Francis Scott Key wrote the words of the poem Star Spangled Banner during the War of 1812. He then set it to the tune of a popular drinking song. It was made into the U.S. national anthem in 1931 by President Herbert Hoover.
Outnumbered
The population of Athens in the fifth century BC consisted of 50,000 citizens and 100,000 slaves.
Can You Spell That?
William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) signed his name with many different spellings, including “Willm Shaksp,” “William Shakespe,” “Wm Shakspe,” “William Shakspere,” ”Willm Shakspere,” and “William Shakspeare.”
Pair Up
In ancient Sparta, being a bachelor was against the law; men were required to get married.
Whistle While You Work
In ancient Egypt, landowners often hired musicians to play their lutes to serenade the workers harvesting crops.
Not So Much
The average length of a Roman emperor’s reign in the third century AD was three years.
Nearly Snuffed Out
Napoleon survived many plots against his life. In 1800, a snuffbox was found on his desk that looked very much like his usual box; it contained poison.
Frenchified
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 – 1821) was the first Emperor of France, but he spoke French imperfectly. He was from the Italian island of Corsica (eventually sold to France), and Corsican-Italian was his native language.
A Load of Bull?
Celebrated ancient Greek wrestler Milo of Crotona was said to have developed his strength by carrying a calf every day of its life–starting when Milo was around twelve–until it had become a full-grown bull.
His death seems to have been a source of fascination for eighteenth century painters. He was said to have been killed either by a wolf or a lion (the artist Joseph-Benoît Suvée opted for the wolf in the above painting).
There are loads of other stories about the guy, but they may all be the stuff of legend. Still, I’m going to suggest the calf idea to my son as part of his training regimen this summer.
Joseph-Benoît Suvée, Milo of Croton, 1763, via Wikimedia Commons
Wall of Shame
Construction of the Great Wall of China began in the seventh century BC and continued for centuries. As many as a million workers died building it, mostly from starvation or exposure.