World History
6 Strange Things Rich People Did for Status
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Article
Wealthy people have always found unusual ways to signal their power, taste, and control — often by acquiring items that are rare, impractical, or arduous to obtain. Long before designer handbags and luxury sports cars became status symbols, social elites flaunted their fortunes in ways that may seem very bizarre today but that reflected the values of their time. Here are six of the strangest examples. Credit: © DEA / BIBLIOTECA AMBROSIANA— De Agostini/Getty Images They Put Pineapples on Display Pineapple is a relatively inexpensive grocery store staple today, but between the 16th and 18th ...Read More
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World HistoryArticle96Who Built the Great Sphinx of Giza?
The Great Sphinx of Giza is one of the most iconic monuments of the ancient world. With the body of a lion and the head of a man, it has…
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World HistoryFact31One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World might not have existed.
According to the 2,000-year-old writings of Greek historians such as Strabo and Diodorus Siculus, the ancient city of Babylon (in modern-day Iraq) boasted tiered terraces of exotic plants of all…
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World HistoryArticle33The Oddest Things Found in Historical Wills
Most historical wills are fairly predictable. Someone gets the house, someone else gets the family silver, a favorite niece might inherit some jewelry. But every so often, a person uses…
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World HistoryArticle33Why Do We Throw Coins Into Wells?
Most of us, whether as kids or adults or both, have probably tossed a coin into a fountain or a well at some point. And there’s a good chance we’ve…
