There were 345 members of the Second Continental Congress. During the first two years of the Revolutionary War there were never more than 65 that ever convened at the same time. Sometimes as few as 9 convened.

(Great Courses – The American Revolution)

The composer Tchaikovsky was forced to commit suicide by drinking arsenic to avoid being exposed as a homosexual.

(Great Courses – Great masters: Tchaikovsky)

As Germany was racing across France during WWII the French government was in disagreement about what to do. Some wanted to continue the fight and retreat to Africa if necessary. Others wanted to agree to terms with Germany to prevent further bloodshed in what they saw was a lost cause. The British had a signed agreement with France that neither would make a separate peace with Germany and they did not want to let France out of that agreement. They finally decided to offer France the opportunity to do that IF they would take the French fleet (fourth largest in the world) and send it to British ports or somewhere so that the Germans could not have it.

At the last minute the British came up with another solution. They proposed to unite Britain and France and continue the fight as one country. French citizens would be British citizens and British citizens would be French citizens. This was supported strongly by the French Premier and French General Charles De Gaulle. In the end the French government rejected this proposal and made a separate peace with France. As this decision was being made General De Gaulle made his escape to Africa.

The British confiscated all French vessels in British ports with only one French vessel resisting. When the French fleet at Oran refused to surrender, move the fleet to a neutral port or scuttle itself the British destroyed it.

(Book – The Second World War Volume 2 – Winston S. Churchill)

Only 40 fragments of music from time before Christian music exist. That is due to the fact that music wasn’t written on substances that are easily preserved and due to early Christians wanting to eliminate non-Christian music.

(Great Courses – How to Listen to and Understand Opera)

Around the time of the American Revolution British officers had to pay for their commission. An ensign’s commission cost 400 pounds! And every rank higher had to be purchased.

(Great Courses – The American Revolution)

The musical period known as the Baroque lasted from 1600 which was the year of the first published opera to 1750  which was year of the death of Johann Sebastian Bach.

(Great Courses – How to Listen to and Understand Great Music)