Knights Templar Fact Ten

The Knights Templar had their base of operations in Acre from 1187 to 1291. Acre is 106 miles or 173 km north of Jerusalem.


Knights Templar page

Viking Fact Ten

There were three social classes in Viking society: Jarls who were the wealthy noblemen, Karls who were the freemen and land owners and Thralls who were the slaves and bondsmen. 

Viking page

American Civil War Fact Ten

When the war started the Union army only had 98 doctors while the Confederate army only had 24. That was a contributing factor to the high mortality numbers.


American Civil War page

Ancient Egypt Fact Ten

The Egyptians invented the calendar containing 365 days in 4241 BC.


Ancient Egypt page

Pirate Fact Ten

Twenty percent of the United States budget in 1800 was devoted to paying ransom and tribute to pirates. Prior to declaring independence ships from the America's were protected under British treaties. That protection ended when the United States declared independence and in 1777 Morocco recognized the United States as an independent nation making it fair game to start seizing its ships. One result was the creation of the United States Navy. Yet as more ships were seized by various Barbary Coast nations the United States scrambled to sign treaties of their own with these nations and paid them protection fees.

pirate page

Natural Disaster Facts Nine

The largest death toll due to a lightning strike happened on April 3, 1856 when a bolt hit the Palace of the Grand Masters on the Greek Island of Rhodes. The building was being used to supply ammunition for the Ottoman Empire and several people sought shelter there during a massive storm. About 4000 people in or around the structure were killed when the lightning set off the ammunition in a devastating explosion.

The second deadliest lightning strike happened years earlier under similar circumstances. The Church of San Nazaro in Brecia, Italy was being used to store over 200,000 pounds of gun powder for the army of Emperor Napoleon. A lightning strike in August 1769 ignited the gunpowder and the resulting blast and fire destroyed the town and killed about 3000.

Ancient Seven Wonders of the World Fact Nine

The 56 years that the Colossus of Rhodes was in existence was the only span that all seven wonders existed at the same time: 282 BC to 226 BC.


Ancient Seven Wonders page