Forgotten Discoveries From Past Decades Unearthed

 CT scan of 1,000-year-old Buddha statue reveals mummified monk's remains

Forget what you learned in history books. Often they tell only one side of a nuanced story. The rare finds collected here show an aspect of history that we rarely get to see. They peel back the layers of the stories we think we know to reveal little-known facts that make history more fascinating. If you're ready to see a different side of history than what you already know, click ahead...the truth is waiting for you!

In 2015, researchers in the Netherlands performed a CT scan on a statue of a seated Buddha and found the last thing they expected when they looked inside. The statue contained a monk who had been mummified for 1,000 years. Instead of simply placing the monk inside the statue, researchers found that the monk was filled with pieces of paper covered with Chinese characters. To mummify himself a monk would take a special diet of poisoned tea to ensure that the body would become so poisoned that it could not be eaten by insects. It is rare that a monk could accomplish such a feat, but those who accomplished it were respected within the community.

The Statue of Liberty in its original copper form in Paris before being transported to New York City, 1886

One of America's greatest landmarks, the Statue of Liberty, has long been a source of awe among people around the world. The way we see it now, draped in sea green and staring out over Manhattan, it hasn't always been that way.

Made of copper, the statue was constructed from several parts over the course of a few years, and as it was put together at Ellis Island, it began to oxidize, changing its color to a gorgeous green. When completed in 1886 the statue was initially very dazzling, a form that would never be seen again.

This Schramm Javelin prototype was a single-seat aluminum body helicopter designed by B.J. Schramm in 1964. It was designed by Schramm.

When Rotary decided everyone needed a private helicopter, they hired B.J. Schramm to mock the idea of a single-seat aluminum helicopter. The Schramm Scorpion made its first flight in 1966 with the hope of becoming America's own personal kit helicopter.

Scorpion production kits were actually on sale from the late 60s until 1984. The mini-copters could fly up to 160 miles and reach speeds of up to 65 miles per hour, weighing up to 425 pounds. Can you imagine how much better the world would be if we were all flying in these little helicopters?

Ladder 3 was one of the first firetrucks to appear on September 11, 2001

The first responders to the attacks on the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001 were the first to attack in the early morning chaos and confusion, and many did not survive. A piece of equipment stands as a monument to his courage; Ladder 3. This truck was driven by Captain Patrick Brown and the firefighters, and he lost his life when the front of the truck in the North Tower collapsed, meeting a similar fate. Due to the collapse of the building, the front part of the truck was torn off, leaving it reduced to debris. After the area was cleaned, the truck was placed in a hangar at JFK International Airport before being moved to the Memorial Museum in 2011.

A sewing machine from 1867, this invention was one of the most controversial inventions of the 19th century