Fruit matters not only for its taste, nutrition and health benefits; some fruits have also left an incredible mark on the pages of history. Sometimes a fruit has sparked a trade war, sometimes it has changed people's eating habits, and sometimes the sight of a fruit has led to a scientific law. Here are some such curious episodes from history.

Perhaps the most popular story in the history of fruit centres on the apple. It is said that the English scientist Sir Isaac Newton was sitting under a tree one day when an apple fell to the ground. The event made him wonder why objects always fall downwards, and from there came the idea of the law of gravitation.

Historians believe the story is somewhat exaggerated, but Newton himself mentioned drawing inspiration from a falling apple. So the apple today is not just a fruit but a symbol of science.

Surprising as it may sound, bananas once caused political unrest. In the early 20th century the American United Fruit Company dominated the banana trade in several Central American countries.

The company's influence grew so great that it even swayed how some countries were governed. From this came the term banana republic, meaning a country where a foreign company exerts unusual influence over the economy and politics.

Readily available in markets today, the pineapple was a very rare and expensive fruit in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, seen as a symbol of wealth and status. England's rich displayed pineapples before their guests to show off their social standing, and those who could not afford to buy one could even rent one. Imagine a fruit once being a symbol of aristocracy.

On long sea voyages, a disease called scurvy spread widely among sailors. In the 18th century doctors discovered that the vitamin C in citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges was effective in preventing it. From then on, lemons and oranges were supplied regularly to British navy ships, saving thousands of sailors' lives and making long voyages safer. It was one of the great successes of health science achieved through fruit.

Watermelon seeds have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs, proving that people grew watermelon about five thousand years ago. But watermelon then was not as sweet and juicy as today's. Scientists say centuries of selective cultivation gradually changed its taste and size, so the delicious watermelon we eat today is the result not of nature but of thousands of years of agricultural development.

The role of fruit in the history of human civilisation often goes unnoticed. Yet an apple inspired science, a banana added a new term to the political dictionary, a pineapple became a symbol of social status, and oranges and lemons saved countless lives. Fruit is not just food; it is also an important part of history, culture and human civilisation.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.