Not taught in school! A roundup of historical trivia and fun facts
History that everyone studied in school.
Some people aren’t good at it, while others feel a sense of romance in a worldview completely different from today’s.
Most of what we learn in school focuses on major historical events, and it’s common not to touch on the small episodes around them.
So in this article, we’ll introduce trivia and fun facts about history that you wouldn’t cover in class.
We’ve focused on the surprising anecdotes of great figures and incidents that happened behind historical events—the interesting side of history you can’t learn in lessons.
Whether you love history or not, be sure to check it out!
Not taught in school! A roundup of historical trivia and fun facts (1–10)
There was a king who reigned for only 20 minutes in the world.
Did you know the astonishing fact that there was a king who reigned for only 20 minutes? In 1908, while King Carlos I of Portugal and his son Prince Luís Filipe were traveling by carriage, they were attacked by radical republicans.
King Carlos I was killed instantly.
The throne passed to his son, but he too was gravely wounded and died just 20 minutes later.
Without a formal coronation and with only a fleeting reign, he entered history as a “phantom king.” This fateful succession that lasted mere minutes stands as a striking irony of history.
Xavier’s head isn’t bald.
The image that “Xavier was bald” is actually a misconception.
In portraits of Francis Xavier, the missionary well known in Japan, his crown is shown as completely shaved, but this wasn’t mere thinning hair—it was a religious tonsure.
This shaving of the crown, called tonsure, was a custom among Catholic monks and clergy as a sign of dedication to God, and Xavier followed that practice.
In other words, he was simply expressing his faith.
It’s an example that shows how appearances alone can’t tell the whole story, revealing the deeper layers of history.
Napoleon once lost to rabbits.
The unusual incident of Napoleon being chased by rabbits occurred in 1807, during celebrations following the war with Prussia.
To enjoy a hunt, his subordinates prepared a large number of rabbits—but they were domesticated, not wild.
Once released, the rabbits assumed they were about to be fed and swarmed toward Napoleon.
Greatly startled, he had to flee in a hurry.
It’s a humorous historical anecdote you won’t learn in school, revealing an unexpected side of the famed hero.
Ginkakuji didn’t have enough money, so it couldn’t be built with silver leaf.
It’s widely known that Kinkaku-ji is adorned with gold leaf.
However, it’s less well known that Ginkaku-ji does not use silver leaf.
There are various theories as to why silver leaf was never applied—some say the shogunate lacked funds, while others claim it was originally intended to be finished with black lacquer alone.
So why is it called the Silver Pavilion? Because the sand mounds in the garden glowed silver under the moonlight.
Incidentally, “Ginkaku” is not its official name; the temple’s formal name is Jishō-ji.
The White House in America used to be a Black House.
The White House in the United States was originally called the “President’s House.” During the War of 1812, it was burned by invading British forces, and for a time it was even referred to as the “Black House” because of its charred appearance.
But since it was the official residence, it couldn’t be left pitch-black.
When repairs were made, the exterior walls were repainted white, and that’s how it came to be known as the “White House” we know today.
This change symbolizes the hardships and rebirth in American history, giving it meaning beyond just a building.
It’s a lesser-known, intriguing slice of history.
The Wizard of Invention, Edison, proposed in Morse code.
Thomas Edison is known for many innovative inventions, but there’s an anecdote that shows he had a unique talent in romance as well.
Remarkably, he proposed using Morse code, a system he helped develop.
The recipient was Mina Miller, an assistant he had hired who was well-versed in Morse code.
Edison took her hand and tapped out the message “Will you marry me?” on her palm.
She, in turn, replied “Yes” in Morse.
Perhaps great figures in history feel more compelling not only because of their achievements, but also because stories like these reveal their human side.
There was a job in the Edo period where someone would take the blame for a fart.
Farting in front of others is embarrassing, yet holding it in is bad for your health—a dilemma everyone has suffered.
In the Edo period, there was a profession called “heobikuni,” who sympathized with such flatulence troubles.
While attending to the needs of high-born individuals, they would immediately claim, faster than anyone else, that they themselves had farted whenever a noble accidentally did so in public, acting as a scapegoat.
The very fact that this was a job shows just how shameful farting was considered at the time.
Einstein used his Nobel Prize money as alimony.
Einstein received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.
Surprisingly, the prize money wasn’t used for scientific research but served as alimony for his divorce.
During negotiations with his wife, Mileva Marić, he promised to give her the entire sum should he win a Nobel Prize in the future.
When that promise became reality, the prize money was paid out to support her and their children.
It’s astonishing to find such a deeply human story behind the achievements of a genius physicist.
Knowing these behind-the-scenes episodes—not just the grand moments on the stage of history—makes great figures feel more relatable.
Japan’s flag became the Hinomaru as a result of the Genpei War.
When it comes to Japan’s national flag, the Hinomaru comes to mind.
However, few people know its origins.
Going back to the Heian period during the Genpei War: the Taira clan fought under a red flag with a golden circle, while the Minamoto clan used a white flag with a red circle.
After the Minamoto won, they paraded through the land with the Hinomaru as proof of their rule over Japan.
This tradition was passed down and the flag is still used as the national flag today.
If the Taira had won, the design of the flag might have been different.
The shortest war in history ended in just 40 minutes.
When we think of war, we often imagine something that lasts for months or years—but that wasn’t always the case! The Anglo-Zanzibar War, considered the shortest war in history, is said to have ended in just 40 minutes.
In 1896, this clash between Britain and the small East African nation of Zanzibar came to a swift conclusion thanks to Britain’s overwhelming military power.
At school we often learn history through timelines, but trivia like this can be a great way to make history feel more relatable—and more fun.