26Alexander Hamilton, Scottish Mummy
A Scottish politician named Alexander Hamilton had such a strong interest in Ancient Egyptian mummies that he arranged for his own body to be mummified and placed in a sarcophagus after his death in 1852.
27. Archaeologist Alexander Peev was executed by firing squad in 1943 on suspicion of sending a coded message to the Soviet Union. It was actually an ancient inscription he wanted Russian archaeologists to help him interpret. The text remains undeciphered.
28. The amount of sunlight that reaches Earth's surface within 1.5 hours has enough energy to satisfy the world's energy consumption for an entire year.
29. Researchers in Siberia found a perfectly-preserved 42,000-year-old baby horse buried under the permafrost. It was in such good condition that its blood was still in a liquid state, allowing scientists to extract it.
30. In 1937, in the Italian occupied Ethiopia, two men tried to kill Marquis of Negele, who was the Viceroy of Italian East Africa. In response, the Italian army and Italian civilians went on a killing spree, burning down houses, and killing an estimated 20% of the population of Addis Ababa including sympathetic Ethiopians. Italy still downplays the massacre.
Latest FactRepublic Video:
15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
31Ismail al-Jazari’s Mechanical Devices
A Muslim scholar named Ismail al-Jazari wrote the “Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices” in the 12th century where he described 50 mechanical devices along with instructions on creating them. He has been described as the father of robotics and modern-day engineering.
32. In 1932, George Patton led a sabers-drawn charge against U.S. World War 1 veterans and their families (nicknamed “Bonus Army”) who were seeking promised bonuses.
33. Ancient tread wheel cranes looked like a giant wooden hamster wheel that used man power to help build some of the most impressive buildings in Ancient Rome and Medieval Europe. Blind people were hired to work inside these treadwheels on construction sites, as they would not be scared from the sheer drop sight below them. It is also considered one of the worst jobs in history, as the wheels often broke.
34. The diabolical ironclad beetle (Nosoderma diabolicum) is a species of beetle that has one of the toughest exoskeletons in the insect world. Its exoskeleton lets it endure forces up to 39,000 times its body weight and this makes it impossible to put an insect pin through it without drilling a hole first.
35. Dolphins sleep with one eye open as they have to periodically go up for air and also be aware of predators. They are only able to rest half of their brain at a time and always stay somewhat conscious.
