Good time days, dear friends!
The last bells in schools recently rang out, and graduates took a little breath: they took a break from preparing for the unified state exam. And this is great, since periodic rest is a necessary component of any preparation. By the way, I wrote about this in more detail in a post.
Today I also invite you to take a break from preparation and spend time on intellectual entertainment - getting to know fun historical facts. These facts will help you look at history not as a boring series of facts and events, but as entertaining stories that can motivate you to study more thoroughly this or that period of Russian history before the Unified State Exam.
If history has already bored you, then I also highly recommend that you read my post on how to learn history so that this teaching is more interesting and exciting.
Well, now let's move on to the most interesting part: fun facts from history. I'll focus on a few of these entertaining stories and facts, but I will draw parallels with Russian history. By the end of the article you will understand why I did this :).
We will move chronologically and start from the 13th century.
FIRST FUNNY STORY. KAMIKAZE
As you remember very well, in the 13th century, Rus' was not going through the best of times; it fought off both the Mongol-Tatars and the crusaders... At the same time, Japan was also experiencing aggression from the Mongol-Tatars. Japan, like Rus', was fragmented into different principalities, and therefore it could not withstand the onslaught of the Mongols. Meanwhile, her enslavement did not happen. That's why?
The western principalities of Japan would be the first to suffer in the event of Mongol-Tatar aggression. The princes of these principalities ordered services in a Shinto temple (Shinto is Japanese paganism). And when the Mongol khan gathered a huge fleet and sent it to enslave Japan, a storm broke out and scattered the khan’s fleet! This storm was nicknamed kami kaze (kami - deity, kaze - wind). That is why in the Second world war Japanese pilots called themselves that because they, like a divine wind (kamikaze), fell upon the enemy fleet...:
SECOND FUN FACT. LIFE AND CORNERS OF MEDIEVAL Rus'.
There is every reason to believe that domestic violence and alcoholism are almost a tradition in Russia. Here, for example, is a quote from Sylvester’s Domostroi:
“Discipline your son in his youth, and he will give you peace in your old age, and give beauty to your soul. Loving your son, increase his wounds - and then you will not boast about him. Punish your son from his youth and you will rejoice for him in his maturity, and among your ill-wishers you will be able to boast about him, and your enemies will envy you. Raise your children in prohibitions and you will find peace and blessing in them.”
And here is the testimony of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich’s doctor, Samuel Collins:
“At Maslenitsa, before Lent, Russians indulge in all kinds of amusements with unbridledness, and in the last week of Lent there is so much, as if they were destined to drink in last time in his lifetime. Some drink vodka, distilled four times, until the mouth flares up and flames come out of the throat, as if from the mouth of hell (Bocca di inferno); and if they are then not given milk to drink, they die on the spot. .
Some, returning home drunk, fall sleepy into the snow, if there is no sober friend with them, and freeze on this cold bed. If one of his acquaintances happens to walk past and see a drunken friend on the verge of death, then he does not give him help, fearing that he will die in his arms and fearing to be subjected to the anxiety of investigations, because the Zemsky Prikaz knows how to collect a tax from any dead body , coming under his department. It’s a pity to see twelve frozen people being carried on a sleigh; Some have their hands eaten away by dogs, some have their faces, and others have only bare bones left. Two or three hundred people were transported in this way during the fast. From this you can see the harmful consequences of drunkenness, a disease (Epidemick) peculiar not only to Russia, but also to England.”
“The most surprising thing is that her death was not avenged by anyone, because in Russia there is no criminal law that would prosecute the murder of a wife or a slave if the murder is committed as punishment for an offense; but murder is a strange punishment: the purpose of punishment was never to end life, but always to correct it. Some husbands tie their wives by the hair and whip them completely naked. Such cruelties, however, are rare, and the only causes are infidelity or drunkenness. Now, it seems, husbands do not treat their wives so cruelly, at least parents try to warn them and, when giving their daughters in marriage, they enter into a condition. They demand from the son-in-law that he provide his wife with decent clothes, feed her good and healthy food, not beat her, treat her kindly, and offer many other conditions, somewhat similar to the rules prescribed in England by customs that have received the force of law.”
Something needs to be done about this! Or what do you think? Subscribe in the comments! I am waiting!
THIRD HISTORICAL FACT: Emperor Peter the Third had two great people in his pedigree: Peter the Great and Charles 12. Irony of fate?
FOUR FUN FACT: Hitler and Lenin played chess with each other:
THE FIFTH FUNNY STORY ABOUT HOW EMPRESS ANNA IOANNOVNA BECAME SINGLE.
You all know very well that Peter the Great had a weak-minded brother, Ivan. By the way, you shouldn’t laugh at this, because in the old days you would have been considered weak-minded, all you had to do was not believe in God.
So, Peter’s feeble-minded brother Ivan had a daughter, who was named Anna, who then became the Russian Empress during palace coups. She was married to the Duke of Courland. Well, we had a wedding there, everything was as it should be. On the way to Courland, the Duke died. The official version claims that he was old and died of heart... A more truth-like version says that his dear was distant, his wife was young..., well, the Duke could not stand it, he overdid it, so to speak... :)
This is how Anna Ioannovna became a widow... which did not stop her from becoming the Russian Empress.
SIXTH FUNNY STORY. VERA ZASULICH
Vera Zasulich is known for shooting the mayor of St. Petersburg, General Trepov. I shot twice, but didn’t hit, or I hit where I was aiming. As a result, Eral remained alive, and Vora was put on trial, which, as you remember, became the most advanced: with the bar, the prosecutor's office and the jury. So, at the trial, the lawyer presented the case in such a way that Vera Zasulich became a victim of terrorists and she was actually not to blame, he came himself :)
And what do you think? The jury acquitted the terrorist, who safely fled abroad after the trial. The authorities realized it, but it was already too late...
SEVENTH FUNNY STORY
What actually started it Russo-Japanese War. Otsu Incident=>>
EIGHTH FUNNY STORY: HIROO ONODA
Hiroo Onoda is a Japanese army officer who fought in World War II in the Philippines until 1974. Officially, the authorities declared him dead, but he did not die, but fought. He did not believe all the rumors that the war had ended back in 1945, and only when his immediate general, who gave him the task, came to the Philippines and gave the order to surrender his weapons - Onoda obeyed. Subsequently, Onoda left Japan for Brazil, hiding from unnecessary attention. After all, he simply followed the order and stood until the end. Since 1984, Hiroo Onoda has been writing his memoirs. As soon as I read it, I’ll be sure to write about it.
And now you ask why he didn’t commit seppuku (harahiri) for himself. In August 1945, the order was given not to commit seppuku, but to stand until the last.
I think we'll focus on these eight fun facts and stories. I hope they at least somehow entertained you. I'm planning a few more posts on this topic, so don't miss it! See you in touch!
A person who is not interested in history cannot foresee his future. This is the true logic of why it is worth reading historical books, documentary reports and learning about everything that came before us. Cervantes said very subtly and accurately about history: “It is the treasury of all the deeds of mankind. History is a witness to the past, a lesson for the present and a warning for future generations.” How many interesting things does she hide in herself? Terabytes of information today are available on the World Wide Web for all those who are interested in it. History of art, history of music, history of wars, history of humanity - which is closer to you?Interesting historical facts tell us a lot of educational and interesting phenomena that can be your highlight in any serious conversation. For example, in a conversation about low level The education of modern young medical workers can be appealed by the following fact: in the days when Babylon still existed, doctors were afraid of popular punishment, which consisted of cutting off both hands if the doctor was guilty of the death of a particular human disease. If you are talking to ladies, we advise you to arm yourself with some knowledge from the history of beauty. Interesting historical facts indicate that the eyebrow saga began in the 18th century. Our great-great-grandmothers shaved off their eyebrows completely and glued artificial ones in their place, which were made from mouse fur. What won't you do for beauty?
There are topics that not everyone dares to joke about, but it never hurts to lighten the situation. So, interesting historical facts also tell us that in conservative Washington there are notes in one of the prisons that once there was a line... a dog. Yes, indeed, the shepherd was found guilty of trying to bite a passerby. The dog, like a real citizen, served his time and was proudly released.
Interesting historical facts also reveal many interesting coincidences. For example, in 1492, the entire Russian people were preparing for the end of the world. According to the calculations of the Old Believers, at that time in reality the year was 7000 and, according to their knowledge, nothing else should happen except the coming flood. The end of the world did not come, however, in the form in which it was expected. Is it a coincidence that it was this year that Columbus found America and discovered a new continent to the world? For Tsarist Russia it was a surprise, more tragic than the expected flood.
Interesting historical facts are also very often funny. For example, an incident that occurred in a Berlin prison. The King of Prussia, Frederick II, came there. Each prisoner had the opportunity to complain to the king and ask for alms. This is what many did: they bowed at their feet and claimed that they were not imprisoned fairly. Only one of those serving his sentence did not bend the knee before the ruler. When the latter asked why the prisoner did not ask to pardon him, he replied that he was brought here justly, for the robbery he committed. As a result, Frederick ordered his release with the words: “So as not to offend the society of honest people with his presence.”
Interesting historical facts also speak about bad thinking for the future of many rulers. For example, Napoleon once kicked out of his office the designer who developed the drawing of the world's first steamship. Bonaparte did not understand how a ship could sail on water without a sail or oars. Kicked the engineer out. When Napoleon was sent into exile on the island of St. Helena, he was specially transported there by ship, and only at that moment did Napoleon admit: “This is my true defeat.”
Prospects for profit - it was believed that at a speed of 60 km/h passengers would suffocate.
Historical events and facts are very educational and interesting. They give us a unique opportunity to understand what is happening in a given period of development of human society, nations and countries. Almost all nations have interesting historical facts. Russia has especially many of them. This is easily explained by the rich, centuries-old past of our country. Common legends about rulers scientific and technological progress, about art and culture have always attracted and attract citizens of other states. Below are examples of such historical facts.
About rulers
Since the beginning in 1825, rulers in our country have alternated according to the “bald - hairy” principle. This pattern has persisted to this day.
About television
In 1992, the chimes struck on television in New Year's Eve detained for one minute.
About money
The double-headed eagle on coins is not the country’s coat of arms, but the emblem of the Bank of Russia.
Scientific and historical fact
The only person in the world who lives in Russia is Sergei Krikalev. He spent more than 800 hours in space, moving at high speed. According to the theory of relativity, time slows down at high speeds. It was calculated that the astronaut returned to Earth 0.02 seconds younger.
About laws
In 1994, the government passed a law prohibiting dogs from barking from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. This law is still valid, but only in Moscow. It is also noteworthy that the legislative act does not stipulate what punishment the violator will suffer.
Geography facts
Russian Federation by area more USA almost twice. The St. Petersburg metro is the deepest in the world. connects the capital and the city of Vladivostok and is the longest railway line in the world. Siberian taiga - 8% of the earth's land.
Technique
There are many more Kalashnikov assault rifles in the world than all other types of weapons combined.
About the rulers and laws of Tsarist Russia
Interesting historical facts about Russia are not always accurate and scientifically verified. For example, according to some historians, Ivan the Terrible did not kill his son.
In Russia, equality between men and women was proclaimed 2 years earlier than in the United States.
Peter the Great had his own way of combating drunkenness in the country. He ordered medals, which weighed more than 7 kg, to be given to all offenders. They were obliged not to remove it for seven days.
Racketeering is the department in charge of receiving petitions under Peter the Great.
The interesting story is rich in facts from the life of the tsarist army: Nicholas the First, as a punishment, gave the offending officers a choice between keeping a watch out of turn and listening to an opera.
Denbei is the first Japanese to come to Russia. In 1695 he arrived in Kamchatka, and in 1701 he reached Moscow. Peter the Great obliged him to teach Japanese Russian children in schools.
“Here lies Suvorov” - the inscription on the slab near the monument to the commander.
Boris and Gleb are the first Russians to be canonized (1072).
Interesting historical facts in pre-revolutionary Russia
About the Army and Navy
In the Russian Imperial Navy the command "Cover up!" meant that you had to wear a hat.
In the army of imperial times there was the rank of cornet, and in modern times - ensign; in the army of imperial times - the rank of lieutenant, and in modern times - lieutenant.
Geography facts
1740 - the coldest winter in Russia.
After 1703, Poganye Ponds in Moscow began to be called... Chistye Ponds!
About science
M.V. Lomonosov is the founder of Moscow State University, but he himself never visited this university.
About the people
IN Ancient Rus' grasshoppers were called dragonflies.
In Rus', the “original” is a stick that was used to beat a witness to a crime.
An interesting historical fact is that the Thai anthem was written in 1902 by a Russian composer.
Interesting about the politics of the USSR. Historical truth
What was called the Cuban Missile Crisis in the USSR began to be called the Cuban Crisis in the USA, and the October Crisis in Cuba itself.
An interesting historical fact is that legally the war between Germany and the USSR ended on January 21, 1955. The decision was made by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
In 1931, the Red Army and White Guards fought on the same side; at the request of the Governor-General of the Chinese province Sheng Shicai, they suppressed the uprising of the Turkic population.
Unusual historical facts of the USSR
In World War II, machine gunner Semyon Konstantinovich Hitler fought in the Red Army.
USSR at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War used tractors in battles due to a shortage of combat vehicles.
For the entire period Cold War The world was twice on the verge of a nuclear disaster due to failures in computer systems in the USSR and the USA. Nuclear war was prevented only thanks to the experienced military leaders of both superpowers.
During the Great Patriotic War, mines were cleared by dogs specially trained for this purpose; they were the main assistants of sappers.
In the USSR, the main opponent of the fascists, according to Hitler, was the announcer Yuri Levitan, and not Stalin, as many believe.
Interesting science and technology in the USSR
In the village of Baikonur, in the Kazakhstan SSR, a wooden cosmodrome was built in the 1950s. This was done in order to mislead enemy states. The real cosmodrome is located more than 350 km from this village.
During World War II, the USSR designed a flying tank based on the design of the A-40 tank, but the project was closed due to a lack of powerful towing vehicles.
The laser pistol was invented in the Soviet Union in 1984.
The Americans suggested that the USSR be the first to launch into space not dogs but black children.
GAZ-21 has a wide the lineup, including it had a right-hand drive model and automatic transmission transmission
The T-28 tank could overcome “lunar landscapes”. This was the name of the territory that was seriously damaged by the fighting.
Scientific and historical fact: the space device that the Soviet Union wanted to launch into space to explore Mars, during tests showed that there is no life on Earth. After this incident, it was sent for revision.
About famous personalities
The list of gifts for Stalin's seventieth birthday was published in newspapers for more than three years.
Rokossovsky is a marshal of both the USSR and Poland.
Khrushchev ridiculed and sharply criticized paintings painted by artists in the avant-garde direction. At the same time, he often used obscene language.
Vladimir Putin, when he served in the KGB, had the call sign “Mol”.
About laws
In the Soviet Union there was a tax on childlessness.
About sport
Lev Yashin is a famous football goalkeeper who took bronze at the USSR Ice Hockey Championship in 1953.
The main prize in Sportloto has been won only twice in the entire history of this game.
Music and television
Evgeny Leonov voiced such a character as Winnie the Pooh in cartoons.
The group "Aria" has a song called "Will and Reason", few people know that this is the motto of the Nazis in fascist Italy.
Geography facts
In the early 1920s, the city of Novosibirsk had two time zones. On the left bank of the Ob River the difference from the capital was 3 hours, and on the right bank it was 4 hours.
In the 20s and 30s of the twentieth century, Vladikavkaz was the center of both the Ingush and North Ossetian republics.
About the meaning of words
The word "zek" means "prisoned Red Army soldier."
"Unknown" world history
This or that historical fact does not always sound plausible and understandable to a contemporary. Examples are given below.
During the time of Genghis Khan in Mongolia, anyone who dared to urinate in any body of water was executed. Because water in the desert was more valuable than gold.
In England in 1665-1666, the plague devastated entire villages. It was then that medicine recognized smoking as beneficial, which supposedly destroyed the deadly infection. Children and teenagers were punished if they refused to smoke.
Ancient Egyptian beauties evenly distributed pieces of fat throughout their hair. In the sun they melted and evenly covered the hair with a greasy shiny layer, which was considered very fashionable.
Famous inventor sewing machine Isaac Singer was married to five women at once. In total, he had 15 children from all the women. He called all his daughters Mary. Probably so as not to make a mistake...
Interesting historical facts on the funeral theme: the English admiral Nelson, who lived from 1758 to 1805, slept in his cabin in a coffin that was cut out of the mast of an enemy French ship. His “feat” was repeated by a French actress who learned her lyrics while lying in a coffin. She often took this prop on tour, which made those around her very nervous. In the Middle Ages, sailors deliberately inserted at least one gold tooth, even sacrificing a healthy one. For what? It turns out that it was for a rainy day, so that in case of death he could be buried with honor far from home.
Approximately half of New Yorkers speak several languages other than their native American English by age 5.
In 2007, New York was visited by approximately 46 million tourists, who spent more than $28 billion in the city!
The entire story lasted only 38 minutes. Zanzibar and England “fought” so much in 1896. England won.
A few more myths. Or is it true?
Historians claim that on Cocos Island, located 300 miles south of Costa Rica, pirates hid treasure worth two billion dollars. Archaeologists are searching.
The most incomprehensible mystery of humanity is death. What happens to a person after he dies? Modern scientists are conducting large-scale and multimillion-dollar research in this area. So far there is only 100% conclusion that human consciousness continues to exist after physical death.
Official data from the British Admiralty states that as a result of shipwrecks, an eighth of all gold and silver mined on earth rests on the seabed. Today, you can buy an old map with treasure coordinates on the black market. Is this true or a scam? In 1985, using such a map, Mel Fisher found the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora off the coast of Florida, which sank back in 1622. From the bottom of the ship he managed to lift 450(!) million dollars worth of valuables.
In some countries, every movement of citizens is monitored by intelligence services using Internet tracking programs. Sensors are built into modern phones, TVs, and computers. World espionage is thriving. Is it true? Who knows...
If you look back at the history of mankind, you can find many events that influenced its development. These are wars that determined the borders and destinies of states; world religions and their laws; scientific discoveries. But the most Interesting Facts in the history of mankind may relate to his Everyday life. They formed habits, traditions and the very way of life of people.
1. Invention of the alphabet. It is well known that one of the first examples of phonetic writing is the Phoenician alphabet. It is from this that most modern alphabetic systems originate. It is also a well-known fact that the Phoenician alphabet became the basis for the writing of the ancient Greeks.
It was the Hellenes who introduced an important transformation into the alphabetic system - they began to write vowels. There are two alphabet systems in the world: consonantal, where only consonant sounds are written, and consonantal-phonetic, where both consonants and vowels are written. It is to this system of recording sounds that the alphabets of modern European countries and Russia.
According to archaeology, the first records using the Hellenic alphabet were made in the 8th century BC. One of the theories for the emergence of a consonantal-phonetic system for recording sounds is the need to record Homer’s poems and other poetic works.
Already in the 13th century in Europe, there was a practice that made it possible to quickly create several copies of one book - scribes simultaneously copied different parts of the embroidered book, and then took new ones.
Since the 15th century, woodcuts have been used - printing using wooden blocks. Around 1450, movable metal type was invented, which allowed books to be produced more quickly. The first printing house was opened by Johannes Guttenberg. Following his initiative, printing houses began to appear throughout Europe. The department of printing began to operate at the University of Paris, best books published in Antwerp and Venice. In the 16th century, printing opened up the possibility of new books that had secular content.
3. Creation of an encyclopedia. Most Internet users access online encyclopedias at least occasionally. The most popular of them is Wikipedia. In addition to it, there are a number of more specialized projects, replenished according to a similar principle - by enthusiasts on a free basis. The very idea of an encyclopedia as a book where all knowledge is collected together belongs to ancient world– “Disciplines” by Marcus Terence Varro. In ancient times and the Middle Ages, many works were published that claimed to present all the knowledge available at that time.
The 18th century brought new idea encyclopedism - a book where articles are grouped not by topic, but alphabetically. In 1704 - 1710, the Lexicon Technicum was published under the editorship of John Harris, a scholar and priest of the Church of England. The articles in it were arranged in alphabetical order and were devoted to the natural and mathematical sciences. One of the authors of the lexicon was Isaac Newton. The success of the new encyclopedia inspired publisher Ephraim Chambers. In 1728 he published the work “Cyclopedia”. It was followed by multi-volume universal books in the 18th - 20th centuries - Encyclopedia of French Enlightenment, British, Great Soviet. The Internet opened up new possibilities for encyclopedia that led to the creation of Wikipedia, but at its core are the volumes of the Lexicon Technicum.
4. The emergence of coffee in Europe.The most interesting facts in human history may relate to the history of drinking culture. According to statistics, over the last decade in Russia, 70% of the population regularly drinks coffee. This drink is also popular in other countries. In the modern world, a whole culture is developing around this drink - traditions, popular brands, the very image of coffee in popular culture.
The birthplace of coffee beans is East Africa. From there, in the Middle Ages, they came to Arabia, and then to Turkey. IN Ottoman Empire The first coffee shops began operating. In the second half of the 16th century, coffee came to Europe, where coffee shops also began to open.
The new drink, together with tea, changed the way of life of Europeans, because in Western countries they began to drink less alcohol. The Spanish and British began to create coffee plantations in their colonies, and so this drink crossed the ocean. There were heated debates at scientific departments in Europe: some doctors assured listeners that the drink was harmful, others called it a panacea for all diseases. The drink had many opponents, and even Johann Sebastian Bach, in a cantata, ridiculed the commitment of Leipzig women to it. But in the 16th century, coffee firmly entered the lives of Europeans (and later Russians) and remains there to this day.
On September 30, 1847, the Vegetarian Society was founded in the English city of Manchester. Several decades before him, in European and, especially, English societies, there were debates about the benefits and harms of eating meat and the moral aspects of the problem. The famous poet Percy Shelley published a treatise defending the “natural” vegetarian diet.
The founders of the society were members of the Bible christian church, a religious organization whose principles included vegetarianism. During 1847, preparations were made for the creation of a new vegetarian society. A “physiological conference” was held in the summer, in which 130 people took part, and it was decided to meet again in September.
Paradoxically, the development of the vegetarian movement in the 19th century was a response to the spread of meat. Until recently, this product was elite, and the general population could not afford it. In the 19th century, the situation changed, and large sections of the urban population became “meat eaters.”
The Vegetarian Society in Manchester continued to exist and meet. Six years later, the number of its members approached 900, and by the end of the century - 5 thousand. In the 20th century, vegetarians promoted their views on healthy eating, required manufacturers to remove “non-vegetarian” ingredients from certain products.
IN different years were members of society famous people of its time. In particular, Indian freedom fighter and nonviolent resistance Mahatma Gandhi.
These are several episodes from world history. But they show that the most interesting facts in human history occurred in different eras. And despite the seeming insignificance, they shaped the world as it became beginning of XXI centuries.
