Personally speaking, my favorite historical figure is La Maupin. If you've never heard of her, don't be surprised.
They don't exactly teach swashbuckling, lesbian, opera singing, nun-seducing revolutionaries in most schools.
Things would be a whole lot more awesome if they did.
Reddit user infinite_boredom wanted to talk about what other epic and interesting moments didn't get covered in school.
They asked:
"What is a interesting piece of history that is NOT taught in school?"
Let me say this—most books make history seem really really boring compared to what was actually going on.
We talk about wars and successions and monarchies in such a sanitized way it's almost a shame. Imagine how much fun we could all be having if we knew this stuff.
Meth Nazis
"That Nazi Germany's soldiers were able to fight for so long and put up the resistance that they did because the government was providing them with and incentivizing the use of methamphetamine. Also, that Hitler had a very serious opioid addiction, which many believe to be the reason why he ultimately lost the war."
"The greatest irony is that the Nazi Party, in public, actively condemned drug use. Meanwhile Hitler and much of the high command were very very high all the time."
Penises And Fleeing
"Alcibiades, a statesman and student of Socrates, got really drunk and rode around Athens in his chariot knocking the penis's off the Hemes statues at all the intersections. He then had to flee the country to avoid being charged with the crime of impiety. He fled to Sparta, where he slept with the king of Sparta's wife.. necessitating further fleeing all the way to Persia.. where the Persian king kept him around as a sort of curiosity."
- alfiar
Night Witches
"Throughout high school and the entirety of my history degree, not once were we told about the Night Witches. They were a squadron of Soviet female pilots that would bomb German camps in the dead of night during WW2. The fascinating thing is, they had to fly the loudest planes known to man. Basically, whilst flying solo, they would have to shut off the engine in mid air, cruise low enough to drop the bombs, climb out onto the wing to restart the engine, and get the hell outta dodge. The name Night Witches came from the sound the idle planes would make. Russian women are badass."
The Nightmare Continued
"After WW2, the treatment of homosexuals in concentration camps went unacknowledged by most countries including America, and some men were even re-arrested and imprisoned based on evidence found during the Nazi years. At the end of the war, when the concentration camps were finally liberated, virtually all of the prisoners were released except those who wore the pink triangle. Many of those with a pink triangle on their pocket were put back in prison and their nightmare continued."
Too Drunk Too Kill
"Rasputin was literally too drunk all of the time to realize that he was, in fact, in the process of being assassinated. He survived being shot because he swayed too much so they missed anything vital and he just didn't bleed."
"They tried to poison him, but because he was a raging alcoholic and most definitely took heavy drugs while leading his all female orgy rave cult, his body had built up an immunity to certain toxicities.
"Rasputin was literally revered as a god-like entity because he was just so smashed all of the time that they couldn't kill him."
"Ironically, he eventually was found dead face down in a creek - supposedly because he was piss drunk and stoned when he went romping through the woods after his most recent Parade and fell and drowned."
"Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, The Guy that's Hard to Kill"
GiphyThe General Slocum
"The General Slocum disaster. It was a sidewheel ship carrying German-American families up the Hudson River for an annual church outing when it caught fire. Most people couldn't swim so the choice was either burn or drown for most. The life jackets were faulty and would make anyone wearing one sink like a rock. Mother's would throw their babies into the water with a life vest only to watch them dragged under immediately. The lifeboats were tied up tightly with wires and inaccessible. Over 1,000 people died, many of them children. Only around 300 people made it off that death trap with their lives."
"It was the deadliest disaster in New York City prior to 9/11 but most people have never heard of it. I recommend the book Ship Ablaze by Edward T. O'Donnell. It had me in tears."
Sideshow Babies
"That infant incubators were invented in the late Victorian Era, and the guy that invented them used them (and the babies) as a side show attraction so he didn't have to charge parents for the babies care."
"Basically, there was a doctor in Germany by the name of Dr. Martin A Couney, who's own daughter was born prematurely and kept alive and by keeping her in an oven. This gave him an idea, and over the years him and his associates (most notably the French obstetrician Dr. Pierre Budin) designed what would be the early versions of the infant incubators we see today. They needed babies to test them out and exhibit the new tech at the World Exposition in Berlin, but most hospitals refused to work with them, thinking it wouldn't work."
"Eventually they came to the Berlin Charity Hospital, who loaned them some premature babies, thinking that they were going to die anyway. The exhibit was successful and all 6 babies that had been loaned to Couney survived. After that, Couney hired more medical staff and wet nurses (as formula wasn't a thing yet) and took the exhibit on the road to the United States and to every exhibition he could, including the Worlds Fair."
"Eventually, he set up 2 more permanent locations at Coney Island, and charged admission to the public to see these very tiny babies in the new incubators. They cared for the babies for free, so admission paid for the staff and other expenses. Hospitals from all over started to send him babies, and he expanded and opened more locations in other states. His own daughter ran a location in Atlantic City. Through the late 30's and early 40's, more hospitals began to get their own incubators and over time, the side show premie baby attractions closed as the need for them decreased."
Sorry, Ladies
"In 1907, Congress passed a law stripping American women of their citizenship if they married a non-American man. Note that men weren't stripped of their citizenship if they married non-American women."
Black Wall Street
"Black Wall Street in Tulsa, OK. It was the center of black wealth and finance and was burned out by whites. I believe it was bombed as well."
Not Fans Of Abstract Art
"During the Croatian War a small regiment of soldiers was tasked with blowing up an abstract monument in Kamensko. It was once the biggest abstract sculpture in the world. It held no strategic or cultural significance, and bear in mind that there was a huge disproportion between Croatian forces and Yugoslavian National Army."
"Tactically speaking, it was a waste of equipment and manpower as well as a massive risk. They just hated this monument that much."
Fictional Titanic
"That a book was published in 1898 about an ocean liner called the Titan that sank after striking an iceberg with almost all passengers dying due to there being a lack of lifeboats on board."
"14 years later, almost the exact thing happened in real life with the Titanic.
"Eerie coincidence at the least.""
Andrew Jacksons Parrot
"Andrew Jackson had a pet parrot whom he trained to spew obscenities."
"And the parrot got kicked out of the funeral because it wouldn't stop swearing."
Columbus Was Even Worse Than You Think
"Columbus was arrested for being a terrible governor."
"Following his first voyage, Columbus was appointed Viceroy and Governor of the Indies under the terms of the Capitulations of Santa Fe. In practice, this primarily entailed the administration of the colonies in the island of Hispaniola, whose capital was established in Santo Domingo."
"By the end of his third voyage, Columbus was physically and mentally exhausted, his body wracked by arthritis and his eyes by ophthalmia. In October 1499, he sent two ships to Spain, asking the Court of Spain to appoint a royal commissioner to help him govern."
"By this time, accusations of tyranny and incompetence on the part of Columbus had also reached the Court. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand responded by removing Columbus from power and replacing him with Francisco de Bobadilla, a member of the Order of Calatrava. Bobadilla, who ruled as governor from 1500 until his death in a storm in 1502, had also been tasked by the Court with investigating the accusations of brutality made against Columbus."
"Arriving in Santo Domingo while Columbus was away in the explorations of his third voyage, Bobadilla was immediately met with complaints about all three Columbus brothers: Christopher, Bartolomeo, and Diego. Bobadilla reported to Spain that Columbus regularly used torture and mutilation to govern Hispaniola."
"The 48-page report, found in 2006 in the national archive in the Spanish city of Simancas, contains testimonies from 23 people, including both enemies and supporters of Columbus, about the treatment of colonial subjects by Columbus and his brothers during his seven-year rule."
"According to the report, Columbus once punished a man found guilty of stealing corn by having his ears and nose cut off and then selling him into slavery. Testimony recorded in the report stated that Columbus congratulated his brother Bartolomeo on 'defending the family' when the latter ordered a woman paraded naked through the streets and then had her tongue cut out for suggesting that Columbus was of lowly birth."
"The document also describes how Columbus put down native unrest and revolt; he first ordered a brutal crackdown in which many natives were killed and then paraded their dismembered bodies through the streets in an attempt to discourage further rebellion."
"'Columbus's government was characterised by a form of tyranny,' Consuelo Varela, a Spanish historian who has seen the document, told journalists. 'Even those who loved him had to admit the atrocities that had taken place'."
"Because of their gross misgovernance, Columbus and his brothers were arrested and imprisoned upon their return to Spain from the third voyage. They lingered in jail for six weeks before King Ferdinand ordered their release."
"Not long after, the king and queen summoned the Columbus brothers to the Alhambra palace in Granada. There, the royal couple heard the brothers' pleas; restored their freedom and wealth; and, after much persuasion, agreed to fund Columbus's fourth voyage."
"But the door was firmly shut on Columbus' role as governor. Henceforth Nicolás de Ovando y Cáceres was to be the new governor of the West Indies."
So, what would you add to this list?
Let us know in the comments!
There's nothing like leaving a movie theater having just seen an excellent movie.
Particularly one that took you by surprise.
Perhaps it was deeper and more meaningful than it purported itself to be, or on the flip side, had much more warmth and humor that you would have expected.
Or, the film took an unexpected twist that you never saw coming.
Resulting in your needing to bite your tongue until the rest of your friends and family see the film, and not spoil the surprise for them.
Redditor HornyCorny was curious to hear which plot twists left viewers utterly speechless, leading them to ask:
"What’s a movie twist that caught you completely off guard?"
He Didn't See It Coming Either!
"Brad Pitt in 'Burn After Reading'."
"So surprising and downright freaking hilarious."- thefirehairman
If The Shoe Fits...
"'The Shawshank Redemption'."
"Come on."
"It's not always a man notices another man's shoes."- FUBARspecimenT-89
Lucky For Some, Not For All...
"'Lucky Number Slevin'."
"Huge twist and very satisfying."- kvlr954
angry josh hartnett GIFGiphyRosie O'Donnell Would Agree...
"Fight Club."- BuchseeI
"once watched it with a friend who had never even heard of it, and she called the twist like, a half hour in."
"She said it as a joke and didn't realize she was right until the actual reveal, but still I was shook."- yugosaki
I See You Keyser Söze
"The ending of 'The Usual Suspects'."- Schwarzes__Loch
Definitive Shyamalan
''The Sixth Sense'."
'I love movies with plot twists, but I never imagined this one. It caught me completely off guard."- lucasduka
Haley Joel Osment Movie GIFGiphyThe Title Is Also Misleading...
"The second half of 'Parasite'."- iwontrememberthat4
Appropriately, They Really Toyed With Your Cognition
"'The Game'."- DudeHeadAwesome
"Good one!'
"I spent the entire movie going 'is it a game? Is it real?'"- fastpixels
There Were Definitely Ghosts...
"'The Others'."
"Unsuspected end."- NeckComprehensive743
scared horror film GIF by FilmStruckGiphyOne Unforgettable Opening Scene
"'Scream'."
"The Drew Barrymore role."- LivingTheLife53
The Real Reason Everyone Is Terrified Of Bees...
"When I was a kid, I wanted to feel good and happy."
"So at the video store, I decided to rent a movie with two happy laughing kids on the DVD cover, thinking it would be a feel-good playful story."
"That movie was 'My Girl'."
"Eff that movie."
"Seriously."
'The DVD cover lies."
"IT LIES."- buckyhermit
You THOUGHT you knew who the villains were...
"'From Dusk to Dawn' — midway point."
"Didn’t know at all what I was walking into when saw it in the theatre decades ago — just, you know, Salma Hayek. Good enough."
"Quentin Tarantino slurping tequila from her foot after it ran down the entire length of her leg — that was already a 'Holy WTF' moment."
"But then, well.. . you know."
"And if you don’t know — quick, go watch it. "
"No trailer, no synopsis, no summary."
"Find it and load it 'blind' and fasten your seatbelt."
"You’re in for a wild ride."- canada11235813
George Clooney Tarantino GIF by MIRAMAXGiphyIt's Title Is More Than Accurate!
"'Crazy Stupid Love'."
"The scene when the whole movie goes apesh*t in the yard is one of my all time favorite movie scenes."- Fimbulvintern
Trifecta Of Twists
"'The Others'."
"The end of 'The Mist'."
"'The Prestige' (though, I ALMOST had it figured out, but not quite)."- Krinks1
There's nothing better than when a movie surprises you.
Even if it does make talking about said movie with people who haven't seen it a bit more challenging.
Case in point, people who saw The Sixth Sense and The Usual Suspects after their endings were spoiled for them, don't seem to like those movies as much as those who went in blind.
Every family has its secrets.
It's up to every new generation to unearth it all.
Don't we all want to know if we're related to famous people?
Or what if we have a familial stake in lands and businesses?
Also, this is a good way to NOT end up dating blood relatives.
The more you know, the less awkward later.
As much as there is a lot of trauma there could be a lot of cool facts to to discuss at parties.
Redditor ForthrightPedant wanted to hear some interesting family histories, so they asked:
"What is a historical fact about your family that you think is kinda neat?"
I don't have any family history.
Of course I've done no investigating.
Maybe I do.
I should look!
Super Talent
Excited Happy Hour GIF by Boomerang OfficialGiphy"Great-grandpa created the Flintstones. Dan Gordon. Drew lots of Hannah-Barbara cartoons, and directed the first three animated Superman films at the beginning of WW2 as well as several seasons of Popeye, Scooby Doo, Smurfs, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound."
downnoutsavant
Bad Voyage
"My grandfather disliked America and wanted to return to Ireland. He booked passage on the Titanic’s return voyage. If it wouldn’t have sunk, no of us would be here."
mrseddievedder
"My great-grandmother was a Titanic survivor. She was a steerage-class Lebanese immigrant in an arranged marriage. Her husband went down with the ship but she managed to make it to a lifeboat and made it to the Carpathia. Then she remarried in a Lebanese neighborhood in Virginia. Had it not been for the iceberg that struck and sank the Titanic My family lineage would be different and I wouldn't be here. My family's official toast is 'to the iceberg.'"
jaspersurfer
Forgotten
"My husband's grandfather was one of the 'forgotten soldiers' in Canada. He was a Canadian-born Chinese man who asked the Canadian government to fight for his right to vote and a passport. Even tho he was born in Canada in the 20’s since he was Chinese he was not considered Canadian."
H"e was dropped into the Burma jungle and was told he would likely never return. He was in the 10% that did return. He was given the right to vote, to a passport, and to University."
"His wife is still alive today and my son is named after him."
cowskeeper
Can you imagine?
"My great-grandmother had 13 kids, so she was pregnant for literally a decade. There’s two hundred of us now, all because of this one woman."
CoverlessSkink
"My great grandma had 14 kids. My grandma was the youngest. She died giving birth to my grandma. The oldest child who was like 22 years old raised my grandma. My great-grandfather remarried a woman who had 10 kids of her own. My grandma would tell me stories of them all living together. Can u imagine? 😦."
Content_Pool_1391
Long Ago
american wtf GIF by unimpressionismGiphy"The land my dad was raised on and my cousins still live on was deeded to the family by George Washington as compensation for service during the Revolution. There was a document with his signature on it at the courthouse until a fire destroyed the records a few decades ago."
mustbethedragon
So much land and fortune and HISTORY has been lost due to fire.
Thank God we keep more than paper records now.
Over the Moon
Michael Jackson Dancing GIFGiphy"My second cousin is David Scott who walked on the Moon and drove the moon buggy. My mom does. He was so busy during the time when I was young that he even said later in life that he wished she’d gotten to know more of his family."
Roadgoddess
The Union
"Great-great-great grandfather on my mom's side was working his field in the part of Virginia that split off and became a new state because they didn't want to secede from The Union. Union soldiers came along looking for conscripts and he was a young, able-bodied man so they told him to come with them. He informed them he was a Quaker and thus a pacifist. According to family lore, that discussion went on for a bit but he would not give in. So they shot him and left him there. Good thing he had a couple of kids well before that day."
SpottyNoonerism
Opportiunities
"My great-grandfather was offered a chance to invest in a new invention by a guy by the name of Alexander Graham Bell. He declined, saying at most there would be one telephone per town."
Carson4307
"That is apparently my family too."
"One uncle apparently built a version of a hot water heater and then sold the design to GE for a good sum back then."
"Another uncle was asked if he wanted to be in a photo during his military service. He said no so they raised the flag on Iwo Jima without him in it."
"No idea if any of these are true, at best they are enhanced truths, but for me, I really hope they are true."
Jormungand1342
Underground
"I have a relative who worked for the Underground Railroad and had a price on her head in the South."
dahlia6767
"My uncle was a carpenter. And was doing restoration work on old houses in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Many of those old, historical homes had underground railroad passageways and hidden walls. He got to see and restore many of them. He had photos of some of the work he was doing and I got to see those as a kid. Living in Southern Ohio, we have a lot of rich underground railroad history here."
AddictiveArtistry
Family Empire
blood discussion GIFGiphy"My great-grandfather was the town police chief in the 1920s. His brother was the Mayor. Their cousins ran the casino."
"My family was a smaller version of Boardwalk Empire."
nowhereman136
Wouldn't we all love a show based on our families?
Then that's even more neat family history.
