#1
- Plague During the Middle Ages, some doctors wore a primitive means of protection against what was believed to be an airborne disease called a “plague suit.” The long-nosed mask had glowing red glass eyes that were supposed to make the wearer immune to evil. The mask’s beak was filled with pungent herbs and spices to ward off “evil, plague-carrying air.”
#2
- Between 1378 and 1417, during the Great Schism, three men were declared legitimate popes at the same time. This happened in part because when the cardinals, for whatever reason, did not like the rule of an elected Pope, they would elect a second one alongside the first one. A couple of popes ruling at the same time greatly impoverished the Church, and as a result, the latter – or rather, this time – the Council of Pisa – had to elect a third one. Thus, at one time there were three popes – candidates for the throne: Pope Gregory XII, Benedict XIII, and John XXIII. Finally, it was decided that once the Pope is elected, re-elections are no longer possible.
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
#3
- The best-selling book in the 15th century was of an erotic nature and was called ” The Tale of the Two Lovers” – it is still read today. The most interesting thing is that the author of this book was none other than Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini, otherwise known as Pope Pius II, who ruled from 1458 to 1464.
#4
- It is suspected that Sir William Paterson was a pirate before founding the Bank of England.
#5
- The drawing of the oldest parachute was found in a manuscript by an unknown author from the 1470s in Italy, during the Renaissance. It is interesting that this invention was made before the appearance of the airplane (the latter appeared only 400 years later): on paper, a person was drawn hanging in the air, holding a cross frame attached to a cone-shaped dome. For safety, the person was strapped in with four straps leading from the frame to the belt around the torso.
#6
- In the cities of Western Europe and America from the 17th-century beginning, beards have gone out of style. It is for this reason that the Russian Tsar Peter I the Great 1698 ordered the country’s men to shave, and in 1705 began collecting a “beard tax“. All this is to prevent Russian society from succumbing to modern Western Europe.
#7
- In the late 1700s, the tobacco enema was used for a variety of medical reasons to blow tobacco smoke into a patient’s rectum, primarily to revive drowning victims. A rectal tube connected to a bellows would be inserted into the outlet, allowing smoke to enter the patient’s intestines.
#8
- 1776 July 4 The Declaration of Independence that founded the United States was signed by only two people: John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the other members of Congress did not sign until a month later, on August 2nd, and the last signature was not added until five years later.
#9
- The term “Congressional Medal of Honor” which is widespread in America does not really mean anything. in 1862 President Lincoln signed the resolution that created the “Medal of Honor,” the only correct name for the award that many people call the “Congressional Medal” for some reason.
US Special Operations Command, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
#10
- The income tax, along with many other taxes imposed during the American Civil War, in 1865. was abolished because the government simply no longer needed additional income. Much of the federal revenue was collected from taxes on the sale of tobacco and alcohol since these goods were in great demand after the war.
#11
- In 1904 Tea bags were invented by chance. The tea merchant who invented them, Tom Sullivan, did it for reasons of economy – the man decided that it would be cheaper to send tea samples to prospective customers in small silk bags, rather than in boxes. But the recipients mistakenly decided that these bags needed to be soaked, and soon Sullivan was inundated with orders.
#12
- The famous American symbol-personification Uncle Sam(“Uncle Sam”), first drawn on the 1917 poster calling for the army, is none other than the portrait of the artist himself. James Montgomery Flagg aged himself a bit and added a goatee to his drawing. The artist painted a self-portrait only so that he would not have to look for a model.
#13
- During the First World War, the small country of Andorra declared war on Germany but did not actually take part in the fighting. Andorra maintained its belligerent status until 1957, so it was not included in the Treaty of Versailles.
#14
- It is estimated that in the last 3.5 thousand years, only 230 of them there was no war in the world. This figure makes one wonder what the benefits of the so-called “peace movements” are.
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