Did Africans beat Columbus to America?
At least according to Columbus himself, the answer is yes, yes and yes! Columbus noted in his journal that Native Americans had confirmed that… Read More »Did Africans beat Columbus to America?
Did the lawyers’ Bar Exam start as a drinking contest?
The UK legal system applies a separation of roles – there are two kinds of lawyers: barristers and solicitors. Only a barrister may address the… Read More »Did the lawyers’ Bar Exam start as a drinking contest?
Why is it called a ‘Quarantine’?
Long before any modern-day epidemic, it was the Black Plague that devastated the world. Like corona it originated in Asia and spread fast into… Read More »Why is it called a ‘Quarantine’?
Why was ancient Israel renamed Palestine?
In ancient times, the Israelite kingdom was called Judea. After suppressing the Jewish rebellion in Judea, the Roman Emperor Hadrian decided to punish the… Read More »Why was ancient Israel renamed Palestine?
Was Cleopatra really Egyptian?
Well, the short and surprising answer is no! Though Cleopatra was the queen of Egypt, she was actually of Hellenic (greek) origin. She was the last… Read More »Was Cleopatra really Egyptian?
Why is it called a ‘Cockpit’?!
In the times that Great Britain ruled the seven seas, British sailors used to entertain themselves with cockfights. The fight took place in a… Read More »Why is it called a ‘Cockpit’?!
Why is the number 666 associated with the Devil?
If you haven’t figured that out, don’t feel bad about yourself because deciphering this code requires extensive Bible knowledge, a master’s degree in Roman-Israelite… Read More »Why is the number 666 associated with the Devil?
Why did the Nazis assassinate Hollywood’s star?
On June 1st, 1943 KLM’s flight No 777 took off from Portugal to England. Believing that Winston Churchill is on board, the German air… Read More »Why did the Nazis assassinate Hollywood’s star?
Why do we raise a “toast”?!
Believe it or not – to save lives, no less! In the 17th century, it was prevalent to flavor drinks with spiced toasted bread.… Read More »Why do we raise a “toast”?!
Which people spoke Gibberish?
In a way we do, all of us! – The ancient Greeks used the term barbarian to describe all non-Greek-speaking people. That’s because the… Read More »Which people spoke Gibberish?