History isn't just a timeline of who did what, and when. Sometimes, events and lifetimes overlap in ways that boggle the mind and force you to rethink what you thought you knew. Get ready to have your mind blown as we uncover 45 historical facts that will definitely warp your sense of time.
Image by Đỗ Thiệp from Pixabay
1. The Woolly Mammoth Meets the Pyramids
When we think of Woolly Mammoths, we often think of them roaming alongside dinosaurs. But did you know that while the last mammoths were drawing their final breaths, the Egyptians were laying down the first bricks of the pyramids? There were still some mammoths around 4,000 years ago on a remote island.
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
2. Cleopatra and the iPhone
Cleopatra lived closer to the release of the iPhone than to the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Think about that next time you're scrolling through your phone!
Image by Jan Vašek from Pixabay
3. T-Rex Time Twist
The T-Rex lived closer in time to see a live Taylor Swift concert than to the Stegosaurus. Dinosaurs had their own eras of superstars, too!
Image by jonatnes0 from Pixabay
4. Harvard Predates Calculus
Harvard University was established before calculus was even derived. Who knew you could start a university without a full math department?
Image by cplesley from Pixabay
5. Betty White and Bread Sliced
Believe it or not, Betty White was born before sliced bread became commercially available. She truly was the best thing since... well, you know!
Image by Sofia Terzoni from Pixabay
6. Pluto’s Short-lived Stardom
From its discovery in 1930 to its sad demotion in 2006, Pluto didn't even complete a single orbit around the sun as a "planet". Talk about a short-lived fame!
Image by TheSpaceway from Pixabay
7. Disneyland and the Colour TV
Disneyland opened its doors before the colour TV became widespread in households. Mickey Mouse in black and white? A classic!
8. Nintendo's Playing Cards Era
Nintendo was originally a playing card company long before Mario ever jumped on his first Goomba. They started in 1889 – imagine the shock if you told them they'd one day rule the video game industry!
9. Anne Frank and Martin Luther King Jr.
Anne Frank and Martin Luther King Jr. were born in the same year, 1929. Two icons of the 20th century, their lives took very different but equally significant paths. What's crazy is we only know Anne Frank as a teenager, but didn't know Martin Luther King Jr. as one. Wild!
Image by Greg Reese from Pixabay
10. The Fax Machine and the Oregon Trail
The first patent for the fax machine predates the Oregon Trail. Those pioneers could've just faxed over their needs!
Image by Davgood Kirshot from Pixabay
11. The Guillotine’s Last Use
The last time a guillotine was used for execution in France was the same year Star Wars was released – 1977. May the force be with those who made THAT decision!
Image by Philipp Falkenhagen from Pixabay
12. Shakespeare and Pocahontas
Shakespeare was writing his plays at the same time Pocahontas was meeting John Smith. Talk about star-crossed lovers!
13. JFK, C.S. Lewis, and Aldous Huxley
All three, John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis, and Aldous Huxley, died on the same day: November 22, 1963. A day of immense historical significance.
14. The Ottoman Empire's Lasting Impact
The Ottoman Empire still existed the last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series before 2016. It took the Cubs a long time, but they finally broke the curse!
Image by Jennifer LaRue from Pixabay
15. Oxford University and the Aztec Empire
Oxford University was over 500 years old when the Aztec Empire was founded. Two revolutionary institutions for the world of education!
Image by Alfonso Cerezo from Pixabay
16. Eiffel Tower and the Wild West
The Wild West was still happening when the Eiffel Tower was built. Cowboys in Paris has a nice ring to it.
17. Dinosaurs and Grass
Grass didn't exist for the majority of the time dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Those T-Rex lawnmower jokes? Not accurate!
Image by Dariusz Sankowski from Pixabay
18. George Washington and the Mammoth
George Washington was alive when woolly mammoths still roamed. No, he didn’t have one as a pet! That would have been pretty cool though.
Image by Manfred Antranias Zimmer from Pixabay
19. Spain and New Zealand's Moa Birds
When Spain expelled the Jews in 1492, the Moa, a large flightless ostrich-like bird, was still walking around New Zealand. It probably became extinct by the end of the 17th century.
Image by Frank Nürnberger from Pixabay
20. The Internet and the Fall of the Soviet Union
The World Wide Web was invented before the Soviet Union fell. Soviet Russia could've had its own .su domain!
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
21. Switzerland's Women's Rights and Star Wars: A New Hope
In 1977, the same year that the world was introduced to Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader with Star Wars: A New Hope, Swiss women were finally granted the right to vote in federal elections.
Image by Claudia Beyli from Pixabay
22. Queen Elizabeth II and Marilyn Monroe
Queen Elizabeth II and Marilyn Monroe were born in the same year, 1926. Two queens in their own right!
Image by ErikaWittlieb from Pixabay
23. Humans and the Giant Kangaroo
Early humans in Australia might have seen giant kangaroos hopping about. They're already pretty large creatures, so that would’ve been a sight to behold!
24. The Byzantine Empire and the Printing Press
Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in 1439 happened while the Byzantine Empire was still kicking.
Image by Birgit Böllinger from Pixabay
25. Orville Wright and Neil Armstrong
Orville Wright, of the Wright brothers, was still alive when the sound barrier was broken in flight, and he lived long enough to hear about the first human-made object reaching the Moon.
Image by Oberholster Venita from Pixabay
26. London's Timeless Treasure
London's iconic Tower Bridge was being built at the same time as the light bulb was invented. Illuminating history, indeed!
Image by E. Dichtl from Pixabay
27. Pablo Picasso and the Titanic
Pablo Picasso was alive and painting during the sinking of the Titanic. Imagine if he painted that!
Image by Đỗ Thiệp from Pixabay
28. Billy the Kid and the Telephone
The telephone was invented while Billy the Kid was still causing chaos, in 1876. Billy the Kid died in 1881.
29. San Francisco's Cable Cars and Krakatoa
San Francisco's cable cars were up and running before the massive eruption of Krakatoa in 1883.
Image by PDPhotos from Pixabay
30. The Last Civil War Widow and the Internet
The last Civil War widow lived to see the internet, which was invented in 1983. Talk about witnessing change!
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
31. Charlie Chaplin and 50 Cent
Charlie Chaplin (died December 25, 1977) and 50 Cent (born July 6, 1976) were both alive at the same time for a few months. Imagine that collaboration!
32. Ford's Model T and the Tsar
The Model T Ford was in production when Tsar Nicholas II was on the Russian throne. Talk about a revolution!
Image by Paul Brennan from Pixabay
33. Montana and the Dodo Bird
Montana was a US state for two years before the last confirmed sighting of a living dodo bird.
34. Electric Cars and Thomas Edison
The first electric car was built while Thomas Edison was still in his teens. He had electric dreams early on!
Image by WikiImages from Pixabay
35. Mona Lisa's Journey
The Mona Lisa was painted while Christopher Columbus was still exploring, in 1503 to be exact. She's seen some things!
Image by WikiImages from Pixabay
36. Napoleon and the Start of the USA
When Napoleon was causing ruckus in Europe, the United States had just finished its teenage years. The ink was barely dry on their new Constitution, written in 1787!
Image by WikiImages from Pixabay
37. Chainmail and Coca-Cola
The last suits of chainmail were being made when John Pemberton was inventing Coca-Cola. Knights in shining armor with a refreshing drink, anyone?
Image by fancycrave1 from Pixabay
38. Star Wars and Vietnam War
The original Star Wars film came out just two years after the Vietnam War ended, in 1977. A long time ago in a galaxy... not so far away?
Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay
39. The Last Widow of a Revolutionary War Vet and World War II
The last widow of a Revolutionary War veteran died in the same decade World War II began. History is more intertwined than we think!
Image by peter jung from Pixabay
40. Hitler and Charlie Chaplin
Not only were Adolf Hitler and Charlie Chaplin alive at the same time, but they also had that infamous moustache going on. Chaplin actually made a movie mocking Hitler!
Image by Josep Monter Martinez from Pixabay
41. Microsoft and Spain’s Dictatorship
Microsoft was founded while Spain was still under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, in 1975. Bet he didn’t see that tech revolution coming!
Image by Tawanda Razika from Pixabay
42. Gandhi and Calvin Coolidge
When Calvin Coolidge was serving as the 30th US president, Gandhi was getting arrested for his civil disobedience in India. Two leaders, very different styles!
Image by Daniel Christiansz from Pixabay
43. Movies and the Ottoman Empire
The first films were being shown in Paris while the Ottoman Empire was still a thing. For reference, the empire ended in 1922. Early movie nights with a side of empire, please!
44. Radiohead and the USSR
Radiohead's band members were already making music before the USSR officially dissolved in 1991. Their debut album was literally post-Soviet!
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
45. Helen Keller and Akira Kurosawa
Helen Keller, the renowned American author, and Akira Kurosawa, the legendary Japanese filmmaker, were both alive and active in their careers at the same time. Different worlds, same era!
From Wikimedia Commons
And there you have it! The webs of history are filled with threads that overlap, tangle, and sometimes form the most surprising patterns. If you ever feel like you're just a small blip on the timeline, remember that time is all about perspective.
