Quirky History facts!

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by alexander

The word "fuck" was originally a quite acceptable word and was recorded in the english dictionary as early as 1598. The word most likely comes from the Old German "ficken/fucken", meaning "to strike or penetrate". Unfortunately through 1800ds the word fell behind the "veil of decency" until in 1785 it was recorded in Francis George's Dictionary of Vulgar Words...

Anglo saxon words were felt to be uncooth by the Normans. Hence we have many duplicate words for the same thing 'pig' 'pork' etc.
When the historical, old, charming, folk-songs talk of lads and lasses getting into "country matters" you can imagine what they are talking about.

Much English archeology is based on the 'place names' of localities. The names can indicate who was living in those places -anglo ,celt, norman,viking, saxon etc. There is even an eridite journal on 'place names'.

So much history for such a tiny island.

[Turtle]

Church clerics tried unsuccessfully to block people from using Ben Franklin's invention, the lightning rod, on religious grounds.

[ughaibu]

July 21st, 1950.
An elephant fell from the Einschienige Hängebahn System Eugen Langen (the world's earliest, still employed, monorail) into the river Wupper.

[Michaelangelica]

Modern history
There are now 3,000 accessories available to buy for the mac ipod

[InfiniteNow]

Originally Posted by Turtle

Church clerics tried unsuccessfully to block people from using Ben Franklin's invention, the lightning rod, on religious grounds.

These religious grounds, do they differ somehow from earth grounds or equipment grounds?




God's favorite smiting tool is lightning... maybe the church clerics had something to hide?

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by InfiniteNow

These religious grounds, do they differ somehow from earth grounds or equipment grounds?




God's favorite smiting tool is lightning... maybe the church clerics had something to hide?

You hoist me on my own petard!? I acknowledge your adept wordsmithery. In point of fact, at the time of Franklin's invention the tallest buildings in Europe (and the US) were churches. When a thunderstorm approached, the habit was to send bell-ringers into the church to peel out a warning and as a result many were struck by lightning and killed. Only when the puplic complained did the churchy's stop the practice, but they continued to protest Franklin's rod. Spare the rod and spoil the child, or burn him to a frazzle.

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by Turtle

You hoist me on my own petard!? .

I recently said that to a guy I was accusing of ageism in his writing on the net.(being smart)
It turned out he was 90.
You can't win them all

This Quirky History fact surprised me. I thought that the link between the plague rat/fleas/man and the plague (Bubonic) had been made before the 20C. Not so
It turns out that the link between infected rat/fleas/man was made by two New South Wales (later to become a state of Australia) men, J. Ashburton Thompson and Frank Tidswell.
Their discovery followed an outbreak of bubonic plaque in the Rocks area of early Sydney in 1900. It was spread by fleas from infected rats that had come ashore from ships. Once the link to rats was realised quarantine measures were taken and thousands of rats destroyed. The disease was eradicated in Australia by 1906

I believe there are still deaths from Bubonic plague in USA today.

[alexander]

The word barbarian was used by romans to describe those who did not spealk Greek

According to tradition, the first engineer to build a bridge across the Tiber in Ancient Rome was given the name Pontifex, meaning "bridge builder." The Pontifex was seen as someone who "connects" people, and that symbolism was so powerful that Roman high priests--including Julius Caesar--later adopted the title Pontifex Maximus. During the Roman Imperial age, the emperor was always the Pontifex Maximus. The title eventually passed from Roman emperors to the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Today, the Pope still carries the title Pontifex Maximus.

Armored knights raised their visors to identify themselves when they rode past their king. This custom has become the modern military salute.

Everyone in the Middle Ages believed that the heart was the seat of intelligence.

Napoleon took 14,000 French decrees and simplified them into a unified set of 7 laws. This was the first time in modern history that a nation's laws applied equally to all citizens. Napoleon's 7 laws are so impressive that by 1960 more than 70 governments had patterned their own laws after them or used them verbatim.

:P

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by alexander

The word barbarian was used by romans to describe those who did not spealk Greek

and Latin?
because thay Bar . . Bar. Bar. babbled
(Their speach sounded like babble-is there a Roman word for that?)

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by ughaibu

July 21st, 1950.
An elephant fell from the Einschienige Hängebahn System Eugen Langen (the world's earliest, still employed, monorail) into the river Wupper.

Why?

Do elephants often take trips on monorails and swan dive into rivers?