TEN COOL FACTS YOU DIDN'T KNOW

As of late I have been reading a number of history books that reveal little known and quite interesting facts about our global past. Here are some of my favorites thus far... 1-No mummy or other human remains have ever been found in a pyramid in Egypt. It is widely believed that the great pyramids were meant to be tombs for pharohs but even rooms with undisturbed coffins have never yielded a mummy (King Tut's coffin was not discovered within a pyramid). 2- Alexander Graham Bell did not invent the telephone. It was invented 15 years earlier in 1860 by Philip Reis, however he failed to convince his audience of it having any practical use and it was forgotten. 3-The Pony Express was in operation for a mere year and a half before going under due to the invention of the telegraph. 4-The form of writing known as braile was created by Charles Barbier, a French soldier, as a way of reading orders at night so as not to have to light a candle and reveal troop positions to the enemy. 5-The most successful and feared pirate in history was Hsi Kai, a Chinese woman, in the early 1800's. She was eventually given a full pardon and allowed to keep all of her lootings in a compromise with the Chinese government. At her height she commanded 50,000 men and 1000 ships. 6-The guillotine was invented by French Dr. Joseph Guillotin as a more humane way to execute criminals after witnessing barbaric manual beheadings. His children changed their surname after his passing so as not to be associated with the device. 7- The pilgims did not intend to land at Plymouth Rock, MA. However they failed to head north to their intended landing because they had run out of beer. The pilgrim's first order of business upon arrival to these shores was to erect a brew house. 8- Contrary to popular myth, Christopher Columbus did not have to convince his crew or anyone else that the world was not flat. The fact that the world was indeed round had been well established for 200 years prior in educated realms. What he had to convince others of was that the world was not nearly as big as was commonly thought and that traveling it across it's equator would take only a few weeks at best. His calculations proved to be quite incorrect. 9- Attila The Hun died on his wedding night of a severe nose bleed. The result of an over active evening. 10- The ancient olympic games which began in 776B.C. were cancelled in 394A.D. by Roman Emperor Theodosius because he had been converted to Christianity and he felt they were a glorification of pagan worship. They were reinstated again in 1896.