# Historical oddities **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2018, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666 "2018-05-23T09:58:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/101 "2018-05-26T03:53:27Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > No American President has been an only child. None has been a twin either. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/102 "2018-05-26T04:14:14Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > I’ve come back more than once to reread this, and every time, I think the Super Ba’s are like a regular Ba only better. 🙂 The Superbas name came from an entertainment production presented by the Hanlon family which was called “Superba.” The Brooklyn team’s manager in 1899 was named Ned Hanlon, no relation to the Hanlons that presented the show. The team was called the Superbas by association since the manager had the same name as Hanlons of “Superba” fame. > [@](#): > > Superbas – “Superba” was the title of an 1890s entertainment spectacle brought forth by the Hanlon family. When Ned Hanlon (no relation) managed the Brooklyn club in 1899, his team was called “Hanlon’s Superbas.” Hanlon was let go as manager in 1905. The Brooklyn team would continue to be called the Superbas until 1910. > **[Brooklyn Superbas Team History | SPORTS TEAM HISTORY](https://sportsteamhistory.com/brooklyn-superbas/)** > > The Brooklyn Superbas has a storied history in MLB, with Hall of Famers and iconic moments. Follow the legacy of this beloved team today! #BrooklynSuperbas ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/103 "2018-05-26T06:14:09Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Cleon Jones of the Mets, and Hal Chase. > > Leonardo da Vinci and Vlad Tepes (i.e., Dracula) were contemporaries. > > Most people mispronounce the Brooklyn Superbas. It was pronounced “Superb-ahs.” I was pronouncing it all Italian-like (sooPAIRba), and just thinking it looked silly anyway. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/104 "2018-05-26T07:43:43Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Cans were invented before can openers. > Buttons were invented before button holes. The pocket was invented in the 17th century. > [@GreenWyvern](#): > > Vikings armed with axes formed an [elite unit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian_Guard)of the Byzantine army for centuries, and acted as personal bodyguards to Byzantine Emperors. Vikings also founded Kievan Rus (you know it as “Russia” today) and the Kingdom of Sicily. In the latter case they were hired as mercenaries/enforcers by the Byzantines to deal with the Muslims who’d conquered the island ; then decided they were OK with having the place for themselves thankyouverymuch. The Norsemen really went around, is my point. Which is understandable if you’ve ever spent a winter in Norway. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/105 "2018-05-26T08:11:16Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > No American President has been an only child. > [@nearwildheaven](#): > > None has been a twin either. In Poland, on the other hand, not only has a President of Poland been a twin, but for part of [Lech Kaczyński](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lech_Kaczy%C5%84ski)’s presidency his identical twin brother [Jarosław](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaros%C5%82aw_Kaczy%C5%84ski) was Prime Minister. Tragically, Lech was killed in a ([somewhat mysterious)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Polish_Air_Force_Tu-154_crash#Conspiracy_theories) [plane crash in 2010](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Polish_Air_Force_Tu-154_crash). Or at least, they _say_ it was Lech who was killed. _Dun-dun-dunnn_ ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/106 "2018-05-26T12:24:35Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > The Superbas name came from an entertainment production presented by the Hanlon family which was called “Superba.” Could have been worse. Could have been “The Aristocrats”. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/107 "2018-05-26T12:37:38Z")
While there are many tales of people who fought for more than one country during WWII, one I came across lately is that of [Guy Sajer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Sajer) as related in his book _The Forgotten Soldier_.\* Half French, half German living in Alsace so he’s drafted by the Wehrmacht. Serves on the Eastern Front. Lots of unbelievably bloody battles. Towards the end he’s along the Baltic coast where his unit is moved from one isolated nightmare cauldron to another. Finally ends up on the Western Front and surrenders to the Brits who hand him over to the French since he’s a French national. The French point out the immense advantage of enlisting in the French Army vs. being a POW so he does. But the war ends before he does anything. OTOH, he does get to march in a victory parade in Paris. Wait, what? - It’s an extremely detailed book which brings up questions of accuracy. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/108 "2018-05-26T14:48:21Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > While there are many tales of people who fought for more than one country during WWII… Talking about people changing sides, there is the notorious case of Alcibiades in the ancient Greek world. He was a highly talented military commander and politician, and greatly benefited every side he fought for - but he was even more talented at pissing people off. • He fought for Athens against Sparta, until he was condemned to death by the Athenians, and fled to Sparta. • He fought for Sparta against Athens (with great success), until the Spartans tried to kill him, and he fled to Persia. • He fought for Persia against all the Greeks (with great success), until he betrayed the Persians and returned to Athens. • He fought successfully for Athens against Sparta again, until there was a setback, and he was condemned to death by the Athenians again. • He fled to Persia again, but this time the Spartans persuaded the Persians to put an end to his career once and for all. He won battles for Athens against Sparta, and for Sparta against Athens, and gave the Persians excellent advice against both Athens and Sparta. He ended up with all three of them wanting to kill him. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/109 "2018-05-26T15:00:37Z")
Not so much an oddity as a coincidence is this bit of trivia. The officer in charge of the Confederate forces that fired on Ft. Sumter, starting the American Civil War, was Brig Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard. The officer commanding the Union troops defending the fort was Major Robert Anderson. Anderson had taught artillery at West Point, and Beauregard had been one of his best pupils. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/110 "2018-05-26T16:49:44Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > Could have been worse. Could have been “The Aristocrats”. _good god, man, wipe off your bat before you come to the plate_ ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/111 "2018-05-26T16:53:18Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > I’m going to guess that since Peary’s claim had been accepted as gospel for so long that there wasn’t a lot of in interest in re-doing what had already been done, accounting for almost six decades before there was a confirmed attainment by surface travel. That’s my assumption too. Other visitors sought to be “first” by some other method of travel than dog sled, such as airplane, airship, submarine, or skimobile. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/112 "2018-05-26T17:11:36Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Not so much an oddity as a coincidence is this bit of trivia. > > The officer in charge of the Confederate forces that fired on Ft. Sumter, starting the American Civil War, was Brig Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard. The officer commanding the Union troops defending the fort was Major Robert Anderson. Anderson had taught artillery at West Point, and Beauregard had been one of his best pupils. Another one from the American Civil War; A farmer named Wilmer McLean had a farm in Northern Virginia in 1861 near a small river caled Bull Run. The first major battle of the Civil War took place there, much of it contested on Mr. McLean’s farm. Deciding this was no place for a farmer, he moved farther into Virginia, where it was peaceful and no armies were near. In 1865 Mr. McLean’s new farm, near Appromattox Court House, was the site of General Lee’s surrender to General Grant and the effective end of the Civil War. Talk about being the right (or wrong) place… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/113 "2018-05-26T17:34:09Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > It looks like the artist [painted 3 times](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Crossing_the_Delaware). He was a German-American who painted while living in Germany. His second rendition ended up in New York, but to call it a copy is like saying the live version of _Locomotive Breath_ is a copy of the studio version. > > Its destruction is somehow fittingly ironic: the painting depicts the Minutemen on their way to attack Hessian mercenaries, an the first painting was destroyed when the Allies were attacking Germans. (Underlining mine)Not Minutemen - Regulars in the Continental Army. Minutemen were militia. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/114 "2018-05-26T17:36:27Z")
There is a monument on the site of the Revolutionary War Battle of Saratoga in honor of Benedict Arnold’s leg. Arnold fought well and bravely for the Patriot forces at the battle, where he lost his leg. But since he later turned traitor, it was felt inappropriate to have a monument to him. So they honored his leg. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/115 "2018-05-26T17:47:47Z")
If Columbus had never existed, the Americas would have been discovered by Europeans only eight years later. The Portuguese captain Pedro Alvares Cabral landed in Brazil in 1500 when he swung far out in the Atlantic when rounding Africa on his way to India. There is some speculation that Cabral sailed so far out because Columbus had already determined there was land somewhere out there, but Cabral was far south and east of Columbus’s discoveries. And da Gama’s initial voyage to India had already found indications that there was nearby land in the South Atlantic in 1497. Given the prevailing winds and currents it was just a matter of time before a ship en route to India would have ended up in Brazil. The Italian navigator John Cabot, sailing for England, discovered (or rediscovered) North America in 1497. Again, he may have been influenced by Columbus, but the Americas were independently discovered (in the sense of following completely different routes) in three widely separated places within eight years. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/116 "2018-05-26T17:56:53Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > There is a monument on the site of the Revolutionary War Battle of Saratoga in honor of Benedict Arnold’s leg. Arnold fought well and bravely for the Patriot forces at the battle, where he lost his leg. But since he later turned traitor, it was felt inappropriate to have a monument to him. So they honored his leg. According to the wiki story, > [@](#): > > Arnold spent several months recovering from his injuries. Rather than allowing his shattered left leg to be amputated, he had it crudely set, leaving it 2 inches (5 cm) shorter than the right. He returned to the army at Valley Forge in May 1778 to the applause of men who had served under him at Saratoga. There he participated in the first recorded Oath of Allegiance along with many other soldiers, as a sign of loyalty to the United States. So he never actually lost the leg. But he did pledge allegiance to the US (hear that, school children? that is what you pledge is worth). The commemorative thingy is called the [Boot Monument](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boot_Monument), which does not have a name on it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/117 "2018-05-26T18:08:50Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > The pocket was invented in the 17th century. Another surprisingly recent invention is the belt loop. It’s not like it’s a technological advance. Obviously anyone could have sewn little strips of cloth to their pants. But it was only around a hundred years ago that belt loops became a normal thing. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/118 "2018-05-26T18:20:23Z")
A clause in the Treaty of Versailles requested the Germans to turn over the skull of the [Sultan Mkwawa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Mkwawa) to the British, so they could give it as a gift to Tanganyika to thank them for their support in the First World War. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/119 "2018-05-26T18:46:18Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born on the same day. Gandhi and Orville Wright died on the same day. (Poor Orville, famous as he was, his death was over shadowed by Gandhi assassination). John Adams & Thomas Jefferson both died on the same day AND it was on the fourth of July!, (1826). Aldous Huxley, President John Kennedy & CS Lewis all died on November 22, 1963. Milton Berle, Dudley Moore & Billy Wilder all died on March 27, 2002. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666/120 "2018-05-26T18:53:15Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > There is a monument on the site of the Revolutionary War Battle of Saratoga in honor of Benedict Arnold’s leg. Arnold fought well and bravely for the Patriot forces at the battle, where he lost his leg. But since he later turned traitor, it was felt inappropriate to have a monument to him. So they honored his leg. _Later_ turned traitor?😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historical-oddities/814666.md?page=7)