The Weirdest People Throughout History
History is full of all sorts of stories and events ranging from incredibly grave to downright ridiculous. For every serious battle or groundbreaking political reform, there’s a deranged monk or a preposterous princess to balance it out. History doesn’t have to be one long, boring lecture. There are plenty of colorful stories and interesting facts to focus on instead. Below are some of the weirdest characters to ever grace the stages of history. The audacity of certain people will surprise you. With a world population of over eight billion, there are a lot of possibilities when it comes to personality and goals. There’s always someone more obsessed or extreme than you could ever imagine.
These people prove that crazy folks have been around since the beginning of time.
Tarrare
Born near Lyon, France in 1772, Tarrare wasn’t a normal child. He had an insatiable appetite. He ate anything and everything at all times including rocks and live animals! His parents had to kick him out when he was a teenager because they couldn’t provide for him anymore. Doctors couldn’t figure out how to cure him. While in the hospital he would sneak out to eat things from dumpsters, gutters, or even the morgue.
When a toddler mysteriously disappeared, he was blamed for the disappearance and kicked off the premises. He died at the age of 27 from tuberculosis. When doctors performed an autopsy they found a freakishly mutated digestive system. He had a gigantic stomach, esophagus, and liver, and his innards were filled with pus and ulcers.
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.
Lord Timothy Dexter
Lord Timothy Dexter was quite the eccentric fellow and was never an official Lord. When he was a teenager, he married a wealthy widow and entered high society. He became famous for his remarkable prowess in trading and business, despite his rivals’ best efforts to thwart him. The luck began when the large amounts of Continental currency he bought during the American Revolutionary War rose in value after the war was won.
He used his riches to start a trading business. Though rivals tried to advise him incorrectly, it always ended up working out. The gloves he sent to the tropical West Indies were picked up by Asian sellers who shipped them to Siberia. The coal he sent to Newcastle arrived in time for the strike and was sold at a premium!
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.
Lord Byron
Lord Byron was a very well-known British poet. He was one of the leading figures of the 19th-century romantic movement. Apparently, his love life was quite scandalous. He was rumored to have committed incest with his half-sister, Augusta. Some say Augusta’s third child was Byron’s. He also had numerous affairs. One in particular, Lady Caroline, became obsessed with Byron and avidly stalked him.
The weirdest thing is Lord Byron collected the pubic hairs of his lovers as trophies and kept the locks of hair in a file at his publishing house. The pubes stayed in storage for over 100 years after his death. Imagine being the lucky someone who found them…
Charles Dickens
The famous author of “A Tale of Two Cities” and “A Christmas Carol” was not your normal writer. Charles Dickens had a very rigid work schedule. He always wrote between the hours of 9 AM-2 PM in his office and would end his work days with a three-hour walk. Dickens demanded total silence in his house in order to focus.
His office and desk also needed to be arranged perfectly. The pens, paper, ink, and desk statues all had to be placed in specific spots. When he traveled, he would often rearrange the furniture in the room to suit his particular needs and bring his totems along with him. The author was so particular he only ever slept facing north in order to better align himself to the electrical currents of the Earth.
Morarji Desai
Morarji Desai is an incredibly famous figure in Indian politics. During his long career, he held many different positions such as the Minister of Finance, and Deputy Prime Minister in Gandhi’s cabinet as well as the head of India’s first non-Congress government. He is known internationally for his peace activism and was even given India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna.
Desai lived to the old age of 99. When asked about his secret to staying healthy, he told the public he’s a huge fan of urine therapy. This means he was drinking his own pee. Often. Though you’ve probably heard of people doing things like this, it’s quite hard to believe it actually happens!
Joshua Norton
Joshua Norton was born in England and grew up in South Africa. In 1849, he moved to San Francisco. Soon after his arrival, he became a successful commodities trader and real estate, speculator. Unfortunately, after a few years, he made a bad business choice and became financially ruined. However, this wasn’t the end of Norton’s fame. He reappeared on the San Francisco scene in 1859 when he declared himself “Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico”.
However, he had absolutely no political power and was largely ignored by the White House and US Army despite his calls for radical change. Interestingly, the California locals dealt with him quite warmly and even made money selling Emperor Norton souvenirs. Some local businesses accepted the currency he created for himself.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Beethoven was another one of the greats who had some eccentric work habits. After counting exactly sixty beans to grind into his coffee, he would begin his work day of writing music and strolling around his neighborhood. These long, wandering walks helped to spark his creativity. He often brought a notebook with him in case he wanted to jot anything down while away from his desk.
Apparently, he composed almost everywhere, including the bathtub. Sometimes the acoustics are excellent there! According to his secretary, he would occasionally pace his room and pour jugs of water over his hands while humming tunes. This process was apparently “deep meditation”. Honestly, his beautiful symphonies make these odd work habits completely forgivable.
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.
Michelangelo
Michelangelo is one of the most well-known artists of all time. He was multi-talented, an ideal Renaissance man, and has famous works of painting, sculpture, poetry, and architecture. Apparently, he was the first Western artist whose biography was published while he was still alive! Underneath all of this success and glamor are some very interesting habits.
Michelangelo wasn’t known to be very hygienic. He would often climb into bed wearing a full set of clothes and boots! His assistant said sometimes he would go so long without taking off his shoes, when he finally did, a whole layer of skin would come off with them. People aren’t supposed to shed like snakes!
Pythagoras
Pythagoras of Samos was an ancient Ionian Greek philosopher. He lived around 570-495 BCE. When most people hear his name they immediately think of the Pythagorean theorem from geometry class. This was only a sliver of the knowledge he shared with the world. Pythagoras had a whole community that followed him and his philosophical teachings.
One of his more famous philosophical doctrines was metempsychosis or the idea that a soul never dies and is instead reincarnated from one body into another. Pythagoras founded a school in southern Italy in which students lived a communal, abstinent lifestyle. They were also encouraged to follow certain dietary restrictions. Some say it was vegetarianism, but others speculate Pythagoras also heavily discouraged the consumption of beans, saying it was akin to cannibalism.
Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin is one of the most famous silent actors. His miming abilities were insane and his movie characters were hilarious. Many people still talk about his films to this day. Underneath the talent was a disgusting sexual predator who took advantage of the women he brought in for auditions. Apparently, Chaplin would conduct his auditions completely in character and in costume.
He would use cue cards to direct the women, but no words were spoken. As the audition progressed, the cue cards would get vulgar. Chaplin would have the woman undress, throw a custard pie at her naked body, lick everything off, and then rape her on the casting couch. If they made noise at any point during the ‘audition’ he would tell them they failed.
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.
John Murray Spear
John Murray Spear was quite an interesting historical figure. Born in 1804, he was an activist for women’s rights, and labor reform, and a prominent abolitionist. He organized the first Universalist anti-slavery convention and oversaw the stretch of the Underground Railroad which led through Boston. But in 1852, he broke all ties with the Universalist church and went off into cult Spiritualism.
Spear suddenly claimed he was in contact with “The Association of Electrizers” a group of famous, long-dead people such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. The spirits told him to create the “New Motive Power”, a mechanical messiah who would bring technology to the people and start a new era of Utopia. The contraption was made from all sorts of components such as copper, zinc, magnets, and a dining room table.
Tycho Brahe
Born in 1546, Tycho Brahe was one of the most accomplished mathematicians and astronomers of his time. He was considered to be the most accurate of his peers even though he lived before the invention of the telescope! He was the first to refute the belief of an unchanging celestial system and recognized stars could be born and die.
When he was young, a drunken fight with a cousin over who the better mathematician was resulted in a duel and cost him most of his nose. He wore a prosthetic replacement for the rest of his life. Apparently, Brahe also had a beloved pet moose who loved beer. Unfortunately, one day the moose drank so much that it fell down the stairs to its death.
General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
Stonewall Jackson was one of the greatest Confederate generals of the Civil War. He was well known for his tactical intelligence as well as his bravery on the battlefield. But he did have an interesting habit of traveling around, whether on horseback or by foot while holding his right arm up in the air. Jackson claimed it helped to properly balance him.
He said one side of his body felt heavier than the other. Holding his arm up helped move the blood over to the lighter side. Modern doctors speculate this feeling of imbalance was the result of a diaphragmatic hernia. Regardless, this habit caused General Jackson to get shot in his outstretched hand during the Battle of Bull Run!
King Edward VII
Queen Victoria’s eldest son, Edward the Prince of Wales, had to wait over fifty years to take the throne. But he didn’t spend his time idly. Edward VII had quite a colorful sex life, earning himself the nicknames “Edward the Caresser” and “Dirty Bertie”. He managed to have 55 affairs during his marriage with women ranging from prostitutes to Winston Churchill’s mother, Jennie.
Apparently, Edward VII also liked to make sex furniture. His most famous piece was called a sex sled and was kept in his favorite brothel in Paris. It was made to the portly king’s specific measurements and used to assist him in his frequent visits. Allegedly it could be used by multiple people. It seems like the royal family isn’t as pomp and prim as they’re made out to be.
Erik Satie
Erik Satie was quite the oddball of a musician and composer. Though he was brilliant and revolutionized minimalism in classical music, he was also quite eccentric. His daily routine consisted of waking up at 7:18 AM, eating lunch strictly at 12:11 PM, dinner at 7:16 PM, and bed at 10:37 PM. Why he hates round numbers is anyone’s guess.
Satie also only ate white foods such as eggs, rice, coconuts, moldy fruit, pastries, and correctly colored cheeses. He had a collection of over 100 umbrellas. Lastly, Satie wasn’t a part of any church or synagogue. Instead, he was the only member of his very own religion entitled Église Métropolitaine d’Art de Jésus Conducteur. He never tried to convert another soul.
Honoré De Balzac
French novelist and playwright Honoré De Balzac was one of the founders of European realism in literature. His characters were always complex, multi-faceted, beautifully flawed, and unapologetically human. Even some inanimate objects in his novels were given human characteristics. His writing schedule was quite erratic.
One of the main reasons behind his crazy work schedule was his outrageous consumption of coffee. Balzac was said to drink about fifty cups a day! This level of caffeine is insane. He must’ve been a jittery mess at all hours of the day. Who knows when he found time to sleep? Apparently, he woke up at 1 AM to write, so it seems like the answer is never.
William John Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck
This British nobleman was a total introvert and spent the majority of his life alone, never hosting any visitors or entertaining suitors. Apparently, servants and hired workers were ordered to ignore him whenever he was out on the grounds and anyone who acknowledged his presence was promptly dismissed. His only form of communication was through letters.
The estate he owned was mostly left unfurnished and uncared for. Only the wing he lived in was habitable. However, Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck did build an extensive underground tunnel system and adjoining rooms. There were about 15 miles of corridors and even a ballroom and great hall! Despite their large capacity, no underground room ever saw a guest. They were also all painted pink.
King Farouk I
King Farouk I, was an Egyptian king who ruled from 1936-1952. Though he was thought to have a great amount of potential his last years on the throne were marked with corruption, carelessness, and excess. It was said during his tours to Europe he would eat 600 oysters a week! Despite his wealth, Farouk was a kleptomaniac
He stole something from every person who ever hosted him. One of his victims was Prime Minister Winston Churchill! Apparently, he once pardoned a thief in exchange for lessons in pickpocketing. In restaurants, he would roll his bread into balls to throw at patrons and then laugh when they got hit.
Rube Waddell
Born George Edward Waddell, Rube was one of the greatest baseball pitchers of his time. He played for thirteen years in the MLB for teams such as the Louisville Colonels, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Chicago Orphans in the National League. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was three to one and he led the major leagues in strikeouts for six consecutive years. Even though he was incredibly talented, he’s best known for his eccentricities.
Waddell was known to be quite unpredictable. He would disappear for months at a time during the off-season only for people to discover he had been wrestling circus alligators. He often got distracted by puppies and shiny objects if he saw them in the stands and a couple of times left midgame to chase after fire trucks.
Sir Richard Francis Burton
Burton was a famous British explorer, writer, and orientalist scholar. His most famous escapade was his journey to the holy city of Mecca while disguised as a Muslim. He traveled there during a time when non-Muslims were forbidden access. If he had gotten caught, he would’ve been executed. Apparently, his curiosity made the dangerous trip worthwhile.
Burton also translated several Middle Eastern and South Asian texts. He published an uncensored version of One Thousand and One Nights (more commonly known as Arabian Nights) and an English version of the Kama Sutra. He was also one of the first Europeans to journey to the Great Lakes of Africa to try and find the source of the Nile River.
John Mytton
John Mytton, famously known as “Mad Jack” was one of the biggest playboys of the Regency era. Since he inherited his estate at the age of two, there wasn’t anyone to parent him properly. As a result, he spent most of his childhood getting expelled from fancy schools and playing practical jokes on private tutors. It took a lot of work to get him through university.
Unsurprisingly, reckless Mytton plowed through his inheritance quite quickly. He spent money carelessly and loved gambling. One night he famously burned his own shirt in an attempt to frighten away his hiccups. Eventually, his debt caught up with him and he was sent to King’s Bench Prison where he died in 1830.
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin
Rasputin was a very mysterious figure. Most accounts of his life are based on rumors and conspiracies. He was seen by some members of the Russian court as a mystic and visionary and by others as a religious charlatan. His official job was to serve as a faith healer to the son of the royal family. When the king was away during World War I, Rasputin and the Queen took charge of the Russian Empire. Unfortunately, the army’s losses made them unpopular rulers and in 1916 Rasputin was assassinated.
One of the more colorful rumors about him was he led an underground, cultish, sect of the Russian Orthodox Church where he encouraged his followers to participate in huge orgies. The idea was after they exhausted themselves, they reached a state of “holy passionlessness” and were able to worship without being distracted by sexual desires.
Salvador Dalí
The famous surrealist artist, Salvador Dalí, was quite an eccentric genius. Though his art is undeniable, his quirks made him a little bit tough to work with. Once, a window display of his art had too many unauthorized changes so he shoved a display bathtub through the shop window. Another time he flipped over a movie projector during its screening because he claimed the producer stole one of his movie ideas (even though he had never written it down).
Through all of this odd behavior, Dalí always believed in himself. People called him a genius and he firmly agreed. Sometimes instead of paying restaurants, he would leave a drawing on the check. He assumed they would realize its value and never cash it in. He was right.
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky was a Russian composer, musician, and conductor. His contributions to the world of music and art were numerous and groundbreaking. In 1913, he collaborated with the dance company Ballet Russes and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky. Together they created a dance performance, The Rite of Spring, which started a riot. People were shocked by the jarring music and untraditional dance.
The police had to monitor the audience during the second act because fistfights were breaking out! The famous composer also had a couple of odd habits. Each morning he held a handstand for ten to fifteen minutes in order to get his creative energy flowing. He definitely sent a lot of blood to his brain by staying upside down for that long.
Kurt Cobain
The Frontman of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, was loved by all of his fans. People not only adored his grungy, rock music and style but also his humble anti-rockstar personality. He was seen as a champion for the everyday man. Some of his thoughts and habits were a little odd. He liked to toy with the idea he was actually a child from outer space and aliens from a different time or planet left him behind to be raised by humans.
Cobain also had interesting grooming practices. He liked to dye his hair red with Kool-Aid instead of normal dyes. He wanted to avoid unnatural hair products. This meant he refused to use shampoo and instead washed his hair with soap bars.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a famous French artist. His most well-known paintings had quite a scandalous inspiration. Toulouse-Lautrec was frequently found partaking in Paris nightlife and spent most of his time in brothels with prostitutes. He was fascinated with their lifestyle and personas. He created over one hundred drawings and fifty paintings inspired by these women!
When he was a teenager, he broke both of his legs. Unfortunately, they never healed properly and as a result, his growth was stunted. Toulouse-Lautrec felt his disability helped him relate to the ladies of the night. Fellow painter, Édouard Vuillard said, “he found an affinity between his condition and the moral penury of the prostitute.”