It’s hard to believe that there could be something left in this world that we don’t know, considering all of the vast knowledge that has been accumulated over centuries of knowledge-gathering. But there are still some facts about life that you won’t believe you didn’t know, until now. Read on to discover some fascinating and thought-provoking facts about life that you won’t believe you never knew before.

Facts from Ancient Civilizations

  1. Ancient Egyptians believed that drinking a mixture of ground, dried theriac and resin of the acacia tree would make a person completely immune to all spells and enchantments.

  2. Ancient Greeks believed that a new moon was responsible for any fullness of the stomach or any swelling of the body.

  3. Ancient Romans believed that touching a frog would bring good luck.

  4. Ancient Babylonians believed that a full moon could create abnormalities in a woman’s womb, leading to deformity or illness in any children she bore.

  5. Ancient Chinese believed that a person’s lifespan was predetermined by an invisible force called the ‘yuet’ or ‘yue’.

  6. Ancient Aztecs believed that a woman could only conceive if she’d eaten an appropriate fruit or vegetable before she ovulated.

  7. Ancient Mayans believed that each person’s life was predetermined by the position of the planet Venus in the sky at the time of their birth.

Battles, Wars, and Political Struggles

  1. The Hundred Years War between England and France lasted for 116 years (1337 – 1453).

  2. The Battle of Gettysburg, during the American Civil War, was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War and lasted from July 1 to July 3, 1863.

  3. The French Revolution, which lasted from 1789 to 1799, was an uprising of the people against the ruling aristocracy and led to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of France.

  4. The War of 1812, between the United States and Britain, lasted from 1812 to 1815 and ended with Britain ceding a large portion of its North American colonies to the United States.

  5. The American Revolutionary War, which lasted from 1775 to 1783, saw the former British colonies of America gain their independence from Britain through the Declaration of Independence.

  6. The Cold War, which lasted from 1945 to 1991, saw the US and Soviet Union become embroiled in a long-standing battle of ideological supremacy and arms proliferation.

  7. The Vietnam War, which lasted from 1955 to 1975, ended in a protracted stalemate with the US withdrawing its troops and offering a peace initiative to the Vietnamese.

Facts About the Human Body

  1. Humans are the only species to produce emotional tears.

  2. The human brain’s electrical signals travel at a speed of up to 270 miles per hour.

  3. The human eye can distinguish about 10 million different colors.

  4. Humans have approximately 100 different facial expressions.

  5. Our taste buds can distinguish between sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes.

  6. Humans have the largest brain-to-body size ratio of any species on Earth.

  7. The human heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood a day.

Scientific and Technological Advances

  1. The first known telescope was constructed in 1608.

  2. The invention of the telephone in 1876 revolutionized the way people communicate.

  3. The invention of the light bulb in 1879 made electric lighting possible.

  4. The first computer, the ENIAC, was invented in 1945.

  5. The world’s first nuclear reactor was built in 1942.

  6. The first public television broadcast aired in 1928.

  7. The first antibiotics were discovered in 1928.

Facts About Animals

  1. The oldest known species of fish is the Coelacanths, which has been in existence for over 360 million years.

  2. Horses have been used as a means of transport since around 4000 BC.

  3. Koalas have four pairs of nipples.

  4. Owls have the largest eyes of any bird.

  5. The monarch butterfly has a lifespan of up to eight months.

  6. Rats can sense danger and are capable of predicting earthquakes.

  7. A group of pugs is called a grumble.

Space, Time, and the Universe

  1. A day on Mercury is the equivalent to two Mercury years.

  2. A day on Venus is the equivalent to two Venus years.

  3. Light takes approximately 8 minutes and 20 seconds to travel from the sun to earth.

  4. The universe is estimated to be around 13.8 billion years old.

  5. The youngest known star, TW Hydra, is believed to be only 4 million years old.

  6. The nearest star other then our sun is Proxima Centauri, which is about 4.2 light years away.

  7. The Milky Way galaxy is home to approximately 400 billion stars.

Despite the countless number of facts and pieces of information that have been collected over the centuries, there are still interesting facts and tidbits about life that you won’t believe you didn’t know until now. From ancient civilizations to scientific and technological advances, to space, time, and the universe, these facts are sure to fascinate, enlighten, and even surprise you.

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