Interesting Facts and Trivia: Weapons I

From the start of time, early man had to defend their territory and family using something to keep both human and animal threats away. From the weaponry used in 500,000 BC to the first use of poisonous gas, the world has seen a great deal of technological advancements and growth in methods of defense. In this article, you will encounter a handful of interesting trivia and facts about weapons.

Deadly Gases

It was 1915 when poisonous gases (like mustard gas, chlorine, and tear gas) were first used by the German army at Ypres. During this time, gas masks were invented to combat the problem. By 1936, those at war had to worry about nerve gas, which caused people to suffer convulsions. If the gas attacked their respiratory system, they could face death if they were unable to breathe.

Early Weaponry

Spears were the weapon of choice for early man living during 500,000 BC. It wasn’t until 15,000 BC that spear-throwers were used as a form of weaponry. By 250,000 BC, early man had created the stone axe.

Not Your Average Lollipop”¦

In 1897, dum-dum bullets were released, but were later banned in 1908. The bullet (also known as an expanding bullet) was made to expand on impact, which would increase the diameter of the damage. Two of the main designs were the hollow point bullet and the soft point bullet. The bullets worked too good and were met with protests in Germany, which called the bullets cruel and inhumane. They also believed that the bullets violated the laws of war. In the end, a ban was put out for the expanding bullets in warfare. The British replaced their hollow point bullets with new full metal jacket bullets, and the remaining stock was used for practice.

Nuclear Weapons Around the World

Precise figures of the number of nuclear warheads in the world are either unknown or a complete secret, but there were about 65,000 in 1985. Over the years, the numbers have decreased to less than 29,000. Estimates show that nuclear weaponry is in the United States, Russia, France, Israel, China, the United Kingdom, India, and Pakistan. The country with the most is Russia with an estimation that is somewhere around 15,000.  

Bullets that Boomerang

In 1870, the United States saw the invention of an unusually different kind of bullet that was actually designed to fire in a curved line. The danger that came with the bullet was that if it traveled in a complete circle, it could kill the person that fired the gun in the first place , thus being dubbed the ‘boomerang bullet.’ Another boomerang-like weapon was found in Poland that dated back to 25,000 BC. Knives were also used around this time period as a method of defense.