Interesting stories, data and traditions are always exciting. On the one hand, the volume of information and its accessibility is growing incredibly today. But on the other hand, choose the right one in this stream interesting fact, it’s very difficult not to drown in a sea of something interesting. In this article we have collected such interesting details about our world, its inhabitants and events.
1. Mysterious Hagfish
An interesting representative lives in the waters of the World Ocean animal world– hagfish. This order of vertebrates is represented by 15 species, greatest number which are common off the western coast of North America.
The hagfish is an ancient animal, it is already more than 300 million years old, and the structure of these creatures has not changed in almost all this time; it is a kind of intermediate link between worms and fish. Hagfishes have no backbone, only a skull, which makes up the entire skeleton. Hagfish are vicious predators. They gnaw out the insides of fish with their powerful tongue with sharp teeth. By the way, there is interesting fact about the fact that hagfish actively use fishing nets - they attack immobilized fish and often leave fishermen without a catch. Therefore, in Northern Europe, fishermen often have to change their fishing grounds to escape the arrogant primitive predators.
The creatures' bodies are covered with a thick layer of mucus and can tie themselves into knots, which is an excellent defense mechanism. The largest animals reach 127 cm, although usually the size of hagfishes does not exceed 45-70 cm. internal structure The hagfish is also amazing - it has 4 hearts, one nostril and two brains. There are 2 eyes and light-sensitive elements near the cloaca - the hagfish “feels” light, but does not distinguish the image. Hagfish reproduce by laying eggs. In this case, their fertilization is external, and in some species there may be only one male per hundred females.
2. Swiss hemp
Invented in Switzerland most interesting way combating the illegal distribution of marijuana. Residents of the country were allowed to grow 4 hemp bushes for personal use. Of course it is possible smile Such naivety, but there is a certain logic in the decision. after all, if someone needs hemp, no matter how cruel the prohibitions are, he will still find it. Then let better person just grow a bush so dear to your heart.
But you also need to take into account interesting fact that everyone is entitled to hemp, which means that a family of 4-5 people will already have a whole, and completely legal, clearing of 16-20 bushes.
3. The birth of M&M's
Forrest Mars Sr. got the idea for his famous candies during the Spanish civil war. He saw how soldiers ate chocolate dragees, and due to the hardened chocolate shell, the candies did not melt and did not smear their fingers.
Actually M&M's began to be produced in 1941. The sweets immediately became very popular, so much so that they were even included in food rations. American soldiers on the fronts of World War II.
4. Long-legged spider crab
One of the most The largest arthropod on Earth is the Japanese spider crab. Its cephalothorax is up to 37 cm long, but if you measure the crab along with its legs, you will get all 4 meters! This representative animal world feeds on animal remains and shellfish and can live up to 100 years. I usually use it for scientific, food and decorative purposes; it is often placed in large aquariums.
5. Rain Trader
At the beginning of the twentieth century Charles Hatfield called a rainmaker. He sold sewing machines, and in free time studied materials on chemistry, physics, meteorology. His goal was to learn how to make rain using chemicals.
By 1902, Hatfield had a potent secret mixture of 23 ingredients, which had to be evaporated over fire from large zinc pans. The first few experiments are unsuccessful, but after bringing his younger brother Paul into the business, Hetfield begins to make money by betting on causing precipitation to a certain point.
Hatfield's fame quickly spreads throughout the country. The most interesting story
takes place in Sag Diego. A contract was awarded to the city in 1915 to fill the Morena Reservoir for $10,000. As a result, multi-day downpours, terrible flooding, casualties and destruction begin, and the authorities incur losses of $3.5 million. After such a large-scale event, legal proceedings followed, opinions about the connection between Hetfield's activities and the rainfall were divided. But the process served as good advertising and the popularity of the “rainmaker” only grew. So successful events in the entire history of Hetfield's activities there are about 500.
During his lifetime, by the way, Charles did not reveal his secret, telling it only to Paul, with whom she died.
6. The terrible companion of Santa Claus
In Germany, Austria and Hungary, there is a strange belief in their Alpine regions. According to local residents In Santa Claus's retinue there is a creepy creature - Krampus. His specialty is punishing especially spoiled children, and his name comes from “claw” (claw).
The first mentions of Krampus date back to the 19th century, but now its popularity is declining. But some areas of Austria and Bavaria celebrate “Krampustag” (Krampus Day) on December 5th. At the same time, people wear scary costumes and scare passersby. According to legends Krampus kidnaps children who “distinguished themselves” in the past year, takes them in a sack to his castle, and then throws them into the sea.
7. The Japanese have figured out how to “revive” a toy
Japanese designers have come up with a special PINOKY device with microcontrollers and photosensors, which looks like a bracelet and is worn on the limb of a soft toy. Next, you can transmit commands to the device from the remote control and the limb will move. In addition, PINOKY will be able to remember all the movements that a person made with a limb and reproduce them when given a signal.
8. Birmingham Rollers do somersaults in the air
In Birmingham, England, the Birmingham Rollers pigeon breed was bred, which became especially popular among fanciers due to the unusual abilities of the birds. These pigeons can somersault in the air. Scientists cannot explain this interesting fact - birds have no special reasons for tumbling, and pigeon experts say that birds simply like it.
9. Happy coincidences
Barbara Soper gave birth to her first daughter on 08/08/08, and exactly on time. Literally a year later, the housewife gave birth to a son, then the doctors had to intervene, the boy was born prematurely (September 20), but also at an amazing moment - 09.09.09. and a year later, 36-year-old Barbara gave birth to another girl. This time the doctor also had to intervene. Theoretically, the girl was supposed to be born on November 4, but due to the risk of complications, the birth was accelerated and the baby was born on October 10, 2010.
The sopers say that they did not plan such a unique event at all. event, everything happened by chance, although the chance of coincidence is only 1 in 50 million!
10. Sex trainers in the USA
In the USA there is a unique profession - a sex coach. He, like any other coach, must increase the level of theoretical, technical and moral-volitional training of his players. Now this profession is very popular, and the services of such trainers are in incredible demand. Topics covered include dating, kissing, foreplay, ejaculation and much more. In addition, the training program includes joint trips to sex shops and watching porn films. Intimacy with the coach is not included in the program, which means that the students will have to figure it out in practice on their own.
For those who are engaged in self-education, here are some
History is full of the most incredible facts and oddities. Throughout the history of their existence, people have not only created, but many have done things to their own detriment, believing that they have found a panacea for all diseases or an ideal political solution.
This review contains historical facts, which from the height of centuries seem somewhat strange.
1. Asbestos clothing
The Romans used asbestos in clothing and everyday items such as dish towels, napkins and tablecloths. Pliny the Elder (a Roman polymath writer) said that unlike ordinary cloth, asbestos objects could be cleaned by simply throwing them into the fire. He also noted that slaves who wore asbestos clothing often suffered from lung disease.2. Heart versus brain
IN Ancient Egypt It was believed that people think not with their brains, but with their hearts. The Egyptians believed that the brain was essentially just the stuffing for the head. For this reason, they carefully scraped it out of the head during embalming and threw it away, and preserved the heart with special care.
3. "Plague suit"
During the plague in the Middle Ages, some doctors wore a primitive form of biohazard suit called a "plague suit." This costume's mask featured red glass eyepieces (to "make the wearer immune to evil"), as well as a beak that was often filled with aromatic herbs and spices to quell the miasma that was also believed to carry plague.
4. 3370 years of war
“The Apotheosis of War” is a painting by Russian artist Vasily Vasilyevich Vereshchagin.
During the last 3,500 years, the entire world has had a total of only 230 years without war. It is worth wondering whether there is any benefit to the “peace movement.”
5. Bearded men
Among the urban population Western Europe and America, beards went out of fashion at the beginning of the 17th century. In 1698, Peter the Great ordered all boyars to shave their beards, and in 1705 he introduced a tax on beards.
6. “A Tale of Two Lovers”
The best-selling book of the 15th century was an erotic book called A Tale of Two Lovers. Its author was none other than Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini, otherwise known as Pope Pius II.
7. Sacred cats
In Ancient Egypt, cats were considered sacred. When a family's beloved cat died, the entire family shaved off its eyebrows and remained in mourning until the eyebrows grew back.
8. 20 slaves per Spartan
In 200 BC. The Greek city of Sparta was at the peak of its power. At this time, each citizen of Sparta had 20 slaves.
9. Protracted war
Andorra declared war on the Kaiser's Germany during World War I, but did not actually take part in the fighting. Interestingly, the country was officially at war until 1957, as it was not included in the Treaty of Versailles.
10. "Western schism"
During the so-called "Western Schism" or "Great Western Schism" (1378 - 1417), three men simultaneously claimed to be the true Popes. When the cardinals refused to obey their chosen Pope Urban VI and declared him mentally ill, they elected an “alternative” Pope, Clement VII. This caused great strife in the Church, which led to the election of a third Pope by the Council of Pisa.
11. From pirates to bankers
The founder of the Bank of England was Sir William Paterson. At the same time, few people know that before the founding of the bank he was suspected of piracy.12. Tea bags
In 1904, tea bags were invented completely by accident. Their inventor, Thomas Sullivan (a tea merchant), decided that it would be cheaper for him to send small samples of tea to potential customers in silk bags rather than in boxes. The recipients mistakenly believed that these particular bags needed to be brewed. Soon Sullivan was literally inundated with orders for his “tea bags.”
13. First parachute
The oldest design for a parachute can be found in an anonymous Italian Renaissance manuscript that dates back to 1470. The structure looked like a frame attached to a conical dome. The man was suspended from this frame by four straps attached to his belt at the waist.
14. Tobacco enemas
In the late 1700s there were tobacco enemas. They were used to blow tobacco smoke into a patient's rectum for various medical purposes, most notably to resuscitate drowning victims.
15. Ancient hair removal
IN Ancient Rome There were people who specialized in plucking armpit hair. Somewhere around 1 AD. It became fashionable among Roman aristocrats to remove all body hair. The following requirements were imposed on people in this profession: the presence of tweezers, a strong hand and the ability to hold a resisting client in place.
We offer a fascinating selection of historical facts about Russia and Russian people. Educational and interesting:
The origin of the name of our country is unknown
Since ancient times, our country was called Rus', but where this name came from is not known for certain. But it is known how “Rus” turned into “Russia” - this happened thanks to the Byzantines, who pronounced the word “Rus” in their own way.
After the collapse of Rus', its individual regions began to be called Little Rus', White Rus' and Great Rus', or Little Russia, Belarus and Great Russia. It was believed that only all these parts together constitute Russia. But after the revolution of 1917 and the Bolsheviks coming to power, Little Russia began to be called Ukraine, and Great Russia - Russia.
In Rus', grasshoppers were called dragonflies.
A long time ago, in the times of Rus', grasshoppers were indeed called dragonflies, but this name in no way directly refers to the flying insect dragonfly; the grasshopper received the name “dragonfly” because of the sounds it made, which sounded like chirping or clicking.
Foreign invaders were able to conquer Russia only once
Many tried to conquer Russia, and these attempts repeatedly failed. Only the Mongols were able to conquer Rus', and this happened in the 13th century. The reason for this was that Rus' at that time was divided into many principalities, and the Russian princes were unable to unite and jointly repel the conquerors. From then to this day, it was the stupidity and greed of the rulers, internal conflicts that were and remain the main source of problems for our country.
Corporal punishment in Russia
On August 11, old style (24 new style), 1904, corporal punishment for peasants and young artisans was abolished in the Russian Empire. This was the last one social group, for which they were also used different kinds physical impact. A little earlier, in June of the same year, corporal punishment was abolished in the navy and army.
Corporal punishment was divided into three large groups:
1) self-mutilating (mutilating) – deprivation of a person of any part of the body or its damage (blinding, cutting out the tongue, cutting off an arm, leg or fingers, cutting off ears, nose or lips, castration);
2) painful - causing physical suffering by beating with various instruments (whips, whips, batogs (sticks), spitzrutens, rods, cats, molts);
3) disgraceful (disgraceful) - highest value involves disgracing the person being punished (for example, being pilloried, branded, shackled, head shaved).
The upper strata of the population were sensitive to the ban on corporal punishment. In July 1877, the St. Petersburg mayor Trepov, in violation of the law of 1863, ordered the political prisoner Bogolyubov to be flogged with rods. The educated Bogolyubov went crazy and died from such an insult, and the famous Vera Zasulich avenged him by seriously wounding Trepov. The court acquitted Zasulich.
Since 1917, official Soviet pedagogy has considered corporal punishment of children unacceptable. They were banned in all types educational institutions, but remained a frequent occurrence in the family. In 1988, journalist Filippov conducted an anonymous survey of 7,500 children aged 9 to 15 years in 15 cities of the USSR, 60% admitted that their parents used corporal punishment against them.
Cuban Missile Crisis and Black Saturday
What we call the Cuban Missile Crisis, Americans call the Cuban Crisis, and the Cubans themselves call the October Crisis. But the whole world calls the most important day in the Cuban Missile Crisis with one name - “Black Saturday” (October 27, 1962) - the day when the world was closest to a global nuclear war.
Russia has repeatedly helped the United States in its formation and strengthening
If it were not for Russia, the United States would not have arisen at all, much less become a superpower. During the war of independence with England, the English king repeatedly turned to Russia for help in suppressing the uprising. Russia, however, not only did not help, but also founded a league of armed neutrality, which was soon joined by other countries that traded with the United States despite the protests of England. During the American Civil War, Russia actively supported the northerners, sending squadrons to New York and San Francisco, while England and France wanted the collapse of the United States and took the side of the southerners. Finally, Russia ceded California and the Hawaiian Islands, where it had colonies, to the United States, and then sold the United States and Alaska for a ridiculous price. However, in the 20th century, the United States, having become a world power, responded to Russia with black ingratitude.
The USSR could have easily won the Cold War
After the end of World War II, there were two superpowers left in the world, facing a global confrontation - the USA and the USSR. Despite the worst starting conditions, the USSR in the 60s took the lead in many respects, and many believed that it would win the fight against the capitalists. In the 70s, the capitalist world was struck by a severe crisis provoked by rising oil prices, and the US economy was on the verge of collapse. However, the Soviet leadership not only did not take advantage of the situation, but, on the contrary, actually saved its enemy by concluding disarmament agreements and agreeing to sell oil for dollars. The United States, on the contrary, relied on the collapse of the USSR and victory in the Cold War, which, in the end, they were able to achieve 20 years later, with the complicity of traitors among the Soviet leadership.
The first Japanese in Russia
The first Japanese to come to Russia was Denbei, the son of a merchant from Osaka. His ship washed up on the shores of Kamchatka in 1695. In 1701 he reached Moscow.
In the winter of 1702, after an audience on January 8 with Peter I in the village of Preobrazhenskoye, Denbey was ordered to become a translator and teacher of the Japanese language in the Artillery Prikaz. Denbey personally told Peter I what he could about Japan and thereby gave impetus to Russian efforts to explore Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands and attempts to open trade with Japan.
Since 1707, Denbey lived at the palace of the prince and at one time the governor of the Siberian province Matvey Gagarin. It is known that at the insistence of Peter I's associate Jacob Bruce, Denbey was baptized and took the name Gabriel Bogdanov (which blocked his return to Japan, where Christianity was prohibited). The school of Japanese translators he founded operated in Moscow until 1739, after which it was transferred to Irkutsk, where it existed until 1816.
Before Denbey, only one Japanese person in Russia is known. During the reign of Boris Godunov, a Japanese Christian visited Russia. He was a young Catholic from Manila who, together with his spiritual mentor Nicholas Melo of the Order of St. Augustine, traveled to Rome along the route Manila - India - Persia - Russia. But Time of Troubles It turned out to be tragic for them: they were captured as Catholic foreigners, and Tsar Boris Godunov exiled them to the Solovetsky Monastery. After six years of exile, he was executed as a supporter of False Dmitry I in 1611 in Nizhny Novgorod. In Russia he was considered Indian, not Japanese.
Favorite commander of Catherine II
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov was the favorite of Empress Catherine. She celebrated and showered the Russian Macedonian with awards, and he sometimes allowed himself to do things that were not permissible to others, knowing in advance that Catherine would always forgive any trick or eccentricities of the great commander. Here are some interesting cases:
Once at a court ball, Catherine decided to show Suvorov attention and asked him:
- What should I treat my dear guest with? - Bless, queen, with vodka! - But what will my ladies-in-waiting say when they talk to you? - They will feel that the soldier is talking to them!
Once in a conversation, the Empress said that she planned to send Suvorov to serve in Finland in the future. Suvorov bowed to the empress, kissed her hand and returned home. Then he got into the postal carriage and left for Vyborg, from where he sent Catherine a message: “I am waiting, mother, for your further commands.”
It is known that Suvorov dressed very lightly even in severe frosts. Catherine II gave Suvorov a fur coat and ordered him to wear it. What to do? Suvorov began to take the donated fur coat with him everywhere, but kept it on his lap.
After the Poles were pacified in 1794, Suvorov sent a messenger with a message. The “message” is as follows: “Hurray! Warsaw is ours! Catherine’s response: “Hurray! Field Marshal Suvorov! And this was at a time of lengthy reports about the capture of cities. How I sent the text message. But, nevertheless, he failed to outdo Field Marshal Saltykov in lapidarism, who, after the battle with the Prussians at Kunersdorf during the Seven Years' War, simply sent to St. Petersburg the hat of the Prussian king, found on the battlefield.
Kutuzov is not a pirate, he doesn’t need an eyepatch!
In recent years, images of the commander-in-chief of the Russian army in 1812, Field Marshal General, His Serene Highness Prince M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, with a bandage on his right eye, have begun to be widely circulated. “One-eyed” Kutuzov can be seen on the covers of books and magazines, in paintings by contemporary artists and on various souvenirs, as well as on busts and monuments.
Such images do not correspond to historical accuracy, since Kutuzov never wore an eye patch. There is not a single memoir or epistolary evidence from Kutuzov’s contemporaries describing the field marshal with a bandage on his right eye. Moreover, Kutuzov had no need to hide his eye under a bandage, since he saw with this eye, although not as well as with his left.
“Fate appoints Kutuzov to something great,” said the chief surgeon of the Russian army, Massot, with amazement, who examined Kutuzov’s “fatal wound” in the head in 1788 near Ochakov. The bullet went straight from temple to temple behind both eyes. The doctors' verdict was clear - death, but Kutuzov not only did not die, but did not even lose his sight, although his right eye was slightly distorted. The surprise of the doctors and the whole world that Kutuzov survived and after 6 months was back in service was boundless, just like 14 years before, when he was first “mortally wounded.” In 1774, near Alushta, as well as near Ochakov, Kutuzov was wounded in the head, and the bullet passed in almost the same place. At that time, doctors throughout Europe considered Kutuzov’s recovery a miracle, and many believed that the news of the general’s injury and recovery was a fairy tale, because it was impossible to survive after such a wound.
Actually, in early XIX V. It was not customary to wear an eye patch after the wound had healed (even if the eye was completely missing). The “one-eyed” Kutuzov first appeared in 1944 in the feature film “Kutuzov”. Then the bandage was put on Kutuzov’s right eye by the directors of the musical comedy film “The Hussar Ballad” (1962) and the play of the same name (1964) and ballet (1979).
The image of Kutuzov, brilliantly played by Igor Ilyinsky, gave rise to a persistent legend that Kutuzov wore a bandage on his injured eye. The replication of this legend has become so widespread in recent years that it has begun to lead to a distortion of historical reality.
Jesters of Empress Anna Ioannovna
Niece of Peter I reigned Russian Empire 10 years. The harsh disposition of the Russian landowner did not prevent her from having fun.
It is known that Empress Anna Ioannovna was very fond of jesters and dwarfs. There were six of them at her court. Three of them were demoted aristocrats. So, she forced princes Mikhail Golitsyn and Nikita Volkonsky, as well as Count Alexei Apraksin, to play the role of a jester. The illustrious clowns had to make faces in the presence of the empress, sit astride each other and punch each other until they bled, or imitate hens and cluck. IN Last year During her reign, the empress arranged a wedding for her jesters - 50-year-old Prince Golitsyn and the ugly Kalmyk Anna Buzheninova, who received her surname in honor of the empress's favorite dish. Representatives of different nationalities of both sexes were recruited from all over the country to participate in wedding celebrations: Russians, Tatars, Mordvins, Chuvashs, etc. They were supposed to dress up in their national clothes and have musical instruments. It was winter. By order of Anna Ioannovna, an Ice House was built on the Neva, in which everything - walls, doors, windows, furniture, dishes - was made of ice. The wedding celebration took place here. Many candles were burning in ice candlesticks, and even the wedding bed for the “young” was arranged on an ice bed.
Peter I and the guards
In winter, slingshots were placed on the Neva to prevent anyone from entering or leaving the city after dark. One day, Emperor Peter I decided to check the guards himself. He drove up to one of the sentries, pretended to be a merchant who had been on a spree and asked to let him through, offering money for the passage. The sentry refused to let him through, although Peter had already reached 10 rubles, a very significant amount at that time. The sentry, seeing such stubbornness, threatened that he would be forced to shoot him.
Peter left and went to another guard. The same one let Peter through for 2 rubles.
The next day, an order was announced for the regiment: to hang the corrupt sentry, and drill the rubles he received and hang them around his neck.
Promote a conscientious sentry to corporal and reward him with ten rubles.
Thai national anthem
The Thai national anthem was written in 1902 by Russian composer Pyotr Shchurovsky.
Nicholas I gave his officers a choice between a guardhouse and listening to Glinka's operas as punishment.
On November 27, 1842, the first performance of M. I. Glinka’s opera “Ruslan and Lyudmila” took place, which brought the author a number of sensitive griefs. The public and high society did not like the opera; Emperor Nicholas I, after Act IV, defiantly left without waiting for the end. He didn’t like the music of the opera so much that he ordered, as punishment, the capital’s officers who had committed a fine to choose between the guardhouse and listening to Glinka’s music. Thus, the emperor additionally expressed his dissatisfaction with the composer’s work. Such were the customs, alas. Thank God that Nikolai did not send the composer himself to the guardhouse.
“Thank God that you are Russian”
In 1826, a “Russian contemporary” described the appearance of the sovereign - Emperor Nicholas I: “Tall, lean, had a wide chest... a quick look, a clear voice, suitable for a tenor, but he spoke somewhat patter... Some kind of genuine severity was visible in his movements.” .
“Genuine severity”... When he commanded troops, he never shouted. There was no need for this - the king’s voice could be heard a mile away; the tall grenadiers looked like children next to him. Nicholas led an ascetic lifestyle, but if we talk about the luxury of the court, the magnificent receptions - they stunned everyone, especially foreigners. This was done in order to emphasize the status of Russia, which the sovereign cared about incessantly.
General Pyotr Daragan recalled how, in the presence of Nikolai Pavlovich, he spoke French, grazing. Nikolai, suddenly putting on an exaggeratedly serious expression, began repeating every word after him, which brought his wife into a fit of laughter. Daragan, crimson with shame, jumped out into the reception room, where Nikolai caught up with him and, kissing him, explained: “Why are you burr? No one will mistake you for a Frenchman; Thank God that you are Russian, and being an ape is no good.”
The story in our head is sometimes at different levels. We know individual historical facts, but we never try to compare them with each other and present the course of history as a single whole. Teachers have laid everything out but forgot to connect the dots, and when we think about past events, we can experience healthy cognitive dissonance. Don't believe me?
The fax was invented before the telephone
It would seem that a fax is a more technologically advanced device, because it can transmit not only text, but also still images, which in the 19th century was considered something unimaginable. Early developments of a fax device appeared in the early 1800s, but they were brought into reality in 1865, when the first electromechanical fax was put into circulation on the Paris-Lyon line.
The first telephone appeared only 10 years later, when Alexander Bell, together with Thomas Wattson, showed the general public a real membrane telephone.
From the first plane to the flight to the moon - one step
The 20th century is associated with an incredible leap forward in science. Much of what surrounds us was invented then. Interesting fact: The Wright brothers' first flight in their homemade glider occurred in 1903. Just 66 years later, humanity landed on the moon. Unfortunately, the development of science is currently slowing down due to imperfect technology, but in the future we can expect another similar leap forward, and who knows where it will lead us.
Harvard University predates Newton's laws
In the Middle Ages, scientific research was mainly carried out by the clergy. Then the church did not deny scientific development, if it does not contradict the divine principle. However, in 1636 the famous Harvard University was founded, from which the greatest minds of mankind emerged. At the same time, Isaac Newton's famous work on the laws universal gravity and the movement of bodies "Principia Mathemitica" appeared only in 1687.
Cleopatra's rules were closer to flying to the moon than to building the pyramids
Modern analysis of the age of the pyramids has shown that the same famous pyramid of Cheops in Egypt was built around 2540 BC. The famous Queen Cleopatra ruled the state closer to the zero reference point - 69-30 BC. Man landed on the moon, as we already mentioned, in 1969.
Enemies in the same city
Fun fact: some of the most important figures of the 20th century lived in the same city in 1913, namely Vienna. Stalin, Hitler, Trotsky, Freud, Joseph Franz - the apartments and residences of all these people were located not far from each other.
For example, Trotsky and Hitler often visited the same cafe in the center of Vienna; it is likely that they crossed paths there more than once, but did not yet know each other. Literally a couple of steps from here there was another cafe that Freud frequented. It is also known that between the apartments of Stalin and Hitler there was only an hour of leisurely walking; perhaps they met during evening walks.
Italy is just a little older than Coca-Cola
The Kingdom of Italy came into existence in 1861, when several independent states united into a single country. The famous drink Coca-Cola appeared just 31 years later, in 1892.
Steam locomotives were invented before bicycles
It would seem that such a simple invention as a bicycle has existed for a long time, but in reality everything turned out to be more complicated. Huge and complex steam engines appeared after the patent for the steam carriage in 1797. At the same time, the first bicycle was shown only in 1818.
Nintendo was born earlier than you think
A famous manufacturer of video games and consoles in the modern market, Nintendo has a rich past. In fact, it appeared at the end of the 19th century, in 1889. At that time, the world-famous brand was engaged in the production of playing cards, as well as accessories for board games. Just at the time of the founding of this company, the construction of the majestic Eiffel Tower was still being completed in Paris, and in London the noise had not yet subsided due to the high-profile murders of that same Jack the Ripper.
The oldest tree on earth actually witnessed the death of mammoths
Some of the oldest trees on earth are Bristlecone pines, growing in a nature reserve in California. Some of them are already 5 thousand years old, and they have survived a lot of great historical events on the planet. Including the death of the last mammoth, which scientists date back to about 4 thousand years ago.
Historical events and facts are very educational and interesting. They give us a unique opportunity to understand what is happening in a given period of development of human society, nations and countries. Almost all nations have interesting historical facts. Russia has especially many of them. This is easily explained by the rich, centuries-old past of our country. Common legends about rulers scientific and technological progress, about art and culture have always attracted and attract citizens of other countries. Below are examples of such historical facts.
About rulers
Since the beginning in 1825, rulers in our country have alternated according to the “bald - hairy” principle. This pattern has persisted to this day.
About television
In 1992, the chimes on television on New Year's Eve were delayed by one minute.
About money
The double-headed eagle on coins is not the country’s coat of arms, but the emblem of the Bank of Russia.
Scientific and historical fact
The only person in the world who lives in Russia is This man - He spent more than 800 hours in space, moving at high speed. According to the theory of relativity, time slows down at high speeds. It was calculated that the astronaut returned to Earth 0.02 seconds younger.
About laws
In 1994, the government passed a law prohibiting dogs from barking from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. This law is still valid, but only in Moscow. It is also noteworthy that the legislative act does not stipulate what punishment the violator will suffer.
Geography facts
The Russian Federation is almost twice the size of the United States. The St. Petersburg metro is the deepest in the world. connects the capital and the city of Vladivostok and is the longest railway line in the world. Siberian taiga - 8% of the earth's land.
Technique
There are many more Kalashnikov assault rifles in the world than all other types of weapons combined.
About the rulers and laws of Tsarist Russia
Interesting historical facts about Russia are not always accurate and scientifically verified. For example, according to some historians, Ivan the Terrible did not kill his son.
In Russia, equality between men and women was proclaimed 2 years earlier than in the United States.
Peter the Great had his own way of combating drunkenness in the country. He ordered medals, which weighed more than 7 kg, to be given to all offenders. They were obliged not to remove it for seven days.
Racketeering is the department in charge of receiving petitions under Peter the Great.
Interesting, rich in facts from life tsarist army: Nicholas the First, as a punishment, gave offending officers a choice between keeping a watch out of turn and listening to an opera.
Denbei is the first Japanese to come to Russia. In 1695 he arrived in Kamchatka, and in 1701 he reached Moscow. Peter the Great obliged him to teach Japanese Russian children in schools.
“Here lies Suvorov” - the inscription on the slab near the monument to the commander.
Boris and Gleb are the first Russians to be canonized (1072).
Interesting historical facts in pre-revolutionary Russia
About the Army and Navy
In the Russian Imperial Navy the command "Cover up!" meant that you had to wear a hat.
In the army of imperial times there was the rank of cornet, and in modern times - ensign; in the army of imperial times - the rank of lieutenant, and in modern times - lieutenant.
Geography facts
1740 - the coldest winter in Russia.
After 1703, Poganye Ponds in Moscow began to be called... Chistye Ponds!
About science
M.V. Lomonosov is the founder of Moscow State University, but he himself never visited this university.
About the people
IN Ancient Rus' grasshoppers were called dragonflies.
In Rus', the “original” is a stick that was used to beat a witness to a crime.
An interesting historical fact is that the Thai anthem was written in 1902 by a Russian composer.
Interesting about the politics of the USSR. Historical truth
What was called the Cuban Missile Crisis in the USSR began to be called the Cuban Crisis in the USA, and the October Crisis in Cuba itself.
An interesting historical fact is that legally the war between Germany and the USSR ended on January 21, 1955. The decision was made by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
In 1931, the Red Army and White Guards fought on the same side; at the request of the Governor-General of the Chinese province Sheng Shicai, they suppressed the uprising of the Turkic population.
Unusual historical facts of the USSR
In World War II, machine gunner Semyon Konstantinovich Hitler fought in the Red Army.
USSR at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War used tractors in battles due to a shortage of combat vehicles.
For the entire period Cold War The world was twice on the verge of a nuclear disaster due to failures in computer systems in the USSR and the USA. Nuclear war was prevented only thanks to the experienced military leaders of both superpowers.
During the Great Patriotic War, mines were cleared by dogs specially trained for this purpose; they were the main assistants of sappers.
In the USSR, the main opponent of the Nazis, according to Hitler, was the announcer Yuri Levitan, and not Stalin, as many believe.
Interesting science and technology in the USSR
In the village of Baikonur, in the Kazakhstan SSR, a wooden cosmodrome was built in the 1950s. This was done in order to mislead enemy states. The real cosmodrome is located more than 350 km from this village.
During World War II, the USSR designed a flying tank based on the design of the A-40 tank, but the project was closed due to a lack of powerful towing vehicles.
The laser pistol was invented in the Soviet Union in 1984.
The Americans suggested that the USSR be the first to launch into space not dogs but black children.
GAZ-21 has a wide range of models, including a model with right-hand drive and an automatic transmission.
The T-28 tank could overcome “lunar landscapes”. This was the name of the territory that was seriously damaged by the fighting.
Scientific and historical fact: the space device that the Soviet Union wanted to launch into space to explore Mars, during tests showed that there is no life on Earth. After this incident, it was sent for revision.
About famous personalities
The list of gifts for Stalin's seventieth birthday was published in newspapers for more than three years.
Rokossovsky is a marshal of both the USSR and Poland.
Khrushchev ridiculed and sharply criticized paintings painted by artists in the avant-garde direction. At the same time, he often used obscene language.
Vladimir Putin, when he served in the KGB, had the call sign “Mol”.
About laws
In the Soviet Union there was a tax on childlessness.
About sport
Lev Yashin is a famous football goalkeeper who took bronze at the USSR Ice Hockey Championship in 1953.
The main prize in Sportloto has been won only twice in the entire history of this game.
Music and television
Evgeny Leonov voiced such a character as Winnie the Pooh in cartoons.
The group "Aria" has a song called "Will and Reason", few people know that this is the motto of the Nazis in fascist Italy.
Geography facts
In the early 1920s, the city of Novosibirsk had two time zones. On the left bank of the Ob River the difference from the capital was 3 hours, and on the right bank it was 4 hours.
In the 20s and 30s of the twentieth century, Vladikavkaz was the center of both the Ingush and North Ossetian republics.
About the meaning of words
The word "zek" means "prisoned Red Army soldier."
"Unknown" world history
This or that historical fact does not always sound plausible and understandable to a contemporary. Examples are given below.
During the time of Genghis Khan in Mongolia, anyone who dared to urinate in any body of water was executed. Because water in the desert was more valuable than gold.
In England in 1665-1666, the plague devastated entire villages. It was then that medicine recognized smoking as beneficial, which supposedly destroyed the deadly infection. Children and teenagers were punished if they refused to smoke.
Ancient Egyptian beauties evenly distributed pieces of fat throughout their hair. In the sun they melted and evenly covered the hair with a greasy shiny layer, which was considered very fashionable.
The famous inventor of the sewing machine, Isaac Singer, was simultaneously married to five women. In total, he had 15 children from all the women. He called all his daughters Mary. Probably so as not to make a mistake...
Interesting historical facts on the funeral theme: the English admiral Nelson, who lived from 1758 to 1805, slept in his cabin in a coffin that was cut out of the mast of an enemy French ship. His “feat” was repeated by a French actress who learned her lyrics while lying in a coffin. She often took this prop on tour, which made those around her very nervous. In the Middle Ages, sailors deliberately inserted at least one gold tooth, even sacrificing a healthy one. For what? It turns out that it was for a rainy day, so that in case of death he could be buried with honor far from home.
Approximately half of New Yorkers speak several languages other than their native American English by age 5.
In 2007, New York was visited by approximately 46 million tourists, who spent more than $28 billion in the city!
The entire story lasted only 38 minutes. Zanzibar and England “fought” so much in 1896. England won.
A few more myths. Or is it true?
Historians claim that on Cocos Island, located 300 miles south of Costa Rica, pirates hid treasure worth two billion dollars. Archaeologists are searching.
The most incomprehensible mystery of humanity is death. What happens to a person after he dies? Modern scientists are conducting large-scale and multimillion-dollar research in this area. So far there is only 100% conclusion that human consciousness continues to exist after physical death.
Official data from the British Admiralty states that as a result of shipwrecks, an eighth of all gold and silver mined on earth rests on the seabed. Today you can buy on the black market old map with treasure coordinates. Is this true or a scam? In 1985, using such a map, Mel Fisher found the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora off the coast of Florida, which sank back in 1622. From the bottom of the ship he managed to lift 450(!) million dollars worth of valuables.
In some countries, every movement of citizens is monitored by intelligence services using Internet tracking programs. Sensors are built into modern phones, TVs, and computers. World espionage is thriving. Is it true? Who knows...