posted
This one always amazed me... English King, Richard I, (often called Richard the Lionheart) could not speak English. He barely spent a few months in what we now call England, spending most of his life in France where he was called Coeur de Lion
-------------------- I like free speech. It lets me know who the idiots are. Posts: 407 | From: Ireland | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:The shirt Gustavus Adolphus was wearing when he was killed is on display in the Royal Armory in Stockholm, Sweden (as are the outfits two of his successors were wearing when they bit the big one).
And it's quite unsettling to stand next to it.
-------------------- All along the untrodden paths of the future, I can see the footprints of an unseen hand. Posts: 6912 | From: Flanders | Registered: Jan 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
When we visited the new Atlanta Aquarium recently, I told a small child, "A whale isn't really a fish. It's an insect."
-------------------- "No hard feelin's and HOPpy New Year!"--Walt Kelly Hear what you're missing: ARTC podcasts! http://artcpodcast.org/ Posts: 7581 | From: Gainesville, Georgia | Registered: Jun 2000
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Damian: Benjamin Franklin did not make up the saying: Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may die. It comes from the Bible (Luke 12:19).
And Luke probably got it from Ecclesiastes 2:24
Nitpick, but Luke 12:19 is actually a completely different concept.
quote:Luke 12:19-20 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
It was Paul who quoted Solomon.
quote:1Cor. 15:32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
-------------------- The technical term is narcissism. You can't believe everything is your fault unless you also believe you're all powerful.--House Posts: 2684 | From: Budapest | Registered: Sep 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
In the first world war the Ross rifle issued to Canadian forces was so unreliable in the muddy conditions, many soldiers started taking Lee-Enfields off of Dead English soldiers.
-------------------- -Sir, the rebels are here. My god do they want tea?- Posts: 27 | From: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
There is evidence to suggest that the first controlled mechanical flight was performed by New Zealander, Richard Pearse on March 31, 1903. This is almost 9 months before the Wright brothers' effort on December 17, 1903 at Kittyhawk.
-------------------- "I always tell the truth. Even when I lie." - Tony Montana Posts: 890 | From: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: Apr 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Andrew of Ware, England: In 1695 the English Parliament introduced the 'Window Tax'. People with more than a certain number of windows had to pay it. A lot of houses had some of their windows bricked up so the owners could avoid the tax.
Hence was born the expression 'daylight robbery'.
Looks like a pun to me. A daylight robbery in itself is pretty self-explanatory.
Posts: 246 | From: Toronto, ON / Kyiv, Ukraine | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
The first battle of the American Civil War, the 1st Battle of Bull Run (Manassas for you Southerners) was fought on land belonging to Wilmer McLean, a Virginia farmer who took little interest in politics. In 1862, he had almost recovered from the damage when the 2nd Battle of Bull Run roared over his land. So he sold his farm, what was left of it, and moved 200 miles away from the war. McLean's house, at Appomattox Court House, was the site of the negotiations between Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant for the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. As an ironic footnote, after the surrender, Union officers wanting souvenirs stripped McLean's parlor bare.
-------------------- Ad astra per asparagus. Posts: 4806 | From: Groton, CT | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Ahriman: In the first world war the Ross rifle issued to Canadian forces was so unreliable in the muddy conditions, many soldiers started taking Lee-Enfields off of Dead English soldiers.
The Chauchat issued to Allied troops had the same reputation.
-------------------- All posts foretold by Nostradamus.
Turing test failures: 6 Posts: 5481 | From: Decatur, GA | Registered: Nov 2002
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Brad from Georgia: When we visited the new Atlanta Aquarium recently, I told a small child, "A whale isn't really a fish. It's an insect."
Whilst at London Zoo, I heard a mother telling her son regarding the Bearded Pig, "They used to be extinct"
Posts: 43 | From: Gloucester, Gloucestershire, UK | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
-------------------- Give big space to the festive dog that makes sport in roadway. Avoid entanglement of dog with wheel spokes. Posts: 4267 | From: Seattle | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
Before the mechanical clock became popular, farmers divided time in medieval Europe using a sundial. This essentially divided the day into 12 "hour" increments that were quite a bit longer during the summer than in the winter.
Ambrose Burnsides, one of the most incompetent generals in United States history, is the source of the term "sideburns". Google up a picture of the guy: he had truly massive mutton-chops.
In the aftermath of the sack of Rome in 1527, there is evidence that some of the German mercenaries hired by Charles V didn't quite understand the whole point of Protestantism: graffiti on the walls saying "Luther Papum" (Luther for Pope).
The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem was built on the same site as the old Jewish Second Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
Shakespeare's classic tragedy "King Lear" was rewritten by a guy named Nahum Tate in 1681 to give it a happy ending. This version was the one used on the stage all the way up until 1838.
-------------------- Give big space to the festive dog that makes sport in roadway. Avoid entanglement of dog with wheel spokes. Posts: 4267 | From: Seattle | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Johnny Slick: But seriously...
Ambrose Burnsides, one of the most incompetent generals in United States history, is the source of the term "sideburns". Google up a picture of the guy: he had truly massive mutton-chops.
I have a decent amount of Civil War trivia at my fingertips. Here's another--historian Shelby Foote was wrong. General Hooker is not the origin of the slang term for prostitutes. It's true that quite a few ladies followed his camp and charged for services, but the word "hooker" dates back to the 1830s.
Posts: 1699 | From: New York | Registered: Oct 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
This seems like a good place to relat some Bathroom Reader footnotes. Uncle John's been fooled before...
The first even income tax was levied in Great Britan, to fund the wars against Napoleon.
Lev Bronstein stole his jailer's passport and was thereafetr known as Leon Trotsky.
Before he reunited Italy, Garibaldi lived briefly on Staten Island, working as a candle maker.
No only child has ever been elected President of the United States.
The last country in the Americas to abolish slavery was not the U.S., but Cuba.
Drafts of the Declaration of Independence were written on hemp paper.
Josef Stalin was studying to become a Russian Orthodox priest when he found Communism.
Ho Chi Minh literally means "one who enlightens."
Russia's February Revolution was in March; the October Revolution was in November.
The first child born on the Mayflower was named Oceanus Hopkins.
Before he died, Lenin attacked the despotism and bureaucracy of Communism.
There has never been a North American secretary general of the United Nations.
Founded in 1923 in Vienna, Interpol was absorbed into the Gestapo during thwe Nazi era.
Twenty-six of the 42 men elected U.S. president have been lawyers.
Until 1709, Sweden was a major European military power.
Persian king Xerxes I punished stormy water by having it whipped 100 times.
Karl Marx was once a correspondent for Horace Greeley's New York Daily Tribune.
Kaiser Wilhelm, Czar Nicholas II, and George V were all grandchildren of Queen Victoria.
Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson was asked to play for Britan's Olympic hockey team.
Ho Chi Minh based the opening of Vietnam's Declaration of Independence on America's.
Although Frederick the Great doubled Germany's territory, he spoke German poorly.
There really was a King Macbeth. He ruled Scotland from 1040 to 1057.
Catherine the Great died from a stroke she suffered while sitting on the toilet.
The longest serving monarch ever was Pepi II, who ruled Egypt for 90 years.
Louis XIV of France was an avid ballet dancer in his youth.
The United Kingdom originally offered Kenya to the Zionists as a Jewish homeland.
Lady Nancy Astor, the first woman in the British House of Commons, was born in Virginia.
The castle of Bavaria's King Ludwig II was the model for Cinderella's castle at Disney World.
-------------------- I like to go down to the playground and watch the kids run and jump and scream, because they don't know I'm only using blanks. Posts: 942 | From: Illinois | Registered: Jan 2004
| IP: Logged |
Before he reunited Italy, Garibaldi lived briefly on Staten Island, working as a candle maker.
I never heard that. But I do know that Lincoln considered allowing Garibaldi to command the US army in the Civil War, but Garibaldi refused because the war wasn't about emancipation at that point. When I start to get annoying with these Civil War facts, just let me know people...
Posts: 1699 | From: New York | Registered: Oct 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Lev Bronstein stole his jailer's passport and was thereafetr known as Leon Trotsky.
This is inaccurate. First, he is either Lev Trotsky or Leon Bronstein (two names are the same). Secondly, he never stole his jailer's passport. Instead he was provided with a stolen empty passport where he chose to put the lastname of the supervisor of his prison as his own, leaving his original name and father's name.
Josef Stalin was studying to become a Russian Orthodox priest when he found Communism.
This one is true, although his actual education can be classified as "high school" at best, he dropped out afterwards.
Russia's February Revolution was in March; the October Revolution was in November.
...due to the fact that at that time Russia used Julian calendar that was 13 days behind Gregorian, both revolutions were named after Julian dates. However, since later on the country switched to Gregorian calendar, everything got moved.
Before he died, Lenin attacked the despotism and bureaucracy of Communism.
The fact refers to alleged "Lenin's Testament", one of the last works he wrote. The whole story is quite unclear, though, and the target was more current trends in the country rather than communism as a whole.
Until 1709, Sweden was a major European military power.
Well, actually Sweden didn't cease to exist as a major military power in 1709. It fought quite successfully in 7-year-war.
Catherine the Great died from a stroke she suffered while sitting on the toilet.
100% true. Actually, the toilet was a modified throne of Poland...
The castle of Bavaria's King Ludwig II was the model for Cinderella's castle at Disney World.
quote:Originally posted by TB Tabby: Lady Nancy Astor, the first woman in the British House of Commons, was born in Virginia.
Interestingly, the first woman to be elected to the British House of Commons was Sinn Fein politician Constance Markievicz (in 1918), who was unable to take her seat as she was in Holloway Prison.
Nancy Astor was the first woman to actually take her seat in the Commons (in 1919).
-------------------- "You learn something new every day if you're not careful" - Wilf Lunn Posts: 893 | From: Durham City, England | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Vincenzo Peruggia claimed (although there are circumstances suggesting alterior motive) that he stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911 for patriotic reasons: to return an Italian painting to its homeland after it had been "stolen" by Napoleon. Although the Louvre has seen a great deal of dubious Napoleonic booty, the Mona Lisa was one of those paintings lawfully paid for, and bought directly from the artist.
Posts: 111 | From: Jersey City, NJ | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Russia's February Revolution was in March; the October Revolution was in November.
Amm, it's not quite that simple. Before the first wave of Boshevik reforms of 1918, Russia adhered to the Julian calendar, which is 12 days behind the Gregorian calendar. So, when those revolutions took place, in Russia it really was February and October, respectively.
Posts: 111 | From: Jersey City, NJ | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
A less glamorous historical fact: Communist Russia really did have such a thing as "communal flats". A communal flat is an apartment where every room is occupied by a different family; all families share one bathroom and one kitchen. Such apartments did not have living rooms or any other common areas (other than the kitchen and the bathroom): every inch of living space was partitioned off and dedicated to a family. Apartments shared by 3 or 4 families (with 3-5 people to a family) were quite common in densely populated major cities, such as Moscow and Leningrad.
Somewhat off-topic: If you run out of refrigerator space, you can keep butter in a jar of brine for several days. A few years ago, I worked at an immigration law firm; one of our clients lost her asylum case on a minor point during her court hearing. The judge asked her to describe the kitchen and bathroom arrangements in her communal flat. The woman replied that 11 people, including herself, used one toilet, one bathtub (both for bathing and laundry) and one four-burner stove. Access to the refrigerator, however, was limited on the basis of seniority, and this woman, being the newest tenant in the flat, was not allowed to use it. She testified that in the winter, she kept food in the small grate space attached to the outside of her window (where flower pots normally go), and she bought small cartons of perishables (like milk) only for immediate use.
"But weren't there shortages of butter in the Soviet Union?" the judge asked. "There were," replied the woman. "So if you happened to come upon a butter sale, you'd buy a sizeable quantity of butter, more than you would consume in one day, right?" "Right." "So," went on the judge, smiling triumphantly, "if you couldn't use the refrigerator, where did you keep your butter, hmm?" "I kept it on the window sill." "Huh?" "In a jar of salt water. You keep it where it's cool and move it out of the sun in the morning and in the afternoon."
At this point, the judge ended the hearing and issued a decision that he did not find the woman credible (i.e., he thought she was a liar), because the living conditions she described were totally unbelievable in a country that sent the first man into space, and moreover, that this butter thing was the most ridiculous and scientifically untenable pack of nonsense he had ever heard; in other words, that he wasn't born yesterday. On appeal to the BIA, we submitted a statement by a food chemist that it was indeed possible to keep butter in a jar of brine, and that this was standard practice before the advent of ice boxes and refrigerators.
Posts: 111 | From: Jersey City, NJ | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
DemonWolf
Ding Dong! Merrily on High Definition TV
posted
quote:Originally posted by Banquo's Ghost: Of all those put to death during the Salem Witch Trials, only Giles Corey was pressed (for refusing to plead to the charges). All others were hanged. (Source: In the Devil's Snare, Mary Beth Norton)
Also, his last words were rumored to be, "more weight."
-------------------- Friends are like skittles: they come in many colors, and some are fruity!
DemonWolf
Ding Dong! Merrily on High Definition TV
posted
quote:Originally posted by Johnny Slick: In the aftermath of the sack of Rome in 1527, there is evidence that some of the German mercenaries hired by Charles V didn't quite understand the whole point of Protestantism: graffiti on the walls saying "Luther Papum" (Luther for Pope).
Either that, or it is evidence that the mercs had an odd sense of humor.
-------------------- Friends are like skittles: they come in many colors, and some are fruity!
quote:Originally posted by Redisca: At this point, the judge ended the hearing and issued a decision that he did not find the woman credible (i.e., he thought she was a liar), because the living conditions she described were totally unbelievable in a country that sent the first man into space, and moreover, that this butter thing was the most ridiculous and scientifically untenable pack of nonsense he had ever heard;
Dude, I've lived in worse places right here in the states! Not only that, but we NEVER kept butter in the fridge. It sat on the table. Never died from it neither.....
Sounds to me like this judge was either really, really entitled, or he had a thing against people from "communist" countries.
-------------------- So many spankings! It feels so good! But at the same time, I don't care about meeting your family! - I'mNotDedalus: Posts: 3216 | From: Denver, CO | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Sounds to me like this judge was either really, really entitled, or he had a thing against people from "communist" countries.
Ergh, he is more likely a well-heeled, self-important Manhattanite, who firmly believes that the Universe begins at the corner of First Avenue and First Street; that it consists of exactly three continents -- Upper West Side, "the Hamptons", and "France"; and that south of Canal Street lies a netherland which exists only in Woody Allen's movies about the 1930's and 40's.
Posts: 111 | From: Jersey City, NJ | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Steve: I have a decent amount of Civil War trivia at my fingertips. Here's another--historian Shelby Foote was wrong. General Hooker is not the origin of the slang term for prostitutes. It's true that quite a few ladies followed his camp and charged for services, but the word "hooker" dates back to the 1830s.
Blaming Fighting Joe Hooker for the term "hooker" is a base canard, an insult to an intrepid American soldier. Hooker, meaning prostitute, was a common term in London before Joseph H was born. James Boswell (1740-1795), in The Life of Samuel Johnson, calls prostitutes "hookers."
Hooker was another example of a mediocre commander of the Army of the Potomac who lost a major battle (Chancellorsville). He was relieved of command three days before Gettysburg. The nickname "Fighting Joe" was given to him after the Battle of Williamsburg (May 5, 1862) where he showed particular courage and ability as a division commander. Hooker was an excellent division and corps commander but was a poor army commander.
Hooker was, however, known for his liking of the ladies. He frequently brought his mistress to the field until ordered not to do so by Ambrose Burnside. With the mistress banished, Hooker was rather indiscriminate about his love affairs and used the services of ladies of negotiable affection. Hence the correlation of hookers with Hooker.
-------------------- Ad astra per asparagus. Posts: 4806 | From: Groton, CT | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
Napoleon III armed his troops with stone fruit instead of grenades.
The first person to conceive of the idea of making a really, really large ball out of yarn was none other than Bow Street Runner founder Henry Fielding. When he died in 1792, he had a ball of twine in his backyard that measured 4 feet around.
The city of London was originally a connected series of islands. The Romans filled in the spaces with gravel.
The profession of "broker" got its name because, in annual medieval fairs, they were the people who would break open casks of wine.
The patriotic hymn "God Bless America" was based on an older British song called "Hate, Hate The Yankees".
The game of craps was originally played by shoving dice down a sheep's throat and waiting for it to poop them out.
Sources close to Jesus Christ say that the original Sermon on the Mount speech had several references to standing down from the funk that were excised because funk hadn't been invented yet.
-------------------- Give big space to the festive dog that makes sport in roadway. Avoid entanglement of dog with wheel spokes. Posts: 4267 | From: Seattle | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Johnny Slick: Sources close to Jesus Christ say that the original Sermon on the Mount speech had several references to standing down from the funk that were excised because funk hadn't been invented yet.
YOMANK!
-------------------- If I'm not here, it's because I'm out. Posts: 198 | From: Northern California | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by TB Tabby: The first even income tax was levied in Great Britan, to fund the wars against Napoleon.
Well, wouldn't medieval tithe be an income tax?
Depends on how the tax was based. It was probably more of a property tax. IE, 5 shillings per acre of land, 1 shilling per cow, a groat per pig, that sort of thing. Or a simple 3 shillings per family.
-------------------- IIRC, it wasn't the shoe bomber's loud prayers that sparked the takedown by the other passengers; it was that he was trying to light his shoe on fire. Very, very different. Canuckistan Posts: 3694 | From: Arizona | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Actually, tithing by definition is separating one tenth of the land's bounty, so it is a form of income tax.
Posts: 111 | From: Jersey City, NJ | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
By the way, in my last list of 100% true historical trivia questions, there is one that is 100% 100% (10,000%?) true. See if you can find it!
-------------------- Give big space to the festive dog that makes sport in roadway. Avoid entanglement of dog with wheel spokes. Posts: 4267 | From: Seattle | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Johnny Slick: The game of craps was originally played by shoving dice down a sheep's throat and waiting for it to poop them out.
Reminds me of a german dice/drinking game my cousin talked about where you have to swallow a dice and drink loads of schnapps and the first one to throw up a six wins the pot of money!
-------------------- "British English speakers point to Americans adding more syllables so that they can make even more noise without actually saying anything." Llewtrah
Posts: 2235 | From: Sussex , UK | Registered: May 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Johnny Slick: By the way, in my last list of 100% true historical trivia questions, there is one that is 100% 100% (10,000%?) true. See if you can find it!
I'm going with this one.
[quoteThe city of London was originally a connected series of islands. The Romans filled in the spaces with gravel.[/quote]
-------------------- IIRC, it wasn't the shoe bomber's loud prayers that sparked the takedown by the other passengers; it was that he was trying to light his shoe on fire. Very, very different. Canuckistan Posts: 3694 | From: Arizona | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
