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History Sensei
Cool stories, strange facts, and forgotten moments from history
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The War of the Bucket: When Italy Fought a Bloody Battle Over a Wooden Pail
In 1325, soldiers from the Italian city-states of Bologna and Modena fought a pitched battle involving thousands of troops, cavalry…
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The Great Stink of 1858: How a Smell Saved Millions of Lives
In the summer of 1858, London — the capital of the most powerful empire on Earth, the richest city in…
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The London Beer Flood of 1814: When 135,000 Gallons of Porter Destroyed a Neighborhood
On October 17, 1814, just after 5:30 in the afternoon, a massive iron band snapped on a 22-foot-tall brewery vat…
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The Cadaver Synod: When the Catholic Church Put a Dead Pope on Trial
In January 897 AD, in a grand hall within the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, a trial was…
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The Dancing Plague of 1518: When Hundreds Danced Themselves to Death
In the sweltering heat of July 1518, a woman named Frau Troffea stepped into a narrow street in Strasbourg, Alsace…
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The Fascinating History of the Ukulele: From Portuguese Workshops to Global Phenomenon
The ukulele’s incredible journey from a Portuguese cabinetmaker’s workshop in Madeira to Hawaiian royal courts, Tin Pan Alley, and global…
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The Night Witches — The All-Female Soviet Bomber Regiment That Terrified the Nazis
Flying obsolete biplanes made of plywood, with no parachutes and no guns, the Night Witches flew 23,000 combat missions and…
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The Defenestrations of Prague — Solving Political Disputes by Throwing People Out Windows
Prague has a unique political tradition: when things get heated, someone gets thrown out a window. The Defenestrations of Prague…
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Wojtek the Bear — The Polish Soldier Bear of World War II
Traded for a can of food as a cub, Wojtek the bear was officially enlisted in the Polish Army, carried…
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The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 — Boston’s Strangest Disaster
A 25-foot wave of molasses traveling at 35 mph tore through Boston’s North End, killing 21 people. The Great Molasses…
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The Cadaver Synod — When the Pope Put a Dead Pope on Trial
In 897 AD, Pope Stephen VI had the corpse of his predecessor exhumed, dressed in papal robes, and put on…
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The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower — Twice
In the spring of 1925, a dapper, smooth-talking man sat in a suite at the Hôtel de Crillon — one…