Give me a mind-blowing history fact

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lb sand
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In reply to nortex97 • 6:26p, 9/19/25
AG
The rest is history did an episode about him.
The bear ended up living on a reserve in Scotland.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6GDOIq7XaUfHIS8s2iKEwB?si=c1g7OkJWSOeRaQAO6Prrow
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KingofHazor
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In reply to lb sand • 6:50a, 9/20/25
lb sand said:
The rest is history did an episode about him.
The bear ended up living on a reserve in Scotland.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6GDOIq7XaUfHIS8s2iKEwB?si=c1g7OkJWSOeRaQAO6Prrow

For those who don't have an hour for a podcast:

Wojtek: The bear who was a private in the Polish army
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nortex97
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6:39a, 9/22/25
AG
Nan Madol. A historical enigma.

Quote:
The construction and logistics of Nan Madol pose another perplexing puzzle. The colossal basalt rock pillars, with a combined weight exceeding 700,000 tons, stand as a testament to the advanced engineering skills of the city's builders. The city's large stone seawalls, protecting it from the relentless waves, astound modern observers, while the method employed to transport the basalt rocks from an 18-kilometer quarry and the precise means of their placement leave contemporary experts pondering over the ingenious techniques employed by the civilization.
Moreover, the discovery of basalt pillars submerged at a depth of 300 feet near Nan Madol hints at the advanced seafaring capabilities of its residents. This suggests that the inhabitants were skilled navigators, possibly journeying to distant islands and leaving a legacy reflecting their command of the ocean.

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Goose98
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7:58a, 9/30/25


Pretty.
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agrams
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3:30p, 10/23/25
AG
love this thread too much to let it die:

The external fuel tanks on the P51 mustangs were paper mache to make them cheap, lightweight, and easily mass produced:

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-articles/necessity-mother-invention-paper-drop-tanks-wwii.html

The glue lasted about 5 hours before the fuel started to dissolve it, but more than enough for the 2.5 hour flight to berlin from the UK.


Also, Pig 311:

This was a pig that was locked in an officers' toilet aboard the Japanese cruiser Sakawa during the Able nuclear test, about 420 yards away from the detonation point and was found swimming in the Bikini Atoll lagoon a day later.

The pig lived until 1950, and in its last year, was sent to the Smithsonian zoological park and was a popular 600 pound attraction

source: https://www.newsweek.com/mystery-pig-311-found-alive-after-bikini-atoll-atomic-bomb-test-1755844
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to BQ78 • 9:18p, 10/23/25
AG
BQ78 said:
His uncle was on the USS Cumberland when it was sunk by CSS Virginia at Hampton Roads. His uncle was also the skipper of USS Cairo that was sunk by a mine in the Yazoo and is currently on display at Vicksburg NMP.


Got to see the Cairo a few days ago, well worth a look. It sank in 12 minutes, so almost all the sailor's belongings were on board. You can see hundreds of them in the museum next to her.

Side note, we rode our bikes (electric assist) on the auto tour road, it was a fantastic visit.
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agrams
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In reply to CanyonAg77 • 9:40p, 10/23/25
BQ78
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In reply to CanyonAg77 • 4:17a, 10/24/25
AG
When I worked there before the museum was built, we changed into our Confederate uniforms in the shed where those artifacts were stored, we even used a vent ***** from the boat , until the maintenance guys fabbed one for us. I would always dress fast so I could explore a little each day.
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Goose98
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In reply to agrams • 9:05a, 10/24/25
Fun fact, the P-38 was actually the first Allied fighter over Berlin, not the P-51 or P-47's as many believe.

Also as Greg noted, only 2 or 3 countries today (out of around 200) even use the metric system for aviation, a pretty mind blowing stat.
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oragator
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10:51p, 11/17/25
Not overly nuts, but totally didn't know that at the time of the revolution, Boston was nearly an island, with one small connecting bridge of land to mainland Mass. it's geography is entirely siffeeent today than then.
I was watching the Ken Burns doc on the AR, they showed a map and I had to do a double take and then look it up. Sure enough…

https://www.hiddenhydrology.org/bostons-made-land/

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BQ78
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11:17a, 11/19/25
AG
William H. Mumler was a spirit photographer, someone whose camera could capture the ghosts of loved ones in images of the living person. Mumler took advantage of the spiritualism craze during and after the Civil War, as people wished to somehow connect with their loved ones who had died, especially during the war. Mumler came by this trade "honestly" as his wife was a healing spiritual medium.



Mumler's most famous photograph was one of Mary Todd Lincoln taken in 1869 that appears to show the ghost of Abraham standing behind her, with his hands on her shoulders.



There were skeptics. In 1869, Mumler was brought to trial as a fraud and huckster. Ironically, another huckster, Connecticut Legislator P.T. Barnum, testified against him and even produced his own version of Mumler's work, which was introduced in evidence against Mumler:



But prosecutors were unable to produce any conclusive evidence that the photographs were doctored and Mumler was acquitted.

Mumler continued to work with photography and even discovered a process, which was named after him, for producing and printing photo-electrotype plates as easily as woodcuts.



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Goose98
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7:12a, 11/25/25

Union (Left) And Confederate (Right) Veterans Meet For The Battle Of Gettysburg's 50th Anniversary In 1913. Despite official concerns "that there might be unpleasant differences", the peaceful reunion was repeatedly marked by events of UnionConfederate camaraderie.
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nortex97
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12:37p, 12/3/25
AG
Not really mind-blowing but pretty cool.
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Stive
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In reply to oragator • 11:27p, 12/4/25
AG
oragator said:
Not overly nuts, but totally didn't know that at the time of the revolution, Boston was nearly an island, with one small connecting bridge of land to mainland Mass. it's geography is entirely siffeeent today than then.
I was watching the Ken Burns doc on the AR, they showed a map and I had to do a double take and then look it up. Sure enough…

https://www.hiddenhydrology.org/bostons-made-land/


I did the same thing. I had no idea they had built that other land up through the years. Pretty wild.
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