The Quick Why: Napoleon, Pyramids & Toilet Paper’s Past
5 quick, curious whys from the dusty shelves of history.
This is your weekly edition of the Quick Why — 5 strange questions, answered in under a minute each.
In this edition of the Five Whys, we look at why Napoleon lost at the battle of waterloo, why the Egyptians were able to build pyramids with such precision, why was toilet paper not invented sooner and more in this edition of The Quick Why.
5 quick, curious whys from the dusty shelves of history, delivered fresh to your inbox.
Let’s begin…
👑 Why did Napoleon lose at Waterloo?
Among many reasons, rain played a key role. A heavy downpour delayed his attack, giving allied forces time to regroup — and mud slowed down his cannons. Even emperors can’t control the weather.
📏 Why did the Egyptians build pyramids with such precision?
Because they were obsessive engineers. They used simple tools like plumb bobs, sighting rods, and the stars to align structures with remarkable accuracy — often within fractions of a degree.
🚽 Why wasn’t toilet paper invented sooner?
Because for centuries, people used what they had: leaves, stones, sponges, even corn cobs. Toilet paper as we know it didn’t appear until the mid-1800s — and even then, it wasn’t widely used for decades.
🖋️ Why did signatures matter so much in history?
A signature meant power. In an age of limited literacy, putting your name to something was proof of identity, intent, and rank. Kings sealed treaties, rebels signed manifestos — it was all in the ink.
🦄 Why did medieval maps have sea monsters?
Part warning, part imagination. Cartographers filled in unknown areas with mythical beasts to signal danger — and sometimes just to make things more exciting (or expensive) for their patrons.
💡 Which one made history feel more human?
👉 Hit reply and let me know.
👉 Got a weird historical Why? I’d love to include it in a future issue!
🎯 Coming Next Week:
Monday — a fresh Five Why deep dive.
Thursday — Episode 7 of The Quick Why.
Matt