17 Incredible Facts About Our Crazy World They Never Taught Us at School

From the origin of using fingerprints to almost President Albert Einstein, these are some of the most weirdly interesting facts we don’t know about.

1. Almost President Albert Einstein

On November 17, 1952, the Prime Minister of Israel offered the Presidency of Israel to Albert Einstein. But Einstein declined the offer saying he lacked the skills to deal with people.

2. King Tutankhamun’s parents were brother and sister

DNA studies confirmed that King Tutankhamun’s health problems such as malaria and bone disorder were consequences of an incestuous union: his parents were brother and sister.

3. People actually wore flour sacks

During the Great Depression in the United States, almost everything was in short supply like clothing. Women had to get innovative by using cotton flour sacks to make clothes for their families. When manufacturers of flour sack learn about this, they started making sacks with different patterns on them.

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4. The largest bird in the world

A huge fossil bird was found in Argentina in 1979. Scientists say that the bird (Argentavis magnificens) lived on our planet 6 million years ago. It had a wingspan of 6 to 8 meters and a height of 2 meters.

5. The strangest SOS message

In 1948, several ships passing near Malaysia waters received strange SOS messages. The message said, “All the officers, including the captain, are dead. Possibly the whole crew is dead… I’m dying.” When they went to the rescue, they found every member of the crew lying dead, as if they were frozen, with expressions of sheer terror on their faces and outstretched arms defending themselves from whatever they saw. Even the dog was found the same way. The creepiest thing is that there were no injuries on any of the bodies.

6. The reason we use fingerprints

These two men are the reason we use fingerprints to identify ourselves. These men had the same name, they were sentenced to the same prison and the strangest thing is that they had never even seen each other before. They looked exactly the same, although they were not related.

7. Wake-up call

Before the alarm clock was invented, there existed a very peculiar profession of “knocker uppers.” These people knocked on windows with a stick or shot dry peas at workers’ windows to wake them up.

8. Painful Asian beauty

Chinese women in the past bound their feet so they didn’t grow, since having small feet was considered beautiful and feminine. Their feet were totally deformed as a result.

9. Huge crystal pyramids

Using sonar technology, scientists have discovered two giant pyramids at 6,000 feet under the sea. They’re made of what looks like thick crystal, and they’re larger than the pyramid of Giza in Egypt.

10. Stalin invented Photoshop

Every time Joseph Stalin was informed about a dead or missing person, he ordered to delete from photos they took together. Thus, the history of photo retouching began.

11. Some saints look like they’re sleeping

The oldest intact body is that of Saint Cecilia, who was martyred in 177 AD. Her body remains very similar to what it looked like 1,700 years ago when it was discovered, defying all laws of nature. This supports the belief that the bodies of saints do not disintegrate. The picture shows another saint named Maria Tiagi.

12. Clue to the location of the Holy Grail

The Shepherd’s Monument in Staffordshire, England, has a mysterious inscription on it: DOUOSVAVVM. No one knows what it means and who wrote it there. Many believe that it may be a cryptic message left by the Knights Templar that leads to the exact location of the Holy Grail.

13. The origin of the word “Hooker”

During the American Civil War, General Joseph Hooker made sure that his soldiers were satisfied and in a good mood. He did that by taking women everywhere his troops would go. Today his name is used as slang for “prostitute.”

14. The most horrifying mummies

The world’s most horrifying mummies are the Guanajuato Mummies. Their expressions make many believe they were buried alive or tortured to death.

15. Just a cough syrup for our ancestors

Between 1890 and 1910 heroin produced by Bayer was commonly sold as a non-addictive substitute for morphine and also as a syrup to cure children’s coughs.

16. They thought Rasputin was immortal

The Russian mystic Rasputin survived many assassination attempts. He was poisoned, stabbed, and shot all in one night. The assassins thought he really was immortal. Frustrated by their attempts to kill Rasputin, they decided to just throw him in the cold waters of the river Neva after shooting him several times. They found his corpse a few days later.

17. A monkey fought bravely in World War I

A South African baboon, Jackie, was found by Albert Marr shortly before World War I. When the war began, Albert enlisted in the army and took Jackie with him. Not only did Jackie entertain the soldiers but he also warned them when the enemy came near and was even in combat. At the end of his service, he was awarded a medal for his bravery. Jackie was discharged when the war ended and lived with his master until 1921.

Based on materials from Jewishvirtuallibrary, medicaldaily,
historicmysteries, tkpradeepshetty