Page 130 - History Facts

President Kennedy was the fasted random speakers in the world!

John F Kennedy was the second youngest president, and is regarded a national hero. Like most other presidents, he attended Harvard University, but unlike most other presidents, he also had a Pultizer prize. 

Among those accomplishments however, he could also speak 350 words per minute; making him the fasted random word speaker in the world, even to this day. Kennedy seemed to be fond of a bunch of words that no one else could understand, in more ways than one; his favorite poem was Ulysses. 

His speed carried on to his reading; he could take in 1200 words per minute. A more meaningful record perhaps; Kennedy continues to rank highly in the public opinion ratings of US presidents.

(Source)

When Capt. James Cook arrived on the island of Hawaii, he was mistaken for a sex god.

In 1778, the British explorer Captain James Cook (whose namesake would later be immortalized in the story "Mr. Popper’s Penguins") arrived off the coast of Hawaii. 

Though he did not immediately set foot on the island, in January of 1779, when he did, thousands of Hawaiians arrived, praising him and showering him with gifts.

Why? The natives thought the sails on Cook’s ships were identical to imagery of their sex god, Lono. Cook quickly realized what it was all about, but decided to play along. He allowed the Hawaiians to cover him in pig fat, and then used some fireworks he had in his boat. 

After that, he enjoyed the perks of being the sex god for a while before leaving. When he returned, however, things weren’t so great. Due to storms, Cook’s ships were pretty beaten up, which offended the Hawaiians so much that they attacked him. This is where it gets disturbing

He was “clubbed, repeatedly knifed, half-drowned and battered about the head with a rock.” After that, he was torn to pieces and eaten. 

(Source)

European maps used to have east at the top of the map.

The orientation of a map is the relation between the directions drawn on a map and the realistic compass directions. The word “orient,” the root word in “orientation,” is derived from the Latin word “oriens,” meaning “east.” 

The relationship between the way we now use “orientation” and “east” is due to how during the Middle Ages, many maps were drawn with east at the top. Today, most maps are drawn with north at the top, obviously. 

But many maps from non-Western traditions are oriented different ways. Old Japanese maps used to depict the imperial palace at the top and center of the map. Certain Medieval European maps that were oriented east were centered with Jerusalem in the middle. 

Often today, maps involving bodies of water are oriented around them. Cities bordering seas are sometimes drawn with the sea on top, and route and channel maps are sometimes oriented to the road or river they describe. 

Probably the most notable example of a map being oriented not to the north is with the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, which are typically drawn with the pole at the center of the map because of how difficult it is to accurately draw them on a conventional map. 

(Source)

Harry S Truman refused to ride the Dumbo ride when he visited Disneyland.

If you’ve ever been to Disneyland as a child, you’ve likely ridden or at least seen the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride. Dumbo is easily one of the most iconic Disney images, right next to the rose from Sleeping Beauty or Mickey Mouse himself. 

The Dumbo ride was one of the first rides to open in Disneyland, premiering a month after the park opened in 1955. In case you’ve never ridden the ride, it involves “piloting” a Dumbo lookalike in a circle with others. 

It’s one of the more popular rides, as it’s also featured at Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland. It seems an innocent enough kids’ ride that President Harry S Truman shouldn’t have had any qualms about riding it. 

So what was the reason? President Truman was a Democrat, and didn’t want to ride an elephant because of its association with the Republican party. 

(Source) 

The term side burns comes from Major General Ambrose E Burnside!

Ambrose E Burnside was a Major general during the Early 1800’s. In fact, at the outbreak of the Civil War, he organized the 1st Rhode Island Infantry, which was one of the first units to arrive in Washington and offer capitol protection.

After the war, he briefly serve as the Senator from the state of Rhodes Island. In addition to his many other accomplishments, Burnside has some impressive facial hair. His moustache seemed to reach all the way to the back of his head.

Does this sound familiar? In fact, his facial hair often identified him, as he wore it for most of his life. Soon, the style began to catch on, and took the title of side burns after his last name. 

(Source)