Current-day earthquakes in Charleston, SC may be aftershocks from a 6.6-7.3 magnitude earthquake that occurred in 1886.  It created massive amounts of structural damage, some of which can still be seen today.  Residents of Charleston quickly put bolts through their homes for added stability in case another earthquake were to come.  Meant to preserve an old tradition, decorative pieces resembling outward signs of bolt usage are now a common sight on newer homes.

Depicted: Damage done to W Meeting St in Charleston, SC due to the earthquake in 1886.

A dwarfed form of the woolly mammoth lived on Wrangel Island (an island off the coast of eastern Siberia) until about 1700 BC, more than 8,000 years after their larger ancestors died off.  Another population lived on St Paul Island off the coast of Alaska.

Depicted: A dwarf woolly mammoth compared to a regular-sized woolly mammoth.

Dog movie star Rin Tin Tin beat the odds even as a newborn puppy.  In 1918 the five-day old puppy was rescued (along with his mother and four siblings) from a destroyed kennel in the middle of a French battlefield.  In the days after, only Rin Tin Tin and his sister, Nanette, survived.  He and Nanette returned to Los Angeles after the war with their rescuer and lived there for the rest of their lives. “Rinty” died at age 14 in 1932, supposedly in the arms of actress Jean Harlow.

Depicted: Rin Tin Tin and Nanette as puppies in the care of members of the US Army.

Asian Elephants were once milked by their owners.

The character “&” evolved from “et” (Latin for “and”) written in Old Roman cursive in the first century AD.  In the US, it was once taught to children as the 27th letter of the alphabet.

Depicted: Evolution of the ampersand from Old Roman cursive to Carolingian Miniscule.  We no longer use Carolingian Miniscule but our modern ampersand is still written in a similar script.

Annie Oakley; November 1, 1894 (by mrmassage)

One of the first film recordings was of Annie Oakley showing off her legendary shot.  Contrary to popular belief, she was well-respected by her male counterparts.  She was even given the affectionate nickname “Little Sure Shot” by Sitting Bull.

Venetian women of the 15th through 17th centuries wore tall, stilt-like platforms known as chopines, some reaching over 20 in tall.  On the top was the upper of a patten or a clog that a woman would place her regular shoe in, keeping it from mud and water.  They were also fashionable in Spain and are thought to have originated there.

Depicted: A pair of Spanish chopines from before 1540.  Later versions would have narrower stilts and more elaborate decoration.

In 1971 in order to protect a base in Vietnam, the US Army set loose a number of dolphins armed with hypodermic needles on their beaks that contained carbon dioxide.  The animals had been trained to seek out and stab swimmers in the lungs or stomach.

Depicted: A ten-day-old dolphin rescued by tourists in Uruguay, and a curious onlooker.  He was treated for wounds likely caused by a fishing net.  Someday he may hear the call of duty.

The ancient Roman public baths were heated by smoke and hot air that circulated under the floors and in the walls, which were always hollow.  Bathers could even count on hot water warmed by furnaces.  It was considered indecent for a woman to bathe at night.  After the fall of the Roman Empire, Roman baths lived on in the form of Turkish baths.

Depicted: Steam rising from the Great Bath in Bath, England (the namesake for the town).  Its oldest sections date to the 1st century AD but the majority of it was built within the next 300 years.  It underwent modification and restoration in the 12th, 18th and 19th centuries.

In ancient times, carrots were purple, black, red, white or yellow and were cultivated in the Middle East for their seeds and aromatic leaves.  Purple ones were used in dyes made for the clothing of Afghan royalty.  Orange carrots are thought to have originated in the Netherlands in the 16th century when various species were crossed to create a sweeter, more edible vegetable.