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Over 1M People Follow This Page To Get Their Daily Dose Of History Facts And Here Are 50 Of Them
History is sometimes labeled as boring, reminding people of school days spent memorizing endless dates and reading through textbooks. But what if it could be genuinely exciting?
There’s an Instagram account called ‘How History Looks’ that proves it can. With over 1 million followers, this page shares fascinating photos and intriguing facts from the past. Curious to see what George Washington’s teeth looked like, what you could order from an old McDonald’s menu, or how students lived in an early 20th-century dorm? Look no further: these pics and more are waiting for you below.
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If history can indeed be interesting, why is it not commonly treated as such? Experts believe the issue lies in how it’s taught—mainly through textbooks. In his book Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, sociologist and historian James W. Loewen explains why they fail to capture our imagination:
“The stories that history textbooks tell are all predictable; every problem has already been solved or is about to be solved,” he writes. “Textbooks exclude conflict or real suspense. They leave out anything that might reflect badly upon our national character. When they try for drama, they achieve only melodrama, because readers know that everything will turn out fine in the end.”
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#3
PFD 1 year ago
Maybe. I thought this sounded too good to be true and it seems like it's probably a myth. The Capone family story is that Al's *brother*, Ralph, convinced milk producers to put *the date of production* on bottles (let's call that "close enough"). But a few people seem to have looked for evidence of it being true and found none. Ditto for the story of it being Al himself.
“Textbooks also keep students in the dark about the nature of history. History is furious debate informed by evidence and reason. Textbooks encourage students to believe that history is facts to be learned,” Loewen adds.
Studying it this way meets a certain need—“a need that should not exist”—to simply absorb information in order to pass standardized tests. “It is the need for teachers who are not, first and foremost, teachers of history or social studies,” Loewen says.
David Cutler, a teacher of history and journalism at Brimmer and May in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, calls textbooks intimidating. They’re typically massive, around 1,000 pages long. “With so much dense, mind-numbing text, too many students give up trying to understand what’s really important,” he says.
#6
Jacob B. 1 year ago
Uh, not quite. Ukraine lacked the expertise and ability to maintain and secure the nukes. The USA pressured them to send them to Russia to be dismantled, who had the expertise. On top of that, Merchants of Death were secretly trying to acquire some of those nukes to sell to rogue nations or terrorist groups....and there were some in Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan willing to "look the other way" for a price. Former Soviet Republics with nukes all signed an agreement to repatriate the nukes back to Russia with the USA granting a nice aid package. The memorandums were just for show, but getting play time due to the war now.
General Anaesthesia 1 year ago (edited)
Nevertheless, Ukraine signed the Nuclear Non-proliferation treaty and the UK, US, Russia and Ukraine signed the Budapest Memorandum of Security Assurances at the United Nations: "... The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States Of America reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine except in self-defense or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations...". Call it a latter day Munich Agreement with Russia if you will, like the Iran agreement the the US pulled out of, but no agreement can survive a Putin or a Trump, but calling it "just for show" is not correct.
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LauraDragonWench 1 year ago
I'm- I'm shocked! My world has been turned upside down!
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J 1 year ago
never trust Soviets! their invasion in Ukraine and the destruction they have caused is comparable only with what Nazis did in WWII... tragic
Hugh Cookson 1 year ago
Catch up please. The Soviet Union was obliterated 30 + years ago. What is happening in Ukraine is more akin to Hitlers invasion of the Sudatenland in 1939 which then led to further land grabs.
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robin aldrich 1 year ago
Well Putin had an "excuse" to break that contract!!! what was it- Nazis????
Jane Hower 1 year ago
Seems you can't trust commies!!! PAY ATTENTION, the dems are also COMMIES!!!
Never Snarky 1 year ago
The average Ukrainians have never trusted the Russians since the break up of the Soviet Union.
Stephane Adam 1 year ago
Ne jamais faire confiance aux Russes. Leur monnaie s'appelle bien le rouble. le mot "roublard" ne doit pas en être éloigné.
Roger Jenkins 1 year ago
They did have until they gave them to Russia. Try reading comprehension 101.
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Analyn Lahr 1 year ago
In America, I believe that is what we call "Indian Giving". Making promises you don't intend to keep. Taking back what you've given. That sort of thing. Correct me if I'm wrong, because I'm not well versed, the phrase grew from the white government promising not to take the Natives' lands, maybe even putting it in writing and then not keeping that promise.
DC 1 year ago (edited)
... and yet, the Putinlovers around here claim that some promise, contract or derivative thereof Russia is said to have received from either Helmut Kohl, or Hans-Dietrich Genscher, or George H.W. Bush, or some other western politician of importance was broken by "the West", that is said to have promised to never expand NATO to the east. Now, how could the german chancellor or minister of foreign affairs DECIDE on behalf of Poland, if Poland is allowed to seek membership of any treaty or union or alliety of whatever kind? How could the POTUS? None of them could have been a legitimate decider on other peoples' behalf, even more so, the Germans, who had started WW2 and were looking for agreement to reunification, would be especially obnoxious to, once again, decide about their neighbours' fate, any of them. Czech Republic is in EU and NATO as well, ... Hungary is ... anyway, there isn't even a theoretical possibility that any promise of that sort, from the people accused thereof and of the subsequently assumed breach, could or would have happened and carried any further than from the desk to the door. But yet, a FEELING of betrayal, because Russia especially didn't really thrive or reap any benefits from losing the cold war, has been less fortunate than the neighbours who decided to pursue a more western approach - not saying that anything west is inherently better, but there's valid reasons to consider it so, by other reasons of course -, and somebody has to take the blame, and it's not the government. Aggression replacing inner progress, and in the process, this ridiculous fairytale comes up every chance they have to spread it. Because, not known but felt, it is considered to be right. It is considered right to feel betrayed, yet none of the accused bear any guilt thereof, but feeling is more important than knowing, more controllable, more relevant even.
#7
“None of the facts is remembered, because they are presented simply as one damn thing after another,” Loewen notes. He drives the point with a simple metaphor, “While textbook authors tend to include most of the trees and all too many twigs, they neglect to give readers even a glimpse of what they might find memorable: the forests”.
#10
John Nelson 1 year ago (edited)
All 6 of my great uncles came home, but there were some close calls. One close enough that the Navy sent my great grandma the death telegram. Fortunately, he had sent her one at the same time to let her know he had survived his ship sinking.
#11
Barbara Wilcock 1 year ago
And we think the world is moving forwards. For these women it's backwards
History truly comes alive when it feels tangible and allows you to make your own conclusions instead of blindly following someone else’s retelling of events. Photos, records, speeches, songs, even old newspapers, diaries, and letters—these are all ways to connect with the past in a personal and thought-provoking way.
#13
T'Mar of Vulcan 1 year ago
The first legal "mixed marriage" was also in 1986. Their names were Suzanne LeClerc and Protas Madlala. They decided to get married no matter what and the government got rid of the mixed marriages act just before they wed. (Not for them but it meant they were the first couple we'd after it was scrapped.)
Kyle Blackmer, a humanities teacher at The Heights School, shows how just a few photos can turn history into an immersive experience. For example, when teaching about the American Civil War, he lines up portraits of generals and asks students to describe their personalities based on their appearance.
“Seeing the proud, manicured, Napoleonic McClellan, the melancholic, humble Grant, and the anxious, intense Sherman all side by side is a great primer for studying the differences in leadership between these three and sets up a deeper look at their actions in the war,” he explains.
#16
#17
Phil Green 1 year ago
She was in jail for less than six years. She had a very successful career as a politician.
Truth is, it’s natural for humans to be curious about the past. We have an innate drive to explore what came before us, something that 16th century British antiquarian William Camden described as a “back-looking curiositie”. Psychologists refer to this as epistemic curiosity—a thirst for knowledge that motivates us to discover new ideas and learn.
So when people have the opportunity to engage with history in an enjoyable way, their enthusiasm shines through. According to a survey by Conner Prairie, 91% of Americans are eager to visit history museums that promise to spark their curiosity and offer fun ways to learn. Moreover, 89% are interested in museums that help them feel more connected to the past, giving them insights into both today’s world and the future.
#22
Besides, research by Reach Advisors shows that history museums are considered the most trusted source of information in America. People crave authenticity, and museums, with their commitment to research and preservation, deliver a level of credibility that other sources can’t match.
The desire to learn and stay informed about the past is strong; it just needs the right motivation. And we hope these posts offered a glimpse into a more exciting way to explore history. So, ditch the textbooks and embrace your curiosity!
#29
Binny Tutera 1 year ago
Growing up, one of my favorite books was The Adventures of Caroline. It was a French book about a little girl and her friends (all animals ) and they all had wine at lunch! Never thought twice about it.
#32
Marie Clear 1 year ago
Not just porphyry, but imperial porphyry! It's purple and only found in one quarry in Egypt. It's in the Vatican Museum and apparently it's the most expensive item they have. Lately estimated to be worth closer to $2 billion.
#34
#35
Manana Man 1 year ago
I really have my doubts that it was meant the way we interpret it today.
#38
Lee Henderson 1 year ago
When I was a child (born 1960) McDonalds had an ad where you could "feed a family of four for under five dollars".
#40
Bob Brooce 1 year ago
Missouri: one of only 11 states that care so little about their black citizens that they could manage to forget about a black guy even after convicting him of robbery.
#43
#44
ILoveMySon 1 year ago (edited)
Anything to get through the day. Seriously though, this is sad.
#49
Vanessa Panerosa 1 year ago
What losers. That’s the only thing that comes to mind. I hope they waited in line for hours. I hope they were next and the ride shut down. I hope it rained unexpectedly and they got soaked to the bone. I hope their expressions looked exactly as miserable as everyone else’s I see at the “happiest place on earth”
#52
U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Hart H. Spiegal tries to communicate with two very young Japanese soldiers captured during the Battle of Okinawa, June 17, 1945.
#55
Nikki Gross 1 year ago
I'm the youngest of 13 kids, I'm 47 years old and Gen X and my parents were from the Silent Generation. Mom's first born was my brother Richie born in 1956 and I was the last born in 1977. Mom came from a family of 10 kids and my Dad from 5, so they were both used to larger families.
#57
Sage da therian 1 year ago
Thr top right picture looks a bit like egg man from the sonic games
#58
Tyranamar Seuss 1 year ago
The thirst and all that sounds bad but what would torture me would be not being able to sit down.
#59
PFD 1 year ago
He kept it up for those 5 months then when it seemed unlikely to stop, turned himself in - he realised that if he kept going, he'd have to stop just having fun and hoard money, leave the country, go into hiding etc. and he didn't want to do that. He was sentenced to a year in jail, another 18 months under a CCO and repayment of $250,000. After release he ended up working in bars again but told the press that it was an amazing time and he had no regrets about the whole thing.
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Arnie Koch 1 year ago
This was my first time on your site. I really enjoyed myself immensely. I was a high school government and U. S. History teacher for 50 years so your site was very interesting and your variety of topics and subjects was well done. Thanks for what you are doing. Very cool.
Arnie Koch 1 year ago
This was my first time on your site. I really enjoyed myself immensely. I was a high school government and U. S. History teacher for 50 years so your site was very interesting and your variety of topics and subjects was well done. Thanks for what you are doing. Very cool.
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