Disturbing Historical Facts You Didn’t Learn In School
History is full of weird and disturbing things that some of us are better off not knowing. What we learned in school is just the tip of the iceberg. Sure, we learned some basic details that would be on our exams, but we never really went in-depth on some of the darker and more shocking facts.
We’re here to spill the beans and give you all the real details. Like how some rulers were so obsessed with immortality they drank mercury. Or would you prefer real government conspiracies? Because we have it all within this list. After going over everything you’ll be glad that you live in the 21st century where we have advanced medicine and comparably sane governments.
Lincoln’s Friend
Everybody knows the 16th president of the United States and how he met his end. But did you know about the people who were with him that fateful night? Major Henry Rathbone and his wife accompanied the Lincolns and sat next to them at the theater. When John Wilkes Booth shot and killed Lincoln, Rathbone tackled him and tried to hold him down.
Unfortunately, Booth had a dagger and managed to escape by slicing Rathbone’s arm. After that night he was never the same, the toll of letting that man escape was heavy. He was guilt-ridden and it showed in frequent health issues and mental deterioration. Traumatic experiences like that can change people forever. Eventually, Rathbone was admitted to a mental institute where he spent the rest of his life.
Real Fake Teeth
We should all consider ourselves lucky to live in a day and age of advanced dental care. We have anesthesia, durable prosthetics, and countless alternatives to various oral diseases. But things weren’t always great, back in the 19th century dentists would improvise when it came to complicated matters like teeth replacement.
One relatively popular practice was using teeth pulled from dead soldiers. Wars were pretty common back then and looting corpses was a profitable business. All the dentists had to do was obtain ivory plates to attach the teeth to. If you think that’s crazy, most people didn’t even know about this practice and just walked around with a dead man’s teeth in their mouth.
Environmental Warrior
Everybody knows who Genghis Khan is. He’s infamous for killing millions of people, pillaging, and destroying, all while spreading his “seed” across Asia. He wasn’t just a brutal and senseless murderer, he was also very interested in philosophy and science. This is why oftentimes he would let scholars live but kill peasants and farmers.
Everybody knows that knowledge is food for the brain. But actual food is equally as important. The only downside to farming food is deforestation and the lack of carbon dioxide filtration. This is why after killing over 40 million farmers, the land he left behind was able to recover and grow into carbon-absorbing forests.
The Walking Dead
Did you know that at one point in history every grave came with a little bell and string going all the way into the coffin? That’s because people realized that not every person they buried was really dead. When the mortality rate hit an all-time high people had to reuse coffins and noticed that some of them had claw marks on the inside.
You see, in most cases a doctor couldn’t be present to make sure the person was actually dead. People would just assume the worst if their loved one wasn’t moving. This resulted in people taking extreme measures to make sure the people were dead. They would do things like sticking a needle under their nails, shouting really loud into their ear, or building “hospitals for the dead” where bodies were monitored.
Nature You Scary
When the pandemic hit a high and most people were forced into quarantine, nature came back to life. From dolphins swimming in Venice’s canals to wild animals roaming the streets. This reminded us how detached we are from nature and how our homes used to belong to these animals.
But not all animals are docile and friendly. For example, the people in Nepal and the Kumaon area of India were terrified of the “Champawat Tiger.” The nickname was given due to urban development, the animal was forced to change its hunting grounds to these villages. It began hunting people. For almost a decade the residents lived in fear until the tiger was eventually killed.
Smile For The Camera
Have you ever looked at really old pictures of people and thought, “there’s something off”? Well, in this case you wouldn’t be wrong. Back when photography was starting to grow, people couldn’t take as many pictures as they do today as it was very expensive. They would save photography for special occasions.
As a result, there was a lot of photography at funerals. Yes, you heard that right, they took the picture after someone passed away. Sometimes they would put them in “lifelike” poses and paint over their eyes to make them look more alive. Think about that the next time you look at a picture of your great-great-great-grandma.
Modern Cannibalism
Sometimes we watch alternative forms of medicine and wonder how people came up with them. From strange-looking animal parts to dried seahorses or lizards, there are certain lines we wouldn’t cross. But as it turns out, medicine wasn’t any better in the 20th century. In fact, one might say they went a little too far.
At the time many believed that ingesting human remains in powdered form could cure certain illnesses. For example, crushed skull powder was thought to cure headaches. Some madmen even poured it into glasses of water and drank it like it was hot chocolate. The most popular sources of these powders were mummies, which is why there are so few of them today.
Forbidden Leather
The e-book gave us the ability to own many books without taking up too much space in our homes. The most annoying part about buying books is deciding if we want paperbacks or hardcovers. Sure the former was cheaper and easier to travel with but nothing was as satisfying as holding a book with a hardcover. It makes the entire experience more enjoyable.
But did you know there was once a third cover option? It was human skin. They went through the same process as any other book, but instead of animal hide they used humans. We don’t know where they got the materials for it but it’s safe to assume it wasn’t ethically sourced.
Eleventh Time’s a Charm
Picture this, you’re fresh out of college and you finally found a job that’s willing to hire you. You’re inexperienced but eager to start paving your way in life. It’s a good thing you’re allowed to make mistakes and learn from them because some jobs aren’t that forgiving. You don’t want to be messing anything up if you work as an executioner.
When Margaret Pole (the countess of Salisbury) was sentenced to be executed, the executioner was very inexperienced. It was said that it took him eleven blows before the countess was declared dead. That’s not because she had a very tough neck but because he kept on missing and hitting her shoulders and back.
Hide the Pain
We all can agree that being executed is one of the scariest things a person can experience. It’s a situation where you know your life is going to end and there’s nothing you can do about it. It makes sense that many victims would react by crying, pleading, and shivering. As we all know, this death sentence didn’t discriminate.
It wasn’t unheard of for kings to get decapitated, but they wanted to make sure people didn’t think they were afraid. For example King Charles I wore two shirts to his execution so that people would assume he was shivering from the cold and not fear.
Rich People Are Crazy
We’ve all seen movies where rich people are depicted doing weird and crazy things like eating “exotic” animals or participating in a bloodsport. While it’s unsettling, this isn’t far from reality. Back in the day rich people had a lot of time on their hands, and many developed bizarre interests. Let’s look at James Jameson, heir to Jameson whiskey.
In 1888 he was leading an expedition in the Congo, famous for its abundance of cannibal tribes. Intrigued with their practices Jameson bought a slave girl from one of his friends and “fed” her to the cannibals. While it happened, he was observing them and making rough sketches of the event.
Hungry Hungry Tarrare
Tarrare was a Frenchman famous for his enormous appetite. He was known to sit down to a serving of beef equal to a quarter of a cow. If eating challenges were a thing back then he would definitely be an undefeated champion. But the more he ate the bigger and broader his appetite got. He started eating cats, dogs, and even eels.
His constant eating resulted in him getting hospitalized in a mental institution. But it didn’t stop him from finding things to eat. One time staff caught him eating a corpse and drinking its blood. It was presumed that he suffered from a very extreme case of polyphagia which makes you feel like you’re always hungry.
Chainsaw Men
Have you ever wondered who invented the chainsaw? It’s a crazy invention when you think about it. Hundreds of tiny blades connected by a chain rotating moving at an incredible speed. It’s scary to imagine what would happen if it ever touched human flesh. Well, what if we told you it was invented for that exact reason?
Sometimes during childbirth, a baby could get stuck mid-labor. Long before C-sections were invented the only remedy to this problem was cutting open the mother’s pelvis. But this could take a very long time and usually end in the baby’s death. So two doctors collaborated and came up with a primitive model of a chainsaw.
Ignorance is Bliss
You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘running around like a chicken with its head cut off’. A grotesque yet accurate depiction of what sometimes happens when you cut off a chicken’s head. But have you heard about the chicken that lived 18 months without its head? Mike the headless chicken was decapitated in April 1945 and lived until March 1947.
Imagine being a farmer and running out of meat. You go to your backyard to pick a hen, get your knife, and do what needs to be done. To your surprise, the chicken doesn’t stop moving and keeps on going for another few weeks. What do you do, try to kill it again or let it roam around and wait for it to die?
The Radium Girls
1920 was a great year for women’s rights as it was the year when they were finally allowed to vote. On top of that, they were integrating into the workforce. But not everything was sunshine and rainbows. Take the Radium Girls who were a group of women who worked in a watch-making factory.
They were in charge of painting the numbers with a radioactive substance known as Radium. Unlike the chemists who made it, the women didn’t get any protective equipment. As a result, almost all of them contracted some form of facial cancer which was so severe that many ended up disfigured.
Actual Government Conspiracies
Back when the US government didn’t want people drinking alcohol, it came up with all kinds of crazy ways to prevent it. The first one was obvious, to ban the buying and selling of all alcoholic beverages. But that didn’t stop people from illegally importing and selling it. So the government got creative.
Why not poison the alcohol? People wouldn’t drink it if they knew it made them sick. So they ended up releasing a bunch of barrels with “spiked” alcohol in them. The result wasn’t what they were expecting. Many people died and those who were tough enough just kept drinking despite the risk. Seriously, what were they thinking?
Human Zoo
History is full of people doing some messed up stuff. It’s always important to remember what used to happen so we don’t repeat the same mistakes again. One of those mistakes was human zoos. If you thought looking at exotic animals was boring, how about humans from faraway countries you never got the chance to visit?
It started all the way back during colonialism and continued until 1914. Some “adventurers” realized that many of the people they saw on their voyages could be enslaved and used as an attraction. People with different skin colors, eyes and other physical characteristics intrigued many who couldn’t afford trips to these places. It’s crazy to think people took part in such a dehumanizing practice.
Pope Drama
Some religious leaders really go off the deep end, coming up with ridiculous ways to strengthen their religious convictions. One of them thought that it would be a great idea to dig up the corpse of the previous pope and put him on trial for something that he did. This goes against all the “letting the spirit rest” ideas they had always advocated for.
To add insult to injury after the dead pope was found guilty, they didn’t put him into his grave. Instead, the new pope ordered his body to be thrown into the river, which got everyone riled up. They ended up throwing the new pope into prison, where he was strangled. The next pope didn’t repeat the same mistake, instead, he fished the corpse from the river and gave him a proper burial.
Sweet Kids
Some of you might’ve heard of Scaphism, a neat way of torturing and killing people. Essentially they would trap someone between two boats, cover them in milk and honey and let the insects do the rest. An ugly way to go out no doubt, but did you know that a British nobleman did the same thing for different reasons?
Jellyboys was the title of local Indian boys who would be smeared in jam and forced to walk beside the noblemen. That way all the insects would flock to the boy and leave the men alone. A really barbaric and inhumane way of dealing with problems, no doubt the boys suffered from nasty bites and diseases.
Before Wax Sculpting
There’s something weirdly eerie about realistic wax sculptures. They look so real we imagine they could spring to life. But we bet it’s nothing compared to Ferdinand I of Austria and his museum of mummies. Apparently, he didn’t just kill his enemies but also mummified them and put them on display in his private museum.
He later used the museum as a scare tactic against whoever he thought was conspiring against him. All he had to do was take them through a stroll down mummy lane, like a mobster in the movies. You can bet your bottom dollar whatever plan these people had plotted would crumble into bits after that little tour.
Was It Aliens?
We’ve all heard creepy stories about people mysteriously disappearing without a trace. When it’s one person we assume someone took him or that he ran away. But what if it’s an entire village? Hoer Verde was a small town in Brazil whose entire population of 600 people vanished one day. That’s not something you can easily rationalize.
You’d think such a large population of people would leave something behind. But nothing was found, there were no signs of kidnapping or struggle, so we can rule out murder. None of the people ever showed up in neighboring villages and no graves were found. It’s almost as if they were wiped off the face of the earth!
Board to Death
Genghis Khan was a notoriously vicious man who would pillage villages with no remorse. But rape and murder weren’t his only pastimes, he was also known for coming up with creative ways of killing people. Anybody could stab or choke someone to death, but Genghis Khan was more original than that.
For example, he would stack people on one another and put a giant wooden board on top of them, making a human platform. Then he and his loyal retainers would place a dining table and chairs on that platform to have a feast. This would last until everybody under the plank was crushed to death. When it came to fellow Mongols he would have them wrestle in a one-sided match where the outcome was already set.
Vlad Tepes
Not everybody knows that the story of Count Dracula was based on a real man named Vlad Tepes. He was a ruler of a small area in Romania called Wallachia. During his time, war was constantly happening on his land which resulted in many deaths and family tragedies. In turn, it made him a cruel and ruthless man, especially towards his enemies.
What set him aside from others was his signature act of impaling people with sticks and leaving them on his property for others to see. Some say that’s when the rumors of him being a vampire began. No one thought a normal human would be capable of such a heinous act.
Wild Goose Chase
Sometimes all it takes for people to go on a wild goose chase is fake evidence and a made-up story. Somewhere around 1799 a man named McGinnis discovered a sinkhole and decided that there must be treasure buried down it. Why else would a sinkhole appear in the ground if not for hidden treasure waiting to be found?
After digging for a while, he discovered a layer of flagstones which was enough for people to keep coming to the same place for over two centuries. Perhaps there was something down there, but it definitely wasn’t treasure. It’s more likely that these are ruins of an ancient village.
Meet The Spartans
Back in 2006, Zack Snyder released the movie 300 and made everybody go crazy over how cool Spartans were. As it turns out they were quite a hardcore civilization. They would treat their children like warriors from a very young age. They were convinced that forcing them to go through all kinds of physical and mental trials would mold them into fierce warriors.
They would wash newborn babies in red wine instead of water. Though that sounds kind of cool, we don’t think it’s a good idea. Wine is full of bacteria that might be harmful to a newborn’s immune system. But we guess that’s what made them so resilient and vicious in battles.
Elixir of Life
Over the years there have been countless monarchs who were obsessed with the idea of immortality. Nobody wants to die, but we all know it’s going to happen. Kings had the resources to send their best men on a wild goose chase for something that doesn’t exist. All the regular folks were forced to accept their fate.
One of these powerful people was Shihuangdi, also known as the first emperor of China. He sent his best scholars to search for the elixir of immortality. Fearing his wrath they came back with what they thought was the real deal. Unfortunately what they gave him was actually mercury. After a few doses he died of poisoning.
Off With Their Heads
Death by decapitation seemed like a more humane and quick way of killing someone. Instead of letting a person suffocate they would cut their head off and be done with it. A few doctors were curious about executions and conducted some experiments. One curious man named Dr. Beaurieux asked a person who was about to be beheaded to blink for as long as he could.
You might not believe it, but after his head was chopped he managed to keep on blinking for another 30 seconds. It might’ve been his reflexes or maybe he was actually conscious for those last few seconds. Whatever the reason might be, it could also explain why chickens keep on running after their heads are cut off.
Mother Of Rabbits
We honestly don’t know what would drive someone to do this other than messing with people, maybe she wanted to get some attention and fame. But one thing is certain, Mary Toft was forever branded as the crazy woman who stuffed baby rabbits inside her to convince doctors she was giving birth to them.
We can’t imagine how much time and effort it took her to pull off this ruse. The sad part is that they all probably died from suffocation while inside her. There’s not much we know about her other than that incident, but if we had to guess, she was probably admitted to psychiatric care after that.
Sewers are Pretty New
When you think about it, sewer systems are a pretty modern invention. Just to give you some perspective, cities began building sewers after 1855 when it was proven that cholera from human feces caused water contamination. The first camera, on the other hand, was invented in 1826, 29 years prior.
Other places around the world like Japan refused to build a sewer system because they had people profiting off of poop. Some people would collect feces and sell them to farmers and other individuals who would use it as fertilizer for crops. Taking that away from them was a tough decision but it led to a better-smelling city.
Prime Meat
Europe used to be a very different continent. A few hundred years ago countries were often in conflict, and being a ruler at that time was a risky and very difficult job. More often than not holding such a position could’ve resulted in an early death by mobbing or assassination.
One case is that of Mr. Johan de Witt, the Dutch prime minister. Many people were displeased with his leadership, so when the opportunity presented itself a mob ganged up on him. They stripped him naked and cut parts of his body. Some even say that his liver was eaten by the crazed protesters.
The Brazen Bull
Technology has advanced greatly over the years. Things are a lot cleanlier and more humane than they were hundreds of years ago. Some pretty heinous things used to occur, especially in the justice system. Perilaus of Athens is a name you won’t forget after reading about what he did. He’s known for creating one of the most terrifying contraptions.
The Brazen Bull was a hollowed-out statue of a brass bull. Men would get locked inside it as a punishment. It was extremely popular among Greek executioners because they would light a fire underneath the bull to kill the person. This terrifying and complex method required a lot of work and attention to detail. Thankfully we’ll never see something like this today.
Beware the Emus
When we think of wars we usually think of many people. In late November, Australian soldiers went up against an unsuspecting group. They encountered a lock of 50 emus and succeeded in killing all of them. They thought the fight was over… but they were sadly mistaken. Turns out the war was just getting started.
After the bloodshed of the emus and a couple of days passing by, they encountered a herd of over 1,000 birds. They attempted to fight on but after a machine gun jammed it was clear the emus would win the war. The people who had once considered this species to be vermin, quickly learned they were a force to be reckoned with.
Just Follow the Rainbow Valley
Anyone who dares climb Mt. Everest will take the time to educate themselves on the mountain as well as spend ample time beforehand training for the hike. On average it can take someone 40 days to complete the trek from top to bottom. What many don’t know is it is also home to an accidental burial ground called ‘Rainbow Valley.’
It gets its name from the multicolored jackets and climbing gear from people who never made it back down. How many have to pass these mummified bodies as they work their way up the mountain? These corpses are now even used as goalposts for climbers as they try to figure out how much distance they have left.
Poor Baby Albert
Thankfully there are a lot of regulations on science. Unfortunately, when John Watson was a scientist, there wasn’t. They definitely didn’t tell you about his unethical approach in class. Every day for some time Watson would kidnap a baby named Albert from a daycare facility without his mother knowing. He wanted to prove whether fear was inherent or taught.
He would present Albert with a fluffy white toy while simultaneously slamming a gong with a hammer to scare him. As a result, Albert developed a phobia of white, fluffy things. The experiment only ended when his mother found out, but it was too late. The kid never learned to walk or talk, and died at the age of six.
What Happened At The Hinterkaifeck House?
Back in 1922 six inhabitants were living a seemingly normal life on a farm. One day their maid quit, claiming the house was haunted. A couple of months later a newspaper appeared that no one had purchased or asked for. Little did they know they were all about to be murdered.
A couple of days before their incident an unknown suspect’s footsteps were seen leading from the forest towards the house, but none leading back. Shortly after, all six were left dead. It was concluded that a mattock was used to kill them. To this day their case remains unsolved, and no one can explain what happened at the little farmhouse.
No Face Charlie
If you’ve never heard of the Raymond Robinson case then you’re in for a wild ride. This poor man was subject to one of the most tragic accidents. When he was a child his entire face was burned off. He tried to enjoy his life to the fullest and would do so by taking walks through Western Pennsylvania.
His case ended up attracting a multitude of tourist groups. His story eventually turned into a legend that many wanted to witness in person. Though he was unsure if he’d survive he did. Unfortunately, he’d have to live his life without eyes, a nose, or a right arm. Despite the chaos surrounding him he continued to live his life as normally as possible.
The Baby Farmer
In New Zealand only one woman has ever received the death penalty. Minnie Dean struggled to make ends meet which resulted in bizarre means to make money. What she would later become infamous for was taking in unwanted babies in exchange for cash. At the time there were few ways to deal with contraception or childbirth outside of marriage.
Because of this many people wanted to send their children away for adoption, but needed to do so in a quiet manner. This is where Dean’s sketchy business came into play. Though it appeared she was taking children in, it was later revealed she had killed them all and put their remains in hat boxes.
Every Last Bite
The Stone Age is known to be a very savage era, and rightfully so. People had very unique and different ways of doing things than we do now. Animals weren’t just killed and eaten. There was a very strategic way they were cut apart. This was so each animal could feed as many people as possible.
After killing a bear the people would first rip open its stomach. Then they would eat from the stomach of whatever the bear had consumed before it was killed. They looked at this as an extra meal. After inhaling that they would then eat whatever they could from the bear. Talk about some sloppy seconds.
The Great Pox
There’s an unknown dark side to Europe in 1494. At this time sailors were coming back from the new world and brought an unexpected guest…syphilis. It started with the French army and was then passed to civilians. The worst part was that there were no antibiotics to cure anyone who got this disease. This led to a major outbreak known as “The Great Pox.”
It spread viciously, quickly and no one was able to get checked. People’s faces would rot away due to ulcers produced by the disease. In certain cases, the nose, lips, or other body parts would disintegrate until the person died. Suddenly a zombie apocalypse doesn’t seem so unrealistic.
A Sad Fate For A Feline
Technology is constantly advancing these days. There always seems to be a new device coming out, especially with phones. Turns out this isn’t a new phenomenon! Back in 1929, a pair of scientists at Princeton University were also trying to create something new. In order to see how the auditory nerve perceives sound, they tested it on a cat.
They cut out part of its brain to attach one telephone wire to its auditory nerve and the other to its receiver. They would say something into the cat’s ear and then could hear their voice through the receiver. Though it seems like a terrible experiment, many think this is what led to the development of the cochlear implant!
PT Barnum
PT Barnum knew how to put on a circus, that much is clear. We even remember when we were kids and got to see the Barnum and Bailey, Ringling Brothers circus when it came to town. But, the entire circus world is pretty shady, and Barnum did nothing to clean it up. He was a manipulator, an animal abuser, and a liar who used shady marketing tactics and false pretenses to entice people to his shows and take their money.
It’s a shame too because the movie that came out about him recently was so unnecessarily positive toward his image. Although, Hugh Jackman can’t help it that he’s one of the nicest guys on the planet.
Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?
World War Two wasn’t anyone’s finest moment. The atrocities that took place then still haunt humanity. Even things away from the battlefield had a healthy dose of macabre heaped upon them. If you were in England around 1943-1944 maybe this headline rings a bell. Odd graffiti appeared one day that said, “Who put Bella down the Wych Elm?”. The message was about a discovery made a few years prior in 1941.
While out one day, a couple of brothers stumble across a wych elm tree. It looks pretty normal from afar. When they got closer they noticed a skull was INSIDE the broken tree. Once the skeleton was recovered examiners were unable to properly ID her. Who was she and how did she end up inside a tree?
Mike The Durable
Michael Malloy was an Irish man who lived in New York during the 1920s and 30s. A group of five friends decided to target and kill him to collect insurance money. Unfortunately for them, he had an incredible knack for cheating death. This earned him his fame and nickname ‘Mike the Durable’. He consumed oysters soaked in wood alcohol and woke up the next morning fine. His friends made him drink until he passed out, dragged him outside into the snow, poured ice-cold water on him, and left him out to freeze.
Mike was even hit by a taxi going 72 miles per hour and recovered after only three weeks! What finally did him in was when the five guys placed a hose into his mouth and connected it to a gas jet. By then the police were suspicious and the killer crew didn’t get any insurance money.
Where Did The USS Cyclops Go?
Why was World War One called the great war? It sounds pretty horrible if you ask us. Do you know what else isn’t nice? Misplacing a massive warship. In 1918 that’s kind of what happened. Nobody’s sure who lost it or where it ended up. The USS Cyclops (AC-4) (wow, what a name) never saw any action. Kind of like Gilligan’s Island, the ship set out for a short trip and subsequently went missing.
It should have taken nine days to go from Rio to Maryland. After it never appeared the US Navy had questions. Since everyone told the truth in the past, none of the combatants in the war claimed to have sunk the ship. So where did it go?
Carl Tanzler
Carl Tanzler was working in a Marine Hospital in Key West when he met Helena Hoyos, a Cuban-American woman admitted to the hospital for treatment. Tanzler was immediately obsessed. Apparently, this woman matched a vision he had of his true love as a child. He showered her with gifts and love and tried everything he could to help her. Hoyos apparently never returned the affection.
Despite his best efforts, Helena Hoyos died of tuberculosis. Tanzler paid for her funeral and had her body placed in a mausoleum. A couple of years later, he stole her corpse and took it home with him. Tanzler fitted her bones together with piano wire, put in glass eyes, replaced decomposing skin with silk, and covered her in perfumes and preserving agents to mask the smell. Eventually, he was caught and forced to stand trial.
Hetty Green
Hetty Green is famously known as the “Witch of Wall Street”. During a time when nearly all wealthy financiers were men, Green was the only woman. She used contrarian investing strategies and reaped the benefits. Despite all of her wealth, she was known as a huge miser and cheapskate. Green saved money on everything. She didn’t like to pay for hot water or fancy clothes.
She would wear the same black dress every day until it was completely worn out. Once, when her son broke his leg, she tried to disguise herself as a homeless person to get him free hospital care. She was quickly recognized and forced to pay hospital bills. Unfortunately for her son, the treatment was late and he had to get his leg amputated.
Winston Churchill
When we think of Churchill we typically think of how heroic he was. He led Britain through World War II with inspiring speeches and fierce determination. His accomplishments have made him one of Britain’s most famous prime ministers. Like many leaders, Churchill has some skeletons in his closet that make him look a little less heroic.
Historians claim that Churchill’s lack of action during a period of war-time inflation led to the Bengal Famine. Food was no longer affordable and India’s chief supply of rice got cut off. This famine affected Bengal in British India in 1943 where over three million people died due to malnutrition or disease.
Black Dahlia
You can’t talk about famous mysteries without mentioning the case of the Black Dahlia. Potential famous actress Elizabeth Short moved to California to start a new life for herself. Originally from Boston, the enthusiastic go-getter was always busy and traveling across the country to take care of family. While she never held any title or office, many knew that she was a kind and respectable person. Early on a January morning in 1947, her body was found cleaved in two at the waist.
She had been placed in a vacant lot in a bizarre pose by an unknown person/group. Her face had been cut from the corners of her mouth to her ears. No note was left and police had no clues. Over one hundred suspects were followed and investigated. However, no substantial determinations were ever made on the case!
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa, or Saint Theresa depending on who you ask, was a Catholic missionary who operated hospitals for the sick and dying across Europe. But in reality, these hospitals weren’t doing much good. Mother Teresa’s understanding of the scriptures led her to believe that suffering brought people closer to God. So she wasn’t alleviating anyone’s pain or providing adequate treatment, and she believed that was the right thing to do.
The most messed up part is that she fled to better hospitals when she herself got sick, proving that she was just a big hypocrite all along. If she actually wanted to be a saint, maybe she should’ve suffered like her patients were forced to.
Bill Millin
Bill Millin had a very unusual job during World War II. He wasn’t your average soldier. Instead, he was someone who played the bagpipes while the troops were fighting. Traditionally pipers were used in battle by Scottish and Irish soldiers. During World War II, a rule was made to push pipers to the back of the cavalry. Millin’s commander, Lord Lovat, ignored the rule and had him placed up front.
Millin is most famous for his performance on Normandy Beach during D-Day. He played heartily even though his compatriots were falling around him. He was also wearing a kilt. Apparently, Germans soldiers didn’t bother shooting him because they thought he’d gone mad. The bagpipes he played were later donated to Dawlish Museum.