History Facts

Rosa Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an African American civil rights activist whom the U.S. Congress later called “Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement”. Rosa Parks became famous for refusing to obey bus driver James Blake’s order that she give up her seat to make room for a white passenger. It was this stand against authority that helped launch the Civil Rights Movement.

Fact #1 - Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama on February 4, 1913. Her birth name was Rosa Louise McCauley.

Growing up in the deep south during the early 1900s must have been very difficult for Rosa Parks. It was a time of segregation and racism was still rampant.

Fact #2 - Rosa Parks went to Montgomery Industrial School for girls. At the age of fifteen Rosa graduated from All African American Booker T. Washington High School in 1928.

Rosa actually put herself through school and paid for tuition by cleaning classrooms. Even at such a young age she was determined to make a difference.

Fact #3 - On December 1, 1995 Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man, as the law required; her arrest triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Rosa was found guilty of the offense and fined $10, plus $4 in court fees. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was one of the first major movements in the Civil Rights Era. The boycott lasted for 381 days and resulted in the ending of segregation on Montgomery’s buses.

Fact #4 - In 1996, Rosa Parks received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor the American government can give a civilian.

Other notable recipients include Thurgood Marshall, Colin Powell, Arthur Ashe and Bill Cosby

Fact #5 - In 1987 the Rosa Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development was created.

The institute was created to help teach young people about Civil Rights history and to help them get involved in the communities.

In United States History, December 7, 1941 is a day that will always be remembered. On this morning in beautiful Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the Japanese navy launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific fleet. The attack killed over 2,000 Americans and destroyed many ships and aircrafts. It was this surprise attack that pushed the United States into entering World War II. For more info, check out the Pearl Harbor facts below.

Fact #1 - The attack wrecked two U.S. Navy battleships, one minelayer, and two destroyers beyond repair, and destroyed 188 aircraft; personnel losses were 2,388 killed and 1,178 wounded.

Until September 11, 2001, Pear Harbor was one of the most devastating surprise attacks on United States soil in recent history. If you visit Pearl Harbor today, you can see a memorial set up honoring all the lost lives. Many innocent soldiers and civilians were killed that day.

Fact #2 - The Infamy Speech was delivered on December 8, 1941, by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, one day after the Empire of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor.

You’ve most likely heard this famous speech, in which Roosevelt says “a date which will live in infamy.” The speech ran six and a half minutes and is regarded as one of the most famous political speeches in American history.

Fact #3 - 405 planes were to be used in the attacks with 10 not launching because of technical difficulties.

It is hard to image such a large aerial attack. Try to picture yourself in your backyard and looking up in the sky and seeing 405 fight planes overhead drop bombs and destroying everything around you. It’s weird to see 3 planes in the sky at one time, let alone 405.

Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator, colonizer, and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the Western Hemisphere. He was falsely given credit for discovering the “New World” for a long time, however, now it is commonly believed Viking explorers landed in North America some 500 years prior. Columbus is still an important person in our history though. Continue reading to find out why.

Fact #1 - Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451.

Columbus was not born into a wealthy family. He moved up the sailing ranks starting as a teenager when he was a pirate. He eventually became a skilled sailor.

Fact #2 - Christopher Columbus set sail for Asia in 1492 under the Spanish flag.

Even though Columbus was Italian, he was unable to secure funding from Italy for his voyage. Many Europeans thought it was a death trap (in those days they still believe the Earth was flat). Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain eventually said ‘yes’ to funding his voyage.

Fact #3 - Christopher Columbus was given three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Queen Isabella gave Columbus money and ninety sailors.

These vessels were very small. Movies depict Columbus sailing with large Galleons, however the three ships he used carried 25-40 men each. Columbus himself sailed to the New World on the Santa Maria, then returned to Europe on the Nina.

Fact #4 - Christopher Columbus and his crew first sighted land on October 12, 1492.

It is believed that the island Columbus first saw was part of the Bahamas. He named it San Salvador. When they set foot on the land, there were in fact natives already settled there. I’m not sure if Columbus was surprised or not, because he was under the impression that he landed on an island in Southeast Asia, which they knew was populated. He later sailed to what is now Cuba.

Fact #5 - Christopher Columbus made 4 voyages to the New World.

Each voyage brought him to new islands, which he continued to name. He spent a lot of time stranded on Jamaica, but after a year was rescued and returned to Spain where he would retire and eventually pass away in 1506. Columbus died thinking he hand landed on the East Coast of Asia. He never knew how big the Americas were.

The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1 – July 3, 1863), fought in Pennsylvania, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war’s turning point. Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s army was defeated, forcing him to retreat back to the South. The Battle of Gettysburg is one of the most famous battles in U.S. History and is accurately portrayed in a movie titled “Gettysburg.”

Fact #1 - The strength of the Union army at Gettysburg was roughly 94,000 troops. The Confederates were outnumbered, and had only 72,000.

It feels weird saying the word “only” in the above sentence. Almost 170,000 total troops in one battle is a massive number, especially in such a small town like Gettysburg.

Fact #2 - The Battle of Gettysburg had the largest number of casualties in the Civil War.

Over a 3 day span, the Union suffered 23,055 casualties and the Confederacy had 23,231 respectively.

Fact #3 - General Robert E. Lee was the commander of the Confederate Army and General George S. Meade was the commander of the Union army during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Robert E. Lee is considered one of the most brilliant military minds of the American Civil War and well liked amongst his army. Meade was a short tempered, angry man who was not loved by his soldiers.

Fact #4 - The battle on Little Round Top was one of the most fabled events of the entire war.

Col. Joshua L. Chamberlain of the 20th Maine successfully held his line (the very far end of the left flank) against several Confederate charges. When his men ran out of ammunition, Chamberlain ordered a bayonet charge. It was a bold move, but it paid off.

Fact #5 - Pickett’s Charge was a terrible failure for the Confederacy.

General Lee ordered and infantry assault by 12,500 Confederates against the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. This attack is known today as Pickett’s Charge. Lee believed that the Union would never expect an attack on the very center of their line. But it just so happens Meade predicted this attack and was ready for it.

It is impossible to put into words everything Leonardo da Vicni was and everything he contributed to the world. He is arguably the most brilliant man in history, having a mind hundreds of years ahead of his time. Da Vinci is a renowned painter, inventor, scientist, and engineer. Some of the greatest masterpieces every created were done so with his hands. In today’s post, we’ll learn several interesting Leonardo da Vinci facts.

Fact #1 - Leonardo da Vinci was an illegitimate child.

He was the illegitimate son of Messer Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci, a Florentine notary, and Caterina, a peasant. Some historians believe that Caterina may have even been a slave from the Middle East. Having kids out of wedlock was heavily looked down upon during this time period. I wonder if he or his father caught any flack because of it?

Fact #2 - Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

These two paintings are the most famous, most reproduced and most parodied portrait and religious paintings of all time. These two paintings alone helped make da Vinci a household name.

Fact #3 - Despite claiming to be a humanitarian, Leonardo da Vinci invented and designed numerous military weapons and machines.

Some of his works include an armored tank, submarines, finned mortar shells and a steam cannon. It is said that anytime he invented a device to could be used as an offensive weapon, he would counter is with a defensive invention.

Fact #4 - Leonardo da Vinci disected roughly 30 human bodies.

He was a master at human anatomy. His journal is filled with pages of skeletal designs. He was very curious about how the body worked and even where the human soul was located. One of the most famous drawings he made, was of an unborn child in the womb of a woman, correctly attached by the umbilical cord.

What can we really say about the most brilliant man in history? Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist and is best known for his theory of relativity and that funny little equation E = mc². There have been countless shows on the History Channel about him and even a few popular films. In today’s post we’ll learn several interesting facts about Albert Einstein.

Fact #1 - Albert Einstein didn’t talk until he was about three or four years old.

All children are different, but most start saying “momma” and “dadda” at under a year old and eventually begin talking and forming sentences around two years old. Despite his speech deficiencies, Einstein still excelled in early school.

Fact #2 - Albert Einstein’s father gave him a compass when he was five years old.

This is a significant gift because it sparked his curiosity in the unknown. Why did the compass needle always face north? Was there some invisible force acting on the object? It’s these questions that may have steered Einstein into the world of physics.

Fact #3 - Einstein worked at the Swiss Patent Office.

After graduating from ETH Zurich, Albert was unable to find a teaching job. He took up a small position as an assistant examiner in the Swiss Patent Office. It was his job to evaluate and approve patent applications for electromagnetic devices.

Fact #4 - In 1921 Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, “for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect”.

Unfortunately for Albert, he wasn’t able to keep the prize money. As part of his divorce settlement from his first wife, he was ordered to give the money to her.

Fact #5 - Einstein became a citizen of the United States in 1940 and remained there the rest of his life.

I’m glad we can claim him!

Fact #6 - In 1939, Einstein signed a letter to U.S. President Roosevelt urging U.S. development of an atomic weapon.

Contrary to popular belief, Albert Einstein wasn’t actually involved in the development of the weapon.

Fact #7 - In 1999 Time magazine named him the “Person of the Century”.

Quite an accomplishment. Who were the runner-ups you ask? FDR and Ghandi.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, born in what is now Austria, was a world famous composer during the Classical era. Mozart composed many symphonies, sonatas and operas. He was a master with the piano and violin. His music is famous across the world and will be for centuries to come. Today’s post provides you with a list of some interesting facts about Mozart.

Fact #1 - Mozart’s full name was Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart.

While that can be a mouthful, it’s not nearly as long as Picasso’s.

Fact #2 - Wolfgang Mozart lived to be only 35 years old.

He was born January 27, 1756 and died December 5, 1791. Though the exact cause of his death is uncertain, most historians believe it was a case of acute rheumatic fever that Mozart finally succombed to.

Fact #3 - Mozart was a child prodigy.

Like most famous composers and artists, Mozart was able to produce masterpieces at a very young age. He was a genius and performed publicly at the age of 4. By the time of his death, Mozart produced over 600 musical compositions.

Fact #4 - Mozart was not a rich man.

Despite his popularity and famous works, Mozart always found himself in debt. He suffered from depression and moved several times because he could not afford to keep up his estate. Though he made a lot of money, he always spent it. If only they had radio and cds back then, he would have received untold amounts of money in royalties.

Fact #5 - Mozart was a Freemason.

On 14 December 1784, Mozart became a Freemason. He was very active in the fraternity and well respected amongst other members. Mozart even composed for performance at gatherings of Masons.