Hidden History
Surprising historical events, overlooked figures, and those "why didn't I learn this in school?" moments.
Did You Know?
The first roller coaster was designed to spread Christianity.
Built in Russia in the 1600s, the first roller coasters were huge ice slides constructed under the orders...
Did You Know?
Ancient Romans used social media-like messages on walls.
Archaeologists have found thousands of messages carved into the walls of Pompeii, ranging from political campaigns to personal...
Did You Know?
Ancient Romans had professional applauders.
Called 'laudiceni,' these professional applauders were hired to attend performances and generate enthusiasm in the crowd. They developed...
Did You Know?
Vikings held competitive insulting contests.
Called 'flyting,' these verbal duels were highly formalized competitions where participants would exchange elaborate poetic insults. The contests...
Did You Know?
The first recorded case of identity theft was in ancient Rome.
In 49 BC, a man named Hegestratos took out a large insurance policy on a cargo ship carrying...
Did You Know?
Cleopatra was not Egyptian.
Despite being Egypt's last pharaoh, Cleopatra was actually of Macedonian Greek descent. She was a member of the...
Did You Know?
The first documented case of road rage occurred in 1817.
Two gentlemen in London got into a dispute when their horse-drawn carriages tried to pass through the same...
Did You Know?
Ancient Romans had graffiti warning signs about bad restaurants.
Archaeologists have found graffiti in Pompeii warning people about specific restaurants with bad food or poor service. One...
Did You Know?
A medieval French town executed a rooster for laying an egg.
In 1474, a rooster in Basel was put on trial for allegedly laying an egg, which was seen...