Weird History

If you come at the king, you’d best not miss, and if you do succeed, you’d better be ready to look over your shoulder for the rest of your days. Even when a conspiracy to topple a king actually succeeds, that doesn’t mean things worked out for the perpetrators. Regicide often comes with unforeseen costs. This collection looks at the times when historical backstabbers got way more than they bargained for.

In a country with 50 separate territories with unique cultural backgrounds, laws, and social practices, it's unsurprising that citizens of each state in the US find pride in the unique histories of their home residency. Still, while we may boast about our own states and believe that we have a good idea of what goes on in others based on stereotypes and generalized ideas of regions throughout the US, there are a lot of surprising facts about the Midwest, the South, the Northeast, and the West Coast that are unbelievably bizarre but true.

What do Tilda Swinton, Christopher Plummer, and King Princess have in common? They're all celebrities with famous ancestors. All of the celebs on this list aren't distantly related to notable historical figures - these individuals can actually claim direct descent from at least one historically significant ancestor. Celebrity ancestors include royals, politicians, and artists - in other words, accomplished people who are known outside the context of their famous descendant. Whether they appeared on a genealogy show - like PBS's Finding Your Roots, African American Lives, or the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? - or grew up hearing about their famous ancestors, these actors, musicians, and personalities are appreciative of their storied backgrounds.

We may have our differences, but everyone likes the idea of a good meal. Whether the goal was to show off the most intricate and expensive dishes or keep house guests too occupied to stage a revolt, history is full of elaborate banquets. Hosts held nothing back when trying to impress their guests. They provided all kinds of entertainment, from musicians and actors to ladies of the night.

Marie Anotoinette has been the portrait of decadence and extravagance for almost 250 years. Her unpopularity, fueled in large part by her lavish lifestyle, made her a polarizing figure - so much so that it eventually led to her death. As it turns out, much of the hate for the infamous French Queen was based on lies and rumors. And unlike what you saw in that Sofia Coppola movie, she probably didn’t listen to The Cure.

Alexander the Great conquered a vast empire but did not live long enough to contend with the immense struggle to actually run and keep hold of it. That enormous undertaking fell to the men who succeeded him. Although purportedly Alexander’s last request was that “the strongest” inherit his great empire, none were quite able to reunite his lands under one banner - though many tried. The wars of the Diadochi (“successors”) raged for generations after Alexander’s demise.

King Henry VIII has gone down as being one of the greatest medieval villains - a man with a tyrannical attitude and penchant for killing people he disagreed with (executing approximately 57,000 people in his time on the throne). However, it's possible that his inhumane ways may have stemmed from an excruciatingly painful condition - a leg injury that Henry VIII struggled with for over 10 years.

The RMS Titanic is arguably the most famous ship to ever set sail - and not for a good reason. The mighty passenger liner, notably described as "unsinkable," sank in the North Atlantic on the morning of April 15, 1912, a mere two days away from its scheduled arrival in New York City. In doing so, the doomed vessel inspired a litany of retellings, at least one Oscar-winning film, and a handful of attempts at a real-life sailing sequel, including the Titanic II, which was due to make its maiden voyage in 2022.

There is no definitive answer to how many bands there are currently in the US, but it's estimated there are more than 2,000, with tens of thousands officially and unofficially formed globally. There are also hundreds of thousands of musicians worldwide. Given those numbers, you may not be well acquainted with most of them, but chances are you've heard the names of the bands on this list.

Was Excalibur the actual Sword in the Stone? Was Arthur Pendragon real? Who was Merlin? Legends and theories abound about the figures related to King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. The stories range from heroic to decidedly not. Real or mythological, the Arthurian lore holds our interest to this day.

Genghis Khan has a legacy that few historical figures have outmatched. He set the foundation for the largest contiguous empire in human history, evoking fear and respect along the way. Genghis Khan and his descendants reshaped political and social institutions across multiple continents, but they also had a massive influence on human genetics.

When looking back through human history, one would be hard-pressed to find an era, civilization, or community that has not been impacted by an infectious disease outbreak. From the bubonic plague to influenza to cholera, epidemics and pandemics the world over have come in many shapes, sizes, and death tolls. But sometimes, the death toll alone doesn’t reflect the true, lasting impact that specific infectious disease outbreaks had on the populations they infected - or those nearby.

Laws should keep us safe, but human silliness and petty bureaucracy often derail the best intentions. For instance, the strangest small-town laws in America prove regulations don't always have to make sense. From protecting elephants in the Deep South to regulating the height of weeds in the Rockies, America's most bizarre state laws confirm the nation's penchant for overreaching Big Brother-ness at the micro level.

The outlandish ideas of one era can eventually become predictions that come true at a later date. Something that was seen as unfathomable, implausible, or even ludicrous at one point can end up as a part of everyday life over the years. Inventors, scientists, and writers of yesterday have weirdly predicted things that people laughed at in their time - only for their predictions to become standard, if not indispensable, for later generations.

Throughout history, great powers have risen and fallen. Some disappear suddenly, while others take decades - if not centuries - to slip into the night. The fall of one order usually provides a vacuum for another to fill, but the immediate transitory period is one of chaos, drama, and intrigue. A major power's collapse in one area can fundamentally change the character of another one thousands of miles away. Alexander the Great's sudden demise dictated the course of the next 300 years of the Hellenic world, while the fall of Constantinople had a huge impact on Moscow. This collection looks at what really went down right after these major powers fell.

Members of the British royal family may have titles, wealth, and privilege, but their romantic lives are very similar to those of regular citizens. Royal relationships are just like any other romantic partnership: they begin when two people meet and connect. Some members of the Windsor family met their significant others through friends; others found their spouse through fortuitous encounters. From Queen Elizabeth II's schoolgirl crush on Prince Philip to Princess Eugenie's Alpine romance, royal meet-cutes can be relatable, surprising, and extraordinary all at once.

A woman slit the throat of her own baby. A soldier shot a sailor on the street in broad daylight. A mother killed three of her children. These crimes were part of a wave of suicide-murders in the 17th and 18th centuries - a wave that swept through much of Europe but was especially common in Denmark. Insane though it may sound, people used to commit murder just so they could get executed. They even researched what crimes incurred the death penalty to guarantee they would die.

You might be surprised by just how many people line up every year to intern for free for their dream funeral home jobs. Seriously. There are tons of people who believe that being a mortician or death industry professional is a calling. But one of the many compelling funeral director facts is just how hard it is to become a funeral director.

Mary, Queen of Scots (AKA Mary Stuart) is one of history’s most disastrous queens. From the time she became an infant monarch to her tragic demise, Mary attracted attention. And she still does. For centuries, novels, television shows (see the CW's Reign for an example), and even songs have reviled and romanticized her. So behind all the legends and mythology surrounding her, what are the important facts about Mary Stuart?

In the trial of the Chicago 7, the leaders of prominent activist groups faced prison time for breaking a new federal anti-riot law. This came after antiwar demonstrators at the 1968 Democratic National Convention clashed violently with police. According to the Justice Department, the defendants had crossed state lines intending to start a riot. Who were the Chicago 7? Initially, they were the Chicago 8. Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin were leaders of the Youth International Party, also known as the Yippies. Thomas Hayden and Rennie Davis represented the Students for a Democratic Society. David Dellinger, a conscientious objector in WWII, led the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam. Lee Weiner and John Froines were academics. And Bobby Seale was a founding member of the Black Panthers.

The Holodomor was a Soviet state-induced famine in Ukraine between 1932 and 1933. For nearly two years, Joseph Stalin starved Ukraine in the name of feeding the Soviet Union. Literal tons of food went to waste, and millions of Ukrainians died as a result. The Holodomor, or "death by hunger," was a little-known genocide that struck right before the Holocaust. Yet, just like with the Holocaust, there is a disturbing amount of Holodomor denial, even in modern times. Only 16 countries worldwide have formally acknowledged that the tragedy was indeed a genocide, and the US is not one of them. President Barack Obama made a memorial speech in 2016, acknowledging "one of the most horrific man-made tragedies in modern history." The US Senate and Congress have passed resolutions declaring that “Joseph Stalin and those around him committed genocide against the Ukrainians in 1932-1933."

Amsterdam is one of not-so-many places in the world where pleasure work is legal, and the city has worked hard to blend their reputation of tolerance with one of accountability when it comes to pleasure work. However, when it comes to dealing in terms of flesh, regulation is easier said than done, and the history of this district reveals the ups and downs encountered along this controversial road.

As descendants of apes, it can be tempting to think that we humans are the apex of that evolutionary line. We've dominated the planet for thousands of years, and no other species has ever completely transcended the food chain the way we have. There is no doubt that human beings have the most evolved brains of the apes.

Everyone wants to be famous, right? Well, maybe not, and most people would definitely not bury themselves alive for over two months to achieve stardom... but not everyone is Mike Meaney. In 1968, Irishman Mike Meaney decided he would make his dreams of fame come true by breaking the world record for the longest someone has remained buried alive. The Tipperary, Ireland, native based in London was able to stay in his oversized coffin for 61 days - beating the past world record by over two weeks. The kicker? No representative from the Guinness Book of World Records was on-site to see Meaney complete the feat.

Despite its reputation, the Wild West was nowhere near as wild as it's cracked up to be. Statistically speaking, it was more peaceful than some major cities today. The image of the West we get from movies like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and video games like Red Dead Redemption is a sensationalized version of the American frontier. For a more accurate version of the time period, you're better off reading Willa Cather's Prarie Trilogy. But the West wasn't without its risks. Outlaws still looted trains and lawmen still cornered cowboys on the run. While danger wasn't as widespread as we're led to believe, it sure was intense. Quick-draw duels, rattlesnake bites, disease, and the elements all conspired to make the West a tough place to survive. Even sex in the Old West could be precarious.

Archaeology aims to open a window into the past by unearthing artifacts that show exactly how humans' ancestors used to live. But sometimes, experts have discovered archaeological finds that rewrote history. Rather than confirm a commonly held belief (cavemen weren't intelligent!), these finds would upend it (cavemen made art and crafted advanced tools!). More recent historical artifacts that rewrote history have changed the way people think about ancient civilizations and humanity as a whole.

Thomas Edison was one of the greatest inventors of all time - or was he? Most people think Edison was the inventor of the light bulb, but that doesn't seem to be the case, which begs the question, "Who truly invented the light bulb?" There is a lot of contention over famous stolen inventions, and unfortunately it's impossible to not bring up Edison when it comes to the subject.

Unfortunately, most laws aren't put in place until they have to be put in place (i.e., something bad has happened). Usually, an event causes such a public uproar that legislation is nearly forced into having to enact some kind of law. The source of the public outcry can be many different things. It might be a massive tragedy - such as a fire - where hundreds of people perish. It might be a piece of literature that is so graphic, that its readers demand a change to the system. Or it might be the story of an ordinary woman who found a decomposing slug in the bottom of her glass. Regardless of the reason, the following laws were all important in creating the working and living conditions that we're accustomed to today.

The reality of nuclear combat's devastation was clear as soon as the first atomic weapons were dropped during World War II, leading the U.S. government to develop a "doomsday plan" out of perceived necessity. In the Cold War era, the threat of impending nuclear warfare – and the fear it caused in the American citizenship – escalated even further. Politicians played on this fear, and the government began planning for a potential attack. Testing bombs on mock cities in the Nevada desert – constructed to assess potential damage – was only part of the doomsday strategy.

For all of history, humans have enjoyed a good puzzle. Puzzles, codes, and ciphers have been found almost everywhere, from second-century Egypt to the 17th-century letters between King Charles I and Queen Henrietta-Maria. Still today, crossword puzzles, Rubik's cubes, and Sudoku all remain enjoyable ways to pass the time. But not all puzzles are simply meant for fun and leisure. Ciphers and codes are, of course, also a great way to keep a secret, such as where one buried some hidden treasure. A well-crafted code can also inform your own military of certain movements and plans, and without revealing that information to an enemy. Many of the strongest ciphers and codes endured for decades or even centuries before finally being cracked.

Of all the places celebrities partied during Hollywood's Golden Age, one of the most popular was more than four hours north of Tinseltown. Movie stars and others among Hollywood's most famous drinkers often attended parties at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA, owned by publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst. While Hearst's enormous hillside estate may have inspired the somber epic Citizen Kane, what went on behind the walls of the real castle had a more playful and fun tone - at least until Hearst ran out of money.

During the Gilded Age, the mass accumulation of money by families like the Vanderbilts changed the economic, social, and physical landscape of the United States. The Vanderbilt family's wealth grew out of the shipping and railroad industries, both of which were largely monopolized by the the family patriarch, Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt, in the late 19th century. His hard work set the foundation for his sons and grandsons to continue making money, but their descendants became less inclined to earn and more likely to spend.

People, trends, norms - they all come and go. As a result, history is full of firsts, lasts, and everything in between. What's innovative one day may be rendered obsolete within a few years, decades, or even longer, while methods of communication continue to change at exponential rates.

Neanderthals remain one of the great mysteries of human evolution. They are the human's closest relatives, but their habits elude us. We are learning more about our hominid cousins every day, but there is still so much we do not know, including the mystery of Neanderthal mating habits, as there is not a lot of evidence to describe what Neanderthal sex would have been like. Thankfully there are new advances in genetic paleontology shining a light on this elusive subject, and the discoveries surrounding ancient human mating rituals continue to develop.

The mysterious story of the Tollund Man continues to fascinate archaeologists and scientists. Found in a bog in the Jutland peninsula in the mid-20th century, the Tollund Man lived during the Iron Age and is believed to have been the victim of a religious sacrifice. While many of the details about the Tollund Man are pure speculation, the combined efforts of Mother Nature and human researchers have led to fascinating new revelations in the decades since he was found.

Anyone who's ever wanted their "15 minutes of fame" has Andy Warhol to thank. Commonly associated with Campbell's Soup cans, pale wigs, and an assortment of strange artists and celebrities working together in a place known as the Factory, Warhol became one of the most famous American artists in history. The Andy Warhol life story is colorful, filled with the drugs, adult pleasure, and creativity that infected the New York art scene of the era. Although many wild tales exist about the Factory and his relationships with celebrities from the 1960s to the 1980s, true stories about Andy Warhol reveal a man who wasn't always in tune with his image.

When an actor dies on set, the project (if ever completed) is an eternal memorial, forever remembered for the unique and shocking tragedy. Below is a list of notable celebrities who died while filming a movie or TV show, from Heath Ledger to Brandon Lee to Marilyn Monroe. The list also includes famous actors killed on set. The untimely deaths of the following actors and actresses occurred either while they were on set, during the middle of filming, or before production was completed on the project. These unexpected and tragic deaths of television and film entertainers were shocking and the celeb's loss was felt all over the world, while there are also other deaths on this list that have even been considered some of the most fascinating unsolved Hollywood murders.

City 40, or what is today known as Ozersk, is a closed city in Russia that the Soviet Union created during the Cold War. City 40 didn't appear on any maps until 1991, allowed no outsiders to enter, and for a long time, no insiders were allowed out. It wasn't until very recently that the Western world has even become aware of Ozersk, and it took a brave documentary crew sneaking cameras through the heavily guarded gates for any footage of the city to escape.

Entelodonts, known colloquially as "Hell Pigs," "Killer Pigs," or "Terminator Pigs," were gigantic, fearsome omnivores known for their massive heads and impressive jaw strength. For 21 million terrifying years, these beasts crushed bones and ran through forests and floodplains all across North America, Asia, and Europe. Entelodonts walked among the other giant prehistoric animals of the Cenozoic Era until they went extinct more than 16 million years ago.

Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, we know of the wide variety of subjects the FBI keeps files on. Along with the obvious serial killers, terrorists, and embezzlers, the FBI investigates actors, musicians, athletes, comedians, cartoonists, and even a fast food “colonel.” The reasons for said federal surveillance range from the subject receiving death threats to having communist sympathies to possessing giant collections of adult material.

Sometimes misunderstandings happen - and that's normal. But when those misunderstandings or mistakes happen on a global scale between leaders or warring nations, they're not so normal. There have been plenty of historical mix-ups that led to terrible things: death, destruction, and world war. Some crises were averted, others were not. These historical snafus have shaped the way our world works, and have some huge historical consequences.

It's not surprising that a global conflict like World War II generated so many amazing spy stories. Espionage has always been a business marked by deceit, betrayal, and frequently, death. The fate of a captured spy is usually brutal, and even relatively benign entities like the Allies dealt harshly with such individuals. Still, their treatment was relatively kind compared with the Nazis. These stories include heroes and villains, loyalists and traitors, and the greatest WWII spies who were motivated by duty, principle, or just plain money.

No one goes to watch a Michael Bay movie expecting historical accuracy. But the chasm between Pearl Harbor the movie and real Pearl Harbor facts, as shown in photos from December 7, 1941, is clear. The film contains an armada-sized number of errors about the military, including the wrong planes, nuclear-powered subs before the advent of nuclear power, and magical 21st-century radio technology. ....And then there are all the plot holes...

Every amateur historian knows the term "Dark Ages." It conjures up images of political upheaval, filthy living conditions, and widespread ignorance. But were the Dark Ages really dark? Not so much. Throughout the Mediterranean, into Europe and the British Isles, and from the expanse of the Byzantine Empire, the period from roughly 300 CE to about 1500 CE brought plenty of beauty and wisdom to the world.

As a reporter from the BBC once stated, "When [Mount] Everest takes a life, it also keeps it." The number of bodies on Everest grows every year from the climbers who lose their lives on its slopes. Causes of death include hypothermia, exhaustion, lack of oxygen, and falls, among other realities. Once the bodies are frozen, they become attached to the hillside, and on Everest they stay - permanently. One of Everest's most famous residents, Green Boots, who fell victim to the deadliest day in Everest history, resides at a particular location on the mountain where most hikers must pass. As a result, Green Boots on Everest has become one of the landmarks for those heading up the slopes.