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19 Historians Share Important Events That Most People Don’t Know About

9.

The development of high capacity capacitors using niobium and tantalum that are crucial in cellphones caused a demand increase for both metals of which the Congo region of Africa had large deposits of coltan muds rich in both metals which required very little to mine, literally scoop it up from a river bank. The influx of cash allowed the 200+ tribal groups to purchase modern weaponry to reignite previously smouldering grievances with each other that caused the Congo region to descend into civil war, coupled with the fact that farmers could forgo back-breaking work and simply deliver a few wheelbarrows of mud and make as much as they would all season led to the food shortages during this period. In short because the world wanted cellphones, the Congo region descended into civil war.

10.

Look up the Russian spy Sorge. He gave Stalin the information needed to defeat the Germans at Moscow. He knew Japan wasn’t going to attack Russia anymore due to their focus on USA, so Stalin could retreat his troops from Siberia to defend Moscow. These were, in contrast to regular conscripts, well fed and trained men. They were accostumed to harsh conditions. This enabled them to force back the attacking force of Germans, and marking the pivot point in Hitler’s campaign in Russia

11.

The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than the Great War, known today as World War I (WWI), at somewhere between 20 and 40 million people. It has been cited as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history. More people died of influenza in a single year than in four-years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. Known as “Spanish Flu” or “La Grippe” the influenza of 1918-1919 was a global disaster.

12.

When Genghis Khan died, all his generals returned home to elect the new Khan, which ended the invasion of Europe, since they never got back to finishing it. As the Mongols had already wiped out China and Persia, Europe was the ‘last man standing’. This ushered in the next 800 years of European dominance of the world.

Written by Irvi Torremoro

Irvi Torremoro is an Austinite by way of Las Vegas. She's worked in various outlets in food & beverage and is now focused on writing, eating all the things, talking about Beyonce, and petting all the puppies. She runs flavorandbounty.com, a lifestyle blog about people in the service industry.