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History Howlers

Hunt's Fresh Howlers—History Howlers

This page contains selected history howlers from Cecil Hunt's classic book of Fresh Howlers, published in 1930. The selected extracts, edited and rearranged, are reproduced for readers in countries where Fresh Howlers is in the public domain, which includes Australia. For other countries, please check your local copyright laws.

Battle of Trafalgar: was fought on sea, and therefore is sometimes called Waterloo.

Compulsory service: means saying the Lord's Prayer.

Magna Carta: the second wife of Henry the Eighth. His first wife died of a bad disease.

Mussolini: a sort of material used for ladies' stockings.

The Vatican: a vat for making wines.

Lady Jane Grey sat on the thorn for a few days.

The Romans came again 100 years after their first visit, 90 years before.

History largely consists of the shifting of evidence.

Richelieu was constantly ill from his berth.

The law of England allows every man to be tried with twelve piers.

The monks of the Middle Ages lived in monkeries.

The Industrial Revolution turned the centre of gravity completely round from east to west.

Nelson was mortally killed at the battle of Trafalgar and died after it.

To replenish their sins, the Normans went on a pilgrimage.

The monarch rules over the Untied Kingdom.

The question of Elizabeth's marriage is still a mystery, the key of which has never leaked out.

The Normans were famous for introducing the Frugal System.

The Duck of Wellington won a big battle and when he finished he had one arm and one eye and he looked through the telescope with his blind eye and said it was alright and that is how he won the battle.

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