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Month: November 2020

By The Generalist Posted on November 14, 2020November 13, 2020

Igbo-Ukwu bronzes

In the 9th century CE, a town in what is now Nigeria produced the most masterful bronze artefacts in the world.

Categories: Africa, Art, Arts & recreation, Fashion & design, History, Medieval history, Places, Sciences, Technology
By The Generalist Posted on November 13, 2020April 21, 2021

Hu’s on first

When Taiwanese baseball player Chin-Lung Hu hit a single in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks he fulfilled a promise made in a comedy sketch seventy-one years before.

Categories: Arts & recreation, Film & television, Games & sport, North & Central America, Places
By The Generalist Posted on November 12, 2020January 25, 2023

The universal antidote

For more than 1700 years, mithridate and theriac were Europe’s ultimate medicines. A concoction of up to sixty-four ingredients – including cinnamon, turpentine, and poppy – they were supposed to neutralise any poison or plague.

Categories: Ancient history, Europe, Health & medicine, History, Medieval history, Physics & chemistry, Places, Sciences
By The Generalist Posted on November 11, 2020April 28, 2021

First closed captioning

Emerson Romero was a deaf Cuban-American silent film star who lost his job when sound came to cinema – so he invented closed captioning.

Categories: 20th century history, Arts & recreation, Film & television, History, North & Central America, Places
By The Generalist Posted on November 10, 2020April 28, 2021

Testing the katana

When a samurai received a new katana, the sharpness of the sword could be tested by attacking a random civilian or (after that was banned) by slicing a criminal or corpse.

Categories: Early modern history, East Asia, History, Military, Places
By The Generalist Posted on November 9, 2020April 28, 2021

Dictator’s purgatory

António de Oliveira Salazar served as prime minister and dictator of Portugal for 36 years. Following a head injury he was removed from office, but no-one told him and he died two years later still believing himself in charge.

Categories: 20th century history, Europe, History, Places, Politics & law
By The Generalist Posted on November 8, 2020April 28, 2021

Parents vs. Frank Zappa

The Parents Music Resource Center was formed to fight obscenity in popular music. The parental warning labels were their doing. Musician and notorious non-conformist Frank Zappa fought back the only way he could: with music.

Categories: 20th century history, Arts & recreation, History, Music, North & Central America, Places, Politics & law
By The Generalist Posted on November 7, 2020January 25, 2023

The Mason Labyrinth

Italian publisher Franco Maria Ricci, inspired by fabulists Jorge Luis Borges and Italo Calvino, built the largest maze in the world.

Categories: Architecture, Arts & recreation, Europe, Literature, Places
By The Generalist Posted on November 6, 2020January 25, 2023

The election of the doge

The ruler of Medieval Venice was chosen by an exceptionally complex ten-step process of alternating random lots and elections.

Categories: Europe, History, Medieval history, Places, Politics & law
By The Generalist Posted on November 5, 2020April 28, 2021

Leaderless orchestra

In 1922 violinist Lev Tseitlin founded an orchestra according to Soviet principles of collective responsibility: it had no conductor.

Categories: 20th century history, Arts & recreation, Europe, History, Music, Places
By The Generalist Posted on November 4, 2020April 28, 2021

The unpopular president

Five US presidential elections (so far) have elected presidents who received fewer votes than one of their opponents.

Categories: 20th century history, 21st century history, History, North & Central America, Places, Politics & law
By The Generalist Posted on November 3, 2020April 17, 2021

The death of Tycho Brahe

The body of famed astronomer Tycho Brahe was dug up twice (in 1901 and 2010) to find out what killed him. The conclusion: he died of excessive politeness.

Categories: Astronomy, Early modern history, Europe, History, Places, Sciences
Dinosaur ant
By The Generalist Posted on November 2, 2020April 17, 2021

Dinosaur ant

In 1931 Australia, Amy Crocker discovered two worker ants from a new and strange species: Nothomyrmecia macrops. Despite extensive searches, more were not found for another forty-six years.

Categories: Animals, Oceania, Places, Sciences
Siren suit
By The Generalist Posted on November 1, 2020November 18, 2021

Winston Churchill, fashion icon

Winston Churchill invented an adult romper suit and then wore it everywhere during World War II.

Categories: 20th century history, Arts & recreation, Europe, Fashion & design, History, Military, Places, Politics & law

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