21Independence Day Celebration
Britain is responsible for 63 Independence Day celebrations around the world. That is, on average, 1 Independence Day celebration from U.K. every 6 days throughout the year.
22Anti-Invasion Preparations
Britain removed all their road signs during World War II so that if the Germans invaded, they would get lost. These defensive preparations included the removal of signposts, milestones, and railway station signs. Gas pumps were also removed from service stations near their coast.
23Republic of Fiji
In 2005, the Republic of Fiji lost its declaration of independence from Britain. After five long years of searching, Fiji’s government finally turned to Britain, who provided them with a photocopy.
24Great Hedge of India
British built a 1,100-mile hedge through the middle of India. With parts 12 feet tall and 14 feet across, the hedge was constructed along part of the Inland Customs Line, a barrier that the British created to impose a high salt tax on people living on the relatively saltless side of the line.
25Indian Pale Ales
Most beers couldn’t withstand the 6 month trip from Great Britain to the British colonies in India, where the climate was too hot to brew. In response, a brewer heavily hopped and aged their beers, making them pale, and able to survive the journey. That’s how IPAs or “Indian Pale Ales” got their name.
26Pandemonium
When the island nation of Vanuatu was a colony, it was ruled jointly by Britain and France and called the Condominium. Because of the duplication of government bureaucracies and the officially stateless status of the Melanesians, it was informally called the Pandemonium.
27Holocaust News
During World War 1, British newspapers falsely claimed that the Germans rendered down soldiers’ corpses to make soap, candles, and nitroglycerin. As a result, when news of the Holocaust reached Britain during World War 2, the government assumed it was another made-up atrocity story.
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28Great Britain Invasions
Out of the almost 200 countries in the world, only 22 have never been invaded by Great Britain.
