Shaheer Ahmed
They say history means ‘his side of the story’. In any event, the small, startling bits of history is maybe the most enjoyable bits of history—the sort of information that is so bizarre and out there that it could never be duplicated even if someone wanted to. Here are 5 of them, in no particular sequence.
1. Turkeys Were Once Considered Gods
While the turkey is now America’s favourite part of the Thanksgiving dinner, these large birds were lauded and cherished as vessels of the gods by the Mayans around 300 B.C., so much so that they were tamed to play roles in religious ceremonies. They were power and prestige emblems that may be found throughout Maya iconography and archaeology.
That bit of history is kind of startling for most of us though.
- Napoleon Was Once Ambushed by a Swarm of Bunnies
Napoleon Bonaparte, the legendary conqueror, was once ambushed by…bunnies. The emperor had suggested that he and his warriors go on a rabbit hunt. His chief of staff organised it and had troops collect up 3,000 bunnies for the occasion. The hunt was set to begin after the rabbits were liberated from their cages. That was the plan, at least in history! The rabbits, on the other hand, surged toward Bonaparte and his troops in a vicious and unrelenting onslaught. And we were told that Waterloo was the greatest defeat of the conqueror.
3. Using Forks Was Once Considered Sacrilegious
Forks, the most often used dining tool, were previously considered blasphemous. They initially appeared in Italy in the 11th century. These spiky spaghetti-twirling devices were considered an abomination to God. And why, you could ask? Because they were “artificial hands,” they were deemed sacrilegious.
Here’s a bit of disturbing history/facts for you
4. Cleopatra Was Not Egyptian
Contrary to popular belief, the last Egyptian queen was not born in Egypt. According to historians,
Cleopatra VII (her official name) was Greek. She was a descendant of Ptolemy, Alexander the Great’s Macedonian general. She is known as the most beautiful queen in Eygpt. Again this fact in history is a bit misleading. She was beautiful but not the epitome of beauty. Sorry, for the heartbreaks we are hearing.
5. The Fourth of July is not the real American Independence Day
The Fourth of July is not the true American Independence Day. It is July 2nd because that is when the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia decided to adopt a declaration of independence. However, the actual Declaration of Independence was issued by Congress on July 4th, and most did not sign it until August.
