Here are a couple of historical events that coincided in time that might just change your perception of the past:
History is like an infinite book of wonders, and the more you read it, the more you’re eager to find out. If you’ve been following us for a while, then you’re probably familiar with our articles, especially the ones I’ve written, and you know that enjoy digging deeper into the topics to bring you to the table all sorts of curiosities and less-discussed facts.
For today’s article, I have something fun and intriguing in my pocket: historical events that coincided in time. It is a popular subject discussed all over the internet, and I thought it would be nice to write about it here on Historical Files too.
While on one side of the globe, a life-changing event was happening; on the opposite side, someone or something was discovered for the first time. It’s like a mashup, even without realizing it. Without further ado, below you will find some of the best historical events that coincided in time that will leave you shocked (but in a good way!).
Egyptians were building pyramids while mammoths were roaming freely
You probably never thought of that, and neither did I, but while reading and writing this article, when I got to this headline, I suddenly remembered the Ice Age movie. Do you remember those woolly mammoths?
Wrangel Island, a Delaware-sized island located nearly 90 miles off the coast of far eastern Siberia, was home to a small population of woolly mammoths until 1650 BCE. Woolly mammoths were indeed in existence during the construction of Egypt’s oldest structures, known as the Great Pyramids, between 2667 and 2648 BCE. It’s fascinating to think about! I wonder which one is taller! What do you think?
I would definitely try to paint something with these two historical events that coincided in time.
In 1843, the electric printing telegraph was invented the same year the first wagon crossed the Oregon Trail
It may sound absurd, but it is true. On May 27, 1843, Alexander Bain, a Scottish inventor, was granted a patent for the “Electric Printing Telegraph,” the forerunner of the contemporary fax machine. In what is now referred to as the “Great Migration of 1843,” roughly 1,000 emigrants traveled to Oregon by wagon train along the Oregon Trail in that same year.
Nintendo Company was founded when Jack The Ripper was making victims in the U.K.
Everybody who is a boomer or a millennial knows Nintendo games. From Mario to Zelda, this amazing game company started out making beautiful handcrafted playing cards called Hanafuda. Before we knew it, they were creating a whole bunch of games that made our childhoods so much more fun!
But not many people know that the company was founded at the same time as Jack the Ripper was on the loose in England.
NASA was exploring space while scientists agreed on plate tectonics
Isn’t it amazing how the world works? Despite Alfred Wegener’s 1912 theory of continental drift, many geologists dismissed it, saying there was no proof. In particular, they failed to understand how continental rock could plow the much denser rock that makes up the oceanic crust.
Wegener’s inability to explain the force behind continental drift led to his validation only after he died in 1930. The scientific community didn’t accept the theory of plate tectonics until 1967, by which time NASA and the Soviet Union were already venturing far beyond the Earth’s crust, launching rockets into space, and getting ready to land on the moon.
Star Wars came out the same tear as the Last Guillotine execution in France
Do you remember that time when every single cinema in the nation was full of people who were eager to see the first Star Wars movie? Oh my! Everyone was so amazed to see Darth Vader and the wise Yoda, the tiny green fellow, that they didn’t mind the crowd.
On September 10, 1977, on the other side of the world, Hamida “Pimp Killer” Djandoubi was executed by guillotine in France for torturing and killing a 21-year-old woman. It was the final execution of a person in France by any means; in 1981, Francois Mitterrand outlawed the practice. Another two historical events that coincided in time!
While people were celebrating McDonald’s opening, the first prisoners arrived at Auschwitz
Out of all the historical events that coincided in time, these two are very opposed. McDonald’s is usually linked to the good times and financial success of the 1950s, but the first restaurant opened much earlier, on May 15, 1940.
While the entire nation was happy to eat hamburgers and have fun with their dear ones, five days later in Poland, the first prisoners reached the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Swiss women were granted the right to vote and the U.S. sent a vehicle to the moon
Switzerland took a long time to let women vote, mainly because they required national referendums for any constitutional changes, and back then, only men could vote in those. Women didn’t get the right to vote until 1971, which was 51 years after the U.S. allowed it and 65 years after Finland became the first European country to do so. Fun fact: while all this was happening, the U.S. was driving a “moon buggy” on the moon in 1971.
Fascism was still alive in Spain when Microsoft was founded
Francisco Franco was still the fascist dictator of Spain when Paul Allen and Bill Gates founded Microsoft in April 1975. According to the BBC, Franco presided over a regime of state terror and national propaganda through the controlled media and the state education system. Fascist politics continued until the early days of home computing because Spain did not undergo the same denazification process as Germany or Italy after World War II.
During the Battle of Little Bighorn, the Brooklyn Bridge was being built
Did you know that “Custer’s Last Stand” at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876 coincided with the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, the world’s first steel-wire suspension bridge? Eighteen months before the bridge was finished, Crazy Horse and his men were beaten in eastern Montana by members of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes.
Which of these historical events that coincided in time made you say, “What a time to be alive?” Let me know in the comments below. Until next time!
Do you feel like you could learn more about other historical events that coincided in time? Then it’s time to order this wonderful book that contains an abundance of events that took place over 7 million years. 7 million what? Yes, that’s true! History Year by Year The Ultimate Visual Guide to the Events that Shaped the World allows you to explore significant global discoveries, unique inventions, and significant events within their historical context. You will come across strong leaders, cruel autocrats, thought leaders, and forward-thinking scientists from all over the world. I got my copy last year from Amazon! You can order yours too. I can assure you you won’t regret the decision.
…psst! Don’t leave just yet! Check out another article that you may like: 8 Jaw-Dropping and Long Gone Ancient Technologies We Can’t Use Anymore.
