This is Fascinating Facts – April 2026 (Issue 38): another eclectic mix of quirky history, disasters, folklore, and “why is that a thing?” human stories — from Dragons’ Den near-misses to a 12,000-tonne wave of molasses in Boston.
Fascinating Facts April 2026 Contents
“Fascinating Facts” is a free monthly e-magazine focusing on personal, historical, and military interests. Contributions are welcomed with appropriate credit given. You can download the full newsletter to read HERE; however, some snippets are listed below
APRIL SHOWERS FACTS
A quick seasonal opener on why April often feels wet (frequent, short, intense convective showers) even when it isn’t always the wettest month by total rainfall. Also covers petrichor, raindrop shape (not teardrops), fall speeds, localised downpours, and a nod to the Tusser rhyme (“April showers bring May flowers”). Read more…
DRAGONS’ DEN: SUCCESSFUL REJECTIONS
A roundup of big names that were rejected (or deals that didn’t happen) yet went on to thrive – including Tangle Teezer and Trunki – plus stats on how many TV deals collapse during due diligence and why. Read more…
WIND PHONES
A surprisingly moving piece on the Japanese “wind phone”: a disconnected phone box where people speak to lost loved ones, created by Itaru Sasaki in Ōtsuchi, later embraced after the 2011 tsunami. It tracks global replicas (including UK sites) and how the idea has seeped into novels and film. Read more…
HISTORY OF EARTHQUAKES IN ENGLAND
A crisp timeline-style list of notable earthquakes affecting England (and nearby areas) from 1185 (Lincoln Cathedral damage) through modern tremors like Market Rasen 2008 — with notes on where they were felt and what broke. Read more…
ERFURT LATRINE DISASTER
Medieval catastrophe with a grim punchline: in 1184, a packed upper floor collapsed during a royal court day and dropped dozens into a cesspit below, killing around sixty. Includes the political background, who survived, and how folklore later embellished it. Read more…
“THE VERTUE OF THE COFFEE DRINK”
Coffee propaganda, 1652 edition: London’s first coffeehouse era, with a period handbill listing everything coffee supposedly cures — then a modern “scientific virtues” counterpoint (antioxidants, alertness, reduced disease risks), plus a quick origin story from Ethiopia to Europe. Read more…
THE 300 YEAR OLD IMMOVABLE HOLY LADDER
The strangely famous ladder at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre that can’t be moved thanks to the Status Quo agreement between six Christian denominations. It digs into when it first appeared in images (early 1700s), who “owned” it, and theories for why it was there in the first place. Read more…
THE CODE OF HAMMURABI
A punchy overview of the Babylonian law code: what it is, where it was found, what’s on the stele, and the famous “if…then…” approach (including classic punishments and the “eye for an eye” idea), with examples across property, family, trade, assault, and slavery. Read more…
THE BOSTON GREAT MOLASSES FLOOD
One of those “this can’t be real” disasters: in 1919, a tank bursts and sends a fast-moving wall of molasses through Boston, killing 21 and injuring around 150. After the chaos: weeks of cleanup, years of lingering stickiness, and a landmark legal case that helped shape modern corporate accountability. Read more…
