February 1, 2021
Why does Tax Day fall on April 15, and which historical leader taxed beards? Read on for answers to those questions and more in this list, adapted from an episode of The List Show on YouTube.
1. Taxes date back to at least Ancient Egypt.
We can trace documented records of taxation all the way back to Ancient Egypt, sometime around 3000 to 2800 BCE. Apparently, there was a biennial event called the Following of Horus, when the Pharaoh went around collecting taxes in his dual roles as head of state and living incarnation of the god Horus. Taxation is even described in the Bible when Joseph tells the people of Egypt to give a fifth of their crops to Pharaoh.
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We’ll be publishing next week on Wednesday, Dec. 23, ahead of the newsletter’s winter break. We’ll be back to our normal schedule on Jan. 8.
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