Rather than simply being the “study of the past” for its own sake, the “art” of history can also help us understand present-day human phenomena by investigating and clarifying their origins and development. However, there are some “tales” from the past that can make you really wonder about their authenticity. If you don’t quite follow, read this list of 25 Odd and Bizarre Historical Events That Sound Fake but are 100% true. Believe it or not, Robert created the most famous flag design in the world as part of a school project when he anticipated Alaska and Hawaii joining the United States. Ironically, he only got a B- for the assignment and a reprimand from his teacher for having too many stars. As he would state later, his teacher told him, “You don’t even know how many states we have.” Not discouraged from his teacher’s reaction, Robert sent his design to the White House. His design was chosen out of more than 1,500 designs that were given to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. (Sidenote: his teacher changed his grade to an A.) See, the US used 4.5 gigatons of cement between 1901 and 2000. Compare that with the 6.6 gigatons of cement China used between 2011 and 2013 (according to data from the International Cement Review) and you will realize that Bill Gates is definitely not a liar. Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln was a champion wrestler, taking part in about 300 matches. He had a reputation for being a very tough fighter. Keep also in mind that Abe was 6’4″ tall and about 225 pounds in his prime days. In other words, a certified badass. The notorious pope once claimed that black cats were instruments of Satan and ordered their extermination throughout Europe. Ironically, the dramatic reduction in cat population during the 13th century was among the factors that led to a spike of plague-carrying rats, leading to the Black Plague. For the record, Cleopatra was of Greek origin. She was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. As a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder, Ptolemy I Soter, a Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great. Incitatus was by far his favorite horse. He loved Incitatus so much that he gave the steed a marble stall, an ivory manger, a jeweled collar, and even a house. Another chronicler, Cassius Dio, wrote that servants fed Incitatus oats mixed with gold flakes. At some point, Caligula tried to make his horse a senator of Rome as well, but he ended up making it a priest instead. In addition to surviving the Titanic and Britannic disasters, Jessop was also aboard the trio’s third sister ship, the Olympic, when it collided with a British warship in 1911. They were symbols of power and prestige and can be found in Mayan iconography and archaeology. He could not stand the sight of pearls, to the extent that he refused to speak to women who were wearing them. When his secretary wore pearl jewelry, he sent her home for the day. Tesla also wore white gloves to dinner every night and prided himself on being a “dapper dresser.” However, bunnies weren’t as scared of him. Apparently, the emperor had requested that a rabbit hunt be arranged for himself and his men. His chief of staff set it up and had men round up 3,000 rabbits for the occasion. When the rabbits were released from their cages, the hunt was ready to go. At least that was the plan! But the bunnies charged toward Bonaparte and his men in a vicious and unstoppable onslaught. The only certain thing is that Napoleon knew how to survive! Imagine using one of the most deadly and addictive substances in history in the same way your grandma uses Werther’s candy. And heroin was not just used to treat the coughs of adult peeps … we’re talking about children’s coughs too!!! Well, in ancient Egypt, servants didn’t eat honey. Instead, they were smeared with honey in order to attract flies and keep them away from the pharaoh. Wouldn’t you hate honey too, if that was the case? The most mind-blowing part of it all was the difference in eras. Charlie Chaplin came from a world of black-and-white, silent movies, while Apple was about to change the world with its breakthrough technology designs. Kind of cool in a really contrasting way, huh? Charles dropped off the tortoise in Australia where she lived to a staggering 175 years old. Harriet didn’t pass away until 2006, making her the only living creature in the 21st century to have met the creator of the Theory of Evolution. Not exactly the kind of “hobby” you would expect from a pope, right? (Or am I just being a prude here?) However, some may remember Aeschylus for his very unusual, almost comical death. Actually, it’s the only documented case of human death directly attributed to a tortoise. Aeschylus lost his life when a hungry eagle dropped a tortoise on his head so the shell would break and the eagle could eat the meat. Apparently, the eagle mistook his bald head for a rock. How exactly did he accomplish this? He would often retouch his photos in order to remove people who had died or had been removed (usually violently) from the office. A true tech pioneer, regardless. Before he even pursued an acting career, Reagan worked six summers as a lifeguard in Lowell Park in Dixon, working on the treacherous Rock River. According to newspaper reports of the time and later research, he saved 77 people from drowning. A couple of days later, the nomination was canceled. The whole thing caused a huge controversy in the days that followed. It was eventually decided that no prize would be awarded that year to anyone for peace. For that matter, some contemporary historians suggest that Hitler is so hated because he mainly killed white people. To be more specific, a 2009 book titled The Imperial Controversy: Challenging the Empire Apologists mentions among other things: In 1929, a group of women took to the streets, smoking cigarettes and carrying signs stating that cigarettes were “torches of freedom.” Similarly, to catch it was to symbolically show one’s acceptance of that love. An epigram claiming authorship by Plato states: To make a long story short, if someone threw an apple right in your face, you shouldn’t get mad. They were probably infatuated with you. Vesna Vulović was born in Serbia when it was part of a united Yugoslavia. She worked as a flight attendant for the former Yugoslavian airline JAT. At the age of twenty-two, she was onboard Jat Flight 367 bound for Copenhagen. Ironically, she wasn’t scheduled to fly that day (January 26, 1972). Due to some name confusion, she was mistakenly mixed up with another flight attendant with the same first name. A briefcase bomb went off, causing the plane to crash. Vulović was the only survivor and is the only person who has survived a fall from such a height.
