Weird war facts in history
Learn strange and weird facts about wars in history.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
-
© World Science Festival (A Britannica Publishing Partner)What bonobos may be able to teach humans about getting along.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.On D-Day, June 6, 1944, an Allied force led by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower launched the greatest amphibious invasion of all time against German defenses on the coast of Normandy, France. From The Second World War: Allied Victory (1963), a documentary by Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation.
-
© Civil War Trust (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Learn about combat tactics and weapons used by soldiers on both sides during the American Revolution (1775–83).
-
© Open University (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Alfred Nobel invented dynamite, which resulted in a fortune, his disillusionment, and the Nobel Prizes—one of which, the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, Martin Luther King, Jr., received for his role in the American civil rights movement. This video explores how Nobel's and Fritz Haber's lives provide evidence of the importance of the social responsibility of scientists.
News •
War has upended Russian-Nordic friendships forged on Arctic ice hockey rinks. Can they ever recover?
• Nov. 10, 2026, 6:00 AM ET (The Guardian)
Map Shows Russia Losing Ground Amid Heaviest Casualties Since Start of War
• Nov. 2, 2026, 6:47 AM ET (Newsweek)
Transcript
WTFact: Wars Across the World
All is fair in these historic wars
The British soldiers who fought in World War I were supposed to be age 18 and older, but some boys lied about their age so they could enlist.
The youngest of these liars was Sidney Lewis, who was born in 1903-making him a 12-year-old soldier.
The Virginia estate that was home to Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his family was occupied by the Union army during the Civil War.
The U.S. government bought it and turned it into a graveyard, which became the country’s premier national military burial ground—Arlington National Cemetery.
Before the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years’ War, English soldiers knelt, kissed the ground, and put some dirt into their mouths.
It was most likely a ritual that combined communion with burial, preparing the soldiers for potential death.
The Korean War isn’t over. The Korean Armistice Agreement, signed on July 27, 1953, ended “all acts of armed force” until they could reach a “final peaceful settlement.”
But that final settlement was never reached, meaning the war never officially ended.
One of the causes of the French Revolution was the price of bread-which had risen to 88% of a worker’s pay.
That rise in price ended up costing French royals even more-their heads.
Have any quirky questions? Go to beyond.britannica.com
All is fair in these historic wars
The British soldiers who fought in World War I were supposed to be age 18 and older, but some boys lied about their age so they could enlist.
The youngest of these liars was Sidney Lewis, who was born in 1903-making him a 12-year-old soldier.
The Virginia estate that was home to Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his family was occupied by the Union army during the Civil War.
The U.S. government bought it and turned it into a graveyard, which became the country’s premier national military burial ground—Arlington National Cemetery.
Before the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years’ War, English soldiers knelt, kissed the ground, and put some dirt into their mouths.
It was most likely a ritual that combined communion with burial, preparing the soldiers for potential death.
The Korean War isn’t over. The Korean Armistice Agreement, signed on July 27, 1953, ended “all acts of armed force” until they could reach a “final peaceful settlement.”
But that final settlement was never reached, meaning the war never officially ended.
One of the causes of the French Revolution was the price of bread-which had risen to 88% of a worker’s pay.
That rise in price ended up costing French royals even more-their heads.
Have any quirky questions? Go to beyond.britannica.com
Last Modification: