Twisting your perception of time

How is this possible? These historical events occurred at the same time!

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Did you know that Cleopatra, Egypt's most famous queen, lived closer to our time than to the construction of the powerful pyramids of Giza? When we map out different historical events on a timeline, we frequently discover that moments we thought were galaxies apart actually happened at the same time or were separated by far fewer years than we imagined. Join us as we put history into perspective! One thing's for sure: you're in for some surprises.

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We often tend to associate the marvelous pyramids of Giza with Cleopatra VII. And it's easy to see why, as she's Egypt's most famous Queen. But here's the surprising truth: about 2,500 years separated the construction of the pyramids (2580–2560 BC) from Cleopatra's life (69–30 BC). That means that the Queen of the Nile was roughly 500 years closer to our own time than she was to the pyramid builders!

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If you've worked in an office at any point over the past 35 years, chances are you've used or at least seen a fax machine. And while it might seem like a relatively recent invention, the truth is that the first fax machine was invented well before the American Civil War. That's right! In 1843, 18 years before the war broke out, Scottish inventor Alexander Bain created the first electromechanical facsimile machine, the ancestor of the modern fax.

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The Salem witch trials are remembered as an infamous event from long ago. These trials took place mainly between 1692 and 1693, decades before the US even existed as a nation. Surprisingly, the prestigious Harvard University had already been founded 56 years earlier! And here's the most impressive part: both events occurred in what is now Massachusetts.

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The sinking of the Titanic happened over a century ago. This tragic event, which captured the world's attention, occurred in 1912, but at the very same time, other events were also happening around the globe. Surprisingly, that same year also saw the debut of one of America’s most beloved cookies: the Oreo!

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Did you know that the iconic Marilyn Monroe was born in the same year as Queen Elizabeth II? It might seem surprising, since popular imagination links these two women to very different eras. But it's true: Marilyn was born in June 1926, just two months after the future queen, who would go on to rule the UK for 70 years. They actually met once, at the Royal Film Performance held at the Empire Theatre in London on October 29, 1956. Queen Elizabeth II passed away in 2022, 60 years after the actress's death.

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Pyramids take center stage again in this comparison. You probably link woolly mammoths with the Ice Age in the Northern Hemisphere, right? While that connection is accurate, it may surprise you to learn that some of these massive mammals were still roaming the Earth long after the Egyptian pyramids were built.

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The Samurai were a privileged warrior class that inhabited pre-modern Japan, arising around the 12th century. Their influence lasted for centuries, which is why some samurai were still alive when Alexander Graham Bell made the first successful telephone call in 1876. It was precisely in that same year of the 19th century that marked the official abolition of the samurai class in Japan.

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The Aztecs were a powerful civilization that primarily ruled what is now Mexico between the 14th and 16th centuries. Among its many achievements was the construction of Tenochtitlán, which began around the year 1325. But did you know that Oxford University was already teaching students nearly three centuries before the Aztecs began building their empire? While the exact dates are uncertain, scholars estimate that instruction at Oxford was already underway by 1096!

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When discussing ancient civilizations, we can’t forget the Incas, whose empire was centered in what is now Peru. The thing is, when the Incas were building the impressive structures of Machu Picchu around 1450, there were just over 30 years left before the incredible Sistine Chapel was completed on the other side of the world. Just three decades separate these two monumental and majestic human creations, built with very different technologies, tools, and techniques.

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The Ottoman Empire was founded around 1299, an amazing seven centuries ago. That's why it feels so incredible that it still existed when Walt Disney was creating his first cartoons. Indeed, Disney released his first animated shorts, the Alice Comedies, in 1923, just a year after the Ottoman Empire was officially dissolved.

Expressions inspired by the body

Terms that use body parts as symbols, handpicked for you

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It’s curious how often language uses parts of the body as metaphors for expressing complex or abstract ideas. Can you easily think of a synonym for a "knee-jerk reaction" or for a "brainstorm"? We are well acquainted with the mechanics of our body parts, but when did we decide on the meanings of "heartfelt" or "footnote"? Let’s explore the history of these everyday terms and decode the symbolism of our anatomy.

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The marks our steps leave behind have been called "footprints," whether literally or figuratively, for at least a few centuries. The literal meaning first appears in records from the mid-16th century, notably in the work of English lexicographer Richard Huloet in 1552.

The idea that humans, as they move through life, leave behind a "digital footprint" or "carbon footprint" is far more recent, gaining popularity in the last 50 years. The term invites us to visualize the impact of one’s actions as something tangible—like a footprint in the sand. But why choose the feet, and not "handprints" or "fingerprints"? Perhaps because modern society often associates footprints with marks that are both significant and enduring, like those left by the first astronauts on the Moon.

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When the tendon just below the kneecap is tapped, the leg’s reaction can surprise even us. This is known as the patellar reflex—an automatic, involuntary response. Over time, an impulsive response—such as abruptly changing the subject, leaving a room, or making a snarky remark—came to be described as a "knee-jerk reaction."

The first medical studies of the patellar reflex took place in the 19th century, and the "knee-jerk" metaphor gained popularity about a hundred years later. Ironically, while the neurological test indicates healthy nerve function, the term "knee-jerk" is often used pejoratively to describe reactions that are far from ideal.

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This word suggests that having a "strong head" is synonymous with being stubborn, rigid, obstinate, or even "hardheaded." If you are called bull-headed, pig-headed, or single-minded, you’re receiving a similar critique.

But what about the head made it a symbol of intransigence? These expressions draw on the metaphor of using one’s head as a battering ram—much like a bull charging forward. Unlike "pig-headed," however, headstrong is not always negative; it can also describe someone determined and persistent enough to achieve their goals.

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When it first appeared in the late 19th century, brainstorm had a very different meaning—it described a sudden, irrational burst of mental activity, or even temporary insanity. Then, in 1948, advertising leader Alex Faickney Osborn gave it a new life in his book Your Creative Power, introducing "brainstorming" as a group creativity technique.

In this new sense, the word stood for a flurry of free-flowing ideas. Osborn’s method encouraged team members to propose solutions without judgment or self-censorship—every idea was welcome. Today, brainstorm has broadened further, describing not only collaborative sessions but also any solo burst of creative thinking and problem-solving.

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There was a time when agricultural products had to be not only selected but also plucked one by one, by hand—a symbol of careful, thoughtful selection. That patient craftsmanship gave rise to the word handpick as early as the 1780s.

The adjective handpicked and the figurative use of the verb developed later, in a more modern context. Today, we use handpicked to describe any curated selection—from a guest list to an eclectic arrangement of furniture—even if no actual hands were involved in the choosing.

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In ancient times, the heart was believed to be the source of emotion, thought, and love. Even after medicine revealed this to be inaccurate, the idea had already taken deep root in human culture.

The word heartfelt first appears in records around 1703, describing profoundly sincere emotions. Interestingly, the expression is almost exclusively used as an adjective. It never quite evolved into a verb or noun—you’d rarely hear of someone heartfeeling their apologies or congratulations.

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In the latter half of the 20th century, brainwashing captured the public imagination through spy thrillers and dystopian works such as George Orwell’s 1984 (1949) and films like The Manchurian Candidate (1962) or A Clockwork Orange (1972). The image was chilling yet vivid—a mind scrubbed clean of its beliefs, ready to be rewritten.

The term’s real-world origins are far from fictional. Journalist Edward Hunter is credited with popularizing brainwash in his reports on the Korean War, describing how U.S. soldiers captured by Chinese forces were allegedly subjected to intense psychological reconditioning. The expression is a direct translation of the Chinese phrase xǐnăo (洗脑), meaning "to wash the brain."

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Marginal annotations have existed for as long as texts themselves. Even handwritten manuscripts bore commentaries in their margins, left by readers, scholars, or dissenters. When such annotated works were transcribed, these remarks were often moved to the "foot" of the page—the very bottom of the text.

The practice proved just as useful after the invention of the printing press. Footnotes allowed authors and editors to add material even after the main body had been set in type. Over time, that space at the bottom became a strategic place for citations, clarifications, or tangential observations. Many languages, including Spanish and German, share with English this same metaphor: the extra note at the foot of the page is a footnote.

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How did a beat of the heart come to mean an attractive person? Though heartbeat and heartthrob don’t seem closely related, heartthrob first appeared in the early 19th century, initially describing very strong emotions rather than the literal function of the organ.

By the 1900s, however, it evolved to describe someone who inspired those intense feelings in others. It wasn’t long before the term was applied to glamorous actors during Hollywood’s rise, cementing its meaning as charismatic men who made audiences swoon. Over time, heartthrob has continued to evolve, and today it commonly refers to people of any gender, celebrity status, or occupation.

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The backbone has a fundamental function: to carry the weight of our body, enable movement, and keep us upright. The term has been known since at least the 15th century to refer to the literal spinal column—the series of vertebrae. But its figurative use came later.

By the 18th century, backbone had transformed into a symbol of inner strength, willpower, and even leadership or protection within a group. A resilient person might be said to have "grown a backbone," and a dependable worker is often called the "backbone of the team."