Discover 1915: Top 7 Fascinating Fun Facts that Shaped a Pivotal Year in History

1. Vitamin Funk-tified

Before vitamin supplements became a pillar of health food stores and a regular guest at breakfast tables, Casimir Funk had already funk-tified our vital nourishment game: In 1912, this Polish-American biochemist introduced the term "Vitamines" and discovered that specific organic compounds were essential for preventing diseases like beriberi, rickets, and scurvy, paving the way for the vitamin supplements and fortified foods we depend on today.
Source => encyclopedia.com

2. Lassen's Explosive Performance

Whoever said "don't blow your top" never met Lassen Peak in 1915: this Northern California volcano erupted with gusto, becoming the only one to let off steam in the contiguous United States that year.
Source => today.oregonstate.edu

Did you know that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911 caused the tragic death of 146 workers due to scarce exits and cramped conditions? Discover more shocking details!

=> Fun Facts about The-Triangle-Shirtwaist-Factory-Fire

3. Egg-splosive Grenade Breakfast

Picture this: a tin-encased breakfast of a dozen eggs, courtesy of William Mills, ready to "crack" open a world of explosive possibilities! In 1915, the No.5 Mark 1 Mills grenade was introduced as the first British hand grenade to be issued on a large scale during World War I, featuring an egg-shaped design with gripping segments, and remaining the standard British fragmentation grenade for over 55 years.
Source => royalarmouries.org

4. JFK's Thrilling Book Taste

When Kennedy said he was shaken, not stirred, he wasn't just talking about his martinis: In 1961, US President John F. Kennedy listed Ian Fleming's novel "From Russia, with Love" as one of his ten favorite books, resulting in a sales boom and making Fleming the best-selling crime writer in the US at the time.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Einstein's Cosmic Dance

Who needs time machines when you've got a quirky fellow with wild hair and a knack for twisting brains like pretzels? That's right, our main man Albert Einstein had everyone's heads spinning in 1915: He published his Theory of General Relativity, which suggested that space and time are basically cosmic dance partners that go cha-cha-cha-ing around each other, all thanks to gravity. Fast-forward to today, and UCLA's own star-gazing guru, Andrea Ghez, has proven that Einstein's gravitational groove is still on point – although, it's yet to find its rhythm within the mysterious insides of a black hole.
Source => newsroom.ucla.edu

6. Pre-Sliced Bread Pioneers

Before sliced bread was the greatest thing since... well, nothing: The year 1915 played host to the birth of a hunger for innovation in the food world, courtesy of World War I and its effects on wheat supplies. This led to the establishment of the United States Food Administration, which urged Americans to conserve resources, reduce waste, and even embrace meatless and wheatless days each week – sparking ideas for future culinary technology that would eventually serve up pre-sliced bread on a plate for our sandwich-loving society.
Source => americanhistory.si.edu

7. Sinking Ships & Tensions

In 1915, if you sailed through British waters, you were in for a "sinking" feeling: Germany declared these waters a war zone and abandoned international naval "prize laws", resulting in the tragic sinking of the British-owned passenger ship Lusitania and strained diplomatic relations between Germany and the United States, fueled by intense anti-German sentiment in both nations.
Source => history.com