillespie, garden editor at the time for Better Homes and Gardens magazine, designed the camouflage print that U.S. servicemen wore during the Second World War. During the Second World War, hamburgers in the U.S. were renamed "liberty steaks" to avoid their German-sounding name.

9. The Chernobyl firefighter was exposed to so much radiation that his eye color changed. Pravyk is thought to be a firefighter whose brown eyes turned blue due to massive exposure to radiation. He died fifteen days after the incident and was laid to rest at Moscow's Mitinskoe Cemetery along with twenty-seven other victims of the disaster.

10. The Beetle was, in fact, the result of Adolf Hitler's plan to build a reliable car that hard-working German families could afford. In 1935, he met the car designer Ferdinand Porsche to set his plan in motion.

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