Historical Genius

Curious about the past? It's our mission to dig up info about exciting discoveries, nostalgic trends, and untold chapters of history.

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

Ur was an ancient Sumerian city in the area we now know as Tell el-Muqayyar in Iraq. Though it used to be an important trading post and city for the wealthy elite, today, only its silhouette remains. Read more below.
👉 https://t.co/lzu9riy5rv

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

The fascinating story of #GiuliaTofana, who made a fortune helping medieval women poison their husbands 👀 #womenshistory #weirdhistory

https://t.co/Fb0a6raSjR

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

Discover Oregon’s strangest cold case: https://t.co/l2d2wvwmn5

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

Incredible rare photos of #NativeAmericans in the 19th and 20th centuries. #history #photography #historicalphotos

More here: https://t.co/G7q2rAFZSG

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

#OnThisDay in 1954, Ann Hodges became the first human on modern record to be hit by a #meteorite.

The meteorite created a 3-foot wide hole in the roof of Ann's house, hit a radio, and struck her on the thigh, leaving a huge bruise. But she lived to tell the tale. #WeirdHistory

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

Have you ever noticed that #Napoleon has his right hand hidden in almost every painting of him?

Discover the fascinating reason why here: https://t.co/msKpum5C4V

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

#DidYouKnow that during the Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant ordered that all of his troops must receive a ration of cranberry sauce on #Thanksgiving Day?

Check out more historical origins of your favorite Turkey Day dishes here: https://t.co/gvNnSGbmvB

📸 Getty Images

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

The tradition of football on #Thanksgiving goes back farther than you'd think. This Harper's Weekly illustration shows a Thanksgiving game between Yale and Princeton all the way back in 1879! Too bad this particular matchup ended in a tie.

📸 Getty Images

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

Julia Pastrana was shown in the “freak shows” of the 1850s. They called her “the ape woman” and “the ugliest woman in the world” and claimed she was found living in a cave.
Read the strange and sad story of the original "Bearded Lady": https://t.co/ujLCSAfcvV

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

A Chinese Emperor who liked to party naked in his lake of wine.
An 18th-century French soldier who feasted on stray cats.
Why were we never taught about these wonderfully weird people in #history class?
More here: https://t.co/1kLr3n5H6g

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

A couple of construction workers take a break on a Chrysler Building gargoyle, circa 1930.

It was the world's tallest building for just 11 months, until the Empire State Building took its title.

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

A series of photographs showing the construction of the Eiffel tower in Paris. It took 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days of construction; 7,300 tonnes of iron; 60 tonnes of paint; 2.5MM rivets; and 5 billion lights!

📸Getty Images

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

@twinsurge87 Glad you enjoyed!

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

In the 1800s, New York City looked quite a bit different than the bustling metropolis that it is today.

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

How did #ButchCassidy get his name?

As a young man, Robert LeRoy Parker landed a job in a butcher’s shop. He got the nickname “Butcher” and later added Cassidy as an homage to his friend and fellow thief Mike Cassidy.
The famous #WildWest outlaw died #onthisday in 1908

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

@Lucifersx2c Amazing, right? The only way to get to the top of the pillar is up a 130ft-long iron ladder!

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

Located in Georgia, this 131-foot column supports a truly implausible residence built between the 6th and 8th centuries as a church and refuge to house monks. Incredibly, this place is still used by monks to this day. #AmazingPlaces #RemoteHouses📸Getty Images

[Historic Vids @historyinmemes]

Statue of Liberty towering over Paris just before it was disassembled and shipped to New York, 1884.

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

Atlanta, 1948. A new car at the General Motors plant goes through the "rigid water bath test" to make sure there are no leaks. #historicalphotos #cars #weirdhistory #photography

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

@StevensP1013 It's called View from the Window at Le Gras, and it was taken from a window of the photographer's family home in Burgundy. You can make out some (blurry!) rooftops and trees.

[Historical Genius @HistoricalGen]

This is widely believed to be the first photograph ever taken — or at least the oldest surviving photo.
It was taken by French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826 or 1827.
Check out more #photography “firsts” here: https://t.co/fJfM3Ylexu