History,CuriositiesAUG 31, 2025

50 Historical Facts And Events That Not Many Talk About

Gabija Palšytė, Austeja Zokaitė and Shelly Fourer

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On this day, August 31, Princess Diana suffered a fatal accident in 1997, while on the same day in 1897, Thomas Edison received a patent for his movie camera, the Kinetograph, and the first victim of notorious serial murderer Jack the Ripper was discovered in 1888.

As we can see, history is made every day, even on a random August 31st. But if that's forgotten, all of the achievements, fights, hard work, and lessons risk fading away. To ensure that doesn’t happen, we are sharing a list of historical facts, events, and pictures from the History Season Instagram account that not many know about. Scroll down to check them out for yourself, and don’t forget to upvote those that piqued your curiosity the most.

While you're at it, make sure to check out a conversation with a history teacher, Brooke Rogers, aka That New Teacher, and a former history teacher and founder of Students of History, Luke Rosa, who kindly agreed to tell us how they keep their curiosity for history alive and how we can too.

#1 Freddy Mercury Aka Farrokh Bulsara In Bombay, India In 1958

Freddy Mercury Aka Farrokh Bulsara In Bombay, India In 1958

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161points

#2 Cop Stops The Traffic In New York So A Mother Cat Holding A Kitten Can Cross Safely C.1925

Cop Stops The Traffic In New York So A Mother Cat Holding A Kitten Can Cross Safely C.1925

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134points

#3 The Swedish Warship Vasa

The Swedish Warship Vasa

It sank in 1628 less than a mile into its maiden voyage and was recovered from the sea floor after 333 years almost completely intact. Now housed at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.

This was the most liked picture on the History Season Instagram page in 2022.

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131points

Luke Rosa, a former history teacher and founder of Students of History, a website full of engaging teaching resources and lesson plans on U.S. History, World History, Civics, Government, and World Geography, tells Bored Panda that his passion for history was sparked by a mix of curiosity and rebellion.

"I remember sitting in my college history class thinking, 'This could be so much more interesting than how it’s being taught.' It’s more than dates and documents. I became a history teacher because I feel that all kids deserve a place to belong and see themselves in honest and encouraging lights by learning about our history."

#4 George Lucas Before Cgi, 1984

George Lucas Before Cgi, 1984

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116points

#5 A 2000 Year Old Glass Mosaic, Found In The City Of Zeugma, Turkey

A 2000 Year Old Glass Mosaic, Found In The City Of Zeugma, Turkey

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115points

#6 Biracial Family Circa 1900

Biracial Family Circa 1900

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Similarly, history teacher Brooke Rogers shares that she became fascinated by history once her teacher showed her that it's more than just what meets the eye.

"It started in high school when my history teacher, Mr. Susank, showed me that history wasn’t just dates and battles. He helped me see that history is real people with inspiring stories, not just textbook timelines."

#7 A Young Couple At Waterhen River In Saskatchewan, Canada, Taken In 1931

A Young Couple At Waterhen River In Saskatchewan, Canada, Taken In 1931

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106points

#8 Man Sits At The Same Spot His Grandfather Did In 1944 During Ww2 In Florence, Italy

Man Sits At The Same Spot His Grandfather Did In 1944 During Ww2 In Florence, Italy

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103points

#9 American Athlete Jesse Owens In London After Winning Four Gold Medals At The 1936 Berlin Olympics. London, England. 1936

American Athlete Jesse Owens In London After Winning Four Gold Medals At The 1936 Berlin Olympics. London, England. 1936

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What helps these educators keep their curiosity for history alive is letting themselves wander and fall into all sorts of rabbit holes.

"History is the ultimate 'choose your own adventure.' There’s always a new angle, a hidden voice, or a story you haven’t heard yet. One week I’ll be deep into the politics of the Gilded Age, and the next I’m reading about Polynesian wayfinding or women in the French Resistance," Luke says.

"I keep my curiosity alive by letting myself wander. I follow questions, not just timelines. And since I create lessons and resources, I’m always asking, 'How would I make this spark for students?' That challenge keeps me exploring."

#10 Three Lacemakers At Work. Brittany, France. Ca. 1920

Three Lacemakers At Work. Brittany, France. Ca. 1920

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102points

#11 Fort Bourtange, Holland. Built In 1593 During The 80 Years War

Fort Bourtange, Holland. Built In 1593 During The 80 Years War

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101points

#12 An Early Example Of A Successful Cranioplasty (Peru, Ca. 400 Ce). The Patient Survived, As Evidenced By The Well-Healed In Situ Cranioplasty Made From A Gold Inlay

An Early Example Of A Successful Cranioplasty (Peru, Ca. 400 Ce). The Patient Survived, As Evidenced By The Well-Healed In Situ Cranioplasty Made From A Gold Inlay

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100points

Meanwhile, Brooke says, "History is full of rabbit holes, and I don’t mind going down them. If a student asks me a fresh question, I am happy to say, “I don’t know, but let’s find out!” Even if that wasn’t exactly what I was supposed to be covering for the day. Curiosity is contagious."

Following their curiosity, these experts learn new things every day. This got us wondering how they retain so much information. It turns out, the secret lies in finding connections.

#13 Ancient Roman Dog

Ancient Roman Dog

In Ancient Rome, dogs had many important roles. They were used in warfare, helped with hunting, and guarded homes from wild animals and thieves.

But dogs weren’t just workers—they were also beloved companions. Just like today, the Romans saw dogs as loyal friends and valued them deeply.

Romans kept all kinds of pets, from cats to monkeys, but dogs were by far their favorites.

You can spot dogs all over Roman art—painted on walls, featured in mosaics, and even mentioned in poetry.

The Romans even wrote books on how to breed, train, and take care of dogs. Some Roman dogs even wore fancy collars, decorated with gold and other details.

Romans didn’t forget their dogs after they passed away either. They sometimes built tombs for them, complete with touching inscriptions. Here are a few examples of what those engravings said:

“Never can you be contentedly in my lap. In sadness, I buried you, as you deserve. In a resting place of marble.”

“Myia never barked without reason, but now, he is silent.”

“I am in tears, while carrying you to your last resting place as much as I rejoiced when bringing you home with my own hands 15 years ago.”

“My eyes were wet with tears, our little dog, when I bore you [to the grave]. So, Patricus, never again shall you give me a thousand kisses.”

“More sweet than a hundred maidens rolled in one, Rarer than wealthy India’s precious stone. She is pet of Publius, Issa dear, She whines, a human voice you seem to hear.”

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93points

#14 2,000-Year-Old Roman Shoe Found In A Well

2,000-Year-Old Roman Shoe Found In A Well

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89points

#15 The World's Oldest Undeground Station, Baker Street, England. 157 Years Apart

The World's Oldest Undeground Station, Baker Street, England. 157 Years Apart

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88points

"I don’t treat history as something to memorize. I think of it like a web. Every fact connects to a person, a place, or an idea. The more connections you see, the more personal it can become and the easier it is to remember," Luke explains.

"I approach history through storytelling. If I can connect a fact to a story, an image, or a seemingly random detail… it sticks. Teaching middle school history definitely inspires me to research and learn more," Brooke shares.

#16 The Lifesaving Ancient Arctic Snow Goggles

The Lifesaving Ancient Arctic Snow Goggles

In the Arctic, spending hours in sun can lead to a condition called snow blindness — a sunburn on the eyes caused by ultraviolet light reflecting off the snow and into the eye. This sunburn can be very painful and result in temporary blindness.

For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples across the Arctic, including the Inuit and Yupik from Canada, Greenland, Siberia and Alaska, have used snow goggles to combat this issue.

These goggles were traditionally made from locally available materials such as whale bone, driftwood, walrus ivory, or antler. A narrow but wide slit was cut into the material to limit how much light could reach the eyes, shielding them from the bright glare.

But these snow googles didn’t just protect the eyes—they actually helped improve vision too. Just like a pinhole camera, the slit focused the light, making faraway objects look sharper.

To further reduce glare the googles were made to fit tightly against the face and were lined with dark material on the inside.

The goggles were worn during hunting and while navigating dangerous terrain. However the googles weren’t just functional—they were also adorned with carvings and artistic designs.

The oldest known Indigenous snow goggles were discovered at a 2,000-year-old Inuit archaeological site.

The arctic people such as the Inuit and Yupik have always been masters of resourcefulness, using whatever materials were available to survive and thrive in one of the most extreme and harsh environments on Earth.

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86points

#17 An Early Edwardian Woman Taking A Mirror Selfie With A Kodak Brownie Box Camera In 1900

An Early Edwardian Woman Taking A Mirror Selfie With A Kodak Brownie Box Camera In 1900

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81points

#18 News Paper Article From 1963

News Paper Article From 1963

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Even though these educators have a lot of passion for history, unfortunately, the same can't be said about a lot of people. They agree that what makes learning about the past so intimidating is the many misconceptions that surround it.

"History is often presented as a massive book of facts. You either memorize them or you don’t. You either get it or you don’t. Of course, that would feel overwhelming!" Brooke says.

#19 Camouflage Trees Like This One Was Used To Spy On The Enemy During The First World War

Camouflage Trees Like This One Was Used To Spy On The Enemy During The First World War

(This was 9th most liked picture on the History Season Instagram page this year)

These trees were also armored to protect the observer from enemy fire. They were invented by the French but were used extensively by both sides during the war.

The construction process began with a military artist identifying a tree in no man’s land. The artist would then take photographs, make detailed measurements, and draw sketches of the tree.

This information was taken to a workshop, where a team of artists created an exact replica out of iron. At nighttime, under the cover of total darkness, the original tree was cut down, and the metal replica was installed without anyone noticing.

Trees like these were employed by both sides of the conflict.

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74points

#20 A Young Man Demonstrating Against Low Pay For Teachers, Ca. 1930

A Young Man Demonstrating Against Low Pay For Teachers, Ca. 1930

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71points

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50 Historical Facts And Events That Not Many Talk About | Bored Panda