Animals
Roman Emperor Gaius, also known as Caligula, made one of his favorite animals a senator. What was it?
Horse
The emperor loved his horse, named Incitatus, so much that he gave him a marble stall, an ivory manger, a jeweled collar, and even a house! Caligula also allegedly planned to make his trusty steed Consul before his assassination.
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two of the Founding Fathers and the 2nd and 3rd Presidents of the United States, died within hours of each other on what strangely appropriate day?
July 4
1826
The sound of the eruption of what volcano was so loud that in 1883 it ruptured the eardrums of people 40 miles away and was clearly heard 3,000 miles away (distance between New York and San Francisco)?
Krakatoa
What did ancient Egyptians use as pillows?
Stone slabs.
In Ancient Egypt, the head was considered to be the seat of spiritual life and had to be cared for. Therefore, when getting into bed, the Egyptians would place their heads on a stone with a curve in it.
The Tale of Two Lovers, an erotic novel that was a best-seller in the 15th century, was written by what unlikely author?
Pope Pius II
Before he became Pope.
The Mayans once worshiped which bird as Gods?
Turkeys
The Mayan people believed turkeys were the vessels of the Gods and honored them with worship.
One in how many men are direct descendants of Genghis Khan?
1 in 200
Scientists conducted a study in 2003 that showed that one in 200 men share a Y chromosome with the conqueror.
How many cities did Alexander the Great name after himself?
Over 70
46 BCE was how many days long?
445 days
Nicknamed the year of confusion, this year had two extra leap months inserted by Julius Caesar. This was in order to make his newly-formed Julian Calendar match up with the seasonal year.
The Dutch-Scilly War, like the Cold War, had no battles and no deaths. Despite declaring war on each other, the English and Dutch had no money to fight each other. How long did this "war" last?
335 years
Between 1651-1986
A popular European sport wealthy people played in the 17th and 18th centuries involved throwing what animal?
Foxes
Fox tossing would involve a person throwing a fox as far and as high as they could.
Despite the legend, George Washington did not have wooden teeth. What were his dentures made of?
Gold, lead, and ivory, as well as being a mixture of animal and human teeth!
Hollywood wasn't always in Los Angeles. Where was it originally?
New York
Hollywood moved from New York to Los Angeles to escape Edison’s patents. Thomas Edison had patents on over 1,000 different things, including most of the technology needed to make high-end movies. So independent filmmakers moved to California, an area of the country where the judges weren’t as friendly to Edison and his patents.
How would ancient Egyptian Pharaohs catch flies using slaves?
They would lather their slaves in honey, which would attract any flies to their slaves rather than themselves, as well as trap and kill the flies.
How many people died in the Great Fire of London in 1666 that made homeless 80,000 people?
6 people
Sloths have such a slow metabolism, how long does it take them to digest/process food?
Up to a month!
Who was the wealthiest person to ever live in history?
Augustus Caesar
Nephew and heir of Julius Caesar, Emperor Augustus had an estimated net worth of $.46 trillion when counting for inflation.
To this day, what is the largest capacity sports arena ever built?
The Circus Maximus in Rome
It was used for the execution of prisoners, part of the Roman Triumph, and chariot racing. Historians believe the Circus Maximum could hold between 150,000 – 250,000 people at any given time.
What is the fear of long words called?
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
The 36-letter word was first used in the first century BCE to criticize writers with an unreasonable penchant for long words.
What is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself?
Teeth
That's because teeth are coated in enamel, which is not a living tissue.
How old can the Turritopsis Dohrnii jellyfish live to?
Forever
The Turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish is biologically immortal and can revert back to an earlier stage of its life cycle.
How long did Richard the Lionheart, King of England, spend in England during his reign?
6 months
During World War I, the French built a replica of what city in order to confuse German bomber and fighter pilots?
Paris
During World War I, the French built a “fake Paris.” Complete with a duplicate Champs-Elysées and Gard Du Nord, this “fake Paris” was built by the French towards the end of WWI. It was built as a means of throwing off German bomber and fighter pilots flying over French skies.
What is illegal about owning a guinea pig in Switzerland?
Owning just one
It's considered animal abuse, because they're social beings and get lonely.
What is the only letter that doesn't appear in any American state name?
Q