Your Weekly Dose of History

Emperor Henry VI, who survived the whole fiasco. On a wаrm summer day in 1184, a unique and unfortunate event took place in the German city of Erfurt. It was an incident so peculiar and amusing that it has earned a place in the annals of history, often remembered with a mix of fascination and amusement. This event, known as the Erfurt Latrine Disaster, serves as a reminder of the unpredictable and often humorous nature of life in the Middle Ages. Let us explore the circumstances of the disaster, its impact, and the legacy it has left behind.

          One of the most interesting aspects of the ancient world was its prolific uses of oracles and prophecies to foretell the future. It adds a sense of mystery and intrigue to ancient tales that would otherwise have been much more mundane. The truth is, and I assume that most of you would already understand, most of these tales are simply apocryphal.  However, they still offer us a deep view into the way that past civilizations thought both about themselves, and their place in their world.  I will be ranking my top five favorite examples of prophecies and oracles in the ancient world. I am using the word “prophecy” here only to a vague degree, however. Some on the list will not be “prophecies” strictly speaking, but they embody the oracular properties of prophecies and oracles. Without further ado, let’s get started! 3. Ides of March By 44BC, the Roman Republic had been embroiled in increasing levels of conflict ever since the deat...

A pizza. Funerals are, no doubt, a very somber event. However, in some cases, they can be surprisingly entertaining. Such is the case of the Great Michigan Pizza Funeral, when 29,188 frozen cheese-and-mushroom pizzas were “ceremonially” disposed of.  One truly does feel for those poor pizzas. The tale of the Great Michigan Pizza Funeral begins with the owner of the pizzas, Ilario Fabbrini. Fabbrini had moved from Croatia after living under the Communist regime there, and opened up Papa Fabbrini Pizzas, one of the most advanced pizza factories in the country, employing over 22 people and producing over 45,000 pizzas a week. After emigrating from Croatia, Frabrini had perfected his pizza recipe, creating a combination of his original Croatia style pizza and refitting them to be more palatable for an American audience. In January 1973, it was noted by employees at the United Canning Company that a few cans of mushrooms were swelling. Such swelling is often considered to be a s...

Rip Valentinian I, He died the most based death in human history When it comes to the death of Roman emperors, there is no lack of variety. From the gruesome deaths of emperors such as Valerian, who was said to have had molten gold poured down his throat, to Carus, who was said to have been stuck by lightning while resting in his tent. However, in my opinion, none of these deaths are as interesting and amusing as the death of emperor Valentinian I, who, during an especially intense tirade with barbarian diplomats, passed out and soon was pronounced dead by a stroke. By the late 4th century, the Romans had quite a history dealing with the barbarian tribes beyond the Rhine and the Danube. At the time, one of these tribes, the Quadi, had resolved to engage in diplomacy with the Roman over the issue of Roman forts being constructed in their territory. The Roman, under Valentinian, seeking to secure their border to a greater extent (extending upon the new border defense system created b...