Well this overlaps blow my mind
History can be surprising — especially when timelines we thought were worlds apart turn out to be next-door neighbors. Here are 9 historical overlaps that seem unbelievable… until you check the dates.
1. Cowboys and Victorians Were Contemporaries 🤠👑
The Victorian Era (1837–1901) was a time of steam engines and strict manners in Britain. Meanwhile, the American "Wild West" era — think cowboys, saloons, and duels at high noon — peaked between 1865 and 1895.
That means Queen Victoria and Billy the Kid could’ve been pen pals.
Overlap: ~30 years
2. Machu Picchu and the Sistine Chapel Were Built Just 33 Years Apart
Machu Picchu was built by the Inca around 1450.
Sistine Chapel was finished 1482, and the first mass was held on August 15, 1483.
In less than a lifetime, humanity went from sacred Andean citadels to Renaissance masterpieces.
Difference: Only 33 years from Machu Picchu to the first mass in Sistine Chapel.
photo: unsplash
3. Abraham Lincoln and the Samurai Lived at the Same Time 🇺🇸🗡️
Abraham Lincoln: 1809–1865
Samurai class: Officially abolished in 1868, but active for centuries before
While Lincoln was signing the Emancipation Proclamation, samurai still carried swords in Edo.
Overlap: Entire lifetime
4. Woolly Mammoths Were Still Alive When the Great Pyramids Were Built 🐘📐
Great Pyramid of Giza: ~2560 BCE
Last known population of woolly mammoths (Wrangel Island): ~1650 BCE
There were mammoths on Earth 900 years after the pyramids were constructed.
Overlap: Absolutely
photo: unsplash
5. Cleopatra Is Closer to Our Time Than to the Pyramids ⏳👑
Cleopatra VII died in 30 BCE
Great Pyramid of Giza: ~2560 BCE
She lived over 2,400 years after the pyramids, but only about 2,050 years before today.
Cleopatra and the iPhone? Closer in time than Cleopatra and the pyramids.
Difference: 2,500 vs. 2,000 years
6. London Is 1,100 Years Older Than Genghis Khan 🇬🇧🏇
London founded by Romans in 43 CE
Genghis Khan born in 1162 CE
London had existed for over 1,100 years before Genghis Khan’s first horse ride.
Difference: ~1,119 years
7. The Ottoman Empire Still Existed When Walt Disney Made His First Cartoon 🎬🕌
Ottoman Empire abolished: 1922
Walt Disney released Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in 1927, and Steamboat Willie in 1928
While the Ottomans were fading out, Disney was just getting started.
Though Oswald came five years later, Disney began experimenting with animation as early as 1920–1921.
So it’s fair to say there was less than a 5-year gap between the end of the Ottoman Empire and Disney’s first creations
Difference: ~5 years or less
8. The Fall of the Eastern Roman Empire Happened Just 39 Years Before Columbus Sailed 🚢🏛️
Byzantine Empire fell in 1453
Columbus reached the Americas in 1492
These aren't two different eras — they’re barely a generation apart.
Difference: 39 years
9. Saturn’s Rings Didn’t Exist (As We Know Them) When Stegosaurus Roamed the Earth 🪐🦕
Stegosaurus: 155–150 million years ago
Saturn’s Rings likely formed: ~100–200 million years ago
The iconic rings of Saturn may have formed long after Stegosaurus became extinct.
Difference: At least 50 million years
photo: unsplash
Final Thoughts
Time is wild. These overlapping events remind us that history isn’t just a straight line — it’s a tangled, fascinating web full of surprises.
Which of these facts blew your mind the most?
Know of any others? Share them in the comments!