If not for the work of <a href="https://twitter.com/DigiVictorian/status/1221509600131919877" target="_blank">Dr. Bob Nicholson</a>, an 1892 newspaper contest would have been lost to history forever. The&nbsp;New York Evening Herald offered $20&nbsp;to the married women who could best answer the question: how are husbands managed? The responses, while some are delightful and clever, are an eye-opening look at what a woman&#39;s role in marriage was really like&nbsp;in the 19th century. Like the period&#39;s <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/victorian-mourning-customs/lisa-waugh" target="_blank">death and mourning customs</a>, the ideal marriage in the Victoria era is clearly a bit outdated.

The New York Evening Herald&nbsp;chose their winner,&nbsp;and now you can choose yours by voting below. The entries range from humorous and sarcastic to sobering reminders that we&#39;re lucky to be living in the 21st century.&nbsp;

A 19th Century Newspaper Asked Women How "Husbands Are Managed" And The Answers Are Eye-Opening

General

Garri Chaverst

Entertainment

Chuck Norris may have earned his own custom line of jokes regarding his supposed superhuman qualities, but legends <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/little-known-bruce-lee-facts/philgibbons?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">about Bruce Lee</a> have been kicking butt for much longer. And considering the Bruce Lee real story proves many of his legendary feats have a solid base in reality, consider that another knockout for Lee. Although rumors about playing ping pong with nunchucks and snatching rice out of the air using chopsticks may not be true, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/little-known-bruce-lee-facts/philgibbons" target="_blank">Bruce Lee facts</a> include an astonishing record of physical feats, endurance, and stories about his amazing achievements.

When his legends blended into the Bruce Lee true story, epic myths about a near-superhuman man emerged. His devotion to training both his mind and body led him to master power and strength that seem wild to everyone else. Lee&#39;s study of philosophy also helped grow his myth, as people consistently attribute wise quotes and sage advice to the<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-martial-art-movies/all-genre-movies-lists" target="_blank"> martial arts</a> master. When he passed at age 32, he was just becoming a star in the US, having already gained a huge amount of popularity overseas. Perhaps because his life was so short and the world never got to see him as an old man saddled with age like the rest of humanity, legends about Lee remain strong. He will always be young and strong in fans&#39; eyes, and the legends he created will remain unchallenged by time. Could Lee really send a man flying with only a one inch movement of his fist or knock someone out in a matter of seconds? While the legends say yes, the truth may surprise you.

Bruce Lee Stories That Show How Man Became Legend

Possibly True Bruce Lee Stories That Show How Man Became Myth

Erin McCann

History

Heroism is a powerful thing. It can inspire others to act valiantly, turn the tide of a conflict, and live on in history books for centuries to follow. And then there are some acts of heroism - acts so brave, so sacrificial, so unlikely - that <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/facts-from-the-life-of-gladiator-spartacus/carly-silver" target="_blank">they&#39;re hard to even believe</a>.

In 480 BC, 300 Spartan soldiers&nbsp;(along with hundreds of others, it turns out) stood their ground against a Persian army that dwarfed them in size. But not all heroes are fighters. During WWII, Polish resistance member Witold Pilecki volunteered to be held captive in Auschwitz to investigate and send reports to the outside world. And in more recent history, the heroism displayed by the three men who waded through radioactive water during the Chernobyl disaster is truly astonishing.

If you&#39;re interested in&nbsp;heroic moments in history, unbelievable heroic feats, and true stories of sacrifice, look no further than this list. Vote up the stories that seem almost too cinematic to be real life.

Heroic Moments From History So Savage They Sound Made Up - But Aren't

Person

Heroic Moments In History So Savage They Sound Made Up

T.J. Peters

Lists about the family, life, and tragic end of one of America's most popular and controversial figures, 35th President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963).

The Rise and Fall of Camelot

Assassinations

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Arguably the crime of the century, Kennedy&#39;s murder stunned&nbsp;the American people and set off an outpouring of grief around the world. But the days after JFK&#39;s assassination also involved additionally shocking events and dramatic moments, from his <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/jfk-funeral-small-poignant-details/jim-rowley" target="_blank">funeral service</a> to the search for his assassin.

In the immediate aftermath of the JFK assassination, Kennedy&#39;s alleged assassin, Lee Harvey&nbsp;Oswald, was&nbsp;shot to death live on American television. Oswald&#39;s background as a former resident of the Soviet Union, his Russian wife, and connections to communist Cuba added a cold war component to the assassination. The sketchy background of Oswald&#39;s assassin, Jack Ruby, also quickly&nbsp;fomented numerous conspiracy theories that became an integral part of any future discussion of JFK&#39;s&nbsp;assassination - one of these even claims <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/lincoln-kennedy-similarities-urban-legend/zach-seemayer" target="_blank">countless eerie coincidences</a> between Kennedy&#39;s life and that of Abraham Lincoln. What happened following the assassination of John F. Kennedy - arguably one of the world&#39;s most important leaders - &nbsp;had historical, political, and social implications that still reverberate today.&nbsp;&nbsp;

What Happened Immediately After JFK Was Assassinated?

Phil Gibbons

Lists about the true stories that inspired books, films, TV, and other stories you think you know. 

What Really Happened

Debunking

When The Sound of Music debuted on Broadway in 1959, many critics considered it to be too clean and sweet, and the 1965 movie earned similar reviews. The real story behind The Sound of Music, however, is nowhere near as pleasant. Possibly because the movie was based on the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which was based on a German film, which was inspired by a family biography written by Maria von Trapp, The Sound of Music true story underwent an odd version of the &quot;telephone&quot; game to become the beloved film.

Although the movie tweaked The Sound of Music real-life story by changing the number of von Trapp children from 10 to seven, and gave them all different names and ages, it left out&nbsp;more significant true plot elements. Some of these changes were made to give the film tension, drama, and conflict, but The Sound of Music real story has&nbsp;plenty of drama and conflict itself.

Just because The Sound of Music&nbsp;is based on a real story, don&#39;t believe everything you see on screen. Although the von Trapp family did form a famous singing group, flee from occupied Austria, and travel to America (where they still run a Vermont ski lodge), the filmmakers invented many things depicted in the movie. Having earned praise for West Side Story, director Robert Wise used Julie Andrews&#39;s&nbsp;Mary Poppins stardom and sweet likability to create a sentimental version of the family&#39;s life, even if it wasn&#39;t completely true. Although the movie won numerous Oscars, Wise hurt many members of the von Trapp family, as well as any viewers expecting to see the family&#39;s real story on screen. How close is The Sound of Music to the real story? Not very.

The Real Story Behind ‘The Sound of Music’ Is Far More Depressing Than The Film

‘The Sound Of Music’: The True Story Is Far More Depressing Than The Movie 

Exploring the life and end Abraham Lincoln, the tall lawyer in the top hat who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until he was taken out by an enemy in April 1865.

Lincoln the Liberator

On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln at Ford&#39;s Theatre in Washington, DC.&nbsp;Much has been written about <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-john-wilkes-booth/stephanroget" target="_blank">Booth</a>&#39;s motivations: that he was a Confederate sympathizer, or&nbsp;suffering from professional jealousy, or simply wanted attention. Regardless, when Booth left Ford&#39;s Theatre that night, he had indelibly changed the course of history, slaying&nbsp;a man&nbsp;now considered one of the nation&#39;s <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-u-s-presidents-from-best-to-worst" target="_blank">greatest presidents</a>.

In the weeks, months, and years following the event, the nation grappled&nbsp;with the consequences of Booth&#39;s actions. But for Booth himself, the results were much more immediate. In John Wilkes Booth&#39;s final days, he ran. He ran for 13 days, from Ford&#39;s Theatre all the way to a small farm near Port Royal, VA. The search to find him&nbsp;was <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/abraham-lincoln-assassination" target="_blank">one of the biggest manhunts</a> in history, with&nbsp;10,000 federal troops involved.&nbsp;

It&#39;s hard to say what kind of future Booth thought he had, or what he thought might happen to him if he were caught. But for nearly a fortnight&nbsp;days, from&nbsp;April 14-26, America held its breath and followed the thrilling hunt for the man who had slain President Lincoln.

A Timeline Of The Hunt For John Wilkes Booth

Quinn Armstrong

1980s

When Milli Vanilli burst onto the music scene in the late 1980s, manufactured groups had been around for years. But while acts like the Monkees and <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/dark-behind-the-scenes-partridge-family-facts/melissa-sartore?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the Partridge Family</a> made it publicly known that they didn&#39;t necessarily play the instruments - or even perform the vocals, in some cases - and credited the musicians who did, the same can&#39;t be said for Milli Vanilli. Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan were presented as both the face and talent of Milli Vanilli. The duo, their producers, and others connected to the group went to great lengths to keep up the ruse while keeping the identity of the real singers a secret.

For a brief time, the hoax was remarkably successful; Milli Vanilli&nbsp;made chart history, selling millions of records and earning instant fame. But when it was discovered that Pilatus and Morvan had not provided any vocals on the recordings and had lip-synced their way through live performances, the fallout was intense.

Here is how Milli Vanilli - whose name&nbsp;<a href="https://www.songfacts.com/facts/milli-vanilli" target="_blank">was claimed to be a Turkish phrase meaning &quot;positive energy&quot;</a> but in reality was taken from a defunct disco in Berlin - went from Grammy-winning pop music sensation&nbsp;to a punchline in&nbsp;pop culture history in the span of less than three years.

How Milli Vanilli Lip-Synced Their Way To Grammy-Winning Stardom And Scandalous Pop Culture Infamy

Milli Vanilli's Lip Sync Scandal: How They Went From Grammys To Infamy

TGWrites

Money

People love to wax poetic about the days of old when a person could see a movie for a nickel&nbsp;or buy a soda for a dime, but was that really the case? Sadly, the answer is a resounding no. People who reminisce about the &quot;good ol&#39; days&quot; are forgetting one important factor: inflation.&nbsp;

While <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015073250444&amp;view=1up&amp;seq=19" target="_blank">data from the 1940s</a> might make <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951000014585x&amp;view=1up&amp;seq=233&amp;size=125" target="_blank">grocery store items</a>&nbsp;look&nbsp;cheaper than they are <a href="https://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/data/averageretailfoodandenergyprices_usandmidwest_table.htm" target="_blank">today</a>, when you use the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=0.08&amp;year1=194001&amp;year2=201912" target="_blank">inflation calculator</a> to see how much those items really cost, the prices are not so different. So, before you&nbsp;try to pull a Marty McFly and go back to the 1940s to save some money, take a look at the grocery prices below and see if the effort is truly worth it.&nbsp;

How Much Grocery Store Items Cost In 1940 Vs. 2020

Music History

Tragedy struck Lynryd&nbsp;Skynyrd, one of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/southern-rock-bands-and-musicians/reference" target="_blank">best Southern rock bands</a>, just three days after the group&nbsp;released its&nbsp;fifth album and was seemingly on the brink of unprecedented popular acclaim. On October 20, 1977, a plane crash killed three members of the group, including its guiding light,&nbsp;<a href="https://groovyhistory.com/lynyrd-skynyrd-plane-crash-ronnie-van-zant" target="_blank">Ronnie Van Zant</a>.&nbsp;What caused Lynyrd&nbsp;Skynyrd&#39;s&nbsp;plane to crash? Even in the 21st century, despite an official investigation and opinion that characterized the crash as the result of pilot error, the circumstances and decisions that led to the aircraft&#39;s unusual demise&nbsp;remain unknown.&nbsp;

Lynyrd&nbsp;Skynyrd&nbsp;is considered to&nbsp;have one of the most&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/gruesome-band-histories/daniel-kohn" target="_blank">gruesome band histories</a>&nbsp;because they lost several people in the aerial&nbsp;accident.&nbsp;Who died in the Lynyrd&nbsp;Skynyrd&nbsp;plane crash? Of the 24 passengers who boarded the ill-fated flight from Greenville, South Carolina, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, three&nbsp;members of the band were killed. The death of lead singer <a href="https://groovyhistory.com/lynyrd-skynyrd-plane-crash-ronnie-van-zant" target="_blank">Ronnie Van Zant</a>,&nbsp;guitarist&nbsp;Steve Gaines, and his sister&nbsp;Cassie Gains, along with&nbsp;the aftermath of the tragedy,&nbsp;essentially destroyed one of the most unique voices of American rock and roll. Listed here are&nbsp;the facts behind the infamous plane crash that ended Lynyrd Skynyrd.&nbsp;

Falling Free Bird: The Truth About The Infamous Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash Is Stranger Than Fiction

The Truth About The Infamous Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash Is Even Stranger Than The Fiction

Lists about some of the most extraordinary women who made history, forever changing the world and how we see it.

Well-Behaved Women

You&#39;ve likely heard tales of Anne Boleyn, the alluring woman who convinced King <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-battles-of-henry-viii-of-england/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Henry VIII of England</a> to give up his wife and child, break from the Catholic Church, and marry her. And she was the mother of one of the most renowned monarchs in British history, Elizabeth I.&nbsp;But there&#39;s a lot more to Anne than just her personal affairs, many of which were magnified or inaccurately portrayed by those with a political agenda after her death. So,&nbsp;who was Anne Boleyn really?

The life of Anne Boleyn was anything but boring.&nbsp;Anne was a brilliant, engaging young woman with the best education her family&#39;s position at court could provide. She served under many of the royal women in Europe, was&nbsp;known for her wit, and loved all things French. And once she married <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/violent-medieval-monarchs/carly-silver" target="_blank">King Henry VIII</a>, Anne did anything - absolutely anything - to keep her marriage intact. An Anne Boleyn biography might also mention her family&#39;s affairs with her husband, her religious fervor, and rumors that her ghost&nbsp;still haunts people. All in all, there are some weird Anne Boleyn facts.

18 Facts About The Dramatic Life Of Anne Boleyn

Strange Facts About Anne Boleyn

Carly Silver

Lists about brave mountaineers who climbed the highest point on planet earth, Mount Everest, which rises more than 29,000 ft. in the Himalayas at the border of China and Nepal.

The Top of the World

Outdoor Activities

In addition to being the highest point on Earth at 29,000 feet above sea level, Mount Everest is also one of the most sought after destinations of mountaineers and outdoor enthusiasts. While it&#39;s not considered one of Earth&#39;s most dangerous mountains, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-death-climbing-mount-everest/laura-allan" target="_blank">people die attempting to summit</a> its peak each year, prompting many to wonder what it&#39;s like to climb Everest and if it&#39;s worth it. Despite the costs, dangers, and extreme endurance needed, many climbers claim it is.&nbsp;

Everest has been inspiring people to reach its peak since Edmund Hillary and&nbsp;Tenzing Norgay succeeded in 1953, romanticizing the ultimate feat of humans conquering nature and pushing their limits. Contributing to Everest&#39;s mystique is the fact that not everyone who takes it on survives, evidenced by the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-stories-about-deaths-and-dead-bodies-on-mount-everest/sabrina-ithal" target="_blank">number of bodies</a> the mountain holds. Advances in technology, like weather prediction, contribute to Everest&#39;s survival rate but also diminish the mountain&#39;s dangerous reputation.

As more and more climbers visit the mountain each year, creating trash problems and lines at the summit with devastating consequences, Everest should not be taken lightly; there are still many ways to perish before and after snapping a selfie at the top.&nbsp;British mountaineer George Mallory <a href="https://blog.theclymb.com/out-there/because-its-there-the-quotable-george-mallory/" target="_blank">may have climbed the mountain</a> &quot;Because it&#39;s there,&quot; but according to those who&#39;ve summited Everest, it takes much more determination and hard work than that.

What It's Actually Like To Summit Mount Everest

What It's Like To Climb Mount Everest & Reach The Summit

Historical Figures

There are certain figures that every school child has heard of but few have ever seen. The earliest presidents of the United States, the most daring abolitionists, even semi-mythical figures like Johnny Appleseed (real name John Chapman), can easily become nothing more than names on a page. Seeing them in the flesh can be oddly affecting - not only to the young but also to adults.&nbsp;

The thing is, photography has existed in one form or another since the late 1820s. It&#39;s strange to think that humans have a photographic record that stretches back nearly two centuries - to a time before electric lights, women&#39;s suffrage, or modern industry.&nbsp;You may be surprised which historic figures had their photos taken, and this list aims to highlight the oldest and most famous of them all. Vote up the ones that give you a new perspective on history.

Historical Figures We Didn't Realize Lived Long Enough To Be Photographed

Pierce Nahigyan

British Monarchy

When it comes to the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/henry-viii-women-zodiac/setareh-janda" target="_blank">six chaotic marriages</a> of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/who-was-henry-viii/carly-silver" target="_blank">King Henry VIII</a>, most people tend to think of Anne Boleyn and her infamous demise by beheading. Others&nbsp;still&nbsp;might think of the long-suffering Catherine of Aragon and how Henry&#39;s desire to divorce her further stirred up religious tensions. But it is Henry&#39;s final wife, Catherine Parr, whose story is most often forgotten. In many dramatic portrayals, the queen is made out to be an older, sedate woman who played nursemaid to her husband. In fact, Catherine lived a fascinating life marked by a passionate faith, four marriages, an influential writing career, secret love, heartbreak, and plots against her safety. With an ardent personality that&nbsp;contrasts heavily against the persona modern adaptations suggest, Catherine Parr&#39;s story overflows with intrigue and courage.

In life, she not only played a vital role in the reformation of the church, but also acted as a caring stepmother to Henry&#39;s children, treating the one-day Queen Elizabeth I as she would her own daughter. Mystery surrounds the cause of Catherine&#39;s death, and even after being buried, her story didn&#39;t end. Read on to learn the most interesting facts about this forgotten queen of England, including what happened to her body after she&#39;d been laid to rest in a tomb for more than 200 years.

12 Facts About Catherine Parr, The Forgotten Final Wife Of Henry VIII Who Outlived Him

12 Facts About Henry VIII's Wife Catherine Parr, Who Outlived Him

Alex Mitsch

Lists of fascinating facts and surprising trivia about the rich lives of some of history's most creative people.

The Life of an Artist

Lists of fascinating facts and lesser-known details about the lives of people whose names you learned in History class (or should have).

Down in History

Although it resulted in some of the most remarkable artwork ever created, the life of Vincent van Gogh was&nbsp;marked by poverty, loneliness, rejection, and mental illness. Vincent van Gogh's biography is sad enough on its own; that his paintings would ultimately become the most sought after and expensive status symbols&nbsp;in the art world is an irony practically too cruel to comprehend. To an individual who frequently had to choose between purchasing food or canvas and paint, the idea that even a single Van Gogh would today fetch hundreds of&nbsp;millions of dollars would seem inconceivable. But in the context of the painter's life, it is&nbsp;only appropriate, considering these sad and bizarre facts about&nbsp;Vincent van Gogh. &nbsp;Vincent van Gogh was a failure in just about everything he attempted in his abbreviated life. But he generated&nbsp;900 paintings and over 2,000 artworks in a 10-year period. Mostly ignored, battling his own inner demons, and surviving through the intervention and kindness of a sibling, his major flaw was possessing an artistic genius and vision that were&nbsp;way ahead of its time. His life's sacrifice is a body of work that today elicits a cult-like fascination with both his paintings&nbsp;and his tortured and strange existence.&nbsp;

15 Facts About The Tortured, Miserable Life of Vincent van Gogh

15 Facts About the Tortured Life of Vincent van Gogh

These are the most dramatic, petty, savage, and entertaining rivalries since Cain & Abel.

Where's the Beef?

The war between the Hatfields and McCoys is one of the most brutal family feuds in American history, distinguished by its absurd escalation&nbsp;of violence.&nbsp;The moonshine-soaked, romance-fueled&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/family-feud-fails/whitneysmoore">family feud</a>&nbsp;took place between 1865 and 1890, in a bloody brother-on-brother, neighbor-on-neighbor wave of violence with ties to&nbsp;the recently ended Civil War. The barbaric&nbsp;battle&nbsp;between the two families became a&nbsp;national legend and was even made into a&nbsp;miniseries on the History Channel.The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield%E2%80%93McCoy_feud">Hatfields &amp; McCoys</a> were large families on opposite sides of the Tug River, which separates Kentucky and West Virginia. The McCoys lived on the Kentucky side, the Hatfields on the West Virginia side. The families were run by two powerful patriarchs: William Anderson Hatfield, known as Devil Anse, and Randolph &quot;Old Ranel&quot;&nbsp;McCoy. While these men were in charge of their respective families and are largely credited with leading&nbsp;the troops on either side of the river, the feud involved many different members of each clan.History experts disagree on when exactly the feud started. The violence either kicked off in 1865, with the murder of Asa Harmon McCoy, or in 1878, with a deadly dispute over a hog. Regardless, the feud was perpetuated by&nbsp;thefts and increasingly vicious acts of violence, which escalated to all out war. The grand finale of the&nbsp;feud came in 1889, when several members of the Hatfield clan were put on trial for murder.

The 12 Most Brutally Insane Moments of the Hatfield-McCoy Feud

The Craziest and Most Brutal Things the Hatfields and McCoys Did to One Another

Katherine Ripley

The U.S. Department of Justice defines "outlaw motorcycle gangs" (OMGs) as "organizations whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for criminal enterprises."

Outlaws on Wheels

Hunter S. Thompson, founder of the "gonzo" journalism movement in which the author is a protagonist and subjective participant in the narrative, covered everything from the Hells Angels to the Kentucky Derby until he put a bullet in his head at 67.

Dr. Gonzo

Gangs

What started as a journalistic look at the Hells Angels in 1965 turned into a year of unexpected adventure for Hunter S. Thompson. The gonzo journalist embedded with the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club to research what would become his first published book:&nbsp;Hell&#39;s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/crazy-hunter-s-thompson-stories/coy-jandreau" target="_blank">Hunter S. Thompson stories</a>&nbsp;that feature the Hells Angels are notably wild.&nbsp;

He spent time with legendary Hells Angels members like Ralph &quot;Sonny&quot; Barger&nbsp;who introduced&nbsp;Thompson to the club&#39;s&nbsp;erratic biker exploits. The Hells Angels stories he describes in his nonfiction novel offer <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/life-of-motorcycle-gang-members/philgibbons" target="_blank">unique&nbsp;insights into motorcycle outlaw clubs</a>&nbsp;for readers who otherwise might find stories full of stereotyping and misunderstandings.&nbsp;Hunter S. Thompson&#39;s facts about the Hells Angels are based entirely on his actual experiences traveling and partying with the notorious bikers.&nbsp;

Hunter S. Thompson Spent A Year With The Hells Angels And This Is What Happened

Hunter S. Thompson's & Hells Angels: 11 Wild Stories From Their Time Togeth

Melissa Sartore

Weird History lists at Ranker - the ultimate source for lists and rankings in all categories

Weird History lists on Ranker

Weird History lists at Ranker - the ultimate source for hundreds of Weird History lists and rankings.

Weird, spooky, and tragic stories of people who passed in odd ways or on strange days.

Unusual Demises

There were some strange deaths that have occurred during the 20th century and these are the most bizarre ways that people passed in the 1900s. The following list includes some the most unusual ways of passing imaginable. There are plenty of strange ways to perish, but these might be the strangest&nbsp;of all&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;unique and extremely rare circumstances that you can think of.

What are the most bizarre ways famous people have died in the last century? Do you know someone who swallowed a toothpick at a party and then perished because of peritonitis? Did you know about an actress who passed when she fell down a chimney, thinking it was a balcony? If not, read this list of all the unusual deaths of 20th century people who died in strange ways.

Unusual Deaths: Bizarre Deaths Of The 20th Century

Bizarre Deaths | List of Unusual Ways To Die

Notable Famous Deaths

Before tickets even went on sale, every major motion picture employed dozens of people and cost thousands, if not millions, of dollars. Here is how some of them screwed it all up.

Famous Film Fails

Accidents

Accidents happen on the sets of big budget movies, but most of them don't cost the cast or crew their lives. Film productions follow a number of regulations to keep performers and crew members safe, but while shooting scenes of manufactured peril, performers sometimes put themselves in situations where the slightest miscalculation can quickly become deadly. Some occurred on <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-most-nausea-inducing-great-films/randolph" target="_blank">nausea-inducing sets</a>; others happened in seemingly commonplace situations.What are some <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-people-who-died-of-euthanasia/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">examples of people</a> dying on movie sets? People have lost their lives on films as early as 1928's Noah's Ark. Here are some of the worst cases where mistakes and misfortune have collided to produce fatal consequences.

11 Classic Film Sets That Actually Killed People

Film

Deaths on Movie Sets | List of Fatal Accidents During Film Productions

Matt Blackwood

Looking closer at the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe, a period during which artists, architects, politicians, scientists, and writers embraced humanism, bringing their society from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

The Renaissance

List of odd deaths that happened during the Renaissance, including some of the rumors and legends behind them. This list includes stories of people dying from laughter, a ruler who died due to shyness about using the restroom, and a man who was beaten to death with his own artificial limb. "The Renaissance" is a term used to refer to a broad cultural movement that swept across Europe from the 14th through the 17th century, as well as the period in European History that divides the Late Middle Ages from the beginnings of the modern era. Through the term is most typically used to refer to the Renaissance in Italy - which includes a number of the most famous writers, thinkers, and artists of the period - the Renaissance itself spread to a number of European nations, including Scandinavia, The Netherlands, England, France, Hungary, and Russia.Need more? Check out the most unusual murders of other eras such as the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/unusual-deaths-bizarre-deaths-during-the-middle-ages/notable-famous-deaths">odd deaths during the Middle Ages</a> and the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/unusual-deaths-bizarre-deaths-of-the-21st-century/notable-famous-deaths">bizarre deaths from the 21st century.</a>

The 9 Strangest Deaths of the Renaissance And Early Modern Eras

Renaissance Deaths | List of Strange Renaissance Era Killings

A look at major events that happened a long time ago and the people who played the biggest roles in shaping the world as we know it.

Historical Facts & Figures

True Stories

These are some of the most influential, famous, and historically important human beings of all time... who also happened to be huge, shameless perverts and/or deviants. Sure they were all a little predatory, but we wouldn&#39;t be where we are without these forward-thinking men who, in modern times, would have a red dot above their house in a government database.

You will definitely recognize some of these famous perverts, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself. Turns out he wrote a bunch of very untoward songs, including one about licking a certain body part that rhymes with grass.&nbsp;

These historical perverts were musicians, philosophers, emperors, kings, and writers. Were you surprised to learn these gasp-inducing facts? Check out more below.&nbsp;

The Most Historically Important Perverts Of All Time

Beau Iverson

Weird History

George Washington

Benjamin Franklin

Thomas Jefferson

Settlers of Catan

Ticket to Ride

Pandemic

Bill Gates

Ronald Reagan

Steve Jobs

Leonardo da Vinci

Isaac Newton

Galileo Galilei

Are you already an expert in everything America? Great! No need to read about these fascinating facts and important events that have shaped the U.S. as we know it today.

US History You Should Know

poll

List of the most important leaders in U.S. history. Love 'em or hate 'em, these leaders shaped American history from its founding through today. Men and women who have truly defined America through their work and leadership, even if it did not mean serving political office, are ranked here on this master list of leaders. Pioneers who changed the landscape, from the Civil Rights Movement, to Women's Suffrage, to the atom bomb, appear on this list of American leaders who changed the world.The most important American presidents are ranked here, like Harry S. Truman and George Washington to name a few, along with First Ladies like Eleanor Roosevelt. Industry leaders like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller cannot be overlooked, nor can leaders who were not in the U.S. government itself, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Susan B. Anthony. Leadership takes many forms throughout American history, and famous American leaders pervade all of history, but this list gives props to those who were the most influential. Vote up the most important U.S. leaders below, or if the United States is too small for you, make sure to peruse this list of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-important-leaders-in-world-history">The Most Important Leaders in World History</a>.

John F. Kennedy

The Most Important Leaders in U.S. History

Most Important Leaders in US History | List of American Leaders

Mel Judson

List of the Greatest Minds of All Time, throughout history. This list represents the most influential thinkers across various disciplines, ranked in a way that represents the power of their ideas and their impact on the world. The wisest men and women include <a href="/list/top-philosophers-ever-/jedralski">top philosophers,</a> physicists, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/notable-poet_s)/reference">famous poets</a>, thinkers, teachers, physiologists, artists, inventors, engineers, <a href="/list/the-most-irreplaceable-ceos-in-the-world/ready-to-startup">the most irreplaceable CEOs in the world</a>, economists and politicians and those whose talents span across many fields of study.This list takes a historic perspective, so the greatest thinkers who are included on this list come from many different eras. The greatest minds of the 21st century may be quite different from great geniuses from the distant past, but each person should be judged within the context of the time that they were living. For example, inventing a new type of telephone in 2013 would not qualify one as &quot;the most brilliant mind of all time,&quot; but in 1876 when Alexander Graham Bell first patented the telephone, it was an act of genius not seen before. See Also: <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-most-influential-people-of-all-time">The Most Influential People of All Time.</a>

The Greatest Minds of All Time

Greatest Minds of All Time |  List of Genius Thinkers in History 

Walter Graves

A list of the Americans who have had the most central influence on, or importance to, the modern era. This would include Americans who have most significantly altered the course of events from roughly the 1980s onward. So while someone like Ronald Reagan or Steve Jobs might very well apply, figures like Franklin D. Roosevelt or even Martin Luther King Jr. would probably not be considered contemporary enough to qualify.Americans from every walk of life and every industry have managed to profoundly influence the country. This can include efforts to alter the culture or perspective of Americans, technological or scientific innovations that forever <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/ways-internet-changes-how-we-think/hannah-collins?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">changed the way</a> we live, business achievements which altered the course of one or multiple industries, or political decisions that permanently shifted later events in America and the world.Vote for the important Americans below you think had the greatest impact on the way we live today. Or if you don't see your selection, add it by making your own list.

Mark Zuckerberg

The Most Influential Contemporary Americans

Famous Americans: List of the Most Influential Americans

Ranker Community

Ranking the best board games and card games for fun interactive competition with family,  friends, and future frenemies.

Game Night

Popular Opinion

These are the best board games ever made, ranked by game&nbsp;aficionados and <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-ps4-board-games/kyle-townsend" target="_blank">casual players alike</a>.&nbsp;What are the greatest board games ever? The classic games that have entertained families of players for decades? Or innovative new table-top role-playing games pushing the boundaries between fiction and reality? This list attempts to determine, once and for all, which are the greatest and most fun board games of all time.

A board game here is defined as any game in which pieces are placed on or moved around a flat surface, such as a board. This would include popular centuries-old board games such as Go, Chess, and Checkers, along with more modern <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-settlers-games/video-game-info?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">games like Settlers</a> of Catan, or even some role-playing games involving game pieces or miniatures. What are the best board games ever? What&#39;s the best <a href="/list/2-player-board-games/ranker-games?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">board game for two people</a>? What&#39;s the best board game for groups?

Some games still utilize game pieces but are built more around live interaction or conversation rather than traditional &quot;turn-based&quot; board games. These games &ndash; such as Scattergories or Taboo &ndash; may not meet the strict definition of a board game, but nonetheless resemble board game-style play and entertainment enough to warrant inclusion.

This list was determined by allowing users to make lists of suggestions for the greatest board games ever, and then holding an open vote on which games were actually the best of all time. Whether you are a hardcore board game geek or <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/board-games-for-teens/ranker-games" target="_blank">just a casual player</a>, your votes count here. Check out all the most popular board games, and don&#39;t forget to vote on the best board games on the list already to ensure they rise to the top!