China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, standardized weights, measures, currency, and script across China in 221 BC.
Fact #8162
More History Facts
In 1979, a computer error nearly triggered a false nuclear alarm in the United States.
Fact #799 · History
The Magna Carta influenced later democratic principles.
Fact #616 · History
In 1896, two countries fought a war that lasted under 45 minutes.
Fact #770 · History
The marathon race commemorates a legendary run in ancient Greece.
Fact #926 · History
The Gulf of Tonkin incident was later shown to involve disputed reports of attacks.
Fact #1046 · History
The first dinosaurs appeared during the Triassic period.
Fact #632 · History
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was triggered by a massive undersea earthquake.
Fact #807 · History
The Tuskegee experiment became a landmark case in medical ethics reform.
Fact #1008 · History
Want more facts?
We have over 11,491 facts across 15 categories.