Category: Odd Facts
Napoleon Misquoted — Ten Famous Things Bonaparte Never Actually Said
By Shannon Selin Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the most quoted people in history, and thus also one of the most misquoted. Here are 10 famous quips falsely attributed to the legendary Corsican conqueror. “God…
Hard to Swallow – A Brief History of Hardtack and Ship’s Biscuit
“Made using salt, water and wheat flour (which is rich in protein, vitamins and calories), hardtack could provide modest nutrition for a crew at sea or an army in the field for weeks, even months.”…
Fresh Water Fights – Six Naval Battles That Took Place Miles From the Nearest Ocean
“Lake Erie isn’t the only famous ‘sea battle’ not to be fought at sea. Here are some others.” THE MOST DECISIVE NAVAL BATTLE of the War of 1812 took place on Sept. 10, 1813. That’s…
Big Bangs – Some of the Largest Wartime Explosions in History
AT PRECISELY 11:11 a.m. on Nov. 27, 1944, the relative quiet of RAF Fauld near Staffordshire, England was shattered when a 4,000-lb. bomb in the base’s 1,700 sq. ft. underground munitions bunker accidentally detonated. The resulting…
O Say Can You See – Seven Little-Known Facts About Francis Scott Key and the Star Spangled Banner
By Jeffrey Roth Most critics agree that The Star-Spangled-Banner is difficult to sing. Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics to the iconic song after watching the Sept. 13 to 14, 1814 British bombardment of Fort…
Old Soldiers – Meet Some of History’s Most Elderly Warriors
“Warfare isn’t always the sole province of the youthful. In fact, throughout military history, there have been a number of examples of the elderly making battlefield contributions.” IN MARCH 1943, a small team of British…
