Since the dawn of civilization, a lot of important things have happened. Here are lists of about the many winding routes we took to get where we are today.

Historical Contexts

Attractions

The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/egypt-pyramid-facts/thomas-west">Great Pyramid of Giza</a>. The Great Wall of China. The Parthenon. The Eiffel Tower. Stonehenge. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/history-monument-ancient-facts/thomas-west">Great structures</a> capture our imagination and give us a lasting collective heritage. (They also provide the backdrop to innumerable selfies.)&nbsp;But while they may last for centuries, these familiar objects have widely divergent building times. Some take decades to erect, others just a few years. Still others have been slowly created over centuries. Here are some of the world's most <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/ancient-landmark-facts/lauren-glen">famous landmarks</a>, along with the time it took to make them a reality.

How Long 11 Famous Landmarks Took To Build

Location

Gordon Cameron

Food History

If you could bottle up an extreme sport, it might taste something like an energy drink. Typically packed with caffeine and sugar, the drinks promise to jolt consumers awake and keep them running for hours at a time. &nbsp;While beverages like Red Bull or Monster have been in the American market for only a few decades, the roots of the modern-day energy drink lie in Asia, where they filled a purpose in the postwar labor market.In Europe and North America, energy drinks have taken on a life of their own, thanks to extreme marketing tactics that have paired the potables with young partygoers and athletes. But popularity does not always equal safety, and concerns over these products persist.&nbsp;From 5-hour Energy to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/four-loko-history/bailey-benningfield">Four Loko</a> -&nbsp;which, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-happened-to-zima/erin-mccann">like 1990s darling Zima</a>, had only a brief moment in the sun -&nbsp;caffeinated energy drinks have electrified the beverage market, one tall boy at a time.

Things We Didn't Know About The Rise Of Energy Drinks

General

Setareh Janda

What's even going on right now? How's everybody holding up?

School Daze

Customs & Rituals

High school is a unique period in the life of an American teenager, rife with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/outdated-traditions/elle-tharp">age-old traditions</a>. Like the high school experience itself, some of these traditions are beloved while others are loathed. Yet, have you ever stopped to wonder <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/history-of-funeral-traditions/jason-f-collins">why something is a tradition</a>, or when it became one?Read on to learn everything about the origins of US high school traditions, and vote up the facts that have you feeling nostalgic for high school.&nbsp;

The Origins Of 12 US High School Traditions

Origins Of High School Traditions

Jason F. Collins

History

Hollywood loves a good biopic. But many of the same stories get told over and over again - think of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/who-was-henry-viii/carly-silver">Henry VIII</a> or <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/lincoln-assassination-facts/setareh-janda">Abraham Lincoln</a> - even though there are plenty of lesser-known, unsung <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://m.ranker.com/list/people-who-should-have-biopics/matthewcoleweiss">historical figures who deserve a movie</a> about their lives, too.Just because a&nbsp;historical figure may not be widely known doesn't mean their story isn't worth telling. In fact, films are a great&nbsp;- if not strictly accurate - way to&nbsp;introduce&nbsp;people to lesser-known figures. That's certainly true of movies like&nbsp;Hidden Figures,&nbsp;Ammonite, and&nbsp;The Imitation Game, which helped 21st-century folks get to know historical figures Katherine Johnson, Mary Anning, and Alan Turing.Similarly, the people on this list should have their stories told, too. From <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/adrian-de-carton-wiart-unkillable-soldier/setareh-janda">soldiers who exemplified military chutzpah</a> to writers who demonstrated that the pen is mightier than the sword, these historical figures lived epic&nbsp;lives that would be compelling fodder for biopics.

16 Lesser-Known Historical Figures Who Deserve Their Own Biopic

Person

Unscripted

With how many films Hollywood pumps out every year, it&#39;s just a statistical fact: <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/box-office-flops-from-your-birth-year/michelle-nati" target="_blank">They can&#39;t all be winners</a>. Sometimes even the biggest budgets and most glamorous stars can&#39;t save a film from cratering at the box office. However, even when a film tanks, the filmmakers aren&#39;t always willing to own up to it - and some <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/proud-flop-actors-of-hollywood/tyler-mitchell" target="_blank">stars stand by them</a> no matter what.

But give it a few years and some more respectable films under their belts, and actors are usually willing to be more candid. Collected below are a few occasions when movie stars were brutally honest about their biggest flops.

What Actors Said About Their Biggest Flops

Film

Candid Actors Confess: Biggest Flops and What They Said

Pierce Nahigyan

Interesting tidbits and things you should know about everything from the US Constitution to the modern banana industry.

Wow! That's Fascinating

Whoa Facts

We often don't give a second thought to the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/why-food-is-packaged-that-way/emily-mast">color of everyday items</a>. Of course a pencil is yellow! Well, yes, a candy cane should be red and white.&nbsp;But these things didn't always have these telltale colors. Some were changed - to be easier marketed, or for safety reasons. Sometimes the iconic color was an accident during the creation process, or simply the easiest thing people had on hand.&nbsp;So if you've ever wondered why barns are red or tennis balls are yellow (or green?), read on.

The Surprising Reasons Why Common Items Are A Certain Color

Surprising Reasons Why Everyday Items Are A Certain Color

Emily Mast

Lists about times real people around the world and throughout history who have suited up, taken up arms, and fought to the end in the name of whomever's side they were on.

Military Engagements

Weird History

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes a simple number can be just as revealing. Military history is, after all, so often a story told in numbers. However, they aren't just the number of soldiers lost in a battle. Knowing how much a cannonball actually weighed can give a good idea of what a colossal pain moving it around would be - and of course how much worse it would be to get hit by a nearly 400-pound boulder. You're probably not going to walk that one off.&nbsp;From how much money female munitions factory workers earned to how shockingly brief the shortest war ever was, this collection takes a look at some of those revealing numbers to offer a new perspective on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/sieges-defenders/michael-muir">historical combat</a> across the ages.&nbsp;

Startling Combat Numbers From History That Blew Our Minds

M. Muir

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

Chew on This

Old Stuff

Meatloaf and mashed potatoes, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/italian-pasta-facts/setareh-janda">spaghetti and meatballs</a> -&nbsp;who doesn’t love a plate of comfort food? Yet, just because a food is well loved does not mean its story is widely known. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/food-facts-wh-2022/melissa-sartore">Like any other dish</a>, comfort foods have their own stories.&nbsp;What classic diner dinner actually began life as a breakfast meal? When did people start eating chocolate in bar form? And what does a distinguished literary titan have to do with Sloppy Joes? These comfort foods are filled with delectable surprises.

Things We Never Knew About Our Favorite Comfort Foods

Food

A picture is worth a thousand words, or so they say.&nbsp;If you think about it, this really is true, because each picture ever taken has <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/stories-behind-famous-historical-photos/melissa-sartore">a story behind it</a>. Whether it's popular historical images,<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/stories-behind-pulitzer-prize-winning-photos/melissa-sartore"> prize-winning photos,</a> or stunning<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/disturbing-photo-backstories-2021/rylee_en"> snapshots from days gone by</a>, pictures provide historical insight.&nbsp;Photos of historical figures give us a glimpse into a specific moment in that person's life, one that can be heart-warming, gut-wrenching, or just plain mundane. They can show us a new side of someone we already feel like we know, or introduce us to a person we've never even heard of. Regardless, they're fascinating to look at - and these pictures prove it.&nbsp;

12 Pictures Of People From History And The Stories Behind Them

Melissa Sartore

Culture

What is drag?Historically, men dressing in women's clothing - or women dressing in clothing traditionally <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/women-disguised-as-men-in-history/katiefustich">worn by men</a> - has been associated with entertainment and expression. This remains true in contemporary society, although the word “drag” is often used to describe it.&nbsp;From historical practices called “drag” by modern observers to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-fictional-drag-queens/ranker-characters">fictional drag queens</a> in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/cartoon-characters-who-did-drag/hannah-collins">popular culture,</a> drag is complicated. But, with the long history of clothes-swapping come many more social and cultural phenomena. Drag, albeit a term with debated origins, has always been about expressing a belief, a fear, or - perhaps most of all - about expressing one's self.&nbsp;

The History Of Drag And Drag Culture

Hey, Looky-Lous! Get your rubbernecks ready.

Cool Things You've Gotta See

Photos

Each year since 2006, Wikimedia Commons holds a vote-off of all its featured images submitted by users over the course of the year. Other users award the "<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Picture_of_the_Year">Picture of the Year</a>" to one photo, with two runners-up featured as well.While of course these aren't all the images on the internet, the winners are the cream of the crop of an extensive collection of impressive annual snaps. Subjects include everything from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-landscape-photos/ashley-reign">breathtaking landscapes</a> to unique cultural phenomena, and come together to create an <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-historical-photos/alby-thompson">awe-inducing</a> and informative collection.Vote up the photos you think most deserved to be crowned “Picture of the Year.”&nbsp;

The Best Picture Of Each Year Since 2006, According To The Internet

Elle Tharp

Combat Sports

Unarmed combat is about as old as humanity itself. Forms of wrestling and boxing can be traced back to the earliest city-states, though it’s certain they predate even those. Even as humankind <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/historical-spears/michael-muir">developed weapons</a> of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/historical-firearms/michael-muir">all sorts</a>, the importance of hand-to-hand combat has never wavered. Whether as a means of self-defense, improving physical condition, or even preserving a cultural legacy for future generations, many fighting styles have sprung up all over the world.From the earliest wrestlers who did just about anything to claim glory, to the grappling art that became an overnight sensation, this collection looks at the history behind some of the most influential martial arts in the world today.

The History Behind 12 Hand-To-Hand Combat Styles

Hey, what's up? Are you on a quest for a nightmare? Well, look no further.

Creepy People, Places & Things

Sometimes, you just want a collection of uplifting stories. If so, this is not the list for you. There's something about <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-facts-messed-up/jason-f-collins">creepy, unfun facts</a> that's just as compelling as a story with a happy ending. Everyone knows human nature has a dark side, and that the world can be a cruel and unforgiving place. Uplifting anecdotes are great, but exploring the darkness can be both informative and satisfying. If there's any theme to be had here, that would be it.Here's an assortment of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/unbelievable-facts/rima-pundir">bizarre facts</a> involving historical and modern tragedies, psychology, science, sports, and more.

12 Disturbing Facts We Can't Believe Are Actually True

Strange And Disturbing Facts We Wish Weren't Actually True

Jim Rowley

Fast Food

Longstanding fast-food chains can't hold onto their popularity by simply relying on their well-recognized branding to attract customers. Like all other businesses, quick-service restaurants <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/fast-food-pictures-over-the-years/mick-jacobs">must evolve</a> and adapt to trends over the years to stay ahead of the competition.&nbsp;As burger joints competed for the best quality, lowest-cost menu option in the late 1980s, one American fast-food restaurant chose to incorporate an entire menu filled with 99¢ items. This creative business endeavor spawned an entire movement of reduced-priced items, over-the-top marketing strategies, excited customers, and sometimes bitter franchise owners.&nbsp;Prepare to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/nostalgic-fast-food-photos/will-morgan-1">travel back through fast-food time</a> to when dollar menus reigned supreme - this list features things we just learned about fast-food value menus and meals.&nbsp;

Things We Just Found Out About Fast Food Value Menus And Meals

Restaurant

Lauren Glen

Whether tucked away between more modern structures built throughout their still thriving cities or standing alone amidst deserted landscapes, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/history-monument-ancient-facts/thomas-west">ancient landmarks</a> have the ability to inspire both excitement and intrigue. As gateways to the past, these <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/ancient-temple-facts/emily-mast">ancient temples</a> and monuments tell the unique history of civilizations who lived centuries before us - providing archaeological information where recorded written details of events are rarely found.&nbsp;Many of these <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/oldest-buildings-in-the-world-still-standing/pierce-nahigyan">surviving ancient buildings</a> and ruins are well-recognized as world travel destinations and backdrops to Hollywood film scenes. Still, while we may easily identify these iconic structures, there are always more elements of new knowledge to uncover. Below are some seriously head-turning facts we just learned about ancient landmarks.&nbsp;

Head-Turning Facts We Just Learned About Ancient Landmarks

Facts We Just Learned About Ancient Landmarks

Entertainment

Dinosaurs may be extinct, but they live on in our hearts and dragon cartoons. Since the beginning of animation, <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/my-favorite-cartoons-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the best cartoons</a> have been filled with animals rather than humans. It&#39;s no wonder that dinosaurs, those powerful beasts of the past, have become favorites in animated series. Dinosaur cartoons and animated&nbsp;series starring dinosaurs&nbsp;are some of the most prolific animated animal shows. Whether they&#39;re funny, educational, wildy fantastical, or based in science (<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/dinosaur-myths-that-arent-true/ranker-science" target="_blank">sort of</a>), the animated dinosaur shows of our childhood - and adulthood - will always hold a special place in our hearts.

The series on this list, all of which feature dinosaurs&nbsp;of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-real-dinosaurs/eric-vega" target="_blank">one breed or another</a>&nbsp;as the star, were with us during our Saturday mornings in front of the TV and our after-school homework procrastination sessions. So let&#39;s rank the top dinosaurs cartoons that kept us all company from best to worst.

The Best Dinosaur Cartoons

TV Program

The Best Dinosaur Cartoons & Animated Series About Dinosaurs, Ranked

Ranker TV

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.

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

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

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

Unusual Demises

Death

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

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

Weird

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.