History – Page 2

Transatlantic telegraph cable

In 1858 two ships met mid-Atlantic, joined their cables together and then deliberately sailed away.

The Domesday Book counted England’s pigs so thoroughly that it was named after the end of the world.

The first bicycle, built in 1817, had two wheels, a seat, steering and no pedals, which came later.

The first Moon landing took place in July 1969, after which the crew filled in a customs form.

The Rosetta Stone says the same thing three times, a format now known as a meeting.

Ships crossing the Panama Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific travel south-east, which nobody believes.

One scream recorded in 1951 has since been reused in hundreds of films.

The 1938 ‘War of the Worlds’ radio play is famous for causing mass panic, which mostly did not happen.

TV laughter was once stored in a locked machine whose inventor kept its contents secret.

For decades a publisher charged for ‘Happy Birthday’, until a 2015 ruling found its copyright claim invalid.