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The Great Wall is a network, not one wall
The Great Wall of China is a system of fortifications built and rebuilt across different regions and dynasties.
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History facts, with the why included.
Well-documented moments, inventions, and records from the human story. Each claim includes context and a source you can inspect.
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Art was once an Olympic competition
The modern Olympic Games awarded medals for works inspired by sport from 1912 through 1948.
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An ancient vending machine dispensed holy water
Hero of Alexandria described a coin-operated device that released a measured amount of holy water nearly 2,000 years ago.
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Louis XIV reigned for more than 72 years
Louis XIV of France held the longest verified reign of any sovereign monarch, lasting 72 years and 110 days.
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The shortest recorded war lasted less than an hour
The Anglo-Zanzibar War on August 27, 1896, is commonly recorded as lasting between 38 and 45 minutes.
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The Declaration was signed in August, not on July 4
Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, but delegates began signing the parchment copy on August 2.
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Two people have turned down a Nobel Prize
Two laureates have declined a Nobel Prize: Jean-Paul Sartre in 1964 and Le Duc Tho in 1973.
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Ellis Island processed 12 million immigrants
From 1892 to 1924, more than 12 million immigrants were processed at Ellis Island.
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The Louisiana Purchase doubled the United States
In 1803 the United States bought 828,000 square miles from France for $15 million, roughly 4 cents an acre.
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The Homestead Act offered 160 acres of land
The Homestead Act of 1862 granted adult heads of families 160 acres of public land for a small fee and five years of residence.
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The first satellite was the size of a beach ball
Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, was about the size of a beach ball and weighed 183.9 pounds.
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The Liberty Bell is mostly copper
The Liberty Bell is bronze, about 70 percent copper and 25 percent tin, and weighed 2,080 pounds when it was ordered.
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The United States bought Alaska for 2 cents an acre
The United States paid Russia $7.2 million for Alaska, less than 2 cents an acre.
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Stonehenge was begun about 5,000 years ago
The first monument at Stonehenge was built about 5,000 years ago, and the stone circle was erected about 2500 BC.
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The Pony Express lasted only 18 months
The Pony Express operated for just 18 months, between April 1860 and October 1861.
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Almost 200,000 Black soldiers fought for the Union
By the end of the Civil War, almost 200,000 Black soldiers and sailors had fought for the Union and freedom.
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The March on Washington drew 250,000 people
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom attracted 250,000 people on August 28, 1963.
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The youngest Nobel laureate was 17
Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 at age 17, making her the youngest laureate.
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A 25-year-old shared a Nobel Prize with his father
Lawrence Bragg was 25 when he was awarded the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics together with his father.
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Hoover Dam's concrete could pave a road across America
The concrete in Hoover Dam and its works would pave a highway 16 feet wide from San Francisco to New York City.
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The Gateway Arch is as wide as it is tall
The Gateway Arch is 630 feet tall and 630 feet wide from one outer leg to the other.
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The founder of the Nobel Prize invented dynamite
Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite, held 355 patents.
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Jamestown was England's first lasting American colony
In 1607 England established Jamestown, its first permanent colony in America.
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D-Day used the largest armada in history
More than 4,000 American, British, and Canadian ships made up the armada for the D-Day landings of June 6, 1944.
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The Bill of Rights began as 12 amendments
Twelve amendments were originally proposed, and the 10 that were ratified became the Bill of Rights in 1791.
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Fifty countries drafted the UN Charter
Representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco in 1945 to draft and sign the United Nations Charter.
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Mount Rushmore was carved mostly with dynamite
About 90 percent of Mount Rushmore was carved using dynamite.
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The Marshall Plan sent $13.3 billion to Europe
Over four years starting in 1948, Congress appropriated $13.3 billion for European recovery under the Marshall Plan.
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The first powered flight covered 120 feet
On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright kept the first powered flight aloft for about 120 feet.
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The first cross-country railroad cut months to a week
The transcontinental railroad, finished on May 10, 1869, shortened a journey of several months to about one week.
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A coded telegram helped pull America into World War I
In 1917 Germany's foreign secretary sent Mexico a coded message proposing a military alliance against the United States.
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One cotton gin could clean 50 pounds a day
Eli Whitney's cotton gin, patented on March 14, 1794, could produce up to fifty pounds of cleaned cotton in a day.
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A 1956 law planned 41,000 miles of interstate
The National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956 expanded the planned interstate system to 41,000 miles.
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John Glenn orbited Earth at 17,500 mph
On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth, traveling at 17,500 miles per hour.
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