NSFW History Facts We Didn’t Learn in School

This article was originally published on excellenttown.com

A lot of people like to complain that history is boring, but that’s absolutely not true! Humans have always gotten up to strange shenanigans, and these dark and fun historical events and little-known facts will prove it. If history was your least favorite subject in school, we’re here to change your mind. From ancient whale vomit to lethal molasses floods, here are some truly wild, scandalous, and spicy facts you didn’t learn in history class. Beware: many of them are not safe for work! Read at your own discretion and share your favorite fact.

1. All In The Family

Inbreeding was a common practice among ancient royals. This is an obvious taboo today. But, before people knew the scientific ramifications, it was seen as a way to keep and consolidate power within a ruling family. For example, Cleopatra had only two great-great-grandparents. The average person has sixteen!

Ptolemy V and Cleopatra I were her great-grandparents but were related to literally everyone else in her family tree. Gross, we know. Although not considered “beautiful,” Cleopatra isn’t recorded to have any traits characteristic of inbreeding. Nowadays, royal families avoid this practice for obvious reasons. However, many royals in different countries are still distantly related because of this practice.

2. Like Father Like… Grandson

Ever heard of John Scott Harrison? Many Americans probably don’t know the name. However, he was a pretty important figure in American history even though we didn’t learn about him in history class. John Scott Harrison is the only person who was both a father and son to two U.S. presidents!

Before we get up in arms about this fun fact: no, this doesn’t involve inbreeding. John Scott Harrison was the son of President William Henry Harrison and the father of President Benjamin Harrison. Although he never became president himself, he was involved in politics. He served as a congressman for Ohio’s 2nd district in the 1850s. 

3. Radium Girls

Throughout history, humans have discovered new elements and substances that are lauded as huge scientific advancements. Sometimes, these discoveries end up being more harmful than useful, but we don’t discover their negative impact until more research is done decades later. That’s the case with radium. The radioactive element was discovered in 1898 by Marie Curie, and a radium craze followed soon thereafter. 

Radium was celebrated for its health benefits and its ability to glow in the dark was seen as a miracle for watchmakers. The U.S. Radium Corp hired whole crews of female factory workers to paint tiny numbers with radium paint. It was thought to be a well-paying job, but these women started getting sick within a few years. The “Radium Girls,” as they’re collectively called, are the unfortunate reason we discovered how toxic radium is to the human body. 

4. Fur Babies

If we heard that a woman gave birth to a rabbit today, we would immediately peg it as a hoax. That wasn’t the case back in 1726. Mary Toft was an English peasant who convinced reputable doctors that she was giving birth to rabbits! It all started when Toft was 25 and pregnant. Since she was a peasant, she had to labor while pregnant, which resulted in a painful miscarriage for poor Mary. A month after this miscarriage, Mary again gave “birth” to a rabbit leg. 

The local doctor immediately wrote to esteemed doctors across England about this abnormality. Famous doctors flocked to see Mary, who had become a local celebrity and kept giving birth to unalive rabbits. Mary said the reason she kept giving birth to rabbits was that she was startled by one out in the fields while she was pregnant. The hoax was eventually revealed. To this day, we still don’t know Mary and her family’s motivation for pulling such a dangerous stunt.