History is a Mystery — Random Historical Facts
Tags: History, Facts, Mystery

(1)The dollar was officially adopted as our nation’s unit of currency in 1785.

(2)Throughout history, people have used many forms of money, such as soap, cocoa beans, elephant tail hairs, entire elephants, grain, animal skins, fishhooks, feathers, tea tobacco, bird claws, and bear teeth.

(3)The most famous demonstration during the Great Depression was held by the “Bonus Army.” It consisted largely of WWI veterans who requested financial bonuses that were scheduled to be given in 1945 to be paid instead in 1932. The U.S. Army was called in to disperse them.

(4)Troubled European nations, such as Greece, have implemented austerity measures in an attempt to control massive debt. Some austerity measures include cuts to public sector pay and pensions, reduced benefits, and increased taxes. However, austerity economics have been met not only with public opposition but also speculation that spending cuts and higher taxes will reduce demand for goods and services just when an increase is needed.

(5)Charge coins, a predecessor to the credit card, were first issued around 1865. They were initially made of celluloid, which is an early form of plastic. Later, they were made from copper, aluminium, steel, or white metal. They were about the size of a quarter to a half-dollar. Some were triangles or another unique shape. They were mainly issued by department stores.

(6)The Turin Papyrus shows the first map of a gold mine in Nubia, a major gold producer in antiquity. Indeed, the Egyptian word for gold was “nub,” from gold-rich Nubia. While Egyptian slaves often suffered terribly in gold mines, Egyptian artisans who made gold jewellery for the nobles enjoyed a high, almost priestly status.

(7)The word “coin” is from the Latin word cuneus for “wedge,” because the dye for stamping metal coins was wedge-shaped.

(8)Gold is so rare that the world pours more steel in an hour than it has poured gold since the beginning of recorded history.

(9)No African Americans have appeared on paper money. However, in the 1940s, commemorative coins were created with images of George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington, followed by the release of a Jackie Robinson coin. Four African American men have served as Registers of the Treasury and one African American woman served as the Treasurer of the United States. Their signatures appear on paper money.

(10)The term “inflation” is from the Latin term inflate, meaning to “blow up or inflate,” and it was first used in a monetary sense to describe “an increase in the amount of money” in 1838. Today, economists argue over the definition of inflation but generally agree that it means a continued rise in prices while the value of money declines.

(11)Walter Cavanagh of California is known as “Mr Plastic Fantastic.” He has more than 13,000 credit cards, the largest collection in the world. He keeps his cards in the world’s largest wallet, that is 250 feet long.

(12)Charge plates, or Charge-Plates, predate credit cards. Used until the early 1960s, they were made from aluminium or white metal plates and were the size of dog tags. The backs had a paperboard insert with the issuer’s name and cardholder’s signature. They were sometimes kept in the stores (usually department stores) and retrieved by a clerk when someone wanted to use them.

(13)The first known contraceptive was a mixture of crocodile dung and honey, used by Egyptian women in 1850 B.C.

(14)During the Middle Ages, knights did not want to carry cash around because of robbers. Instead, knights wore special rings. When a knight stayed at an inn, for example, he would stamp the bill with his ring. The innkeeper later took the stamped bill to the knight’s castle to be paid.

(15)In 1963, Mister Rogers was ordained as a Presbyterian minister.

(16)The U.S. Bullion Depository at Fort Knox was built in 1936. It holds 4,578 metric tons of gold. The New York Fed is even bigger at 7,000 metric tons. Together, they hold 7.5% of all gold ever refined.

(17)There are more than 1.6 million ATMs in the world. There is even one in Antarctica. Friday is the most popular day at the ATM. The average amount withdrawn from an ATM is $80.

(18)Gold melts at 1064.43° Centigrade. It can conduct both heat and electricity and it never rusts.

(19)The average number of credit cards the American consumer had at the end of 2012 was 1.96. The average number of credit cards held by cardholders at the end of 2009 was 3.7.

(20)The 2011 debt ceiling crisis, which nearly brought the U.S. to the brink of default, has sent disapproval of Congress to the highest levels on record. An estimated 82% of Americans disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job.

(21)Venice introduced the gold ducat in 1284 and it became the most popular gold coin in the world for the next 500 years. Ducat is Latin for “duke.” It is the currency used in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and is referenced in The Merchant of Venice. In his song “I Ain’t the One,” rapper Ice Cube sings that “he’s getting juiced for his ducats.” The ducat is also used in the “Babylon 5” sci-fi series as the name of the Centauri race’s money.

by-Shaan Sharma (founder of ixplore)

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