What are some fun history facts?

Acupuncture was first used as a medical treatment in 2700 BC by Chinese emperor Shen-Nung.

Armored knights raised their visors to identify themselves when they rode past their king. This custom has become the modern military salute.

At Andrew Jackson's funeral in 1845, his pet parrot had to be removed because it was swearing.

At the height of its power, in 400 BC, the Greek city of Sparta had 25,000 citizens and 500,000 slaves.

Bock's Car was the name of the B-29 Bomber that dropped the Atom Bomb on Nagasaki.

Britain's present royal family was originally named Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The name was changed in 1917, during WW1 because of German connotations. The name Windsor was suggested by one of the staff. At the same time the Battenberg family name of the cousins to the Windsors was changed into Mountbatten.

Canada declared national beauty contests canceled as of 1992, claiming they were degrading to women.

Captain Cook lost 41 of his 98 crew to scurvy (a lack of vitamin C) on his first voyage to the South Pacific in 1768. By 1795 the importance of eating citrus was realized, and lemon juice was issued on all British Navy ships.

Chicago's Lincoln Park was created in 1864. The original 120 acre cemetery had most of its graves removed and was expanded to more than 1000 acres for recreational use.

Christmas became a national holiday in the US in 1890.

During the US Civil war, 200,000 blacks served in the Union Army; 38,000 gave their lives; 22 won the Medal of Honor.

Everyone in the Middle Ages believed -- as Aristotle had -- that the heart was the seat of intelligence.

First four countries to have television: England, the U.S., the U.S.S.R., and Brazil.

Former President Cleveland defeated incumbent Benjamin Harrison in 1892, becoming the first (and, to date, only) chief executive to win non-consecutive terms to the White House.

Fourteenth century physicians didn't know what caused the plague, but they knew it was contagious. As a result they wore an early kind of bioprotective suit which included a large beaked head piece. The beak of the head piece, which made them look like large birds, was filled with vinegar, sweet oils and other strong smelling compounds to counteract the stench of the dead and dying plague victims.

From the Middle Ages up until the end of the 19th century, barbers performed a number of medical duties including bloodletting, wound treatment, dentistry, minor operations and bone-setting. The barber's striped red pole originated in the Middle Ages, when it was a staff the patient would grip while the barber bled the patient.

Grand Rapids, Michigan was the 1st US city to fluoridate its water in 1945.

In 1810 US population was 7,239,881. Black population at 1,377,808 was 19%. In 1969 US population reached 200 million.

In 1865, several veterans of the Confederate Army formed a private social club in Pulaski, Tennessee, called the Ku Klux Klan.

In 1892, Italy raised the minimum age for marriage for girls - to 12.

In 1947, Toys for Tots started making the holidays a little happier for children by organizing its first Christmas toy drive for needy youngsters.

In England and the American colonies the year 1752 only had 354 days. In that year, the type of calendar was changed, and 11 days were lost.

In the Holocaust between 5.1 and 6 million of Europe's 10 million Jews were killed. An additional 6 million 'unwanted' people were also executed, including more than half of Poland's educated populace.

Influenza caused over twenty-one million deaths in 1918.

Martha Washington, Pocahontas, and Susan B. Anthony are the only 3 women to have been represented on US currency.

Members of the Nazi SS had their blood type tattooed on their armpits.

More than 20,000 men were killed, wounded, or missing in action in the battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862. This was the bloodiest one-day fight during the Civil War.

3050 B.C. A Sumerian invents the wheel. Within the week after it was invented, the idea is stolen and duplicated by other Sumerians, thereby establishing the business ethic for all times.

1850 B.C. The residents of what is now Britain proclaim Operation Stonehenge a success. They finally got those boulders placed in a sufficiently meaningless pattern to confuse the hell out of scientists for years.

410 B.C. Rome ends the practice of throwing debtors into slavery, thus removing the biggest single obstacle to the development of the credit card.

432. St. Patrick introduces Christianity to Ireland, thereby giving the natives something interesting to fight about for the rest of their recorded history.

1456. An English judge reviews Joan of Arc's case and cancels her death sentence. Unfortunately for her, the sentence was carried out in 1431.

1568. Saddened over the slander of his good name, Ivan The Terrible kills another 100,000 peasants to make them stop calling him Ivan The Terrible.

1770. The shooting of three people in the Boston Massacre touches off the American Revolution. Two hundred years later, three shootings in Boston will be considered just about average for a Saturday night.

1773. Colonists dump tea into Boston Harbor. British call the act "barbaric," noting the no one added cream.

1805. Robert Fulton invents the torpedo. Two years later, Robert Fulton invents the steamship so that he'll have something to sink with his torpedo.

1860. Frederick Walton invents linoleum.

1869. Joseph Lister discovers a way to prevent hospital deaths from post-operative infection, and is rewarded by having a not-so-good tasting mouthwash named after him.

1903. The opening of the Trans-Siberian Railway enables passengers from Moscow to reach Vladivostok in eight days, which is a lot sooner than most of them want to get there.

1912. People with reservations for the second voyage of the Titanic get their money back.

1914. Archduke Francis Ferdinand is shot, and somehow everybody decides that's a good reason to start World War I.

1935. The invention of the parking meter gives the world just one more source of aggravation that it really doesn't need at that particular time.

At Andrew Jackson's funeral in 1845, his pet parrot had to be removed because it was swearing.

Everyone in the Middle Ages believed -- as Aristotle had -- that the heart was the seat of intelligence.

In 1892, Italy raised the minimum age for marriage for girls - to 12.

A baboon called Jackie became a private in the South African army in World War I.

At age 18, the Queen of England was a mechanic for the British Military.

Cleopatra married two of her brothers.

Henry Ford was Charles Lindbergh's first passenger in the Spirit of St. Louis.

In 1980, the city of Detroit presented Saddam Hussein with a key to the city.

In 1999, Pepsi, Inc. paid $0.00 in income tax!

In Ancient Greece, if a woman watched even one Olympic event, she was executed.

Charles I was under 5 feet tall and had a speech impediment.

Napoleon once kneed a foreign ambassador in the crotch when he was told something he didn't like.

Chiang Kai Shek's wife was an alcoholic.

The commanding generals Seleucus and Lysimachus fought each other hand to hand at the battle of Corupedium (281 BC) despite both being nearly 80 years old.Lysimachus was killed, his body being found some days later, protected by his dog.

Spencer Percival, British Prime Minister, was shot and killed by a merchant outraged that the government refused to compensate him for a period of imprisonment in Russia.

Prince Rupert had a pet poodle called Boy that he took into battle with him; puritans claimed Rupert was a warlock and Boy his familiar.

During the English Civil war Lord Goring was captured in bed by Parliament troops following a night of heavy drinking to celebrate his latest victory.

William Waller and Sir Ralph Hopton, opposing army commanders in the West of England during the English Civil War, had been friends for many years before,and remained so during the war, writing to each other numerous times.One of Hopton's letters to his old friend mentioned that an old flame of Waller's was in the Royalist camp and wanted to see him, if only he would change sides.

Mao Zedong believed chain smoking cigarettes and regularly having sex with teenage girls would prolong his life.

Prince Sado of Korea (1735-1762) would often burn whole sets of his clothes,murder his servants and rape ladies of the court.Eventually, his father locked him inside a heavy wooden chest used to store rice and left him to starve to death.

Acupuncture was first used as a medical treatment in 2700 BC by Chinese emperor Shen-Nung. Armored knights raised their visors to identify themselves when they rode past their king. This custom has become the modern military salute. At Andrew Jackson's funeral in 1845, his pet parrot had to be removed because it was swearing. At the height of its power, in 400 BC, the Greek city of Sparta had 25,000 citizens and 500,000 slaves. Bock's Car was the name of the B-29 Bomber that dropped the Atom Bomb on Nagasaki. Britain's present royal family was originally named Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The name was changed in 1917, during WW1 because of German connotations. The name Windsor was suggested by one of the staff. At the same time the Battenberg family name of the cousins to the Windsors was changed into Mountbatten. Canada declared national beauty contests canceled as of 1992, claiming they were degrading to women. Captain Cook lost 41 of his 98 crew to scurvy (a lack of vitamin C) on his first voyage to the South Pacific in 1768. By 1795 the importance of eating citrus was realized, and lemon juice was issued on all British Navy ships. Chicago's Lincoln Park was created in 1864. The original 120 acre cemetery had most of its graves removed and was expanded to more than 1000 acres for recreational use. Christmas became a national holiday in the US in 1890. During the US Civil war, 200,000 blacks served in the Union Army; 38,000 gave their lives; 22 won the Medal of Honor. Everyone in the Middle Ages believed -- as Aristotle had -- that the heart was the seat of intelligence. First four countries to have television: England, the U.S., the U.S.S.R., and Brazil. Former President Cleveland defeated incumbent Benjamin Harrison in 1892, becoming the first (and, to date, only) chief executive to win non-consecutive terms to the White House. Fourteenth century physicians didn't know what caused the plague, but they knew it was contagious. As a result they wore an early kind of bioprotective suit which included a large beaked head piece. The beak of the head piece, which made them look like large birds, was filled with vinegar, sweet oils and other strong smelling compounds to counteract the stench of the dead and dying plague victims. From the Middle Ages up until the end of the 19th century, barbers performed a number of medical duties including bloodletting, wound treatment, dentistry, minor operations and bone-setting. The barber's striped red pole originated in the Middle Ages, when it was a staff the patient would grip while the barber bled the patient. Grand Rapids, Michigan was the 1st US city to fluoridate its water in 1945. In 1810 US population was 7,239,881. Black population at 1,377,808 was 19%. In 1969 US population reached 200 million. In 1865, several veterans of the Confederate Army formed a private social club in Pulaski, Tennessee, called the Ku Klux Klan. In 1892, Italy raised the minimum age for marriage for girls - to 12. In 1947, Toys for Tots started making the holidays a little happier for children by organizing its first Christmas toy drive for needy youngsters. In England and the American colonies the year 1752 only had 354 days. In that year, the type of calendar was changed, and 11 days were lost. In the Holocaust between 5.1 and 6 million of Europe's 10 million Jews were killed. An additional 6 million 'unwanted' people were also executed, including more than half of Poland's educated populace. Influenza caused over twenty-one million deaths in 1918. Martha Washington, Pocahontas, and Susan B. Anthony are the only 3 women to have been represented on US currency. Members of the Nazi SS had their blood type tattooed on their armpits. More than 20,000 men were killed, wounded, or missing in action in the battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862. This was the bloodiest one-day fight during the Civil War. HOPE THATS ENOUGH

At Andrew Jackson's funeral in 1845

Until the late 18th century tomato was widely known as a poisonous vegetable.