Mark Twain is a Pen Name
Mark Twain is a pen name, his real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. “Mark” “Twain” is a riverboat term for measuring two fathoms (12 feet): mark (measure) twain (two).
History
History is the study of events that have occurred in the past.
If You Tell the Truth, You Don’t Have to Remember Anything
Mark Twain is said to have said, “If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything”, meaning if you tell a lie you have to remember what lie you told to who.
Why Do Dictators Have Mustaches?
Villains tend to have mustaches, not because facial hair is evil, but because despots style themselves after other despots.
Lenin and Stalin are Real Names
Neither Lenin or Stalin are real names. Vladimir Lenin was born Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, and Joseph Stalin was born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili.
Communism and Fascism are Different
Both Communism and Fascism can be similar in practice in their authoritative forms, but the two are very different ideologically.
The Origin of Politically Correct
The exact origin of the term politically correct isn’t known, although the earliest usage we could find was from 1793 Supreme Court Case Chisholm v. Georgia.
The First Public Stocks Were Issued to Reduce Risks Related to Pirates
The rise of piracy and the birth of the public stock market roughly intersect, this is because the first public stocks were essentially a type of insurance against pirates.
The Dutch East India Company Was the First Publicly Traded Company
In 1602, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) became the first publicly traded company when it sold shares on its own Amsterdam Stock Exchange (the first stock market).
Hitler Was Elected President in a Democratic Election
Hitler came to power in a Democracy as the NAZIs gained seats in the Reichstag, but he was never elected President in a Democratic election.
Madison Drafted the Constitution and Bill of Rights
Madison drafted both the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, but he wasn’t the sole author of either, both were debated and approved by committees.