History Facts for Kids

The first email was sent in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson, and he can't remember what it said.

Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey, not the bald eagle, to be America's national bird.

The ancient Silk Road was a network of trade routes stretching over 4,000 miles connecting China to the Mediterranean.

Humans have been creating art for at least 40,000 years — the oldest known cave paintings are in Indonesia and Spain.

The Black Plague in the 1300s killed about one-third of Europe's entire population.

Abraham Lincoln had no middle name — he was simply Abraham Lincoln.

The first known writing system, cuneiform, was invented by the Sumerians about 5,000 years ago.

The wheel was invented around 3500 BC, but it was first used for making pottery, not for transportation.

Fireworks were invented in ancient China over 2,000 years ago, originally to scare away evil spirits.

Queen Elizabeth I of England owned about 80 wigs and used thick white makeup made from lead.