Tell me something about history I probably don't know. Something interesting, controversial, maybe a paradox..

Answer 1

Ba Ba Black Sheep was a protest song in England in the 13th century (and none for the little boy....)

Ring around the Rosies is about the Black Plague

Henry Ford published a book called the Protocols of the Elders of Zion in his newspaper. It was a fictional creation about a conspiracy of the Jews to control the world. Hitler read a translated, bound version of Ford's paper and incorporated it into his policy

The American government have admitted to testing chemical weapons and drugs secretly on their own citizens in the 50's and 60's

The widow of the man who invented the Winchester rifle was convinced she was haunted by the ghosts of people the rifle had killed and built her house continuously (until her death) to confuse the ghosts (go see it in San Jose .. I think,.,,)

Many of the Renaissance Popes got their position through bribery or killing their opponents. Many also had armies of their own.

The great Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho, who travelled around Africa, was a Eunech

The Phoenecians are believed to have circled Africa 2000 years before Henry the Navigator did.

The Beothuk indians of Newfoundland were hunted into extinction for sport. However, they were the same tribe that chased off the Vikings 500 yeard earlier.

Churchill was a drinker, smoker, womanizer and partier. Hitler was a non-smoker, celibate, never drank and was a quiet home body.

Just a few fun ones :)

Answer 2

Anna Anderson never, at any stage, claimed to be a member of the Russian Royal Family. The court cases were always carried by members of some Royal Family. She was originally recognised by an inmate of the same hospital as Maria, not Anastasia .

Answer 3

The main reason the Japanese attacked the US was that we were in the way of their domination of the Pacific; we had stopped sending them materials they needed - specifically oil - and our involvement in the Philippines made them fear that their supply routes through that area would be cut off.

This very nearly parallels what is happening in the world today but with China. China's build up of their navy and weapons acquisitions are equivalent to Japan in 1938.

Let's hope there is not a repeat coming.

Answer 4

Trial For Witchcraft In Essex, England

Diary: 1699, July 13. The widow Comon was put into the river to see if she would sink, because she was suspected to be a witch -- and she did not sink, but swim. And she was tried again on July 19, and then she swam again, and did not sink.

24. The widow Comon, was tried a third time by putting her into the river, and she swam and did not sink.

Dec. 27. The widow Comon, that was counted a witch, was buried.

John Bufton

"Truth is stranger than fiction" they say.

I dedicate this answer to the widow Comon. Rest in peace.

Answer 5

Ricardo Valenzuela used the name Richie Valens when he became a pop star in the late 50's, and fifty years later, people can neither remember his first name nor spell his last!

And "The Big Bopper"'s real name was J.P. Richardson. He was a Texas DJ with a couple of novelty hits under his huge belt when he died in February 1959.

The Don McLean song is called "American Pie," not "Bye bye American Pie," and levee is not spelled levy.

Answer 6

In HS i found the Vietnam war quite exciting by using fact it became VERY diverse to different wars, fantastically their weapons and their use, and the complication-loose false impression that the war began by using fact of communism, while it did no longer. additionally, the Holocaust is quite exciting yet there are distinctive diverse factors and biases and theories in the back of it which could make it slightly puzzling reckoning on the source you get your suggestions from - yet the two way it is an particularly exciting and historic journey. Edit: in basic terms examine your edit, asserting no Vietnam war and that i'm assuming the WWII factor could contain the Holocaust or is that an entire diverse journey on your instructors eyes?

Answer 7

During the bubonic plague the pope at the time stated that if you saw someone sneeze you must "bless" them, as it was a sign that they would probably die. That is why, to this day, we say "Bless you" when somebody sneezes.

And of course there's the Lincoln/JFK connections:

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

The names Lincoln and Kennedy each contain seven letters.
Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost children while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.

Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln.

Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners.
Both successors were named Johnson.

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.

John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.

Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are comprised of fifteen letters.

Lincoln was shot at the theater named "Ford's".
Kennedy was shot in a car called "Lincoln - made by Ford Motor Co".

Booth ran from the theater and was caught in a warehouse.
Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theater.

EDIT: Don Maclean has stated many times that, whilst the song "American Pie" was dedicated to Buddy Holly, Toby Valence and The Big Bopper, the lyrics had nothing to do with them.

Answer 8

The crusades were essentially defensive actions on the part of the Christians. The first crusade wasn't until after already 2/3 of Christian lands were taken by the Muslim armies.

Answer 9

Mao Zedong, founder of the People's Republic of China and inventor of "Communism with Chinese characteristics", also known as "Maoism" never gave a fiddler's fart about the people, he was only interested in securing his own power. The height of this cruel behavior was the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution that lasted for 10 years and in which millions and millions of Chinese died from abuse, torture and killings and from being sent to "reeducation through labor" camps where they were litterally worked to death.

Answer 10

I can think of plenty, but several are probably too controversial for most people, such as many of the stories about Jesus came from Mithra and Dionysos.

A harmless one is that 'Caesar' is not pronounced the way you think it is (see-zer). It's (kai-sar). Julius isn't either (it's 'yoo-lee-us').