For fun/stress relief: History Trivia Game

[CageFree]

Let's get distracted and learn, at the same time.

Share fun/funny/weird/interesting trivia from any field or time period of history

- When Drusilla, the sister/wife of the Roman Emperor Caligula died, he imposed a one-year mourning period during which he banned "any man" from dining with his family, bathing and laughing, upon penalty of death.

- The term "idiot" originally referred to a Greek citizen who did not actively/visibly participate in Athenian political life (i.e. did not speak at the Assembly or hold political office).

[oseirus]

The term decimated comes from the old roman practice whereby after a Roman defeat, that legion/s would draw lots & every tenth man was executed (either real or mock)

[lureynol]

The last British king to personally lead an army into battle was George II, who lead his men at Dettingen during the War of the Austrian Succession in 1743.

[Wendell]

Translated, the name Caligula means "Little Boot."

[CageFree]

The "Flanders mare," i.e. Anne of Cleves, was probably the most beautiful of Henry's VIII's wives by today's standards.

[New England Nat]

NASA investigated launching a giant mirror into space to light up the jungles of Vietnam at night. The project was dropped when the neighboring countries objected.

[Simple Twist of Fate]

That reminds me... apparently in the 1990s, the US military spent some money looking into the possibility of a "Gay Bomb" which would render enemy combatants so attracted to each other that they would lose interest in fighting. It didn't receive the necessary funding, thankfully.

[Kelkel]

During the Cold War, the Russians measured a lot of nuclear energy coming from outerspace. They believed that the Americans were hiding nuclear bombs on the darkside of the moon. The energy was actually being emitted from blackholes.

I always thought that was funny.

Edited February 3, 2012 by Kelkel

[oseirus]

The Roman emperor Caracalla derived his nickname from his cloak.

[New England Nat]

The soviets rejected the science of genetics on ideological grounds, and advocating the teaching of genetics could get you sent to a gulag.

[oseirus]

General John J. Pershing received the nickname "Black Jack" due to the fact he was a commander of a buffalo soldiers unit

[New England Nat]

General John J. Pershing received the nickname "Black Jack" due to the fact he was a commander of a buffalo soldiers unit

In fact the nick name was actually N***** Jack, but the newspapers wouldn't print the slur word during WWI.

[New England Nat]

^{During the 1920s the AMA supported a doctor who proposed that there was a disease characterized by excessive concern for animals particular to women. Symptoms included caring more about your neighborhood cat than your husband, and of course being active in the anti-vivisection movement. The cure?} Gynecological surgery.

[iamincontrolhere-haig]

Gerald Ford was left-handed while sitting down and right-handed while standing up.

[New England Nat]

Gerald Ford was left-handed while sitting down and right-handed while standing up.

Okay, that's kind of seriously freaky.

[New England Nat]

Bess Truman was incredibly displeased with suddenly having secret service protection for life after the Kennedy assassination. The secret service agents assigned to her would live in the house across the street and try not to draw her wrath. Most of them spent their tour on her detail taking college courses down the street.

[Simple Twist of Fate]

Bubblewrap was originally marketed as a wallpaper.

[crazedandinfused]

Bess Truman was incredibly displeased with suddenly having secret service protection for life after the Kennedy assassination. The secret service agents assigned to her would live in the house across the street and try not to draw her wrath. Most of them spent their tour on her detail taking college courses down the street.

Eddie Jacobson - Harry Truman's business partner and the guy who helped convince him to recognize the State of Israel - was never at the Truman home because Bess was a virulent anti-Semite.

[oseirus]

Gerald Ford was left-handed while sitting down and right-handed while standing up.

1. Gerald Ford was born Leslie Lynch

2. Gerald Ford was the first VP selected under the 25th Amendment

3. Gerald Ford was the only unelected POTUS, he was selected VP by Nixon

4. Gerlad Ford was the last college sports coach elected as POTUS

5. Gerald Ford was Homer Simpson's neighbor after the Bush family moved out of Springfield. He also offered Homer Nacho & a chance to watch football.

[RevolutionBlues]

Albert Parsons, who entered history as one of the Haymarket Martyrs in the fight for the 8-hour day, also fought in the very last battle of the American Civil War after joining the Confederate cavalry at 15. He was also very successful at getting black candidates elected to office in Texas immediately after the war until death threats forced him out of the state and into several years of journalism steaming up and down the Mississippi before finally landing in Chicago and fully embracing anarchism, this time undeterred by the reaulting death threats that were eventually carried out by the state executioner.

[SapperDaddy]

the effective range of the M16 rifle is 550 meters. The effective range of an excuse is 0.0 meters.

[goldielocks]

I remember reading in a journal article (in a Sexuality seminar) that the Ancient Greeks believed the uterus floated around inside a woman's body, complete with horns.

[oseirus]

Tallahasse, FL, was the only unconquered southern state capital during the "War of Northern Aggression"

[SapperDaddy]

Mormon Utah was the first state to ever elect a Jewish governor.

[New England Nat]

Both Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were presidents of the AHA. Though Wilson was president of the AHA after his presidency of the USA and you have to wonder exactly how that worked...