Weird History

One of the best parts of celebrating any holiday is curling up with friends and family and watching a festive movie. It's a classic way to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-christmas-kids-movies/ranker-film">reconnect with loved ones</a> and get into the holiday spirit - maybe you love watching Home Alone at Christmas or Hocus Pocus <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/wh-fans-favorite-childhood-halloween-movies/bridget-quinlivan">around Halloween</a>.&nbsp;Many of these films are as <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/actors-from-holiday-movies-then-vs-now/lauren-glen">beloved by the people who made them</a> as the people who watch them. Interviewers will often bring up the topics while talking with stars as a way to draw attention to their stories. Here are some of our favorite interview moments with celebrities in which they talk about their own holiday films.

12 Interview Moments From Actors In Holiday Movies That Put Us In The Festive Spirit All Year

Actor

Cortland Jacoby

History

In cities all over the world,&nbsp;there are neighborhoods that are &quot;hidden,&quot; literally or figuratively. Some of them&nbsp;are blatantly ignored by their own government; the&nbsp;Kamagasaki district in Osaka, Japan, isn&#39;t even included on official maps of the city;&nbsp;while for years the government in Caracas, Venezuela, turned a blind eye&nbsp;to the fact that thousands of squatters were living in an abandoned,&nbsp;partially built high-rise nicknamed the &quot;Tower of David.&quot;

Others - like Ras Khamis in Jerusalem, the artificial island of Dejima located in Nagasaki, and Venice&#39;s Jewish Quarter -&nbsp;were physically cut off from the rest of their respective cities in order to segregate and control a specific segment of the population. One (<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-vatican-facts/melissa-sartore" target="_blank">Vatican City</a>) even eventually became an independent country.

Many of these &quot;hidden&quot; cities are known for their crowded living quarters, poverty, and crime. But a much more positive thing also existed in many of these districts - a true sense of community.

10 Cities Within Cities That Became Their Own Hidden Worlds

General

10 Hidden Cities That Emerged Within Well Known Cities

TGWrites

In the year 79, in the Campagnia region of modern Italy, Mount Vesuvius positively blew its stack, releasing molten rock, ash, and 100,00 times the thermal energy of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki blasts at the rate of 1.5 million tons per second.

The Walls Kept Tumbling Down

Whoa Facts

The preserved corpses of victims are the most well-known remnants from Pompeii; however,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-pompeii-photos/pierce-nahigyan" target="_blank">weird Pompeii artifacts</a> are not limited to the human victim variety. Things found at Pompeii are a haunting reminder of the vibrant city that once existed. Strange&nbsp;Pompeii artifacts that still capture our imagination today include prized possessions, good luck charms, urns, and more.

Archeologists digging through the&nbsp;weird Pompeii ruins were given a fascinating task. What did they find in Pompeii? Workers found evidence of a vibrant, lively city that was turned to ash on an otherwise normal day. Odd, everyday&nbsp;things found in Pompeii are a reminder random tragedies can strike at any time.

Weird Oddities Found At Pompeii That Aren't Bodies

Weird Oddities Found At Pompeii

Ada Hart

Actors' firsthand accounts of their work and personal lives as described in press junkets, talk shows, the red carpet, and their own personal media.

In Their Own Words

Watching a movie or TV show from your childhood can be a joyful, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movies-more-nostalgic-than-good/ezra-hendren">nostalgic experience</a>. Whether it's an animated favorite, a teenybopper classic, or <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/hit-comedy-movies-that/jacob-shelton">a comedy</a> that transcends age, jumping back into that familiar territory may have a strange sort of comfort associated with it. But sometimes, with the healthy gift of hindsight, looking again at the movies and shows you enjoyed years - or decades - ago can make you say, “Wow, that has not held up.”The stars of some of those productions have the same reactions. As times change, sensibilities adjust, and social and political climates shift, so what was <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-tv-shows-that-have-aged-badly/zack-howe">once acceptable</a> on the screen may not be anymore. In fact, what once passed for “OK” might just be straight-up wrong.As a result, many flicks and shows haven't aged well. While this doesn't mean we'll stop watching them, it does mean reassessments have taken place. When it comes to the actors in those properties, they have often come forward and made statements about their projects from the past that haven't aged well.&nbsp;

14 Stars Talk About Their Movies And TV Shows That Haven't Aged Well

Melissa Sartore

A day of wine, chocolate, and sappy movies—time to celebrate love between couples, crushes, friends, pets, and everyone in between.

Be My Valentine

Interesting

In the 21st century, some view <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-valentines-day-movies/ranker-film">Valentine's Day</a> as a holiday to celebrate love in all its forms (although primarily romantic love), while others deride it as an overly commercialized holiday that is focused more on boosting the sales of flowers, candy, greeting cards, and jewelry <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/vinegar-valentines/dani-porter">than it is on celebrating love</a>.&nbsp;When the holiday rose to prominence in the Middle Ages, it was definitely focused on the ideas of love and romance. It was also dedicated to honoring the saint for which the holiday was named - a 3rd century martyr (or martyrs) named Valentinus (Valentine), the patron saint of (among other things) lovers, engaged people, and happily married couples.The thing is, there is little historical evidence that Valentinus had any interest in love or romance. In fact, the history surrounding the man (or men - it is unclear whether the martyred Saint Valentine was one person or two) is very dark, as according to legend he was imprisoned and then beheaded by order of Emperor Claudius II, most likely because he attempted to convert pagans to Christianity. A couple hundred years later, Pope Gelasius I declared February 14 - the day that Valentinus was executed - to be the martyr's saint's day.So how did we get from those dark origins to the traditions surrounding the current Valentine's Day? Hopefully, this article will provide some answers.

The Dark (And Surprisingly Convoluted) Origins Of Valentine's Day

The Dark Origins Of Valentine's Day

The Tower of London, home to the British crown jewels, isn't the only UK edifice with controversial valuables taken from elsewhere, including the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://time.com/6212113/queen-elizabeth-india-kohinoor-diamond/">Kohinoor diamond</a> from India (the 105.6-carat gem is also claimed by Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan). The British Museum, as one of the largest repositories of <a href="/list/regular-people-who-ruined-art/rebecca-shortall">priceless artifacts</a> in the world, is both beloved for its work in preserving &nbsp;treasures of the ancient world and criticized for hoarding the irreplaceable cultural touchstones of other societies. The Elgin Marbles controversy and the debate raging over the fate of the Rosetta Stone are but two of the many issues surrounding the British Museum's collection. Do these items belong to the nations the British colonial forces took them from, or do they belong to the United Kingdom? Is it better for them to be safely housed in London or returned to their places of origin? Should the British Museum return artifacts? Vote below for the artifacts you most think should be returned to their&nbsp;home countries.

Priceless Treasures The British Museum Should Return (And Why)

Dave Schilling

We've all done it - we're watching a mystery, whispering to our neighbor who we think the culprit is. Maybe you were working alongside Benoit Blanc as you <a href=" https://www.ranker.com/list/glass-onion-knives-out-small-details-hidden-easter-eggs/erin-maxwell">watched Glass Onion</a>. Or you kicked yourself after not realizing the big twist at the end of The Usual Suspects.&nbsp;More often than not, the director throws in some red herrings that do a good job of throwing us off the trail. But we're here to help you hone your deduction skills. Read on to learn of the clues that directors sprinkled throughout some of our favorite mysteries.&nbsp;And the next time you go to watch these movies, keep your eyes peeled for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movie-details-you-probably-missed/nathan-gibson">any other hints</a> that help you sniff out the guilty party. Beware: Spoilers ahead!

Small Clues In Mystery Movies That Totally Give Away ‘Whodunit’

Film

Emily Mast

Some historical information might be <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/random-trivia-facts/elle-tharp">classified as trivia</a>, maybe even <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/dumb-funny-facts/elle-tharp">too silly</a> to be taken seriously. Sometimes the reaction will be along the lines of, “Nah, that didn't really happen.”But as strange as they might seem, the examples in this article, including a 61-year-old potato farmer who smashed a record at a sporting event, and Kevin Bacon paying off wedding DJs, have really happened. Check out these bizarre facts!

14 Bizarre History Facts That Sound Made Up, But Aren't

Strange Historical Facts That Sound Made Up But Aren't

Timeline

Studying history often means looking at the names of notable figures, the dates of important events, and trends that span decades or more. Through all of this, it's easy to lose sight of things that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/historical-events-happening-at-the-same-time/kellen-perry">take place simultaneously</a> in various parts of the world. It can also be challenging to line up which people from history <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-but-true-historical-date-comparisons/melissa-sartore">lived at the same time</a>, or to keep straight what historical happenings took place first.It's pretty mind-blowing to look at the big picture and see how <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-timeline-comparisons-history/melissa-sartore">history actually lines up</a>. It definitely bent our brains to learn that some historical figures were contemporaries, that seemingly intuitive historical “facts” aren't facts at all, and that what's old in one part of the world isn't always considered old somewhere else.Take a look at these <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-timespan-historical-facts/melissa-sartore">historical timeline</a> facts that gave us a new view of history and vote up those that provide you with a fresh perspective on the past, too.&nbsp;

13 Historical Timeline Facts That Bent Our Brains

Each of the 50 United States is unique - and can boast an unexpected fact or two. Like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/food-faux-pas-in-every-state/will-morgan-1">food faux pas across the country</a>, these <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/wild-state-facts/ivey-nucilli">facts about some US states</a> will surprise, delight, and teach something new. Keep reading to discover more random, unexpected facts about some corners&nbsp;of the United States.

Facts About US States And Cities We Learned In 2022

Will Morgan

Fun facts and fascinating trivia about historical, bygone, and modern foods for people who love eating food.

Chew on This

Old Stuff

Fascinating food for thought: Some of the most common foods you see on grocery store shelves have been around for decades - if not centuries. These items have been staples in the diets of people around the world for much longer than you realize, perhaps gracing the palates of international celebrities, political leaders, or your own ancestors from days gone by. While the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-world-s-oldest-corporations-that-are-still-around-today/daveesons">companies and corporations</a> that own many food brands have changed over time, many have held true to original recipes and processes.Identifying exactly when brands were developed alongside significant historical events offers a unique context for how long the foods you eat have been enjoyed by the masses. It may really surprise you. Next time you head to the pantry to grab a snack, think about what was happening in the world when your favorites were first made - and just how far back that really happened.&nbsp;

Popular Food Brands That Have Been Around Way Longer Than We Thought

History is rife with questions! And answers!&nbsp;One of the fun things about history is that people come up with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/really-answers-to-historical-questions-0621/melissa-sartore">new questions</a> all the time - inquiries about people, places, events, and everything in between.&nbsp;We wanted to know what types of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/wh-readers-q-and-a-0922/melissa-sartore">questions our readers have</a>, so we did the only thing possible - we asked. And, boy, did Weird History readers come up with some great topics to research! From mysteries about Wild West figures to teasing out rumors about militant emus, we found some <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/questions-and-answers-2022-wh/melissa-sartore?ref=profile_own">really satisfying answers</a> to the questions YOU asked.Take a look and decide which answers help take the mystery out of some of your questions about history.

Weird History Readers Asked, We Answered - 11 Unraveled Mysteries From History

If show business is all about who you know, nepotism babies have the ultimate hookup getting through the door. Defined as children working in the same industry as their <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/current-stars-with-famous-parents/carly-kiel">famous and connected parents</a>, their presence in Hollywood is controversial because it brings their merit and work ethic into question.&nbsp;However, there is a group of well-connected offspring who have not reached the heights of their parents or what their talent allows. Maybe they are consistently working but <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/actors-should-have-won-oscar/erin-maxwell">have yet to win awards</a> for their efforts. Maybe they are sought after by directors but have failed to find the break-out role to make them a household name. They could be pigeonholed into supporting parts or just not have the credits they should have. Either way, these underrated nepo babies are just waiting for you to discover them.&nbsp;Which of these nepo babies do you think deserve the most success? Vote up your favorites.

14 Underrated Nepotism Babies Who Shouldn't Be Overlooked Anymore

14 Underrated Nepo Babies Who Deserve Their Fame

Every <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/each-state-essential-food/melissa-sartore">state has a food</a> it is known for, and we often take pride in claiming that our home makes some of the best barbecue, seafood, or pies in the nation. Still, when Ranker asked readers which food they could eat for the rest of their lives, Chinese food, spaghetti, burritos, and sushi were some of the dishes that ranked at the very top of the list. Part of what makes these foods so appealing is that they seem special, helping us feel like we are experiencing ethnic foods without having to leave home. Are we really, though?&nbsp;It turns out that some of our very favorite “ethnic” foods actually originated right here in our own country. While a few resemble dishes from their supposed countries, others were conceptualized entirely in the United States. This list exposes the fascinating, real, and very American origins of some of our very favorite “ethnic” dishes.

Foods Americans Think Are Ethnic But Were Actually Invented In The States

Food

Lauren Glen

1980s

In the 1980s, Unsolved Mysteries was a big television hit. As the name implies, and many recall, the show highlighted some of the strangest mysteries that had yet to be <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/solved-mysteries/jason-f-collins" target="_blank">solved</a>. Episodes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and strange phenomena&nbsp;captivated audiences.&nbsp;

There are many <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/unresolved-mysteries/chrissy-rose" target="_blank">real-life mysteries</a> from that decade that have still gone unsolved. While many of these stories here never made it onto the hit TV show, they are nonetheless another legacy of the &#39;80s. These are real-life stories of whodunnit, what the heck happened, and how did they get away with that? Some are also just <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-unexplained-stories-in-america/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">plain creepy</a>. While they may not have all made national headlines, most of them have left the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/local-solved-mysteries/chrissy-rose" target="_blank">locals still scratching their heads</a>. You may not have heard of these mysteries&nbsp;before, but you won&#39;t be able to forget them now.&nbsp;

The Biggest Mysteries From The '80s That Are Still Unsolved

Chrissy Rose

Historical Photos

Photography&nbsp;is a relatively recent invention. Although the first true photograph as we know it was taken roughly 200 years ago, that&#39;s obviously&nbsp;just a tiny slice of recorded history. For all of those &quot;lost years,&quot; historians have had to get creative in <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/3d-recreations-of-historical-figures/stephanroget" target="_blank">reimagining&nbsp;famous historical figures</a>. Though photography grew increasingly prolific after its invention, there&#39;s a sort of twilight period when historical figures were actually photographed, yet the rare photos aren&#39;t&nbsp;that well known.&nbsp;

These real pictures of historical figures like John Quincy Adams, Harriet Tubman, and Billy the Kid can give a whole new perspective on when these people lived. The fact that they&#39;re preserved on camera is mind-blowing. Vote up the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/last-known-photos-of-historical-figures/cleo-egnal?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">images of historical figures</a> you&#39;re most surprised to see exist.

20 Photos Of Historic Figures We Didn't Know Lived Long Enough To Be Photographed

Mallory Weiler

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

Person

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

Death

Real accidents happen on the sets of big budget movies, but most of them don&#39;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 examples of people dying on movie sets? People have lost their lives on films as early as 1928&#39;s Noah&#39;s Ark. Here are some of the worst cases where mistakes and misfortune have collided to produce fatal consequences.

12 Film Sets On Which People Were Actually Killed

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

Historical Figures

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

Some of the most prolific&nbsp;figures in history got off in ways that would have been considered untoward in their time.&nbsp;

Nowadays, many&nbsp;of the&nbsp;behaviors described here are seen as normal, or at least, somewhat so. But back in the day, some of these writers, revolutionaries, philosophers, and the like kept their sexuality&nbsp;and kinks a secret, only to be discovered decades after their passing by scholars and curious readers.

Perhaps if these legends were alive now, they would wave their flags proudly and let the world know what turns them on. Or not, and that&#39;s fine too; after all, it&#39;s nobody&#39;s business what you&#39;re into.

10 Historically Important Figures With Extra Colorful Personal Lives

The Most Historically Important Perverts Of All Time

Beau Iverson

Bill Gates

Steve Jobs

Ronald Reagan

Pop Culture

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.