Humans have been fascinated by time ever since the discovery of the regular movement of the sun and stars. Despite this obsession, our perception of time can be very inaccurate as these 10 surprising facts will show.
For those of us who aren’t history gurus, the list — inspired by a recent Reddit thread — will help put major historical moments into much-needed context.
1. Cleopatra lived closer in time to the moon landing than the construction of the pyramids.
The Great Pyramid was completed around 2560 B.C., while Cleopatra’s life began a full 2,491 years later. The first lunar landing in 1969 took place less than 2,000 years after her death in 30 B.C.
2. Oxford University is older than the Aztecs.
Teaching had already begun at Oxford as early as 1096. By 1249, the University of Oxford had grown into a full-fledged university, complete with student housing at the school’s three original halls of residence. The Aztec civilization as we know it began with the founding of Tenochtitlan in 1325.
Head on to Weather.com for the full list
