World History
Did Pirates Really Have Peg Legs?
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Article
The image of a pirate with a peg leg, an eye patch, and a parrot on the shoulder is deeply ingrained in popular culture, from classic literature to Hollywood movies. The peg-legged pirate, in particular, has become an enduring trope — it’s easy to picture such a character standing on the deck of a pirate ship, growling, “Arr, me hearties” and “shiver me timbers” while a motley crew runs up the Jolly Roger. But how much of this image is based on historical reality? Did many pirates actually have peg legs, or is this merely ...Read More
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World HistoryArticle48The Curious History of the Piggy Bank
If you’ve ever dropped spare change into a rotund, smiling, ceramic pig, you may have wondered: Why a pig? The idea of putting coins inside a chubby farm animal may…
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World HistoryFact4A fake British ship fought the real ship it was disguised as.
Luxury ocean liners were at the height of their popularity at the beginning of the 20th century, and ships such as the RMS Mauretania attracted wealthy first-class travelers with lavish…
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World HistoryArticle39What Did Medieval Knights Actually Do?
Medieval knights, those armed and armored men (or in some rare cases, women) on horseback, thrived throughout Europe in the days before kings depended on standing armies to enforce their…
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World HistoryFact2Birthdays weren’t always celebrated because few people even knew their birth date.
Birthdays are often a big deal in the modern world, marking milestones such as being old enough to drive or vote, or acknowledging the start of a new decade of…
