Interesting Facts

[shisteer of nothing much]

Interesting fact: You should always choose kumara without veins, because it's more tender.

[Verdauga]

The main reason they joined the south was to regain lost territory from the Indian Wars with the US

EDIT: I did some quick digging and I couldn't find much on them joining the south because they owned some slaves, just "The Cherokee partnered with the Confederacy in order to get funds, as well as ultimately full recognition as a sovereign, independent state."

That is interesting.

The term machine gun is thought to have originated with the Puckle machine gun, invented in 1718. However, the Puckle could not match an earlier design in rate of fire. That weapon is called the "Khalthoff Repeater" and could fire at a max of fifty rounds per minute.Though, admittedly,it could never reach that potential.

[shisteer of nothing much]

John Henry Whittaker was apprenticed to a Jeweller in 1879 and didn't start making chocolate until 1882.

[MathLuk]

When the Italian army was besieging Rome in 1870 to unify Italy, the Vatican promised to excommunicate the soldier leading the attack. The Italian sent a Jewish soldier to do the job, as he cannot be excommunicated.

[Sebias of Redwall]

Heh. Interesting.

[The Skarzs]

[MathLuk]

In 1018, Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich II called a diet (basically a fancy council) in Nijmegen  to prepare a military campaign against Dirk III of Holland. Dirk was literally in the meeting when that happened, so imagine the shock when someone 10 metres from you declared war on your realm.

Subsidiary Interesting Fact: The subsequent Battle of Vlaardingen was won by Dirk by a brilliant ambush, which led to the growing prosperity of Holland, and by consequence, the Netherlands.

Subsidiary Subsidiary Interesting Fact: Heinrich II was the only Holy Roman Emperor to get canonised legally. Charlemagne was also canonised, but it was an Antipope who did that.

[clunylooney]

Cleopatra was actually in Rome during Caesar's assassination. Didn't know that until a couple of weeks ago.

[Tungro]

The last Tsarina of Russia was German by birth, and her older brother was the Grand Duke Ernst of Hesse and Rhine. Following the start of World War I, he would be on the general staff of Kaiser Wilhelm headquarters despite his advocacy for peace. Another one of his sisters was a Russian Grand Duchess, wife to the uncle of the Tsar. Both would die in the Russian Revolution. His mother was Princess Alice, daughter to Queen Victoria

[Tungro]

"In 2006, it was estimated that within 50 years the hull and structure of Titanic would eventually collapse entirely, leaving only the more durable interior fittings of the ship intermingled with a pile of rust on the sea floor."

[clunylooney]

George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are on the wrestling hall of fame. Lincoln was said to have only been beaten once and they may have cheated.

[Tungro]

Ann Frank's father was an artilleryman in the service of Germany in World War I. He would be the sole member of his direct family to survive the Holocaust, dying in 1980 at the age of 91

[MathLuk]

Before becoming Pope, Silvester II studied in Spain and got into contact with Hindu-Arabic numerals, leading to accusations of sorcery.

[Tungro]

The first foreign samurai was actually an African native that accompanied an Italian missionary to Japan in 1579.

Known as Yasuke, he was presented to Oda Nobunaga. The Daimyō thought that his skin must have been colored with black ink and had him striped from the waist up and made him scrub his skin. Upon realizing that the African's skin was indeed black, he took an interest in him.
He would rise to the rank of samurai, and become one of Nobunaga's most reliable retainers. Even being present for the Honnō-ji Incident, the forced suicide of Nobunaga by general Akechi Mitsuhide on 21 June 1582.
He soon joined Oda Nobutada who rallied at Nijō Castle. He was captured after their defeat, but released and sent back to the monastery where the accounts fade.

[Tungro]

Today is the bicentennial of Napoleon's death