<p>Sure, there were once proponents of the theory that the earth was flat, but all of those theories were eventually dispelled during the 15th century’s age of exploration. Still, did you know that as recently as the 1800s, an American man named John Symmes attempted to convince the world that the earth was hollow? And he almost succeeded! </p>

<p>In the 1950s and 1960s, there was no bigger male star in Hollywood than Cary Grant. But did you know that in stark contrast to the confident and stylish persona he cultivated on screen, Grant also participated in an experimental psychotherapy program that saw him take LSD more than 100 times? </p>

<p>Most of us have heard about the infamous, tyrannical, and erratic Roman emperor of all time, Caligula, but did you know that the despotic ruler was so distraught after the death of his sister, Drusilla, that he imposed a year of mourning for all people across the Roman Empire? </p> <p><br> </p>

<p>In 1620, the Mayflower embarked on a famous voyage from Plymouth, England, to the New World, carrying a group of English Separatists known as the Pilgrims. It was these people that established the first permanent European settlement in North America. But did you know that the Mayflower also carried with it a man who would become the first person to be lawfully convicted of murder in the new world? </p>

<p>Perhaps you have visited the United States capital of Washington D.C. and marveled at its architecture, which includes such staples as the White House, the Capitol Building, and the Supreme Court, BUT did you know that since America’s founding, no less than nine cities have served as the nation’s capital? </p>

<p>Harriet Tubman likened to the biblical character Moses, is known throughout history for leading more than 300 slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad. But did you know that during the Civil War, the unassuming lady traded her conductor job to become a spy and a military operative for the Union? </p>

<p>Historians to this day cannot agree as to whether the 15th President of the United States, James Buchanan, was gay. But did you know that the former president’s bond with his lifelong roommate William Rufus King was once called by the executive himself as “the best and purest communion”? </p>

<p>Today, the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing, more commonly known as NASCAR, is a multi-billion dollar industry cloaked in a family-friendly image. But did you know that when it started, it was not gas but illegal alcohol that fueled the rise of American sport? </p>

<p>Charlie Chaplin needs no introduction. The man wrote, starred in, directed, produced, and scored all of his nearly 100 movies. But did you know his most thrilling story did not happen on the silver screen but at his gravesite in 1978? </p>

<p>Sure, History has its Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musks, but even they pale in comparison to some other wealthy people to have walked this earth. Did you know that the wealthiest person in history was a 14th-century African Emperor Mansa Musa of the Mali Empire? In fact, to this day, his wealth still remains too vast to be matched or even imagined. </p>

<p>The Chicago River originally flowed into Lake Michigan, carrying with it the city&#39;s sewage and industrial waste. This posed a serious public health risk as the city&#39;s drinking water intake pipes were located near the mouth of the river in Lake Michigan. Did you know that to fix the problem, late 19th-century city planners pulled off one of the most significant engineering feats in the nation’s history? They reversed the Chicago River! </p>

<p>The relationship between the Nazis and the Vatican during World War II has always been a complex and controversial topic, and it is important to note that the Catholic Church, represented by the Vatican, did not have a uniform stance on the Nazi regime and different individuals within the Church held varying views. Still, did you know that recently revealed Vatican documents uncovered a long-held secret that Pope Pius XII used a Nazi prince to negotiate with Adolf Hitler? </p>

<p>Cape Cod-style homes with white picket fences, perfect lawns, and a car in the driveway bring back memories of mid-20th century middle-class America, but did you know that deep in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil lay the remnants of just such a town built by American industrialist Henry Ford in the 1920s - a town he aptly named, Fordlandia? </p>

<p>Each year, millions of people visit perhaps the most popular lady in America, New York Harbor’s Statue of Liberty, and equally probably, that same number is disappointed when they learn upon getting there that they cannot visit the statue’s highest elevation, her torch. But did you know that the reason behind the disappointment goes back to German Saboteurs from WWI?</p> <p><br> </p>

<p>Perhaps one remembers studying about the early Cold War or even living it. It was a time when the fear of communism led to countless investigations and witch hunts that ruined the lives of many, including known celebrities. BUT DID YOU KNOW that the same Hollywood that banished suspected communists from its ranks bent over backward, just a few years later,  to entertain the leader of the so-called  “evil” communist empire? </p>

<p>Most of us have seen arguably the biggest holiday classic movie, “It&#39;s a Wonderful Life.” A film that, while structured to be hit when it opened right before Christmas of 1946, within a week became the year’s biggest flop. Yet, did you know that if it were not for the movie being so quite literally forgotten, it would likely never have become the classic holiday favorite it is today? </p>