Interesting facts around the world. Amazing facts about the world. The longest mountains are at the bottom

On our planet, there are heaven and hell, seamounts, against which the Himalayas seem like a toy. In this land there are cities whose area is larger than Austria or Belgium, and states that do not have an official capital. The strangest, most interesting and amazing facts about the world are included in today's selection.

Chongqing is called the second capital of China, and it is famous for the fact that it occupies an area larger than the whole of Austria or Belgium. The metropolis is home to 30 million people - a number that makes it the absolute champion of the planet.

And this is not the limit, because Chongqing is growing and expanding. You can't call the city beautiful even with a stretch - narrow cramped streets, heaps of ugly buildings, gloomy alleys, dozens of automobile factories and chemical industries. In Chongqing, as many houses, buildings, bridges and other structures are built in a year as in Moscow in 20 years.

Perhaps in a few years the appearance of the largest metropolis will change, because the old quarters are being actively demolished, and modern skyscrapers are growing in their place. But this is unlikely to make Chongqing any more comfortable.

Countries without railways

There are many such states not only in Asia, but also in Europe. in Iceland transport infrastructure well developed - passengers are served by buses, planes, ships, but railways there is no.

In Qatar, where the population exceeds 800 thousand people, there is also no railway connection. It is absent in Guinea, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan.

This list also includes the European countries Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra. They, like Iceland, occupy a small area. The lands in the states are expensive, there is a shortage of them, and the terrain is mountainous, so the construction of railway lines is impractical.

There are no trains in the Caribbean, except for Cuba. It is the only island in the region with a railroad.

E, O, I, Yu

These are not vowels of the alphabet, but the names of cities. E is located in France, on the coast of the Bresle River. It is home to about 8 thousand inhabitants. The indigenous people are called Eytsy.

In Norwegian Lofoten, tourists can hear how one local invites another to fish in O. This is not a joke, but an unusual name for a fishing village. It comes from the word "A", which in Old Norse meant "river".

Mentions about locality date from the middle of the 16th century. It attracts tourists not only with its short name, but also with museums of fish and the history of the village that work here.

Ypsilonians - this is how the inhabitants of the French commune I, located 100 km from Paris, call themselves. Its number is less than 100 people, but even in such sparsely populated places of our world there are amazing facts.

Yi, for example, has a sister village with the unpronounceable name of Llanfairpullgwingillgogeryhverndrobulllantysilyogogogoh. One can only guess how customers pronounce it when they order tickets at railway stations.

In the Swedish city of Yu, 8 thousand people live permanently. The medieval town is popular with travelers because most of the buildings in it are wooden. And these are not only residential buildings, but also churches and public institutions.

It seems that residents are satisfied with short names, although the authorities of the countries periodically raise the topic of their possible renaming. They believe that the renaming will make it easier for users to find information of interest on the Internet.

The resort that is usually sent to

In the southwestern part of Mexico is a beautiful resort with a pristine coastline. It stretches for almost 4 km along the Pacific coast. The beach areas are wide, sandy, secluded bays created especially for lovers. Green hills protect them from the wind, the sky is a transparent blue color.

In this resort place, anyone can buy a villa or an apartment in a condominium with a stunning view from the windows. A 2-room apartment costs 30-40 thousand dollars. And this place is called Nahui and looks very picturesque.

Nauru is a country without a capital

This state can be walked around in 2 hours - length 6 km, width - 4 km. Nauru is located on the coral island of the same name in the western part of Oceania and is considered the only country in the world that does not have an official capital. The compact territory is divided into districts.

The first people appeared in Nauru more than 3 millennia ago. When Captain Firn discovered the island in 1798, it was already inhabited by 12 tribes. They had no idea about the state system and way of life, survived by fishing, growing coconuts and knew how to do without the benefits of civilization.

Today, the tiny country barely survives - tours to the island are not popular due to the lack of local color, high humidity and heat of 40-42 degrees. Nauru is located almost on the equator. The state of ecology is deplorable - over the decades that phosphorites were mined here, instead of soil, a "lunar landscape" remained.

The longest mountains are at the bottom

Sometimes, to find the most amazing facts in the world, you have to go down to the ocean floor. In our case, to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, which is divided by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge into two almost equal parts - western and eastern.

The underwater mountain range is the longest world record. Its length is 18,000 km, its width is almost a thousand km, and its height is small for mountains - at peaks it does not exceed 3 km.

During the study of the relief of the mountain range, scientists discovered a curious pattern: the farther from the rift valley, the older the basalt rocks. Their age was determined by archaeologists and geologists - 70 million years.

Mississippi changed direction

In 1811, an earthquake hit New Madrid, and in 1812, another hit the town of Missouri. Seismologists rated the power of the elements at 8 on the Richter scale.

Those earthquakes were the most powerful in North America- as a result, huge areas went underground, and new lakes formed in their place. The Mississippi River changed course in a short time and flowed in the opposite direction. Its waters formed the Kentucky Bend.

There are no rivers in Saudi Arabia

They used to be, but dried up. During the rains, dry riverbeds are filled with water, but this water is stagnant, there is no current in it. The Saudis treat fresh water with care.

In total, there are 17 states in the world in which there is not a single river. except Saudi Arabia the list includes Oman, Kuwait, Yemen, UAE, Monaco, Vatican and others.

There are no rivers in Monaco and the Vatican, because the territory of the states is small, there are no channels from which they could appear.

Sea without shores

The Sargasso Sea is the only one that has no shores. It is located in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean and is a mystery to mankind. The fact is that the water in the Sargasso Sea has unique properties that are not characteristic of oceanic waters.

The weather here is calm all year round, the sea never storms. For this property, the reservoir has gained notoriety as a ship cemetery. In the Middle Ages, sailing ships could not move when it was calm. The sailors also failed to row with their hands - numerous algae interfered. So, in anticipation of a tailwind, entire teams perished.

This highway is considered the longest railway in the world. The Great Siberian Way, as it was called in Tsarist Russia, connects Moscow and St. major cities in Siberia and the Far East.

The railway route stretches for almost 9.3 thousand km, crosses 3901 bridges, which is also an absolute record.

UFO exists

The fact of its existence was recognized by Chile, Italy and France. But the first was Japan. It happened on April 17, 1981. The crew of a Japanese cargo ship saw a disk rising from the ocean waters into the sky. It glowed blue.

Taking off, the UFO stirred up such a powerful wave that it completely covered the ship. After that, the luminous plate circled over the ship for about 15 minutes, either moving quickly or hovering in the air.

Then the UFO again went into the water, and the second wave damaged the ship's hull. As a result of the case, the coast guard press officer officially stated that the atypical damage was due to a collision with a UFO.

Uganda is the youngest country

Experts predict that 192.5 million people will live in Uganda in 2100.

It is curious that half of the inhabitants are children and teenagers under 15 years old. Uganda is considered the youngest country on the planet.

Hell and Heaven on earth

What Hell looks like, everyone can see. True, for this you need to come to Norway and get to the city of Trondheim. From there to Hell - 24 km.

Norwegian Hell has its own railway station, shops, and a blues music festival every September. The village inherited the unusual name from the Old Norse word "hellir", which is interpreted as "cave", "rock". But locals prefer the meaning of the homonym - "luck".

Earthly Paradise is located in the UK, 80 km from London. 4 thousand people permanently live in it. This compact town is built on a hill. He used to be surrounded sea ​​water, and now, when there is no sea, there are 3 rivers.

Paradise - ancient city, the first mention of it is in the sources of 1024. It is surprising that its ancient streets, lanes, fortresses, houses, windows, roofs have been preserved almost in their original form. Paradise has several charming cafes and shops where you can enjoy delicious coffee, tea and desserts. A complete feeling that time has turned back - in the 16-17th century.

History - interesting science, she talks about distant eras and various events, makes us analyze the facts and confuses scientists. Historical finds are still not uncommon, and some refute the generally accepted versions of the development of human civilization, and force us to put forward new hypotheses. More than once, history has been rewritten, adjusted to fit patterns, and interpreted in a form convenient for the ruling class. It seems that modern level technology and knowledge allows us to explain the most incredible and strange events. But in the world there is still room for the unknown and inexplicable.

Ancient archaeological finds

The work of archaeologists has repeatedly presented the world with surprises: the found artifacts and household items baffled historians. Their antiquity did not match official version development of mankind. How to explain the presence of iron weapons among savage tribes unfamiliar with metallurgy? What were the objects built for? How could they be built, if even modern technologies are not capable of reproducing similar or simply transporting building materials of the same weight? Get acquainted with some architectural objects around which disputes still do not subside, despite the presence of many articles and scientific theories.

pyramids

The pyramids of the pharaohs of Egypt, well known all over the world, existed already 2600 thousand years BC. (this time is estimated approximately, the exact age has not been established so far). A lot is known about the life of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, but many questions still remain unanswered. Why does the angle of inclination along the line that can connect all the pyramids exactly match the angle of inclination of Orion's Belt in 10,500 BC? match exactly?

One more inexplicable fact: building technology during the reign of the pharaohs does not explain the appearance of such large and majestic buildings. Amazing stories about the curse of the pharaohs raise many questions, but even now it is impossible to fully explain why punishment overtakes everyone who disturbed the peace of the ancient rulers of Egypt.

And one more important and unusual point: the pyramids found on different continents are surprisingly similar to each other. In addition to Egypt, they can be proud of their huge monuments:

• Latin America (Mayan and Aztec pyramids);
• Andes (religious buildings of Norte Chico);
• China (tombs of the rulers of the Zhou and Zhao, Ming, Tang, Qin, Han, Sui dynasties);
• Rome (Pyramid of Cestius);
• Nubia (city of Meroe);
• Spain (Pyramids of Gumar);
• Russia (pyramids of the Kola Peninsula, Aryan temple in Rostov-on-Don).

All religious buildings date back to different centuries, but have a number of similar features. An interesting fact: the artificially created pyramids of the Kola Peninsula were built about 10 thousand years ago, which allows us to speak of them as the oldest in the world. And it makes you remember the mysterious Hyperborea, which is considered either a myth, or the cradle of all mankind.

It is also worth mentioning underwater finds. It is possible that pyramidal structures have been found in the Bermuda Triangle, which have already been called the legendary Atlantis that has gone under water. True, there is very little information about the find and they are contradictory. But the Japanese underwater pyramidal structures are studied carefully.

Disputes about their age are still ongoing: some scientists talk about 5 thousand years, others - about 10. Apparently, there is a lot of truth in ancient myths, new data can change the history of human development.

Mysterious finds

Historical religious buildings, unusual monuments, strange ancient monuments, interesting archaeological finds have baffled scientists more than once. Sometimes it is very difficult to understand and explain how and why certain objects and structures appeared. A number of objects can be added to the list of the most inexplicable.

Idols of Easter Island. Their age is more than 1000 years, but who created them from pressed volcanic ash?

Stonehenge. Many legends are associated with this place: the druids, the wizard Merlin, the legendary Grail are mentioned. But the question is that Stonehenge was created much earlier. This is precisely established by scientists. Radiocarbon analysis indicates an age of 3,500 BC. But this does not prevent us from putting forward the most incredible theories of the origin of this mysterious structure. There are already about 200 of them.

Interestingly, in addition to the famous English Stonehenge, there are similar buildings:

• Small henge in England;
• Karahunj in Armenia;
• ancient stones found in the city of Gela (Italy);
• basalt boulders in Australia (near Melbourne);
• prehistoric earthen henge of Ireland;
• cromlech in the Rostov region (Russia);
• cromlech of Khortitsa island (Ukraine);
• boulders of Salem (USA);
• stone forest in Bulgaria.

All of them are unique. They are often called ancient observatories, sundials, places of worship, but their true purpose remains a mystery.

Nazco drawings in Peru. The Nascu plateau is painted: there are images of birds, animals, geometric figures. What is unusual about this? Only the fact that the scale is amazing, you can see them in their entirety from a bird's eye view. But they were created about 900 years ago, then they seemed to only dream of flying ...

Stainless column in Delhi. 1600 years old she stands in an Indian city under open sky. The height of the column is 7 meters, it is not clear how it was smelted. But the most amazing fact is this: rust does not form on the iron, there is not even a speck.

Kailasanath Temple. According to legend, seven thousand craftsmen carved a majestic Indian temple in a hundred years with a simple pick and chisel, moving from top to bottom along a huge rock. How they managed to reproduce such precise forms and maintain all proportions is not clear.

These and other interesting historical findings baffle scientists. Will humans ever be able to pinpoint their purpose or how they were created? There is no such certainty. In the meantime, we have to be content with more or less plausible theories.

Science is interesting

The history of the development of various sciences is filled with interesting facts. It is no secret that many discoveries were accidental, and sometimes unrelated scientists living in different countries came to the same conclusions almost simultaneously. Or they went down in history as inventors, although they only improved and distributed other people's ideas.

Some myths are still stubbornly perceived as real historical events:

• Edison light bulb. He is still considered its inventor, although he only improved the finished invention, and with the help of his employees after numerous experiments. But at the origins of the creation were the Russian inventors Yablochkov and Lodygin, the Englishman Joseph Swan, the British Frederick de Moleyns and the American John Starr.

Little-known, sometimes specially “forgotten” facts from the history of various sciences can significantly change the usual ideas about their development and formation.

Some historical events are associated with animals. Remember the legendary story of how the geese saved Rome. It so happens that our smaller brothers become the cause of global upheavals and can change the fate of peoples.

Check out the highlights:

• The mass destruction of sparrows in China caused the death of about 30 million people. The natural enemies of locusts and caterpillars that disappeared from the fields led to their mass reproduction. As a result of the destruction of crops, famine began. And the bugs also bred, which also brought a lot of inconvenience and problems to the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom.

This negative examples but there are also positive ones. Pets have repeatedly saved their owners during earthquakes. They felt the approach of catastrophe and warned by their behavior about the coming disaster. Seismic biologists have learned to correctly interpret the signals of snakes, birds, fish and mammals.

unusual medicine

The historical facts about what was sometimes used as medicines are amazing.

Here are some of the most unusual treatments:

• Calming syrup for children. Nannies and young mothers in England and America in the 19th century used a syrup based on ammonia and morphine. The medicine was considered universal.
• Children used to be treated for coughs with heroin, which was used as a substitute for morphine.
• The tobacco enema was used in Western Europe in medicinal purposes. By the way, back in the middle of the last century, cigarettes were advertised as a healthy product.
• In the Middle Ages, an iron stake heated on fire was used to treat hemorrhoids.
• Ancient physicians performed trepanation with a hammer, this is how mental disorders were treated, it is not surprising that patients often died right on the operating table.
• It was believed that venereal diseases could be cured with mercury or lead. After such rubbing, people died more often than from the disease itself.

Reincarnation: myth or truth

There are many references in history to the re-incarnation of dead people. Is this a myth or does reincarnation exist?

You will seriously think about this if you learn some facts from the life of great people:

• Napoleon and Hitler. Having studied their biography, it is not difficult to believe in reincarnation, many significant events in the life of both dictators occurred with an interval of 129 years. 1760 and 1889 are the birth years of Napoleon and Hitler. Further dates follow respectively: coming to power - 1804 and 1933, the conquest of Vienna and the attack on Russia - 1812 and 1841, the defeat in the war - 1816 and 1945.
• Lincoln and Kennedy. These American presidents have a difference of exactly 100 years: Lincoln was born in 1818, Kennedy - in 1918. And further coincidences: they became presidents in 1860 and 1960, respectively. Both were killed on Friday, Lincoln at the Kennedy Theater, Kennedy in a Lincoln car. Their killers were also born 100 years apart. So did the successors to the presidency: both Johnsons, Andrew and Lyndon, took over the presidency after the assassination, one was born in 1808, the other in 1908.

By studying historical legends, myths and theories, you can learn a lot of interesting facts about humanity, the lives of great people, their discoveries and inventions.

Interesting historical facts beckon with their diversity. Thanks to them, humanity has a unique opportunity to understand what happened in a particular period of development of a nation, society and states. Facts from history are not only what we were told in school. There are many secrets from this area of ​​knowledge.

1. Peter the Great had his own method to fight alcoholism in the country. Drunkards were awarded medals, which weighed about 7 kilograms, and they could not be removed from oneself.

2. In the days of Ancient Russia, grasshoppers were called dragonflies.

3.The national anthem of Thailand was written by a Russian composer.

5. Those who urinated in the pond were executed during the time of Genghis Khan.

7. Braids were a sign of feudalism in China.

8. The virginity of English women in Tudor times was symbolized by bracelets on their hands and a tightly tightened corset.

9. Nero, who was emperor in Ancient Rome married his male slave.

10. In ancient times in India, mutilation of the ears was used as a punishment.

11. Arabic numerals were not invented by Arabs, but by mathematicians from India.

13. Foot binding was considered an ancient tradition of the Chinese people. The essence of this was to make the foot smaller, and therefore more feminine and beautiful.

14. Morphine was once used to reduce coughs.

15. The ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun's parents were a sister and a brother.

16. Gaius Julius Caesar had the nickname "boots".

17. Elizabeth the First covered her own face with white lead and vinegar. So she hid traces of smallpox.

18. The hat of Monomakh was the symbol of the Russian tsars.

19. Pre-revolutionary Russia was considered the most non-drinking country.

20. Until the 18th century, Russia did not have a flag.

21.Since November 1941, there was a tax on childlessness in the Soviet Union. It was 6% of the total salary.

22. Help in clearing objects during the Second World War was provided by trained dogs.

23. Almost no earthquake was recorded during large-scale nuclear testing 1960-1990s.

24. For Hitler, the main enemy was not Stalin, but Yuri Levitan. He even announced a reward of 250,000 marks for his head.

25. In the Icelandic "Saga of Hakon Hakonarson" it was said about Alexander Nevsky.

26. Fist fights have long been famous in Russia.

27. Catherine II abolished flogging for the military for same-sex contacts.

28. Only Joan of Dark managed to expel the invaders from France, who called herself the messenger of God.

29. The length of the Cossack gull, which we remember from the history of the Zaporizhzhya Sich, reached about 18 meters.

30. Genghis Khan defeated the Keraites, Merkits and Naimans.

31. By order of Emperor Augustus, in ancient Rome they did not build houses that were higher than 21 meters. This minimized the risk of being buried alive.

32. The Colosseum is considered the bloodiest place in history.

33. Alexander Nevsky had military rank"khan".

34. In the days of the Russian Empire, it was allowed to carry edged weapons.

35. Soldiers in Napoleon's army addressed the generals as "you".

36. During the Roman war, soldiers lived in tents of 10 people.

37. Any touching of the emperor in Japan before World War II was blasphemy.

38. Boris and Gleb are the first Russian saints who were canonized in 1072.

39. A Red Army machine gunner with the name Semyon Konstantinovich Hitler, who was Jewish by nationality, participated in the Great Patriotic War.

40. In the old days in Russia, to clean pearls, they gave it to peck at a chicken. After that, the chicken was slaughtered, and the pearls were pulled out of her stomach.

41. From the very beginning, people who do not know how to speak Greek were called barbarians.

42. In pre-revolutionary Russia, name days for Orthodox people were a more important holiday than a birthday.

43. When England and Scotland came to an alliance, Great Britain was created.

44. After Alexander the Great brought cane sugar from one of his Indian campaigns to Greece, he immediately began to be called “Indian salt”.

45. In the 17th century, thermometers were filled not with mercury, but with cognac.

46. ​​The Aztecs invented the first condom in the world. It was made from a fish bladder.

47. In 1983, not a single human birth was registered in the Vatican.

48. From the 9th to the 16th century in England there was a law that every man should practice archery every day.

49. When the Winter Palace was stormed, only 6 people died.

50. About 13,500 houses were destroyed in the great and famous fire of London in 1666.

Almost all peoples, nations and countries have historical facts. Today we want to tell you about various interesting facts that were in the world, which many people know about, but it will also be interesting to read again. The world is not perfect, just like a person, and the facts about which we will tell will be bad. You will be interested, as each reader will learn something informative within their interests.

After 1703, Poganye Prudy in Moscow began to be called ... Chistye Prudy.

During the time of Genghis Khan in Mongolia, anyone who dared to urinate in any body of water was executed. Because the water in the desert was valued more than gold.

On December 9, 1968, the computer mouse was introduced at a display of interactive devices in California. A patent for this gadget was received by Douglas Engelbart in 1970.

In England, in 1665-1666, the plague devastated entire villages. It was then that medicine recognized the usefulness of smoking, which supposedly destroyed the deadly infection. Children and teenagers were punished if they refused to smoke.

It wasn't until 26 years after the founding of the FBI that its agents got the right to bear arms.

In the Middle Ages, sailors deliberately inserted at least one gold tooth, even sacrificing a healthy one. What for? It turns out that for a rainy day, so that in case of death he could be honorably buried away from home.

First in the world mobile phone this is a Motorola DynaTAC 8000x (1983).

Fourteen years before the sinking of the Titanic (April 15, 1912), a story by Morgan Robertson was published that foreshadowed the tragedy. Interestingly, according to the book, the ship "Titan" collided with an iceberg and sank, exactly as it actually happened.

DEAN - The head of the soldiers in the tents, in which the Roman army lived for 10 people, was called the dean.

The most expensive bathtub in the world is carved from a very rare stone called Caijou. They say that it has healing properties, and the places of its extraction are still kept secret! It was owned by a billionaire United Arab Emirates who wished to remain anonymous. The price of Le Gran Queen is $1,700,000.

The English admiral Nelson, who lived from 1758 to 1805, slept in his cabin in a coffin that had been cut from the mast of an enemy French ship.

The list of gifts for Stalin in honor of the 70th anniversary was printed in advance in newspapers more than three years before the event.

How many types of cheese are produced in France? The famous cheese maker Andre Simon mentioned 839 varieties in his book “On the Cheese Business”. Camembert and Roquefort are the most famous, and the first one appeared relatively recently, only 300 years ago. This type of cheese is made from milk with the addition of cream. Already after 4-5 days of ripening, a mold crust appears on the surface of the cheese, which is a special fungal culture.

The famous inventor of the sewing machine, Isaac Singer, was married to five women at the same time. In general, from all the women he had 15 children. He named all his daughters Mary.

27 million people died in the Great Patriotic War.

One of the unusual records in car travel belongs to two Americans - James Hargis and Charles Creighton. In 1930, they covered more than 11 thousand kilometers in "reverse", driving from New York to Los Angeles, and then returning back.

Two hundred years ago, not only men, but also women participated in the famous Spanish bullfights. This happened in Madrid, and on January 27, 1839, a very significant bullfight took place, because only representatives of the weaker sex took part in it. The most famous as a matador was the Spaniard Pajuelera. Women were banned from bullfighting in the early 20th century, when Spain was ruled by the Fascists. Women were able to defend their right to enter the arena only in 1974.

The first computer to include a mouse was the Xerox 8010 Star Information System minicomputer, introduced in 1981. The Xerox mouse had three buttons and cost $400, which equates to nearly $1,000 in 2012 inflation-adjusted prices. In 1983, Apple released its own one-button mouse for the Lisa computer, which was reduced to $25. The mouse gained wide popularity due to its use in Apple Macintosh computers and later in Windows for IBM PC compatible computers.

Jules Verne wrote 66 novels, including unfinished ones, as well as more than 20 novels and short stories, 30 plays, several documentary and scientific works.

When, in 1798, Napoleon was heading for Egypt with his army, he captured Malta along the way.

During the six days that Napoleon spent on the island, he:

Abolished the power of the Knights of the Order of Malta
- Carried out administration reform with the creation of municipalities and financial management
-Abolished slavery and all feudal privileges
- Appointed 12 judges
- laid the foundations family law
-Introduced primary and general public education

65-year-old David Baird ran his own marathon to raise money for research into prostate and breast cancer. For 112 days, David traveled 4115 kilometers, while pushing a wheelbarrow in front of him. And so he crossed the Australian continent. At the same time, he was on the move for 10-12 hours a day, and for the entire time of jogging with a wheelbarrow he covered a distance equal to 100 traditional marathons. This courageous man, having visited 70 cities, collected donations from Australian residents in the amount of about 20 thousand local dollars.

In Europe, lollipops appeared in the 17th century. At first they were actively used by doctors.

The group "Aria" has a song called "Will and Reason", few people know that this is the motto of the Nazis in fascist Italy.

A Frenchman from the town of Landes - Sylvain Dornon made his way from Paris to Moscow, moving on stilts. Having set off on March 12, 1891, covering 60 kilometers every day, the brave Frenchman reached Moscow in less than 2 months.

Capital of Japan, Tokyo this moment- the largest city in the world with a population of 37.5 million people.

Rokossovsky is a marshal of the USSR and Poland at the same time.

Despite the popular belief that the transfer of Alaska to the United States of America was carried out by Catherine II, the Russian Empress has nothing to do with this historic deal.

Military weakness is considered one of the main reasons for this event. Russian Empire which became evident during the Crimean War.

The decision to sell Alaska was made during a special meeting that took place in St. Petersburg on December 16, 1866. It was attended by all the top leadership of the country.

The decision was taken unanimously.

Some time later, the Russian envoy in the US capital, Baron Eduard Andreyevich Stekl, suggested that the American government buy Alaska from the Republic of Ingushetia. The proposal was approved.

And in 1867, for 7.2 million gold, Alaska came under the jurisdiction of the United States of America.

In 1502–1506 Leonardo da Vinci painted his most significant work - the portrait of Mona Lisa, the wife of Messer Francesco del Giocondo. Many years later, the picture received a simpler name - "La Gioconda".

girls in Ancient Greece got married at the age of 15. For men, the average age for marriage was a more respectable period - 30 - 35 years. The bride's father himself chose a husband for his daughter and gave money or things as a dowry.

The most interesting historical facts about different updated: September 4, 2018 by: website

Interesting stories, data and traditions always capture. On the one hand, the volume of information and its availability is growing incredibly today. But on the other hand, choose the right one in this stream interesting fact It is very difficult not to drown in the sea of ​​something interesting. In this article, we have collected interesting details about our world, its inhabitants and events.

1. Mysterious Mixin

An interesting representative is found in the waters of the oceans fauna- mixina. This order of vertebrates is represented by 15 species, the largest number of which is distributed off the western coast of North America.
Myxina is an ancient animal, they are already more than 300 million years old, and the structure of these creatures has not changed for almost all this time, this is some kind of intermediate link between worms and fish. Hagfish do not have a spine, only a skull, which makes up the entire skeleton. Mixins are vicious predators. They gnaw out the insides of fish with their powerful tongue with sharp teeth. By the way, there is interesting fact about the fact that hagfish actively use fishing nets - they attack immobilized fish and often leave fishermen without a catch. Therefore, in Northern Europe, fishermen often have to change places of fishing, fleeing from impudent primitive predators.
The body of the creatures is covered with a thick layer of mucus and can be tied into a knot, which is an excellent defense mechanism. The largest animals reach 127 cm, although usually the size of the hagfish does not exceed 45-70 cm. The internal structure of the hagfish is also amazing - it has 4 hearts, one nostril and two brains. There are 2 eyes and light-sensitive elements near the cloaca - the hagfish "feels" the light, but does not distinguish the image. Mixins reproduce by laying eggs. At the same time, their fertilization is external, and in some species there may be only one male per hundred females.

2. swiss hemp

Switzerland invented most An interesting way to combat the illegal distribution of marijuana. Residents of the country were allowed to grow 4 cannabis bushes for personal use. Of course it is possible smile such naivety, but there is a certain logic in the decision. after all, if someone needs hemp, then no matter how cruel the prohibitions are, he will still find it. Then let it be better for a person to simply grow such a bush dear to his heart.
But one must also take into account interesting fact that everyone is entitled to cannabis, which means that a family of 4-5 people will already have a whole, and completely legal, clearing of 16-20 bushes.

3. Birth of M&M's

Forrest Mars Sr. spied on the idea of ​​his famous chocolates during a Spanish civil war. He saw how the soldiers ate chocolate dragees, and due to the shell of hardened chocolate, the sweets did not melt and did not smear their fingers.
Actually M&M's began to produce in 1941. Candies immediately became very popular, so much so that they were even included in the food rations of American soldiers on the fronts of World War II.

4. Long-legged spider crab

One of most The largest arthropod on Earth is the Japanese spider crab. Its cephalothorax is up to 37 cm long, but if you measure the crab with its legs, you get all 4 meters! This representative fauna It feeds on animal remains and shellfish and can live up to 100 years. I usually use it for scientific, food and decorative purposes, often settled in large aquariums.

5. rain merchant

At the beginning of the twentieth century Charles Hatfield called the rain caster. He traded sewing machines, and in his free time he studied materials on chemistry, physics, meteorology. His goal was to learn how to make rain with the help of chemicals.
By 1902, Hatfield had a powerful secret mixture of 23 ingredients that had to be boiled over a fire from large zinc pans. The first few experiments were unsuccessful, but after bringing in the younger brother Paul, Hatfield begins to earn money on a bet to call rainfall at a certain point.
The fame of Hatfield is rapidly spreading throughout the country. The most interesting story takes place in Sag Diego. A contract is made with the city authorities in 1915 to fill the Morena Reservoir in the amount of $10,000. As a result, multi-day downpours, terrible flooding, casualties and destruction begin, the authorities suffer losses of 3.5 million dollars. Litigation ensued after such a massive event, with opinions divided on the connection between Hatfield's activities and the rainstorms. But the process served as good advertising and the popularity of the "rain caster" only grew. Such successful events throughout the history of Hatfield, there are about 500.
During his lifetime, by the way, Charles did not reveal his secret, telling it only to Paul, with whom she died.

6. Terrible companion of Santa Claus

In Germany, Austria and Hungary in their Alpine regions there is a strange belief. According to local residents in the retinue of Santa Claus there is a creepy creature - Krampus. He specializes in punishing particularly spoiled children, and his name comes from "claw" (claw).
The first mention of Krampus dates back to the 19th century, now its popularity is falling. But some areas of Austria and Bavaria celebrate "Krampustag" (Krampus Day) on December 5th. At the same time, people wear scary costumes and scare passers-by. According to the legends Krampus kidnaps children who were especially “distinguished” last year, takes them in a bag to his castle, and then dumps them into the sea.

7. The Japanese have figured out how to "revive" the toy

Japanese designers came up with a special PINOKY device with microcontrollers and photosensors that looks like a bracelet and is worn on the limb of a soft toy. Further, from the remote control, you can send commands to the device and the limb will move. In addition, PINOKY will be able to remember all the movements that a person did with a limb and reproduce them on a signal.

8. Pigeons of Birmingham Rollers doing somersaults in the air

In Birmingham, England, the Birmingham Rollers pigeon breed was bred, which became especially popular with amateurs due to the unusual abilities of birds. These doves can tumble in the air. Scientists cannot explain this interesting fact - there are no special reasons for tumbling in birds, and dovecote experts say that birds just like it.

9. happy coincidences

Barbara Soper gave birth to her first daughter on 08.08.08, and right on time. Literally a year later, the housewife gave birth to a son, then the doctors had to intervene, the boy was born ahead of time(September 20), but also at an amazing moment - 09/09/09. and a year later, 36-year-old Barbara gave birth to another girl. This time the doctor also had to intervene. Theoretically, the girl was supposed to be born on November 4, but due to the risk of complications, the birth was accelerated and the baby was born on 10/10/10.
Sopers say that they did not plan such a unique event, everything happened by chance, although the chance of a coincidence is only 1 in 50 million!

10. sex trainers in usa

In the US, there is a unique profession - a sex coach. He, like any other coach, must improve the level of theoretical, technical, moral and volitional training of his wards. Now this profession is very popular, and the services of such trainers are incredibly in demand. Topics covered include dating, kissing, foreplay, ejaculation, and more. In addition, the training program includes joint trips to sex shops and watching porn films. Intimacy with a coach is not included in the program, which means that the wards will have to figure it out in practice on their own.
For those who are engaged in self-education, here are some