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06/04/2024

In the UK in the 17th century, women who were viewed as having spoken out of turn or said something inappropriate would be forced to wear "branks" or a "scold's bridle"—a metal muzzle that locked around her head and sometimes included a spiked plate that would be placed in her mouth.

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06/04/2024

Pope Gregory IV must have been a real dog person. The 13th-century pope stated that black cats were instruments of Satan and ordered that they be exterminated throughout Europe. His followers followed his orders and decimated the population of felines.

06/04/2024

John James Audubon's pioneering paintings of birds are so stunning that many overlook the fact that to get such detail, the artist would often kill his subjects, posing freshly killed birds into active poses so he could create a realistic painting without worrying they would fly away.

06/04/2024

Here's an interesting history fact you probably didn't learn in school: Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln was a champion wrestler, taking part in about 300 matches and earning a reputation as a tough fighter (also, being 6 feet, 4 inches tall didn't hurt).

06/04/2024

We think of Richard Nixon as a bit of a square—someone obsessed with power and little else. But the man could play five instruments (piano, saxophone, clarinet, accordion, and violin) and did so frequently. He played a piano rendition of "Happy Birthday" at the White House for Duke Ellington and "My Wild Irish Rose" in honor of his wife at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry. For more on his darker nature, however, see the 30 Craziest Things U.S. Presidents Have Done.

06/04/2024

The Exxon Valdez oil spill. The Challenger explosion. The Chernobyl nuclear meltdown. All were caused in one way or another by exhaustion and lack of sleep on the part of the men who were responsible for preventing such disasters. Don't let yourself be part of the problem: Try these 40 Tips for Better Sleep on Summer Nights.

06/04/2024

That would be Robert G. Heft, who created the design in 1958 as part of a school project when he anticipated Alaska and Hawaii joining the United States. After getting a B- for the assignment—"[At the time my teacher asked,] 'Why you got so many stars? You don't even know how many states we have,'" he told NPR—he wrote the White House 21 times until eventually President Eisenhower gave him a phone call and told him that his design would be made official.

06/04/2024

A version of this quote originally came from the autobiography of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who mentioned a princess saying it and which would then be attributed to Antoinette. But at the time Rousseau recalled hearing it, Antoinette would have been just 14 years old and living in Austria, making it highly unlikely she would be the princess to which he referred. And for more myths that became legend (or, at the very least, are definitely not historical facts), don't miss the biggest myths in American history.

06/04/2024

You've heard the story a thousand times. During Paul Revere's famous ride, the patriot shouted "The British are coming!" at the top of his lungs to warn the colonial militia of the approaching enemy. But historians agree that such shouting would have been dangerous and foolish. As History.com explains, "The operation was meant to be conducted as discreetly as possible since scores of British troops were hiding out in the Massachusetts countryside. Furthermore, colonial Americans at that time still considered themselves British; if anything, Revere may have told other rebels that the 'Regulars'—a term used to designate British soldiers—were on the move." And when you're ready for more eye-opening trivia, bone up on these 30 Astonishing Facts Guaranteed to Give You Child-like Wonder.