Archives: Facts

Custom post type for facts

The entire Australian government was dissolved in 1975.

Coat of Arms of Australia
Kokkai Ng/ iStock
Author Bennett Kleinman
October 2, 2023

Love it?

While the majority of government shutdowns are averted with budget compromises, that wasn’t the case during the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975. On November 11, Governor-General Sir John Kerr — Queen Elizabeth’s representative in the Australian government — formally dismissed the country’s prime minister, Gough Whitlam, a member of the Labor Party who failed to broker a bipartisan spending bill. Whitlam’s firing came at 1:15 p.m., and 15 minutes later, Kerr appointed Liberal Party leader Malcolm Fraser, a member of the opposition, as the new prime minister. The Liberal-controlled Senate then pushed through a spending bill, though the Labor-controlled House revolted against Fraser with a vote of no confidence. All the bickering came to a head at 4:50 p.m., when Kerr, at the request of Fraser, dissolved the entire Australian Parliament. This forced Australia to hold new elections a month later that were ultimately swept by Fraser and the Liberals.

Queen Elizabeth II’s involvement in this debacle remained ambiguous until 2020, when a series of letters between Kerr and Buckingham Palace were released. Although she technically served as Australia’s head of state, the queen’s role in the country’s affairs was largely symbolic. Even still, Kerr consulted with Buckingham Palace over his theoretical right to dissolve Parliament on the monarchy’s behalf. Letters between Kerr and Martin Charteris — the queen’s private secretary — implied that Kerr would be within his power if he chose to act, but also concluded it was “better for Her Majesty not to know.” Around that time, Kerr also communicated with Prince Charles regarding concerns over the Australian prime minister, asking the prince to relay the message to the queen.

By the Numbers

Did you know?

Queen Elizabeth II first appeared on currency as an 8-year-old princess.

Long before Queen Elizabeth II appeared on English currency, she made her monetary debut in 1935 by gracing the front of Canada’s $20 note. Canada was under British dominion, with Elizabeth’s grandfather, George V, serving as reigning monarch. That year was the first that the Bank of Canada began producing banknotes, including one featuring the likeness of the 8-year-old Princess Elizabeth. By 1953, Queen Elizabeth II appeared on all newly minted coinage in both Canada and the United Kingdom, in the form of a portrait created by artist Mary Gillick. Over the years, the portrait was updated to reflect the queen’s age, culminating with an image depicting a 90-year-old Elizabeth that appeared on a 2-pound coin issued for the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands in 2017. All told, Queen Elizabeth II appeared on the currencies of no fewer than 33 countries before her death in 2022.

Woolly mammoths still roamed the Earth when the Egyptian pyramids were being built.

Herd of woolly mammoths
CoreyFord/ iStock
Author Michael Nordine
October 2, 2023

Love it?

Woolly mammoths roamed the Earth for at least half a million years, coexisting with humans for millennia before finally going extinct some 4,000 years ago. That’s a long time, but it’s not that long in the grand scheme of things. For perspective, consider the fact that woolly mammoths were still alive when the pyramids of Egypt were being built. That speaks to both how long one of history’s most famous empires lasted — Egypt existed for more than 3,000 years, making it 15 times older than the United States — as well as how relatively recently the elephantlike creatures existed.

If your mind still isn’t sufficiently blown by ancient Egypt’s longevity, remember also that Cleopatra lived closer to the moon landing than she did to the construction of the Great Pyramids of Giza. Woolly mammoths, meanwhile, were impressive in their own way, even if they weren’t as big as you might imagine — they were about the size of a modern African elephant. Nevertheless, these creatures still loom large in the collective imagination millennia after their extinction, which was long thought to have been caused by humans hunting them. More recently, a consensus has emerged that the true culprit was climate change: The planet warmed too rapidly for them to adapt, as melting icebergs wiped out the vegetation they subsisted on. 

By the Numbers

Did you know?

Some scientists want to bring woolly mammoths back.

Though it’s a hotly debated topic in the scientific community for a number of reasons — some logistical, others ethical — some scientists want to resurrect woolly mammoths. Just as importantly, they think they can pull it off. Among them is the company Colossal, and Harvard University geneticist George Church, who believes these neo-mammoths can help combat climate change by trampling away layers of snow and allowing more cold air to reach the soil and maintain the permafrost. Because mammoths roamed extremely cold climates, some corpses are so well preserved that scientists have been able to extract DNA from them — including that of a mammoth discovered in 2013 named Buttercup. Whether it’s a good or even plausible idea, however, remains to be seen.

Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president to have obtained a patent.

Buoying vessels patented by Lincoln
Credit: Chronicle/ Alamy Stock Photo
Author Bennett Kleinman
October 15, 2024

Love it?

Abraham Lincoln wore many (stovepipe) hats prior to his presidency: He was a store clerk, postmaster, railsplitter, state legislator, and even an amateur inventor. His passion for innovation resulted in Patent No. 6469, a device conceived by Lincoln to help lift boats over shoals. Lincoln received the patent on May 22, 1849, and remains the only U.S. president ever to obtain a patent.

Lincoln developed an early fascination with mechanics because of his father, Thomas, who was described as “something of a mechanic” by Lincoln’s former law partner and biographer William H. Herndon. Honest Abe was also well-versed in water navigation, having spent his teenage years riding riverboats. During these formative years, Lincoln noted how tough it was for boats to navigate through shallow sandbars without getting stuck. He also curiously noted that there was no easy solution — yet.

In 1848, Lincoln began work on an invention to remedy this problem after an incident in which he found himself stranded on a sandbar while traveling from Washington, D.C., back to Illinois. He came up with a way to use adjustable buoyant air chambers to help boats navigate through shallow waters with ease, and hired Springfield architect Walter Davis to create a scale model replica. While the device was never widely manufactured, Lincoln brought the replica back to Washington, where he successfully procured a patent for his invention.

By the Numbers

Did you know?

Lincoln once argued a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Abraham Lincoln is one of 27 lawyers to hold the position of U.S. president, eight of whom have argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court: John Quincy Adams, James Polk, James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, William Howard Taft, Richard Nixon, and of course Lincoln. The case he argued was Lewis v. Lewis (1849), which dealt with the statute of limitations over a contested land deed. Lincoln argued in favor of the defense on March 7 and 8, 1849, just after his first and only term in Congress came to a close. His arguments have since been praised by legal experts, as he showed great skill in defending his client. However, the court ultimately ruled against Lincoln’s client, with Chief Justice Roger Taney issuing the majority opinion. Coincidentally, Taney later administered the oath of office at Lincoln’s presidential inauguration in 1861.

Archery used to be required by law for English men.

Medieval English archers
duncan1890/ iStock
Author Sarah Anne Lloyd
October 2, 2023

Love it?

Throughout the Middle Ages, English men were required by law to practice longbow archery — a mandate that was in place for longer than you might expect. Early laws encouraged practicing archery indirectly: King Henry I, who ruled England from 1100 to 1135, declared that deaths accidentally caused by practicing archers didn’t count as murder or manslaughter. During the reign of Henry III, the 1252 Assize of Arms required that able-bodied men of a certain means between the ages of 15 and 60 be equipped with a bow and arrows and know how to use them — although residents of England’s royal forests had to practice with blunt arrows to protect the king’s game.

In 1363, King Edward III, who was in the midst of the Hundred Years’ War and convinced that archery skills were “almost wholly disused,” declared that able-bodied men must practice archery on holidays. The Archery Law, enacted that same year, further demanded practice on Sundays. Edward also outlawed, on pain of imprisonment, watching or participating in “vain games of no value,” a wide net that included handball, football, hurling stones, and cockfighting. 

Subsequent kings laid down similar acts: Richard II banned several games and required serfs and peasants to practice the longbow, and Edward IV set minimum imports for equipment. Henry VIII, after introducing several bans on games and tighter enforcement procedures earlier in his reign, passed one of the most notorious pro-archery laws of all in 1541: It nullified all previous acts, banned even more non-archery sports, and exempted wealthy people. In addition to requiring men under 60 (and, to a lesser extent, their male children) to own a certain amount of archery equipment, it empowered employers to garnish the wages of any servants who didn’t have it. The 1541 law was still on the books in bits and pieces until the 20th century, but England’s Betting and Gaming Act of 1960 finally nullified the last of the country’s longbow mandates.

By the Numbers

Did you know?

Humans have been using bows and arrows for more than 60,000 years.

Yew longbows were exciting new military technology in medieval England, but archery has likely existed in one form or another since the Stone Age. Bows and arrows are often made of organic materials that don’t stand the test of time, but the earliest surviving evidence of the weapon is around 64,000 years old, discovered in Sibudu Cave in South Africa. Stone arrowheads found at the site have remnants of blood and bone on them, glue residue that could have been used to attach them to wooden shafts, and damage patterns consistent with being used as projectiles (versus signs of thrust, like would be seen on spears). Archery made an early appearance all over the world. Archaeologists found 48,000-year-old bone arrowheads in Sri Lanka’s Fa-Hien Lena cave in 2020, and 54,000-year-old arrowheads in France’s Grotte Mandrin in 2023.

Napoleon was actually average height.

Napoleon at St. Helena
Morphart Creation/ Shutterstock
Author Michael Nordine
September 29, 2023

Love it?

Despite having an unfortunate complex named after him, Napoleon Bonaparte was of average height for his time. Some of the confusion about his stature stems from the nickname “le petit caporal,” which makes him sound “little” but was actually a term of endearment among his troops. There’s also the fact that inches were measured differently in 19th-century France than they are today. Back then, an inch was equivalent to 2.71 centimeters, whereas the current measurement is 2.54 centimeters. That explains why Napoleon was reported as being 5 feet, 2 inches tall when he died. Most estimates put him closer to 5 feet, 6 inches or 5 feet, 7 inches by today’s measurements — not exactly a towering figure, but average or slightly above average by 18th-century standards.

Little else about Napoleon’s life was average. A descendant of Italian nobility born on the island of Corsica, where his first language was not French but the local dialect, he came to be feared and respected in equal measure as the world’s foremost military strategist, and ascended to emperor of the French by the time he was 34 years old. He has been described as “the most competent human being who ever lived,” and his legacy remains complex to this day — especially in France, where his height is mentioned less often than his massive influence on reshaping the country.

By the Numbers

Did you know?

No one’s sure how Napoleon died.

Though it’s synonymous with his downfall, Napoleon didn’t die during the Battle of Waterloo. After abdicating the throne in the wake of his defeat and surrendering to the British on July 15, 1815, Napoleon spent six years in exile on the island of Saint Helena before dying on May 5, 1821. More than two centuries later, the circumstances of his passing are still debated. He was treated harshly by the British, and wrote, “I die before my time, murdered by the English oligarchy and its assassin,” just three weeks before his death. This has led some to believe he was poisoned, a suspicion bolstered by the fact that locks of his hair tested positive for arsenic in 1961, though researchers have chalked that up to the then-common practice of using arsenic for preservation or traces of hair powder containing arsenic. The physicians who performed his autopsy in 1821 concluded that Napoleon had died, much less suspiciously, of stomach cancer exacerbated by bleeding ulcers. This stands to reason, as he was treated with a heavy dose of calomel — a compound thought to be medicinal at the time that actually contained mercury — the day before he died.

Spectators brought picnics to watch a Civil War battle.

Spectators watching war
bauhaus1000/ iStock
Author Kevin McCaffrey
September 29, 2023

Love it?

The Battle of Bull Run was the first major land battle of the Civil War, and it drew a group of spectators to watch the action on July 21, 1861, near Manassas, Virginia. Onlookers gathered with something of a sporting atmosphere, as many Northerners expected the war to end in a swift Union victory. Describing the scene for The Times of London, Irish war reporter William Howard Russell wrote, “A lady with opera glasses shouted loudly at each discharge of cannon: ‘That is splendid. Oh my! Is not that first rate?’” Union Captain John Tidball later wrote that people came “in carts loaded with pies and other edibles.” In fact, so many people brought food and drink to the hill overlooking Bull Run Creek that the conflict became known as “the picnic battle.” The crowd even included some prominent politicians: Senators Benjamin Wade from Ohio, Zachariah Chandler from Michigan, James Grimes from Iowa, and future Vice President Henry Wilson of Massachusetts, who brought and distributed sandwiches. 

The battle ended with what was a surprising outcome for the spectators, as the Confederate forces managed to drive the Union Army back, sending soldiers retreating through the crowd. Senators Chandler and Wade attempted to stop the retreat — Chandler by blocking the road, and Wade by picking up a rifle and threatening deserters — but they were ultimately unsuccessful. Many Union soldiers had only signed up for a 90-day war (as that was all the President could mandate by law), and the Confederate victory at Bull Run was a chilling sign that the fight was likely to stretch on longer than anyone had anticipated. 

By the Numbers

Did you know?

Tailgating can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome.

In the U.S., football season is synonymous with tailgating season, but tailgate-style parties reflect a cultural tradition that dates back long before either football or literal tailgates existed. Green Bay Packers fans claim to have originated the term itself in 1919, but the concept of tailgating can be traced back to the Greek symposium and Roman convivium, both of which were ritualized public gatherings where people ate, drank, and celebrated together. These parties were often centered around the harvest, which happens to coincide with modern-day football season. In a research study on the subject, University of Notre Dame anthropologist John Sherry called tailgating a “vestaval,” relating it to Vesta, the Roman goddess of the hearth. “As in ancient times, people celebrate the massive abundance of the season while they can,” he wrote. “It’s one last blowout before we hunker down for winter.” 

Roman Emperor Nero had a rotating dining room.

Emperor Nero's Golden Palace
Credit: Classic Image/ Alamy Stock Photo
Author Sarah Anne Lloyd
October 10, 2024

Love it?

Revolving restaurants reached their peak in the “space age” of the mid-20th century, when futuristic aesthetics were all the rage. But at least one rotating dining room emerged 1,900 years before those atop the Space Needle and the CN Tower. Roman Emperor Nero, who reigned from 54 to 68 CE, was known for his lavish lifestyle and general debauchery, and among his excesses was a spinning banquet hall in Domus Aurea, his palace on Palatine Hill. The ancient historian Suetonius reported that the “coenatio rotunda” (round dining hall) “revolved perpetually, night and day, in imitation of the motion of the celestial bodies.” He also noted that the ceilings in Nero’s dining rooms were lined with ivory and had special pipes that could shower perfume and flowers on his guests. 

In 2009, archaeologists found corroborating evidence for Suetonius’ account — at least the rotating part. A team uncovered a dining room more than 50 feet across resting on a pillar more than 13 feet in diameter, surrounded by arched braces that connected it to an exterior wall. Researchers believe the rotating mechanism was powered by water from a nearby aqueduct, which activated a series of gears. The restaurant floor itself likely rotated on spherical rollers similar to ball bearings.

Nero died in 68 CE, the same year his palace was completed, so the engineering marvel didn’t get much use. After his death, the building was stripped of anything valuable, filled in, and used as a foundation for other buildings. It was found in an embankment overlooking Rome, so the rotating dining room had probably served the same purpose as modern ones: offering gorgeous 360-degree views.

By the Numbers

Did you know?

Nero once competed in the Olympic Games.

The ancient Olympic Games were typically limited to Greeks, but that didn’t stop Emperor Nero. He showed up with a large entourage, weaseled his way into the competition (he may have bribed officials), and entered the four-horse chariot race — with 10 horses. According to one story, the emperor was thrown from his overpowered chariot and never even finished the race. Regardless, he was declared the winner.

Bea Arthur was a Marine.

Bea Arthur on screen
Collection Christophel/ Alamy Stock Photo
Author Bennett Kleinman
September 29, 2023

Love it?

Long before she portrayed such iconic TV characters as the outspoken feminist Maude Findlay on Maude and the sarcastic-yet-compassionate Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls, Bea Arthur acted in a very different role, as a member of the U.S. Marines. On February 18, 1943, a 20-year-old Arthur — then named Bernice Frankel — enlisted in the Marine Corps to support the American war effort in World War II. Her decision came just five days after the organization began recruiting women as part of the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve. Arthur was called to active duty on March 18, 1943, and reported to U.S. Naval Training School in the Bronx, New York. 

After being promoted to private first class on May 1, 1943, Arthur asked for a transfer to Motor Transport School in North Carolina, after which she worked in noncombat roles as a driver and dispatcher. In 1944, she married fellow Marine Robert Alan Aurthur. When they divorced three years later, she kept his surname, but changed the spelling to “Arthur.” In January 1945, Arthur was promoted to staff sergeant, the final position she held prior to being formally discharged on September 26, 1945. For reasons unknown, Arthur later denied her involvement with the Marines, though paperwork confirms she played a pivotal role alongside 20,000 female Marine reservists of the time. 

Arthur began studying drama in 1947, and got her breakthrough acting role in a 1964 Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof. She later starred in the sitcom Maude from 1972 to 1978, and appeared as Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls from 1985 to 1992. Interestingly, a few of her Golden Girls co-stars also had military ties: Betty White helped out in the American Women’s Voluntary Services in 1941, and Rue McClanahan was mistakenly drafted into military service after high school.

By the Numbers

Did you know?

Jimmy Stewart saw combat during World War II.

During World War II, Jimmy Stewart put his life as a leading man in Hollywood on hold to join the U.S. Army, becoming the first major actor to do so. On February 27, 1941, Stewart received the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in The Philadelphia Story. Just a few weeks later, on March 22, Stewart formally enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces, and was welcomed into basic flight training as he had logged over 400 flight hours as a civilian pilot. Stewart was deployed to England in 1943 and began flying combat missions, including a particularly harrowing experience in the winter of 1944. While flying above the German countryside, an anti-aircraft shell struck Stewart’s plane, forcing him to make an emergency landing, after which the plane cracked in half. In total, he participated in 20 combat missions before returning to Hollywood after the war with the release of It’s a Wonderful Life in 1946. Stewart remained in the United States Air Force Reserve until formally retiring on May 31, 1968.

People have been painting their nails for 5,000 years.

Woman's nails painted
Credit: Unsplsh+ via Getty Images
Author Sarah Anne Lloyd
October 10, 2024

Love it?

The modern manicure came along in the 19th century, but nail painting goes back so far, it’s hard to pinpoint its exact origin. In China, people were painting their nails with a small brush around 3000 BCE at least, and ancient peoples in North Africa and India dyed their nails with henna. In ancient Babylon, kohl — a dark-colored ink made from minerals that’s still used for cosmetic purposes today — was the nail coloring of choice for men. 

We don’t have a wealth of information about the earliest Chinese manicures, but during the Zhou dynasty (1046 to 256 BCE), they mastered artificial nails. Metal nails were designed to be worn on fingertips, and like today’s acrylics, they could be enameled and decorated with jewels; sometimes they featured elaborate metalwork. One of the earliest formulas for nail polish also comes out of China: During the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644 CE), people used a mixture of egg whites, gelatin, beeswax, vegetable dyes, and gum arabic to paint their nails. 

There’s a long history of nail art in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America, but in the United States and Europe, early nail aesthetics mostly focused on keeping them clean and trimmed in a pleasing shape. Added color didn’t show up until the late 19th century, and started with subtle rosy tints — although people who wanted to go further would pierce their nails and wear jewelry on them. 

By the Numbers

Did you know?

Modern nail polish comes from auto body paint.

Nitrocellulose is a precursor to plastic that’s highly flammable, but dries quickly into a sturdy film. In the early 20th century, it gained popularity as an industrial lacquer, mainly used as auto body paint. Soon after, clever women seeking a strong, chip-free shine started requesting paint samples from auto body shops. It didn’t take long for cosmetic companies to catch up, and in 1924 Cutex and Glazo released lacquer specially formulated for nails. Nitrocellulose is still used in nail polish today.

Tomato pills were once sold as medicine.

Heinz ketchup bottle
Medicimage Education/ Alamy Stock Photo
Author Bennett Kleinman
September 28, 2023

Love it?

Long before tomatoes were eaten in salads and sliced on sandwiches, they were advertised as medicine. In the early 1800s, many Americans found tomatoes unappetizing, and some even believed they were poisonous. That perception began to change in 1834, after Ohio physician John Cook Bennett advertised tomatoes as a medical panacea. Bennett propagated the idea that tomatoes could cure indigestion, jaundice, and other ailments, even though his claims proved untrue. He also debuted tomatoes in a new pill form, solidifying the fruit’s dubious reputation as a medicinal tonic. The tomato health fad faded in the 1850s, but the versatile fruit saw a resurgence as a culinary treat soon after, thanks in part to the introduction of a new tomato-based condiment: ketchup. 

The first recipe for tomato-based ketchup was published by Philadelphia scientist James Mease in 1812, but the condiment didn’t really take off until the F. & J. Heinz Company released its ketchup in 1876. While previous ketchups decomposed too quickly, Heinz used vinegar in the preservation process, which made the condiment more shelf stable. Heinz ketchup was sold in the now-iconic clear glass bottles, chosen to showcase the product’s purity. Starting in 1896, Heinz (by then rebranded as the H.J. Heinz Company) began featuring the number “57” on its packaging, though it had nothing to do with the number of varieties sold. Founder Henry John Heinz chose “57” for the branding because it combined his lucky number, five, with his wife’s favorite number, seven.

By the Numbers

Did you know?

The Supreme Court declared tomatoes are vegetables.

In a botanical sense, tomatoes are classified as fruits, because they contain seeds and grow from a flowering plant. But legally, the U.S. Supreme Court established a different truth. The decision stemmed from the Tariff Act of 1883, which required taxes on imported vegetables, whereas imported fruits remained tax-free. That law was tested during the 1893 case Nix v. Hedden, in which the Nix family — who sold produce in New York City — sued Edward Hedden, the tax collector at the Port of New York. The Nixes claimed they were being unfairly taxed on tomato fruits, and sought to recover fees they had incurred. However, the Supreme Court sided with Hedden by a unanimous 9-0 vote, ruling that the Tariff Act extended to tomatoes. Justice Horace Gray wrote that while tomatoes are “fruit of a vine,” they’re treated as vegetables in “the common language of the people.”

x