Page 124 - History Facts

Both Sweden and the Soviet Union made plans to develop moose-mounted cavalries!

I’m sure there’s a “Soviet Russia” joke in this fact. How about, in Soviet Russia moose hunts you? Anyways as early as 1869, the Russian zoologist and explorer Alexander von Middendorff wrote to the Tsar’s government about how the moose is an underutilized and unexpected war resource, and suggested that the government invest in domesticating it. 

This idea didn’t go very far at the time, but it resurfaced in the 1930’s Soviet Union. It was suggested that moose cavalry could be efficiently used even in the deep snow. In 1934, the Soviet Government’s Nature Reserve Comittee ordered the creation of moose reserves and breeding centers in support of the effort. 

However, the idea had not materialized by the time WW2 came around, and thus it was swept away. Sweden also engaged and eventually failed in this plan. I guess the moose was just meant to be free.

(Source)

There's an island in Japan that once had a population density of 216,264 people per square mile but is now completely abandoned.

The whole island of Hashima is an abandonded ghost town. Until 1974 the island was a coal mining facility bought by Mitsubishi in 1890. It now has huge concrete buildings that are completely abandoned now and a sea wall. They actually built Japan’s first large concrete building with nine stories. 

They also built a block of apartments in 1916 to house all the workers, most of whom were forcibly recruited from Asia. South Korea claims that there were 500 forced Korean workers between 1939 and 1945. 

The 15 acre island reached its population peak in 1959 with 5,259 people. That translates about 216,264 people per square mile for the whole island. In the 1960s, petroleum took the place of coal mining on the island. Coal mines were shutting down all over the country in the 1960s. 

Mitsubishi officially closed the mines in 1974 and the island became barren of people. Now it is justly called Ghost Island. After being closed for 35 years, travel was made possible to Hashima again in 2009. Today the island is becoming increasingly popular, especially with ruins enthusiasts. 

The housing remnants represent the period between the Taisho era and the Showa era. The island hasn’t been maintained, though, and some of the buildings have collapsed and others are about to collapse. Some exterior walls have been repaired recently, though.

(Source)

Genghis Kahn helped the environment!

In fact, the Mongol Emperor’s environmental contribution helped eliminate 700 million tons of carbon! He also let forests regrow where they had been chopped down to make room for towns and farm land. This was especially significant when you consider the large size of the mongol empire. 

This wasn’t because Kahn was a tree hugger. In fact, this wasn’t even deliberate. The reason there was room for the forests was because he had the towns and villages in their place burned down and helped reduce the carbon output by (ahem) driving down the number of people. 

It wasn’t just the size of the empire that made this significant. The fact that the mongol empire lasted so long meant that massive areas of green space were able to regrow where towns and farms had been destroyed. Just don't let Greenpeace know that this happened or they might get any ideas on using the same tactics (kidding, kidding)

(Source)

The first woman was elected to Congress before she even had the right to vote in a national election.

In 1916, Jeanette Rankin was the first woman elected to the US Congress, serving two separate terms. This was even before women had the right to vote! Seeing the ridiculousness of the situation, Jeanette actively represented women and brought attention to their concerns.

In addition to making political history, Rankin also stood her ground as a pacifist, being the only member of Congress to oppose the US’ entry into both World Wars. Her anti-war vote in 1917 cost her her office.

From there on in, she became involved in Women’s Inter-national League for Peace and Freedom and several pacifist groups. Throughout her life, she travelled extensively, study with Gandhi, and other like-minded people.

(Source)

Lucille Ball was responsible for approving the initial production of the Star Trek series.

Lucille Ball is best known for her role on I Love Lucy. However, during the mid-1960’s, she was the executive producer of Desilu Sudios, and therefore, responsible for approving the initial production of Star Trek: The Original Series. 

Even after NBC rejected the original pilot, her love for Gene Roddenberry and empathy with the series’ general goals caused the studio to approve the series. Ball’s daughter Lucie Arnaz, eventually became the wife of The Final Frontier actor Laurence Luckinbill. 

Lucie reported that her mother convinced the studio to keep the two most expensive shows, Mission: Impossible and Star Trek, with this argument; “But I like ‘em.” Now, isn’t that another to love Lucy. 

(Source)