Some typos add value, turning ordinary books into rare collectibles. But others end up being very expensive. From a stray comma that ended up costing millions to a tiny typo that crashed a spacecraft, here are seven small mistakes that carried enormous price tags. The post 7 of History’s Costliest Typos appeared first on History Facts.| History Facts
The bicycle may seem like a symbol of leisure or health today, but its roots lie in disaster. In 1815, Mount Tambora in Indonesia erupted with extraordinary force, blasting ash, gas, dust, and rock high into the atmosphere. (It’s now considered the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history.) The fallout dimmed the sun worldwide, lowering temperatures and devastating harvests. The following year became known as the “year without a summer” — snow fell in July in New England, crops w...| History Facts
Whether using a pocketknife, a piece of string, or just their imagination, the games baby boomers enjoyed entertained them for hours and created memories that lasted decades. Which of these games do you remember playing? The post 6 Childhood Games Only Baby Boomers Will Recognize appeared first on History Facts.| History Facts
While America declaring independence was a gamble that paid off in spades, luck wasn’t always on the government’s side. Look no further than the time the First Continental Congress authorized a national lottery to fund the Revolutionary War effort — which didn’t exactly go as planned. The inspiration came, in part, from colonial lotteries that helped fund early settlements such as Jamestown and public works projects including streets and churches. This time, Congress hoped the proce...| History Facts
History has shown that height need not be a prerequisite for being in charge. Here are five world leaders who made a formidable impact in their times, despite being even shorter than France's mighty — and somewhat mislabeled — "Little Colonel." The post 5 Famous Leaders Who Were Shorter Than Napoleon appeared first on History Facts.| History Facts
If you’re shopping for goods in the Western world, you expect to see a price tag on most things, whether it’s a secondhand toaster at a garage sale or a can of beans at the supermarket. But clearly advertised prices are a relatively recent phenomenon, originating in the 1870s. Before then, haggling was the norm, with the major exception being stores run by Quakers, who believed charging different prices for different customers was morally wrong. Philadelphia businessman John Wanamaker is ...| History Facts
Beneath the pristine North Lawn and the Ionic columns of America’s most famous residence lies a world that few will ever see. Under the White House, hidden from the general public, is a surprising amount of infrastructure providing an eclectic array of services.| History Facts
The golden age of Hollywood was an era of glamorous stars and timeless films, but behind the sparkle was a somewhat less romantic reality. From 1934 until the late 1960s, films were subject to strict moral scrutiny and censorship under the Motion Picture Production Code, better known as the Hays Code. Named for politician Will H. Hays, who served as president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, the set of rules was born from scandal. A series of high-profile controver...| History Facts
The old proverb holds that for want of a nail, the kingdom was lost. And yet, it seems that for want of beer, a colony was founded. The religious separatists known today as Pilgrims, who left England aboard the Mayflower in September 1620, endured cramped conditions and frightening storms as they waited out their journey across the Atlantic Ocean. As described in Susan Cheever’s Drinking in America: Our Secret History, one of the few sources of relief for this troubled lot was the daily rat...| History Facts
In the 18th and 19th centuries, fear of being buried alive was widespread. Newspapers and pamphlets — not to mention gothic novels and “penny dreadfuls” — reported cases of mistaken death, and even famous figures took precautions to avoid being buried prematurely. Composer Frédéric Chopin reportedly asked that his body be cut open to ensure he was truly dead, while George Washington had his body watched for two full days before burial. The concern was not entirely unfounded. Death i...| History Facts
Money might seem like an odd collector’s item, given that we tend to think of a $100 bill as being worth, well, $100. But several discontinued banknotes are worth far more than face value. That’s especially true of the 1890 $1,000 Treasury Note nicknamed the “Grand Watermelon,” which, with a valuation of $3.3 million, is now considered the most valuable U.S. bill. No actual watermelons adorn the note, alas, but the wide, green zeros on the reverse bear a striking resemblance to the ...| History Facts
Have you ever wondered if your last name might have royal connections? Whether, through the centuries, your surname has traveled through the noble bloodlines of ancient empires and medieval kingdoms? Today, with genealogy websites and online surname databases, it’s easier than ever to trace a name’s history. But while millions of people around the world might be carrying monikers that once graced the halls of power, they often do so without realizing any potentially regal heritage. Some...| History Facts
For generations, American children learned to loop their letters into graceful, flowing words. Notes passed in class, signatures practiced on notebooks, the elegance of a handwritten letter — all of it once depended on cursive. Yet for much of the last two decades, cursive seemed destined to fade into history. The decline was especially sharp after 2010, when cursive was omitted from the Common Core education standards. Typing skills were prioritized instead, and many schools quietly droppe...| History Facts
The Purple Heart is the oldest and arguably most famous military award in the U.S. Its origins stretch back to 1782 and the Badge of Military Merit — a heart made of purple cloth — which became the modern Purple Heart in 1932. The medal is awarded to U.S. military service members who have been wounded or killed as a result of enemy action. In total, more than 1.8 million Purple Heart medals have been presented. However, it’s far from the only military decoration in the U.S. In fact, t...| History Facts
In 1248, King Ferdinand III of modern-day Spain successfully completed the Siege of Seville — part of the ongoing effort to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule — with the assistance of a plucky fighting group known as the Band of Castile. Said to be impressed by the bravery of this band of fighters, Ferdinand designated it a permanent division under his service, thus inaugurating what is now regarded as the world’s oldest active military unit. The unit was reorganized numerou...| History Facts
The terra-cotta army in China is a collection of more than 7,000 life-size clay soldiers created in the third century BCE, each made with so much unique detail that some archaeologists believe they’re portraits of specific people. But there used to be yet another layer of detail: Originally, these figures were painted in various colors. After the statues were sculpted, fired, and assembled, artisans applied one or two layers of lacquer (derived from a lacquer tree), followed by one or two l...| History Facts
In 1816, a French physician named René Laennec found himself in a delicate situation. He needed to listen to the heart of a young female patient but didn’t have an ideal way to do so based on the standard practices of the time. Doctors in the early 19th century relied primarily on touch to assess the heart, pressing their hands to gauge its strength and rhythm. This method often wasn’t reliable, especially, as was the case in Laennec’s situation, if the patient was of a heavier weight....| History Facts
Since the establishment of the office in 1789, 45 people have served in 47 presidencies. Each president has brought their own brand of political discourse to the role, and historians tend to remember these leaders primarily for their major historical achievements and policy decisions. But behind the presidents’ political legacies lie plenty of lesser-known details we don’t hear about as often, whether it’s a past life as an executioner, a penchant for skinny-dipping, or a fierce disli...| History Facts
Most people know Albert Einstein as the face of genius, but there was much more to this famous figure than his groundbreaking work in physics. The German-born, Nobel Prize-winning scientist was curious, compassionate, and principled, and he thought deeply about what it means to live a purposeful, ethical life. These weren’t just abstract ideas — they were guiding principles that informed much of what he did and spoke about. Here, distilled from the many nuggets of wisdom Einstein shared o...| History Facts
Few traditions feel as universal as gathering around a frosted cake, lighting candles, and singing “Happy Birthday.” While the ritual seems timeless, the story of why we eat cake on our birthdays stretches back thousands of years — winding through ancient temples, Roman banquets, German children’s parties, and American kitchens. Cakes as Sacred Offerings The word “cake” comes from the Old Norse kaka, but cakes in the ancient world looked quite different from today’s airy, sugar-...| History Facts
Just because colonial Americans were subject to taxation without representation doesn’t mean they never voted. Indeed, elections were often held to select local officials and members of colonial legislatures. Rather than paper ballots, however, colonists voted by voice in a practice known as “viva voce.” This being the past and all, voting machines were centuries away from being invented, and paper ballots, despite having been around since ancient times, had yet to be widely adopted in ...| History Facts
History Facts brings the past to life by highlighting a lesser-known historical event every day. Subscribe to the History Facts newsletter to receive the facts in your inbox.| History Facts
When you think of the origins of American suburbia, the name Levittown may spring to mind. A symbol of post-World War II optimism and domestic comfort, this Long Island development, constructed between 1947 and 1951, is often credited as America’s first modern suburb. Yet Levittown wasn’t technically the first suburb in U.S. history — though as the first mass-produced, federally supported suburban development in the country, it did shape a new national lifestyle — and with it, a new c...| History Facts
Seventy years ago, Elvis was shaking up the airwaves, Lucille Ball had Americans laughing in their living rooms, and Presidents Harry Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower were charting very different visions for a postwar United States. The space race was just beginning to heat up and prosperity fueled a culture of optimism for many. It was a decade of technological innovation and imagination, with a flood of brand-new gadgets, fashions, and conveniences promising to make everyday life sleeker, fa...| History Facts
Even if you favor entertainment over education when it comes to cinema, you probably care at least a little about historical accuracy when watching historical dramas. A little creative license never hurt anyone, but attention to detail adds an authenticity that makes the viewing experience feel richer. That’s especially true of war movies, which attract two overlapping sets of people sometimes known for being persnickety: history buffs and cinephiles. If you belong to either camp, you’ll ...| History Facts
The apparent one-hit wonder of the U.S. Founding Fathers, John Hancock is largely known today solely for inscribing the first and largest signature at the bottom the Declaration of Independence — an act that resulted in his name becoming a synonym for the legally identifying scribbles we apply to checks and other important forms today. It may seem curious that Hancock’s name stands front and center among the signatures on this most cherished document of American history, ahead of far more...| History Facts
The 1970s were a wild ride for fashion, politics, music, and, yes, cars. As gas prices spiked and tastes shifted from big and brawny to compact and efficient, the decade’s most memorable automobiles reflected the changing times. Whether you were into style, speed, or just saving gas, the ’70s had a ride for you. Here are seven of the most decade-defining cars of the 1970s — models that turned heads, made the news, and earned their street cred one mile at a time. Which one would you...| History Facts
Falling between the heyday of the Western Roman Empire and the onset of the Renaissance, the Middle Ages have an unflattering reputation as something of a backward epoch of human civilization. Wars raged across Europe, serfs toiled in backbreaking service to feudal lords, and diseases wiped out villages with little hope of preventing the next outbreak. While the negative connotations may not be entirely fair, few would dispute that medieval citizens lived in more primitive conditions than the...| History Facts
Middle names are a strange concept. They often lie silent and unused, only to emerge when we fill out official forms and documents, providing an extra piece of proof as to who we are, despite our near-total disregard for the name in our daily lives. In the U.S., a majority of people have a middle name, but only around 4% of people are referred to by it. And, according to a poll by The Atlantic, only about 22% of Americans think they know the middle names of at least half of their friends or a...| History Facts
With the ratification of the Constitution in 1788 and the Bill of Rights in 1791, citizens of the fledgling United States of America could count on documentation that guaranteed the separation of federal powers and an array of personal liberties. Of course, what good is freedom without a sound financial system to give people the opportunity to thrive? To address that issue, Congress passed the Banking Bill in 1791 to create the Bank of the United States, and the Coinage Act of 1792 to establi...| History Facts
Genghis Khan's empire eventually reached a size of at least 9 million square miles.| History Facts
In 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States. Since then, 44 other individuals have served as commander in chief, each leaving a political legacy to be analyzed and judged in the course of time. But their legacies are not only political — they’re also familial. The number of children each president had is often overlooked, but on a personal level, few things could be more important. And in two cases, presidential children — John Quincy Adams and George W. B...| History Facts
Furniture isn’t just about form and function — it’s a reflection of how we live. As technology evolves and lifestyles shift, pieces that were once considered household essentials can quietly fade into obscurity. From furniture designed around now-outdated technology to those that catered to social customs of another era, many former decor staples have all but disappeared from modern homes. If you’ve ever tried to fit a heavy television into a hulking TV cabinet or spent an hour at t...| History Facts
United States currency is full of symbolic design choices and cryptic markings. First issued in 1861 as a demand note, the $20 bill is one of the most commonly used denominations. Over the years, the $20 bill has undergone numerous facelifts, from changing portraits and seals to the addition of color-shifting ink and security threads. Today’s version packs in more symbols than most people may realize. If you’ve ever wondered what those little letters, numbers, and emblems really mean, her...| History Facts
One of the U.S. president’s most significant roles is serving as commander in chief, the top authority over all branches of the United States military. But where does this title come from, and what exactly does it entail? Constitutional Origins The Founding Fathers used the term “commander in chief” when drafting Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. It states: “The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the...| History Facts
The Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in human history. It encompassed 9 million square miles at its peak, with some estimates placing its population as high as 100 million people — about 25% of the world at the time. And while Genghis Khan tends to receive most of the credit for that, he didn’t do it alone. There was also Subutai, a Mongol general who conquered 32 nations. Indeed, many sources claim Subutai conquered more land than anyone else in history, including suc...| History Facts
Although it still exists, the telegraph has been all but forgotten in a world dominated by instant digital messaging, relegated to the archives of 20th-century institutions alongside the corner phone booth and the horse and buggy. Yet there was a time when this form of communication was the best and most efficient way to deliver a message across significant distances. Western Union, the largest provider of the service, logged more than 200 million telegrams sent in its peak year of 1929. Give...| History Facts
The 1950s were a transformative decade for transportation in the United States. Factors such as postwar prosperity, suburban living, and a decline in public transit led to a major increase in car ownership. At the start of the decade, approximately half of Americans owned an automobile; by 1960, nearly 75% of Americans owned at least one car, and many owned two. It was the golden age of the automobile. Of course, a car can’t go anywhere without gasoline, so what did this trend mean for the ...| History Facts
If you’ve been to a few weddings, you probably know the flow by now: the vows, the kiss, and then the party, with a few time-honored traditions woven in. One of the most iconic rituals? Guests showering the newlyweds with rice as they make their grand exit. It’s a festive moment and makes for a great photo — but have you ever stopped to wonder where this tradition comes from? What may seem like a simple gesture is actually rooted in centuries of symbolism. That tiny grain of rice carrie...| History Facts
War is full of logistical challenges, one of the major concerns — in conflicts both ancient and modern — being how to feed the armies doing the fighting. Whether it’s Roman legionaries, British Redcoats, or modern infantry, soldiers have always needed a reliable supply of food to maintain both their energy levels and morale. As the old saying goes, “An army marches on its stomach.” Military rations have existed since at least the time of ancient Rome, when soldiers received 2 poun...| History Facts
It’s perhaps the most famous document in American history — the collection of fighting words that formally severed ties with the British Empire and launched a precocious new nation into existence. But while some of its features are familiar to the public, including a few phrases from the preamble and the conspicuous signature of John Hancock, many details surrounding the Declaration of Independence are little known beyond historians of the subject. Not unlike the esteemed local monument...| History Facts
Tracing the development of a nation’s currency can provide a unique glimpse into the nation itself. But currency is complicated — its history often defies a simple straight-line narrative, and there are countless technicalities along the way that threaten to glaze over the eyes of anyone without a degree in economics. So let’s take a look at some of the most interesting moments in the history of U.S. currency, and leave the rest to the economists. The First National Bills Were Called ...| History Facts
Spend any time gazing at medieval European paintings, and one question tends to emerge: What is going on with those babies? Far from the sweet, chubby cherubs we might expect to see, these infants often resemble balding middle-aged men, complete with wrinkled foreheads and dour expressions. What could possibly explain this bizarre artistic choice? To understand, we have to dive into how European art — and the perception of children — evolved from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Religi...| History Facts
The Middle Ages weren’t just shaped by monarchs and wars — they were lived by everyday people whose names appear in the records they left behind. Parish registers, royal charters, tax rolls, and literature give us a glimpse into the history of common names in medieval England and other parts of Europe and what they meant to the people who carried them. Some of the most valuable insights about what people were called, and why, come from medieval books created specifically to record names. ...| History Facts
For a long time, America’s discovery was routinely attributed to Christopher Columbus and his voyage of 1492. But the real story of human arrival in the so-called New World is far more complex than that story would suggest, and spans thousands of years before European contact. Indeed, the very question of who “discovered” America — and for the purpose of this article, we’re focusing on the North American continent specifically — depends largely on how we define “discovery” ...| History Facts
According to popular legend, the English aristocrat John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, was engaged in an all-night card game in 1762 when he became distracted by hunger pangs. Not wanting to stop playing, he instructed his servant to bring him a snack of beef between two slices of bread, allowing him to satiate the twin desires of filling his belly and raking in more dough. While he was hardly the first person in history to consider eating food in this fashion — Montagu may have been i...| History Facts
Bell-bottoms have long been synonymous with sailors in the U.S. Navy: Just picture Sailor Jack, the patriotic mascot who first appeared on boxes of Cracker Jack in 1918, or Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly dancing and singing in the 1945 musical Anchors Aweigh. During World War II, songwriter Moe Jaffe even reworked the lyrics of a bawdy 19th-century English sea shanty into “Bell Bottom Trousers,” a song about a woman’s love for her sailor, who wore “bell bottom trousers, coat of navy blu...| History Facts
The American workforce has transformed dramatically since the 1950s, a decade marked by economic prosperity, suburban expansion, and rapid industrialization. It’s likely that folks at the time couldn’t have imagined how much the U.S. job market would change over the next few decades — or how quickly innovation would make once-common jobs almost obsolete. Careers such as switchboard operator and typist may have seemed stable and essential in the mid-20th century, but time, technology, ...| History Facts
Without question, the $2 bill is the black sheep of the U.S. currency family. Despite being a small enough denomination to fairly easily acquire, the “Tom” — nicknamed for its portrait of Thomas Jefferson — rarely surfaces in day-to-day transactions. In fact, many folks erroneously believe the $2 note to be out of circulation, with some cashiers even refusing to accept these unfamiliar bills. Make no mistake, the $2 bill is very real and remains in regular circulation, albeit at a sma...| History Facts
There have been 91,310 days in the last 250 years, but only a few of them stand out as singularly odd.| History Facts
Much like fashion, the cyclical nature of baby names is influenced not only by cultural shifts, but also by historical events and popular media. For instance, in 1931, the name Bella was ranked No. 985 in the top 1,000 female names by the Social Security Administration, which uses Social Security card application data to determine the popularity of names, before falling off the list entirely for 69 years. We can’t be sure why the name made the list again in the year 2000, coming in at No. 7...| History Facts
Some breakfast foods that were once considered staples of the typical American kitchen have faded into nostalgic obscurity.| History Facts
Photographs allow us to witness history with our very own eyes, immortalizing brief moments in time that are worth preserving — be it a mother struggling during the Great Depression or a handshake between Elvis Presley and Richard Nixon. Each image has a story behind it that helps explain why those moments maintain their appeal all these decades later. Here are some of the most famous photographs in recent history, and why they matter. “Migrant Mother” (1936) In March 1936, photographe...| History Facts
Endlessly scrolling through Netflix without being able to decide what to watch is an all-too-common problem, but it’s easier to solve if you have a specific genre in mind. And while most of the history dramas streaming on the platform aren’t exactly historical themselves, as Netflix’s catalogue is known to skew toward newer films, that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth watching. Here are five of the best, which tell stories ranging from complex biographies to a single day in World War ...| History Facts
Covered bridges are an idyllic symbol of rural America. These charming, often hand-built structures have been romanticized in popular culture for years, from Thomas Kinkade’s painting “The Old Covered Bridge” to the novel (and film adaptation) The Bridges of Madison County. Despite their dispensability in the age of concrete and steel, these old wooden bridges continue to be beloved landmarks, their distinct roofs making them easily recognizable even today. But what exactly led to their...| History Facts
Even if you favor entertainment over education when it comes to cinema, you probably care at least a little about historical accuracy when watching historical dramas. A little creative license never hurt anyone, but attention to detail adds an authenticity that makes the viewing experience feel richer. That’s especially true of war movies, which attract two overlapping sets of people sometimes known for being persnickety: history buffs and cinephiles. If you belong to either camp, you’ll ...| History Facts
The invention of the bathing suit as a tasteful, stylish outfit specifically for water-based leisure may go as far back as ancient Rome.| History Facts
The ancient Greeks are widely regarded as the founders of modern medicine. Yet initially, they saw illness as a divine punishment and healing as a literal gift from the gods — beliefs not uncommon in the ancient world. By the fifth century BCE, however, the Greeks began testing and advancing medical theories based on actual scientific observations — cause and effect — rather than spiritual beliefs alone. Three factors began to take prominence in ancient Greek medicine: diet, drugs, an...| History Facts
Her reign from 1558 to 1603 is considered a golden age of English history.| History Facts
From the rigging of the World Series to Willie Mays’ unforgettable catch, here are seven major moments in the history of baseball.| History Facts
The complicated legacies of these masters extend well beyond the canvas.| History Facts
Grocery deliveries may be a modern convenience, but the service hearkens back to a bygone era when clinking glass bottles signaled the arrival of the milkman. The milkman (or milkwoman, though the job was usually held by men) is a cherished fixture of American history, as a prominent part of much of the 19th and 20th centuries. While milk remains a staple of the American diet, changes in consumerism and technology have made the once-ubiquitous milkman a relic of the past. Cattle farming was...| History Facts