Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Sites | Writers | Advertise | My Orble | Login
 
Weird and wonderful facts and trivia, useless information, gadgets, idiots, criminals, and heaps of humour - you name it, we've got it!

Choose categories or enter a term into the search box on the LEFT hand side of the page for other related posts.
Custom Search

Interesting History - Fun Facts

Charles Darwin A DISGRACE!

July 16th 2008 10:30
young Charles Darwin
When Charles Darwin was growing up he was considered by his teachers to be quite a disgrace.

His school reports made mention of the fact that he cared little for study and only for shooting, riding and beetle collecting.

In fact his own father also expected that he would come to nothing much in the long run, signing him up to join the clergy at Christ's College in Cambridge where he was introduced to the Reverend John Stevens Henslow, Professor of Botany.

In becoming a student of Henslow's biology course, Henslow sent a letter recommending Darwin as a suitable naturalist for the unpaid position of gentleman’s companion to Robert FitzRoy, captain of the HMS Beagle, which was about to leave on an expedition.

Darwin's father objected to the planned two-year voyage, regarding it as a waste of time, but was persuaded by his brother-in-law to allow him to go.

The Beagle survey ended up taking five years and led to Darwin proposing the theory of Natural Selection, writing the infamous 'On the Origin of Species'.
91
Vote
Shared on
Comments (5)Comments (5) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


Machine Guns and Warfare? Never!

July 14th 2008 10:30
Douglas Haig
Field Marshal Douglas Haig, born June 19, 1861 was a senior British commander during World War I and has been regarded as somewhat of an idiot.
Known as the "Butcher of the Somme", he had a reputation for issuing orders which led to excessive casualties of British troops and never actually visited the direct warfront.

[ Click here to read more ]
24
Vote
Shared on
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: MelissaA - Category: Countries, Idiots, Interesting History
   


Top Hats! A Menace To Society!!!

July 9th 2008 10:30
top hat
James Heatherington, the inventor of the top hat, introduced his design to the world in London during 1797.

Upon leaving the shop wearing his unusual headwear he was surrounded by a crowd of onlookers where some pushing and shoving ensued, resulting in women fainting and a young boy having his arm broken.
[ Click here to read more ]
33
Vote
Shared on
Read MoreRead More Comments (3)Comments (3) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


IT FELL From The SKY II! MONEY

July 4th 2008 10:15
In 1968, shoppers in Kent, UK, were surprised by falling coinage on the footpath. Apparently they came from nowhere with only the sound of them hitting the ground alerting the shoppers to their presence, and the dents in them backed up the story that they had fallen from the sky. There were no tall buildings or planes nearby.

In 1976 over a Piazza in Rome, a light plane dropped a large quantity of 500, 1000, and 10000 lira bank notes. The pilot of the plane was never identified.
[ Click here to read more ]
15
Vote
Shared on
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


IT FELL From The SKY! MEAT!!!

July 3rd 2008 10:15
meat
All sorts of strange and bizarre items have fallen from the sky in the past, but how would you feel if a lump of fresh meat landed in your lap?

In 1851 soldiers at a base out near San Francisco were practising drills when they were hit by blood and pieces of meat, from a cloudless sky.
[ Click here to read more ]
47
Vote
Shared on
Read MoreRead More Comments (2)Comments (2) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


Circling Your Wagon? Or Circling The Truth?

June 30th 2008 08:20
wagons
We all remember the old American Cowboy versus the Indians movies, but did you know that one particular part involved in some of these plots was just an invention of the movie directors?

Quite a number of these old movies show the wagons circling upon Indian attack in order to protect themselves. However, the actual time taken to actually get one of these bulky, akward wagons to circle would actually have been the the Indians' advantage as they would have been able to scalp the oncoming persons with ease.
[ Click here to read more ]
17
Vote
Shared on
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


The Origin Of Rickshaws

June 23rd 2008 12:28
Rickshaws were invented in Japan by an American missionary back in 1869. Initially it was designed to transport his invalid wife around Yokohama, but eventually they caught on for other reasons.
rickshaw


The name of the man who invented them??
[ Click here to read more ]
45
Vote
Shared on
Read MoreRead More Comments (2)Comments (2) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


The Protection Of Nessie

March 4th 2008 12:21
Nessie
The Loch Ness Monster, affectionately known as Nessie, is actually under the protection of Scottish law.
The Scottish law of 1912 known as the Protection of Animal Acts In Scotland includes Nessie as one of the many creatures protected by its scope. Little wonder why really when you realise that in terms of Scottish tourism, Nessie is estimated to be worth $40 million a year!
48
Vote
Comments (1)Comments (1) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


TODAY Is LEAP DAY!!!

February 29th 2008 09:00
leaping frog
No it's not the day for leaping over lilyponds or frogs for that matter, instead it is the 29th of February, that strange 'extra' day that we receive once every four years when a 'Leap Year occurs'. So the date of February the 29th becomes known as Leap Day or Bissextile day.

So why do we have this phenomenon?
[ Click here to read more ]
48
Vote
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


What Would You Make Of This!

February 23rd 2008 23:05
Charlie Chaplin
Here's a situation that could be considered laughable.

Charlie Chaplin once entered a competition and came away the winner of 3rd prize.
[ Click here to read more ]
80
Vote
Read MoreRead More Comments (5)Comments (5) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


Levi's are NOT Really Jeans!

February 13th 2008 10:15
denim jeans
When Levi Strauss invented jeans during the late 1800's, he did not call his 'strange' pants denim jeans or even jeans at all.

Supposedly these strange trousers were originally made out of sailcloth and canvas for miners and prospectors to wear as they had been complaining about how their ordinary pants would stretch and split while on the job.
[ Click here to read more ]
62
Vote
Read MoreRead More Comments (3)Comments (3) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


Turning A BLIND EYE! Where DID IT COME FROM???

February 6th 2008 09:26
We've all heard the expression 'to turn a blind eye' but where did it really come from?

In short, Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson is the culprit responsible for today's common expression.
[ Click here to read more ]
62
Vote
Read MoreRead More Comments (4)Comments (4) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


One SHIP Of A Coincidence!

February 3rd 2008 23:30
Some coincidences and incidents in life are just so bizarre it beggars belief!
However such strange coincidences do occur, but still you cannot help but shake your head and wonder.

[ Click here to read more ]
56
Vote
Read MoreRead More Comments (4)Comments (4) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


BIZARRE BOOK TITLES!!!

January 29th 2008 09:38
Yes, these are actual book titles!this is the sort of thing you discover when you're very sick. OK I wasn't referring to that kind of sickness but it still counts I guess!

open book
How To Cook Husbands - Elizabeth Strong Worthington - 1899
[ Click here to read more ]
55
Vote
Read MoreRead More Comments (3)Comments (3) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


Next Page (15-28)



[ Fun Facts Home ] [ Create A New Post ]
Moderated by MelissaA
Copyright © 2006 2007 2008 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]