Fascinating historical facts!

 

 

 Fascinating historical facts!

1 Pablo Picasso & the Mona Lisa (1911) — When the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911, suspicion fell on various artists and intellectuals, including Pablo Picasso. He was actually brought in for questioning because his friend, the poet Apollinaire, was accused of stealing Louvre artifacts. Both were cleared.

2 Breadcrumb Erasers — Before rubber erasers were invented in the 18th century, people often used soft breadcrumbs to erase pencil or graphite marks. They were cheap, effective, and widely used by artists and students alike.

3 Mummy Medicine — In 16th–19th century Europe, ground-up mummy powder was sold as a cure for various ailments. Many believed the preserved remains contained mystical healing powers. This practice was part of the bizarre field of corpse medicine.

4 The Dancing Plague of 1518 — This was a real event in Strasbourg (modern-day France), where hundreds of people danced for days without rest. Many collapsed or even died from exhaustion. Historians think it was likely mass hysteria or ergot poisoning (a hallucinogenic mold on bread).

5 Origin of ‘Quarantine’ — During the Black Death in the 14th century, ships arriving in Venice had to anchor offshore for quaranta giorni (40 days) to prevent the spread of disease. That’s how the word quarantine came to mean enforced isolation.