From Blood Vessels to Black Death: Surprising Facts and Events That Shaped Our World

Did you know?

If you laid out all the blood vessels in an adult human body end to end – arteries, veins and capillaries – they’d stretch about 100 000km, enough to circle the Earth more than twice.

On this day in history, February 2

1349 At least 200 people a day are buried in London as a result of the Black Death. Of the city’s 70 000 inhabitants, 30 000 die from the plague, as do 60% of Europe’s population.

1602 First recorded performance of William Shakespeare’s comedy play, Twelfth Night, is held to celebrate Candelmas in London. (Candelmas is a Christian feast widely celebrated, marking the presentation of Jesus at the Temple and the Purification of the Virgin Mary, 40 days after Christmas. The name comes from the Latin Candelaria, or Festum Candelarum, meaning ‘Feast of Candles’, because it traditionally involves the blessing of candles, symbolising Jesus as the, ‘light of the world’. It is observed in a variety of ways around the world, often blending religious rituals with local customs: In the US it is known as Groundhog Day (if the sun shines on Groundhog Day, winter is not yet over).)

1659 The first wine (about 14 litres) is pressed at the Cape. Describe as ‘rustic’, ‘harsh’ and high in alcohol content, it was drinkable, but nothing like the elegant Cape wines we enjoy today. Despite its sharp, almost aggressive aroma, with a punch of alcohol and a hint of overripe fruit, and a taste that was bracingly strong and sour at first, it proved that the Cape could produce wine, laying the foundation for South Africa’s wine industry.

1892 Harry Sharpe and Frank Crosby slug it out for the Missouri Lightweight Championship – one of the most brutal and longest boxing matches. Won by Sharpe, the 77-round bout lasted five hours, five minutes. Both fighters outlasted the referee, who 12 rounds from the end, succumbed to exhaustion.

1925 Dogsleds reach Nome with emergency diphtheria serum after travelling 1 000km, inspiring the annual Iditarod race.

1972 Demonstrators raze the British Embassy in Dublin in protest at the shooting dead of 13 people on ‘Bloody Sunday’.

1990 President FW de Klerk promises to free Nelson Mandela and legalises the ANC.

2018 Trapped for two days, 955 miners are rescued from Welkom’s Beatrix gold mine.

2025 Beyoncé wins the Album of the Year and Best Country Album Grammy awards for Cowboy Carter.

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