Discovery of penicillin
In 1928 Alexander Fleming came back from holiday to find his lab had been working harder than he had.
Fall of the Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire is said to have fallen in 476 AD, though it mostly sat down slowly.
Magna Carta
Magna Carta was agreed in 1215 and had to wait over five hundred years for anyone to number its clauses.
First transcontinental railroad
The first transcontinental railroad was finished in 1869 by two companies who had briefly built past each other.
Wright brothers’ first flight
In 1903 the Wright brothers made the first powered aeroplane flight, and 12 seconds later the first landing.
Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army was found by farmers digging a well, who were looking for water and found an army.
Penny Black
The Penny Black cost one penny and was black, and was named, after considerable thought, the Penny Black.
First modern Olympic Games
At the first modern Olympics in 1896, winners got silver, second got bronze and third got nothing.
Silk Road
The Silk Road was not a single road and did not only carry silk, but the name was too good to waste.
Metric system
The metric system divides everything neatly into tens, except the decades it took to agree on it.