The post 5 Historic Records Set By the Late Pope Francis appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and he made history as the first Latin American pontiff, in addition to being the first pope from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere.
He was also the first person from the Society of Jesus, commonly known as the Jesuit Order, to be elected pope.
At over 900, Pope Francis set the record for canonizing the maximum number of saints, including the former popes John XXIII, John Paul II and Paul VI, plus such important figures as Mother Teresa and Óscar Romero.
Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines in 2015 was one for the history books, and it broke the record for the largest papal event in history after six to seven million people gathered for his final Mass at Manila.
Pope Francis had a pretty active social media presence, and he became the first pope to join Instagram in 2016, gaining over one million followers in under 12 hours on this photo-sharing platform.
The post 5 Historic Records Set By the Late Pope Francis appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Meet the Animals That Made History By Flying Into Space appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Fruit flies were the first animals sent to space aboard a U.S.-launched V-2 rocket in 1947. This space mission tried to explore the effects of radiation exposure at high altitudes, and fruit flies managed to make it back alive.
The U.S.-launched V-2 was also responsible for flying the first mammal into space. A rhesus monkey Albert II made history as the first monkey and first primate to make it to space in 1949, but he died upon landing due to a parachute failure.
The Soviet space program used several dogs in their orbital flights during the 50s and 60s. Dezik and Tsygan were the first dogs to make a sub-orbital flight and successfully return to Earth in 1951.
Even though it’s widely believed that Laika was the first dog in space, she was actually the first to orbit the Earth, after flying aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft in 1957.
The post Meet the Animals That Made History By Flying Into Space appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 4 Interesting Facts About Edgar Allan Poe appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Edgar Allan Poe’s parents David and Eliza Poe were actors and performed in Shakespeare’s play King Lear in the year he was born. There is a belief that David and Eliza named their newborn Edgar after the King Lear character Edgar, the son of Earl of Gloucester.
At the age of 18, Edgar Allan Poe joined the military and earned the rank of sergeant major before enrolling at the United States Military Academy at West Point. However, life at the military academy wasn’t for Poe, who excelled in classes like math and science but struggled with discipline. He started being negligent in his duties until he got dismissed.
While Edgar Allan Poe was a prolific author, he only wrote one complete novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. The book was a commercial and critical failure, leading Poe to get a low-paying job as assistant editor for Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine and completely focus on writing short stories.
Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849, at the age of 40 but no one knows the true cause and circumstances of his death. According to accounts, he left his New York City home on September 27 and spent a week missing before reappearing in one tavern in Baltimore. Being in poor condition and delirious, Poe was taken to a hospital and died several days later. No autopsy was performed and a number of theories were proposed about the cause of his death but neither has been universally accepted.
The post 4 Interesting Facts About Edgar Allan Poe appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Why is Christmas Celebrated on December 25? appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Contrary to popular belief, Jesus wasn’t born on December 25, and it’s impossible to pinpoint his real birthday. Most historians estimate that he was born between 6 and 4 B.C. because the Biblical story of King Herod the Great’s reign coincides with the birth of Christ. Astronomers have another theory, suggesting he was either born in the fall of 7 B.C. or the summer of 2 B.C.
This brings us back to December 25 and how this date became Jesus’ birthday in the eyes of many Christians around the world. The first documentary sign of the Christmas celebration on December 25 took place in Rome in 336, under the rule of Constantine the Great, who converted to Christianity in 312.
December 25 was fixed as the date for Christmas during the early fourth century, which was the date of the winter solstice ancient Roman calendar. Some historians believe that Constantine wanted to celebrate Jesus’s birth near significant dates for pagan traditions, such as Saturnalia and Sol Invictus, in an attempt to weaken their significance.
Many centuries later, December 25 is celebrated as the birth of Christ by the majority of Western Christians, but not in the entire world. The majority of Eastern Christian Churches commemorate Christmas on January 7, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.
The post Why is Christmas Celebrated on December 25? appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 5 Quick Facts About Machu Picchu appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>There is no definitive answer about the purpose of Machu Picchu. Popular theories include that the citadel was used as a royal estate or ceremonial ground.
Explorer Hiram Bingham III discovered Machu Picchu in 1911 by accident. He initially looked for the Inca’s hidden capital, Vilcabamba, and he believed he found it when he arrived at the site of Machu Picchu. It was only after his death that historians learned Vilcabamba is situated elsewhere.
One of the most impressive things about Machu Picchu is that the citadel was constructed without the use of mortar. Instead, it was built by wedging precisely-cut stones next to each other. This building style proved beneficial as it protects Machu Picchu from earthquakes.
After discovering Machu Picchu, Bingham led an excavation mission that saw him collect thousands of artifacts and send them to Yale University, where he worked as a professor. Initially considered to be loaned, the artifacts remained at Yale for 100 years before being returned to Peru. The throve is considered to be the most important and valuable collection of Inca artifacts in the world.
Despite knowing about it for centuries, historians and archeologists still have a lot to learn about Machu Picchu. Its complex system of underground tunnels is yet to be fully explored, while the citadel is surrounded by rich vegetation that could hide more ruins.
The post 5 Quick Facts About Machu Picchu appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post The Shortest War in History Lasted 38 Minutes appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The Anglo-Zanzibar War, fought on August 27, 1896, holds the record as the shortest war in history. The conflict was between the United Kingdom and the Sultanate of Zanzibar, a small island nation off the coast of East Africa. The war was sparked by a succession dispute following the death of Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini, who had been pro-British. His successor, Sultan Khalid bin Barghash, seized power without British approval, leading to a standoff.
The British, who had significant interests in the region, issued an ultimatum demanding that Sultan Khalid step down. When he refused, British warships opened fire on the Sultan’s palace at precisely 9:02 a.m. By 9:40 a.m., just 38 minutes later, the Sultan’s forces had been defeated, and Khalid had fled to the German consulate seeking asylum.
Though short, the Anglo-Zanzibar War is a powerful reminder of the complex dynamics of imperialism and the often swift and brutal nature of military power. In just 38 minutes, the course of history was altered, leaving behind a fascinating footnote in the annals of warfare.
The post The Shortest War in History Lasted 38 Minutes appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post These Facts About The Mongol Empire Will Surprise You appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>One intriguing fact is that the Mongols were not merely marauders but also skilled administrators. Under Genghis Khan and his successors, they implemented a sophisticated system of governance and communication. The empire’s postal system, known as the Yam, was remarkably advanced for its time, featuring relay stations that allowed messages to traverse vast distances swiftly.
Additionally, the Mongols were surprisingly tolerant of diverse cultures and religions. They adopted and adapted various aspects of the cultures they encountered, including the Persian administrative practices and the Uighur script, which became the basis for the Mongolian written language. This cultural openness helped integrate the vast and varied regions within their control.
Contrary to their fearsome reputation, the Mongols also contributed to the Silk Road’s prosperity. They ensured the safety and efficiency of trade routes, facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, and technologies between the East and West. This period saw a flourishing of cross-cultural interactions that significantly impacted global history.
The post These Facts About The Mongol Empire Will Surprise You appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Stewardess Named Violet Jessop Survived Sinking of Titanic and Its Two Sister Ships appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Jessop, who was born in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, started working as a stewardess on an ocean liner RMS Olympic in 1911. The start of her career didn’t get to the best of starts as Olympic crashed with the British warship HMS Hawke in September of the same year and was heavily damaged.
In April 1912, Jessop transferred to Olympic’s sister ship, RMS Titanic, to continue serving in the same role. She was part of the Titanic’s maiden voyage, which tragically hit an iceberg and sank on April 16, 1912. Fortunately for Jessop, she managed to get off the ship in a lifeboat before it got underwater.
According to Jessop’s accounts, she was handed a baby while boarding the lifeboat and later managed to reunite it with its mother after Titanic survivors were rescued by RMS Carpathia.
Surviving two tragedies didn’t stop Jessop from returning to the sea several years later, but this time under different circumstances. During World War I, Jessop became a stewardess for the British Red Cross and became part of the crew of the hospital ship Britannic, which was the younger sister ship of both the Olympic and Titanic.
Britannic ended up facing the same fate as its sister ships, sinking in November 1916 after coming across a German naval mine. But Jessop survived once again, although she suffered a serious head injury in the process.
You would think that Jessop would finally say goodbye to the sea after this and remain on land. But that wasn’t the case. She continued to work as a stewardess on various ocean liners until her retirement in 1950.
The post Stewardess Named Violet Jessop Survived Sinking of Titanic and Its Two Sister Ships appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Franz Reichelt, Inventor of the Parachute Suit, Died Testing His Own Invention appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Parachutes were nothing new by the time Reichelt started working on his idea. However, the designs required the parachutes to be open before use or were suitable for only high altitudes.
Reichelt passionately worked on his invention and made several prototypes of what we now consider parachute suits to be used at lower altitudes or for jumping out of a plane. However, his creations were largely unsuccessful.
Reichelt wasn’t discouraged by the failures. Instead, he believed his previous tests, which included jumps from between 26 feet and 33 feet, were hampered by short drop distances. This prompted him to make a request to Paris authorities to allow him to conduct a test from the Eiffel Tower.
In 1912, Reichelt finally received permission to conduct the test under the presumption that he would use a dummy. But convinced in the efficiency of his invention, Reichelt decided to make the jump himself from the tower’s first deck, which is 187 ft high, despite his friends trying to make him change his mind.
Unfortunately, Reichelt’s parachute suit malfunctioned and he jumped into death. An autopsy later showed that he died from a heart attack, which presumably took place before he hit the ground.
The post Franz Reichelt, Inventor of the Parachute Suit, Died Testing His Own Invention appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 5 Quick Facts About the Sydney Opera House appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The officials launched an international competition in 1956 in order to find a design for the Sydney Opera House. A total of 233 entries from 32 countries were submitted, with Danish architect Jørn Utzon being declared the winner and earning a compensation of 5,000 Australian pounds.
The estimated budget for the construction of the Sydney Opera House was A$7 million. However, by the time the building was finished in 1973, the cost ballooned to A$102 million. Adjusted for inflation, it would be A$1.082 billion ($700 million) today.
From a distance, it might seem like the “sails” of the Sydney Opera House are made from a single solid piece of material. However, the roof of the building is made out of more than one million tiles, which were imported from Sweden.
Aside from its roof, another thing that makes the Sydney Opera House unique is its heating and air-conditioning system. The system uses seawater that runs through 22 miles of pipes and powers the heating and air cooling units.
American concert artist and actor Paul Robeson is credited as the first act to perform at the Sydney Opera House. During a two-month concert tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1960, Robeson visited the construction site of the venue and performed a short show for the construction workers.
The post 5 Quick Facts About the Sydney Opera House appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 5 Historic Records Set By the Late Pope Francis appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and he made history as the first Latin American pontiff, in addition to being the first pope from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere.
He was also the first person from the Society of Jesus, commonly known as the Jesuit Order, to be elected pope.
At over 900, Pope Francis set the record for canonizing the maximum number of saints, including the former popes John XXIII, John Paul II and Paul VI, plus such important figures as Mother Teresa and Óscar Romero.
Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines in 2015 was one for the history books, and it broke the record for the largest papal event in history after six to seven million people gathered for his final Mass at Manila.
Pope Francis had a pretty active social media presence, and he became the first pope to join Instagram in 2016, gaining over one million followers in under 12 hours on this photo-sharing platform.
The post 5 Historic Records Set By the Late Pope Francis appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Meet the Animals That Made History By Flying Into Space appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Fruit flies were the first animals sent to space aboard a U.S.-launched V-2 rocket in 1947. This space mission tried to explore the effects of radiation exposure at high altitudes, and fruit flies managed to make it back alive.
The U.S.-launched V-2 was also responsible for flying the first mammal into space. A rhesus monkey Albert II made history as the first monkey and first primate to make it to space in 1949, but he died upon landing due to a parachute failure.
The Soviet space program used several dogs in their orbital flights during the 50s and 60s. Dezik and Tsygan were the first dogs to make a sub-orbital flight and successfully return to Earth in 1951.
Even though it’s widely believed that Laika was the first dog in space, she was actually the first to orbit the Earth, after flying aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft in 1957.
The post Meet the Animals That Made History By Flying Into Space appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 4 Interesting Facts About Edgar Allan Poe appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Edgar Allan Poe’s parents David and Eliza Poe were actors and performed in Shakespeare’s play King Lear in the year he was born. There is a belief that David and Eliza named their newborn Edgar after the King Lear character Edgar, the son of Earl of Gloucester.
At the age of 18, Edgar Allan Poe joined the military and earned the rank of sergeant major before enrolling at the United States Military Academy at West Point. However, life at the military academy wasn’t for Poe, who excelled in classes like math and science but struggled with discipline. He started being negligent in his duties until he got dismissed.
While Edgar Allan Poe was a prolific author, he only wrote one complete novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. The book was a commercial and critical failure, leading Poe to get a low-paying job as assistant editor for Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine and completely focus on writing short stories.
Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849, at the age of 40 but no one knows the true cause and circumstances of his death. According to accounts, he left his New York City home on September 27 and spent a week missing before reappearing in one tavern in Baltimore. Being in poor condition and delirious, Poe was taken to a hospital and died several days later. No autopsy was performed and a number of theories were proposed about the cause of his death but neither has been universally accepted.
The post 4 Interesting Facts About Edgar Allan Poe appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Why is Christmas Celebrated on December 25? appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Contrary to popular belief, Jesus wasn’t born on December 25, and it’s impossible to pinpoint his real birthday. Most historians estimate that he was born between 6 and 4 B.C. because the Biblical story of King Herod the Great’s reign coincides with the birth of Christ. Astronomers have another theory, suggesting he was either born in the fall of 7 B.C. or the summer of 2 B.C.
This brings us back to December 25 and how this date became Jesus’ birthday in the eyes of many Christians around the world. The first documentary sign of the Christmas celebration on December 25 took place in Rome in 336, under the rule of Constantine the Great, who converted to Christianity in 312.
December 25 was fixed as the date for Christmas during the early fourth century, which was the date of the winter solstice ancient Roman calendar. Some historians believe that Constantine wanted to celebrate Jesus’s birth near significant dates for pagan traditions, such as Saturnalia and Sol Invictus, in an attempt to weaken their significance.
Many centuries later, December 25 is celebrated as the birth of Christ by the majority of Western Christians, but not in the entire world. The majority of Eastern Christian Churches commemorate Christmas on January 7, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.
The post Why is Christmas Celebrated on December 25? appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 5 Quick Facts About Machu Picchu appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>There is no definitive answer about the purpose of Machu Picchu. Popular theories include that the citadel was used as a royal estate or ceremonial ground.
Explorer Hiram Bingham III discovered Machu Picchu in 1911 by accident. He initially looked for the Inca’s hidden capital, Vilcabamba, and he believed he found it when he arrived at the site of Machu Picchu. It was only after his death that historians learned Vilcabamba is situated elsewhere.
One of the most impressive things about Machu Picchu is that the citadel was constructed without the use of mortar. Instead, it was built by wedging precisely-cut stones next to each other. This building style proved beneficial as it protects Machu Picchu from earthquakes.
After discovering Machu Picchu, Bingham led an excavation mission that saw him collect thousands of artifacts and send them to Yale University, where he worked as a professor. Initially considered to be loaned, the artifacts remained at Yale for 100 years before being returned to Peru. The throve is considered to be the most important and valuable collection of Inca artifacts in the world.
Despite knowing about it for centuries, historians and archeologists still have a lot to learn about Machu Picchu. Its complex system of underground tunnels is yet to be fully explored, while the citadel is surrounded by rich vegetation that could hide more ruins.
The post 5 Quick Facts About Machu Picchu appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post The Shortest War in History Lasted 38 Minutes appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The Anglo-Zanzibar War, fought on August 27, 1896, holds the record as the shortest war in history. The conflict was between the United Kingdom and the Sultanate of Zanzibar, a small island nation off the coast of East Africa. The war was sparked by a succession dispute following the death of Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini, who had been pro-British. His successor, Sultan Khalid bin Barghash, seized power without British approval, leading to a standoff.
The British, who had significant interests in the region, issued an ultimatum demanding that Sultan Khalid step down. When he refused, British warships opened fire on the Sultan’s palace at precisely 9:02 a.m. By 9:40 a.m., just 38 minutes later, the Sultan’s forces had been defeated, and Khalid had fled to the German consulate seeking asylum.
Though short, the Anglo-Zanzibar War is a powerful reminder of the complex dynamics of imperialism and the often swift and brutal nature of military power. In just 38 minutes, the course of history was altered, leaving behind a fascinating footnote in the annals of warfare.
The post The Shortest War in History Lasted 38 Minutes appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post These Facts About The Mongol Empire Will Surprise You appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>One intriguing fact is that the Mongols were not merely marauders but also skilled administrators. Under Genghis Khan and his successors, they implemented a sophisticated system of governance and communication. The empire’s postal system, known as the Yam, was remarkably advanced for its time, featuring relay stations that allowed messages to traverse vast distances swiftly.
Additionally, the Mongols were surprisingly tolerant of diverse cultures and religions. They adopted and adapted various aspects of the cultures they encountered, including the Persian administrative practices and the Uighur script, which became the basis for the Mongolian written language. This cultural openness helped integrate the vast and varied regions within their control.
Contrary to their fearsome reputation, the Mongols also contributed to the Silk Road’s prosperity. They ensured the safety and efficiency of trade routes, facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, and technologies between the East and West. This period saw a flourishing of cross-cultural interactions that significantly impacted global history.
The post These Facts About The Mongol Empire Will Surprise You appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Stewardess Named Violet Jessop Survived Sinking of Titanic and Its Two Sister Ships appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Jessop, who was born in Bahía Blanca, Argentina, started working as a stewardess on an ocean liner RMS Olympic in 1911. The start of her career didn’t get to the best of starts as Olympic crashed with the British warship HMS Hawke in September of the same year and was heavily damaged.
In April 1912, Jessop transferred to Olympic’s sister ship, RMS Titanic, to continue serving in the same role. She was part of the Titanic’s maiden voyage, which tragically hit an iceberg and sank on April 16, 1912. Fortunately for Jessop, she managed to get off the ship in a lifeboat before it got underwater.
According to Jessop’s accounts, she was handed a baby while boarding the lifeboat and later managed to reunite it with its mother after Titanic survivors were rescued by RMS Carpathia.
Surviving two tragedies didn’t stop Jessop from returning to the sea several years later, but this time under different circumstances. During World War I, Jessop became a stewardess for the British Red Cross and became part of the crew of the hospital ship Britannic, which was the younger sister ship of both the Olympic and Titanic.
Britannic ended up facing the same fate as its sister ships, sinking in November 1916 after coming across a German naval mine. But Jessop survived once again, although she suffered a serious head injury in the process.
You would think that Jessop would finally say goodbye to the sea after this and remain on land. But that wasn’t the case. She continued to work as a stewardess on various ocean liners until her retirement in 1950.
The post Stewardess Named Violet Jessop Survived Sinking of Titanic and Its Two Sister Ships appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post Franz Reichelt, Inventor of the Parachute Suit, Died Testing His Own Invention appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>Parachutes were nothing new by the time Reichelt started working on his idea. However, the designs required the parachutes to be open before use or were suitable for only high altitudes.
Reichelt passionately worked on his invention and made several prototypes of what we now consider parachute suits to be used at lower altitudes or for jumping out of a plane. However, his creations were largely unsuccessful.
Reichelt wasn’t discouraged by the failures. Instead, he believed his previous tests, which included jumps from between 26 feet and 33 feet, were hampered by short drop distances. This prompted him to make a request to Paris authorities to allow him to conduct a test from the Eiffel Tower.
In 1912, Reichelt finally received permission to conduct the test under the presumption that he would use a dummy. But convinced in the efficiency of his invention, Reichelt decided to make the jump himself from the tower’s first deck, which is 187 ft high, despite his friends trying to make him change his mind.
Unfortunately, Reichelt’s parachute suit malfunctioned and he jumped into death. An autopsy later showed that he died from a heart attack, which presumably took place before he hit the ground.
The post Franz Reichelt, Inventor of the Parachute Suit, Died Testing His Own Invention appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The post 5 Quick Facts About the Sydney Opera House appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>The officials launched an international competition in 1956 in order to find a design for the Sydney Opera House. A total of 233 entries from 32 countries were submitted, with Danish architect Jørn Utzon being declared the winner and earning a compensation of 5,000 Australian pounds.
The estimated budget for the construction of the Sydney Opera House was A$7 million. However, by the time the building was finished in 1973, the cost ballooned to A$102 million. Adjusted for inflation, it would be A$1.082 billion ($700 million) today.
From a distance, it might seem like the “sails” of the Sydney Opera House are made from a single solid piece of material. However, the roof of the building is made out of more than one million tiles, which were imported from Sweden.
Aside from its roof, another thing that makes the Sydney Opera House unique is its heating and air-conditioning system. The system uses seawater that runs through 22 miles of pipes and powers the heating and air cooling units.
American concert artist and actor Paul Robeson is credited as the first act to perform at the Sydney Opera House. During a two-month concert tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1960, Robeson visited the construction site of the venue and performed a short show for the construction workers.
The post 5 Quick Facts About the Sydney Opera House appeared first on History Chronicle.
]]>