10 Illnesses That Changed History and Redirected the World
Discover 10 illnesses that changed history, altered dynasties, toppled plans, reshaped governments, and even redrew maps.
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10 Illnesses That Changed History and Redirected the World
Read more: 10 Illnesses That Changed History and Redirected the WorldDiscover 10 illnesses that changed history, altered dynasties, toppled plans, reshaped governments, and even redrew maps.
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The 1945 Japanese Coup Attempt to Stop Emperor Hirohito’s Surrender Broadcast
Read more: The 1945 Japanese Coup Attempt to Stop Emperor Hirohito’s Surrender BroadcastIn August 1945, Japanese officers tried to seize the Imperial Palace, destroy Hirohito’s surrender recording, and keep World War II going. This is the story of hte 1945 Japanese coup attempt to stop the public from hearing the Emperor’s voice.
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Famous Typos in History: The Greatest Proofreading Disasters Ever Printed
Read more: Famous Typos in History: The Greatest Proofreading Disasters Ever PrintedDiscover famous typos and proofreading disasters that changed Bibles, dictionaries, laws, headlines, and publishing history.
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When Politeness Had Rules: The Strange Etiquette Rules Everyone Once Knew and We Somehow Forgot
Read more: When Politeness Had Rules: The Strange Etiquette Rules Everyone Once Knew and We Somehow ForgotFrom bowing and calling cards to chaperones and gloves, discover the strange old etiquette rules everyone once knew—and why they disappeared.
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Radio Quito’s 1949 War of the Worlds Broadcast: The Hoax That Turned Deadly
Read more: Radio Quito’s 1949 War of the Worlds Broadcast: The Hoax That Turned DeadlyIn 1949, Radio Quito staged a War of the Worlds broadcast so convincing that panic turned deadly when an angry crowd burned the station.
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Edward Pennington and the “Puncture-Proof” Tire That Burst Anyway
Read more: Edward Pennington and the “Puncture-Proof” Tire That Burst AnywayEdward Pennington claimed his 1896 Autocar had “impuncturable” tires. Then one burst during the famous London-to-Brighton Emancipation Run.
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The Mother Who Told Her Son He Would Be All Right
Read more: The Mother Who Told Her Son He Would Be All RightMeet the mother whose quiet encouragement inspired her son to honor her in one of history’s most consequential moments.
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The 1939 WJSV Broadcast Day: 19 Hours of Radio That Became an Accidental Time Machine
Read more: The 1939 WJSV Broadcast Day: 19 Hours of Radio That Became an Accidental Time MachineExperience September 21, 1939 through the 19-hour preserved WJSV broadcast day, from soap operas and baseball to Roosevelt and late-night swing.
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Thomas Stevens Rode Around the World on a Penny-Farthing Because Apparently Bicycling Wasn’t Dangerous Enough Yet
Read more: Thomas Stevens Rode Around the World on a Penny-Farthing Because Apparently Bicycling Wasn’t Dangerous Enough YetThomas Stevens became the first person to circle the globe by bicycle, riding a 50-inch penny-farthing across 13,500 miles of roads, trails, and trouble.
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John Joseph Merlin: The Roller-Skate Pioneer Who Couldn’t Steer, Couldn’t Stop, and Hit a £500 Mirror
Read more: John Joseph Merlin: The Roller-Skate Pioneer Who Couldn’t Steer, Couldn’t Stop, and Hit a £500 MirrorJohn Joseph Merlin pioneered early roller skates, played violin while wearing them, and reportedly crashed into a £500 mirror at a masquerade.
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Kangaroo Feathers: The Australian Military Tradition That Started as a Joke
Read more: Kangaroo Feathers: The Australian Military Tradition That Started as a JokeDiscover the strange history of “kangaroo feathers,” the emu plumes worn by Australian Light Horse soldiers and the military tradition behind the joke.
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The Two Boys Named Leslie Who Grew Up to Become American Icons
Read more: The Two Boys Named Leslie Who Grew Up to Become American IconsTwo boys named Leslie, born 10 years apart, changed their names, and became American icons. Follow their remarkably different lives and see if you can identify them.
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The Priceless JFK Photo Archive That Was Destroyed on September 11
Read more: The Priceless JFK Photo Archive That Was Destroyed on September 11Discover how 40,000 irreplaceable photo negatives of the JFK photo archive stored for safekeeping at the World Trade Center were destroyed on September 11, 2001.
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Ancient Rome’s Urine Tax: Why Vespasian Taxed Pee and Said “Money Doesn’t Stink”
Read more: Ancient Rome’s Urine Tax: Why Vespasian Taxed Pee and Said “Money Doesn’t Stink”Ancient Rome taxed urine because it was valuable to textile workers. Meet Vespasian, the urine tax, and the origin of “money doesn’t stink.”
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How to Write the Commonplace Fun Facts Way: 12 Steps for 12 Years
Read more: How to Write the Commonplace Fun Facts Way: 12 Steps for 12 YearsCelebrate 12 years of Commonplace Fun Facts with a behind-the-scenes look at how to write with curiosity, skepticism, research, and rabbit trails.
