History

History central.

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Follow MoxyHistory on Instagram for the most memorable history pictures, and the most unforgettable history facts. Also upcoming: special history book deals.

[History @History_Express]

March 19, 1945: The USS Franklin (nicknamed Big Ben) being attacked by the Japanese during WWII. Amazingly, this did not sink the ship; she survived. 215 crewmen were charged with desertion during this event.

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July 7, 1999: This FA-18 Hornet is breaking the sound barrier.

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In the medieval ages, a boat could be tried and charged with murder - just like a person.

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According to Macedonian folklore, if you were born on Saturday you have the gift of being able to see ghosts, and even being able to influence vampires. 👻

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To "celebrate" the death of his ex wife, King Henry VIII decided to go jousting in a tournament even though he was past his physical prime. He ended up getting knocked out for two hours while stuck in a full suit of armor. Turns out karma does exist. 😂😂

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Robert Liston is the only surgeon with a 300% fatality rate on a procedure (possibly apocryphal). A patient had his leg amputated AND Liston accidentally cut off his assistant's fingers. Both died of infection. Finally, a spectator died of "freight"when a scalpel grazed his coat.

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In hospitals of the 1800s in England, the person who was in charge of cleaning mattresses and ridding them of bugs was actually paid more than the surgeons and doctors. Picture: Surgery in the 1800s.

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It almost became illegal to just simply sit out in your front yard to relax, in England during 1657. This was due to religious reasons and was called "idling". In Parliament it only missed ratification by 2 votes. It was that close.

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Humphrey Gilbert was known for his brutal acts against the Irish in the 1560s. The pathway leading up to his own tent was lined on both sides with the severed heads of Irishmen who fought against him. He also advocated for the slaughtering of the defenseless.

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The United States Navy developed the combination of a knife and a revolver for the purpose of boarding enemy ships in the 1800s. Picture credit: Neochichiri11 (Wikicommons).

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Goldfinger was the first movie where Sean Connery had to wear a toupee. Picture: An advertisement for Goldfinger in 1964.

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"Passing the pikes" was a punishment for minor criminal offenders in the colony of Virginia. The convicted felon would have to run through a row of soldiers holding and swinging weapons. To get to the end alive you needed lots of luck. Picture: A combination of a pistol and knife

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William Shakespeare had a huge impact on English by introducing 1,489 words to the English language. This is the equivalent of three pages of words, single spaced.

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Christopher Columbus gave the name "Indians" to the indigenous population of the Carribean islands simply because he thought he had landed in India or the East Indies. The Europeans then began using this name for all people in the New World.

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During WWII, Russians would sometimes guzzle vodka taken from former Nazi positions. The problem was that in the frenzy to get their hands on the vodka some unfortunate soldiers found they had just drank antifreeze instead of liquor. Picture: Russians lifting the flag in Berlin

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John Adams quipped that George Washington was selected to lead the Continental Army simply because he was always the tallest man in the room.

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In the 1530s a priest in England was so pious that he removed the name "Satan" from any books in his church, replacing it with the name God. This caused some comical results. A line that usually read "I renounce Satan and all his works" now read "I renounce God and all his works"

[History @History_Express]

Starting in 1941, 90% of German casualties were inflicted by the Red Army in WWII. Picture: Prague liberated by the Red Army in 1944. Picture by Karel Hájek

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A Gallup poll in 1941 showed that the people of London were more depressed by the weather than by the Nazi's constant bombing. Picture: Children in London made homeless from Nazi bombardment.