The word "assassin" actually comes from an ancient Moslem word: "hashishin," which is derived from the word "hasish," which is the arabic word for marijuana!
Back during the Crusades, the hashishin were employed by Moslem rulers to try and off their competition for leadership of the Moslem movement. They were said to build up their courage by smoking copious amounts of weed, hence the name.
crazy canucks!
Some people are like Slinkys... Not really good for anything, But they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Davey Crockett never wore a coonskin cap.
In 1994, scientists discovered a volcano under 1.2 miles of ice.
in the 1840s, French criminals could not be arrested from sundown to sunup.
A lantern in the Buddhist tomb of Kobo Daishi has been burning for over 1100 years.
In Bram Stoker's original novel, Dracula had a mustache.
World's first vending machine dispensed holy water (Egypt, AD 100)
The first Encyclopedia Britannica, published in 1771, was only 3 volumes long.
Lincoln's grandfather, also called Abraham, was killed by a gunshot wound.
By English law, the phrase "Time immemorial" means history before the reign of Richard I.
quote:
Azakias spewed forth this undeniable truth:
Washington monument sinks at a rate of 6 inches per year.I.
IT also used to have a platinum crown/lighting rod. Once while some scaffolding was up for cleaning someone stole it. It was never replaced.
Some people are like Slinkys... Not really good for anything, But they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
sigpic courtesy of This Guy, original modified by me
Many Scots take pride in the fact that the Romans, one of the earliest empires, could not conquer them, instead building Hadrian's Wall to keep them out of Briton.
Well, the Brits did a helluva job of it.
Back during the earlier times of Scottish revolution, many Scots took hold in the nigh-impenetrable Sterling Castle. King Edward (I think that was his name) also dubbed "Hammer of the Scots," decided he would be the first to flush them out.
To this end, he had several trebuchets and catapults created, the largest of which was a massive behemoth called Ludgar the War Wolf. The Scots, in plain view of this construction, saw Ludgar being built and surrendered without a fight.
The Hammer, upon recieving this, was infuriated at the idea of not putting Ludgar to the test. He immediately tore up their plea for peace and ordered Ludgar to be fired. One stone collapsed an entire wall of Sterling Castle, after which he then demanded and consequently accepted their surrender.
Forgot I should probably add a fact:
So-called "ninja" swords were historically neither straight, nor chisel-edged as most modern day reproductions. Chokuto, the straight blades of Japan, were merely the ancient beginnings of blades used by both Samurai and Ninja alike. Ian Benjamin fucked around with this message on 11-13-2005 at 10:02 PM.
Everything ever taught to you by Jim Bob of Billy Bob's Black Belt Emporium is a lie. Now, tie your obi UNDER the hakama and try again.
Despite Marine Corps pride in being an amphibious force, the US Army has made far, far more amphibious assaults in actual combat.
--Satan, quoted by John Milton
Captain John Smith, perhaps most famous for his role in the Jamestown colony, was once captured during action in... oh hell, I don't remember. Somewhere east of Europe. ANYWAY, he eventually escaped and literally fought his way across the continent to return home; his service as a mercenary kept him in food, equipment, and money.
Andrew Jackson was the first United States President to veto a bill based on political and financial grounds rather than on Constitutional grounds only. Specifically, he vetoed a bill for the recharter of the Second National Bank of the United States, which he (rightly) believed was a corrupted and monopolizing institution.
Christopher Columbus was once removed from his office as a colonial governor and imprisoned on charges of abuse of authority.
