Cool & Fun Facts

It has been awhile and I am sorry for that. To make up for that fact, I have some facts that I found that I just had to share with the world. Please enjoy!!!

The German U-boat SM U-35 has the most kills in Submarine history at 224 ships.

Dragon’s Blood Tree is the rarest tree in the world; it only grows on one island in the Indian Ocean.

The Mayans did not use metal of the wheel to build their pyramid temples.

The Continental Congress wanted to make Quebec the 14^th state.

25.9% of Wyoming has a German background

15.2% of America has a German background

The Great Wall of China is 6,000 Miles long.

The Somogitians were the last group of Europeans to convert to Christianity in 1413.

Last American Civil War Veterans?

Many people wonder when the last Civil War veterans died. That is kind of a trick question. We must remember that all soldiers were American in that war. Then it comes down to which side of the war you want to know about. I can give you two answers to this question. The last American Civil War veterans died in the mid 1950’s. But, that is most likely don’t what you all what to know. I will break it down some more. The Last surviving Union soldier who served in the American Civil War died in 1956, his name was Albert Woolson (1847-1956).The last confirmed surviving Confederate soldier who served in the American Civil War died in 1954, his name was Thomas Riddle (1846-1954). Both of these men were named heroes when they died and were given awards and metals. There you have it the last veterans for the American Civil War. Sadly, I could not find any pictures of these men.

The Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets?!

Does the phrase “The empire on which the sun never sets” ring any bells with anyone? It should to all people who like to read and research into Western history. It is the basest on which all modern powers tried to live by.  The phases can be traced back to Herodotus' Histories and the Persian Empire. The first real usage of the phrase was in the early 16^th century. Charles I of Spain used it to describe his new Empire. He had Spain and all of its colonies. He was soon elected to be Holy Roman Emperor. He gained the Holy Roman Empire or most of Germany. His son Philip II of Spain may have lost the Germany territories but gained so much more but gained so much more. He took Portugal and her colonies, chucks of Italy and the Dutch homeland and new territories in the Pacific. Then his daughter Catherine Michelle landed more lands in Italy from her husband. During the 19^th century the phrase was moved to the British and their empire. All this phrase means is a large empire the crosses a lot of land, form one side of the world to the next. I have a few maps to help in your understanding. The first map is the Spanish and the second is the British map.

Frankenstein was Real??

I was doing some digging into some German history and found a name that made me stop and look again. The name was Frankenstein or Franckenstein. The families’ history stretches back to the mid-950. The very first recorded Franckenstein was Arbogast von Franckenstein. He was a knight that was granted land by a local bishop. From then on the House of Franckenstein was a power house in South-Central Germany politics. Frankenstein Castle was built by one of Arbogast decedents for the family to use as a kind of vacation home. It was this castle and one it’s most famous residents that inspired Mary Shelley to write her book: Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. House of Franckenstein lasts until well into the 1950’s. The last well know Franckenstein was Georg von und zu Franckenstein or Sir George Franckenstein. He lived from 1878-1953. He was an anti-Nazi and was forced to leave to England. Sadly, the family slowly started to disappear from records after WWII. A positive side effect is that their name will never be forgotten in history, even if it is a fictional story about a monster. I have found a picture of their coat of arms and of Sir George Franckenstein.

A Princess of the Tower of London?

A Princess of the Tower of London?

When I heard that an English Princess was born in the Tower of London and spent 11 years of her life there, I was curious. The Princess’ name is Joan of England. She is more commonly called Joan of the Tower. She lived from 1321 to 1362. She was born in the Tower of London. She was married to the King of Scotland. Don’t too long after their marriage war broke out between England and Scotland. The King of Scotland was captured and spent 11 years as a guest of the Tower of London. During his imprisonment Joan visited often. After his release from the Tower, Joan stayed in England. That is all that is written about her in history. She was soon forgot and lost in the chronicles of English history. I found one of the only images of Joan of the Tower.

One of the Oldest Military Units in the World

One of the Oldest Military Units in the World

When it comes the military units most do not have a long history to them. That is not the case for the Legio III Augusta. The English translation to that is The 3^rd Legion of Augustus. Its history covers 500 years of history. The 3^rd Augusta was created around 43 BCE on the orders of the future emperor Augustus. This legion most likely fought in the Battle of Philippi against Caesar’s murderers. Not long after this battle the 3^rd Augusta was shipped to Africa. This legion spent the next 500 years stationed in the North African desert. This legion survived many border wars, rebellions, disbandments and recreations to defend the Southern border of the Roman Empire. Sadly, the Roman Empire collapsed and the 3rd Augusta disappeared into the sands of time. I have included a picture of what their shield looks like.

The Lost Maritime Republic of Ragusa

The Lost Maritime Republic of Ragusa

When it comes to the great trading centers of the Middle Ages everyone names the usual three cities: Venice, Genoa and Pisa. But, there were other cities that were important centers of trade turning that time. The one that I found the most interesting is not even it Italy. Most were coastal cities on the Italian Peninsula, But not Ragusa. Ragusa was a city in what is now Croatia. In 1358, Ragusa gained independence from Venice and soon controlled all the trade with Hungary, Bosnia and Serbia. Unlike their Italian neighbors, Ragusa had a good relationship with the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. This relationship helped protect Ragusa through the centuries. Ragusa’s control on the trade in this area ended with the Portuguese finding sea routes to India and her neighbors warring with the Turks. Her power was waning. It finally came to an end in 1806 when Ragusa surrender to Napoleon’s French Empire. Ragusa was added to Napoleon’s Italian kingdom. Sadly, that ends the story that is the Republic of Ragusa. I have included a map of where Ragusa and its territories were located in Croatia today.

Welcome Back Readers!!!

Hello and Welcome Readers!!

I have done a major overhaul on my blog. Its new name is Lost and Found. I will be searching libraries, book and the web for some of the most interesting events, stories and people in history. I will then share their stories with all of you guys here. I hope you all enjoy the stories I find and post on Lost and Found.