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Lists about the origins and early lives of serial killers and murderers.

Before They Were Killers

Jeffrey Dahmer

Jeffrey Dahmer&nbsp;raped, murdered, and otherwise dismembered 17 men and boys beginning in 1978--the same year he graduated high school--and ending with his arrest in 1991. What could have happened in Jeffrey Dahmer's childhood to create such&nbsp;a serial killer? Dahmer's crimes were particularly heinous, as he would drug and rape men before killing them. He even poured acid or boiling water into holes he drilled in their brains. After murdering his victims, Dahmer would often preserve their bones or genitalia. He even used skulls to masturbate.The remains of his victims that Dahmer kept, as well as Polaroid photos he took, made his eventual arrest an easy one--when his last intended victim escaped and ran into the street, police found plenty of evidence of Dahmer's crimes.&nbsp;As crazy as his crimes may sound, there are also plenty of crazy&nbsp;Dahmer stories <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/david-berkowitz-relationship-with-his-mother/april-a-taylor?utm_expid=16418821-388.8yjUEguUSkGHvlaagyulMg.0">from his childhood</a>. The troubled young man had exhibited strange behavior for years before eventually killing.Dahmer ultimately ended up being sentenced to 16 terms of life in prison; however, he was murdered in prison after only three years. His insanity plea did not work, as Dahmer was deemed to be sane while committing his crimes. If only someone could have realized that the strange, young Jeffrey Dahmer&nbsp;needed help.&nbsp;

What Jeffrey Dahmer Was Like As A Kid

General

What Jeffrey Dahmer Was Like as a Kid

Lee Emjay

Lists about the zany little things we believe anyway.

Very Superstitious

Interesting

Ravens, broken mirrors, and walking under ladders. These three things are symbols of bad luck pretty much anywhere you look in the world, but many countries around the globe also have their own unique versions of bad omens. Some countries see specific birds as harbingers of death, while others see the particular placement of bread as a potentially devastating omen. Though countries vary wildly in what they see as heralds of doom, there's almost always a fascinating explanation.&nbsp;So why do superstitions exist? You've surely encountered several in your life, and they usually come from older people. Oftentimes, bad omens and superstitions&nbsp;relate to shady history - for example, cats are considered bad luck because they were seen as companions to witches during the early days of Puritans in America. Other bad omens and superstitions, however, are related to very sensible and logical pieces of history. Though mostly scary and kind of creepy,&nbsp;the omens in this list are totally fascinating, and they might even teach you a thing or two about how humans are and always have been.&nbsp;

13 Lesser-Known Bad Omens From Around The World

13 Bad Omens Around the World You Should Avoid

Graveyard Shift

When you think of zombies or the undead, you probably think of &quot;walkers&quot; &aacute;&nbsp;la&nbsp;The Walking Dead - the exaggerated, lumbering, green-fleshed corpses that still have a hint of agency behind lifeless eyes. But what if, sometimes, the dead really do come back&nbsp;- literally or figuratively -&nbsp;and reenter the world of the living again as if nothing ever happened? It sounds strange, but it's true; there are many bizarre accounts of people waking up in the middle of their own funerals&nbsp;as well as people who&nbsp;attended their own funerals by some bizarre twist of fate.Whether it's because of a mix-up at the morgue, a narcissistic ploy at eliciting pity from others, or a medical mistake, people have come back from the dead before. Sometimes it's as simple as a case of mistaken identity. Everyone thinks a young man is dead, but he proves everyone wrong by showing up dramatically to his own funeral. Or maybe an older gentleman needs some proof that he'll be missed, so he plans his own funeral just to see who shows up. Or&nbsp;perhaps &nbsp;- most terrifyingly of all -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/people-buried-alive/jacob-shelton">someone is declared dead and buried,&nbsp;only to &quot;awaken&quot; and show&nbsp;they weren't dead after all</a>.It can be terrifying stuff, but strange things happen in the world. Whether you think of zombies as movie monsters or not, they are&nbsp;among us, in one form or another.&nbsp;

People Who Surprised Everyone By Showing Up To (Or Waking Up At) Their Own Funerals

10 People Who Somehow Attended Their Own Funerals

Lists about actors and actresses and the characters they became, how they disappeared into roles, what they really look like, and more.

Doing What Actors Do

Celebrities

Sometimes what you see in movies isn&#39;t trickery - it&#39;s the real thing. Some memorable moments in movies are the result of actors who <a href="/list/movie-moments-where-actors-werent-acting/jessica-bedewi" target="_blank">aren&#39;t really acting at all</a>. While it&#39;s&nbsp;not&nbsp;terribly uncommon for actors to <a href="/list/movie-set-injuries/lisa-waugh">get injured on the sets of major Hollywood films</a> - though more often, it&#39;s the stuntmen getting injured - it&#39;s&nbsp;quite rare for those <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/real-actor-injuries-written-into-movies/jim-rowley" target="_blank">injuries to make it into the final cuts</a> of the movie. Rarer still, actors are occasionally <a href="/list/7-classic-film-sets-that-actually-killed-people/matt-blackwood">killed on set</a>&nbsp;or otherwise <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movies-shot-around-actor-death/jim-rowley" target="_blank">perish during production</a> - but thankfully, the actors on this list all survived their accidents.

Some are major and some are minor, but all of these injuries really happened, and you actually get to see the blood of some of the world&#39;s most famous actors onscreen as a result.&nbsp;This list is a testament to the ability of some of these actors to stay in character, even after they&#39;ve suffered immensely, like when <a href="/list/movie-stunts-gone-wrong-that-ended-up-in-the-movie/orrin-grey" target="_blank">Tom Cruise broke his foot and kept on running</a>.&nbsp;Often, this makes for an extremely realistic and gut-wrenching scene. Someone give these actors an award!

Real On-Set Injuries That Made The Final Cut

Person

14 Actor Injuries That Made It Into The Movie

Lists of fun facts, fascinating trivia, and wild, charming, and even heartbreaking stories about some of the most famous people you feel like you already know.

The Life of an Actor

John Malkovich

Who is John Malkovich, you ask? Why, he's only one of the most famous, brilliant, and downright eccentric actors of his generation. Any John Malkovich biography will detail his time as a Hollywood A-lister:&nbsp;he's starred in <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/john-malkovich-movies-and-films-and-filmography/reference">films</a> including&nbsp;In the Line of Fire, Dangerous Liaisons, and of course, Being John Malkovich. His success on the screen isn't surprising. Malkovich is a highly trained actor, and was a flagship member of&nbsp;Chicago's acclaimed Steppenwolf&nbsp;Theatre. With his severe forehead, intense gaze, and a slow voice, it's no wonder he's become one of Hollywood's go-to villains.But facts about John&nbsp;Malkovich&nbsp;detail a strange and fascinating life off-stage and off-screen. He's notoriously private for a celebrity, but stories about him prove that he's one of the most out-there people in the world. From adopting all-Jell-O diets to saving the lives of strangers, here are some of the oddest facts about the actor.

14 Bizarre Facts About John Malkovich, A Brilliant And Eccentric Fellow

14 Bizarre Facts You Didn't Know About John Malkovich

Weird Nature

On the surface, owning a pet chimpanzee seems remarkably appealing; movies tell us they&#39;re cute, fun, entertaining, and just like us. Yes, we share around 99% of our DNA with them, but there&#39;s one key difference between our two species: grown chimpanzees have the strength of several adult humans. So, in reality, they can be&nbsp;remarkably scary and dangerous animals to keep as pets. No, chimpanzees are not like human children. Though they may be docile at a very young age, they usually grow up to become aggressive wild animals.

Never&nbsp;mind that it&#39;s illegal to keep chimps as pets in most of the US, it&#39;s also incredibly foolish. Pet chimpanzees often attack their owners or other people they encounter. And the injuries are nothing like the dog-bite attacks you occasionally see. Chimp attacks are horrifying, tragic, and downright shocking. When pet chimps attack humans, it&#39;s something worse than your worst nightmare.

People Who Owned Chimps As Pets And Paid The Price

Horrifying Stories of Pet Chimpanzees Attacking Their Owners

Lists about advisors, employees, fans, friends, and family of President The Donald.

All the King's Men

Current Politics

One of the most ubiquitous - but simultaneously mysterious&nbsp;- figures in contemporary politics is none other than Kellyanne Conway. It seems like she is (or rather was) everywhere all the time, but one question remains: who is Kellyanne Conway? What did she do before she oversaw the Trump campaign and became the Counselor to the President of the United States? Contrary to what you may think, she didn't just miraculously appear from a different dimension in mid-2016, only to eventually help rephrase Trump's words for him. In fact, she's been in the political game for a while now.In her early life - when <a href="http://www.newsmax.com/RonaldKessler/kellyanne-conway/2008/09/22/id/325476/">Conway was just three years old</a> -&nbsp;her Irish father and Italian mother divorced. This left her to be raised by her mother, along with several other women, in a staunchly Catholic household. It's in this environment that Conway claims she became committed to beliefs in&nbsp;bootstrapping and &quot;never&quot; complaining, traits that would&nbsp;lead to her becoming the first woman to successfully run a presidential campaign in the US.Since the late '80s, Conway has worked in the Republican side of the pollster business, running her own business with headquarters in D.C. and New York. But there's a lot more to her than just that. Hopefully, this background will help you get a better understanding of why Conway is... the way she is.

Everything Kellyanne Conway Did Before She Boarded The Trump Train

10 Facts You Probably Didn't Know About Kellyanne Conway

Lists about weird and fascinating corporeal forms in the animal kingdom.

Animal Anatomy

Weird

As film enthusiasts know, some of the greatest movie monsters of all time are based on the real-life animals walking, flying, and swimming around the planet. While there&#39;s no shortage of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/two-headed-animals/coy-jandreau">weird animals</a> out there in nature, they become even weirder once you zoom in on specific body parts - like their mouths. These terrifying animal mouths might give you nightmares. The mouths of the anglerfish or payara bear an uncomfortable resemblance to&nbsp;the xenomorph from Alien, and the hagfish is like something straight out of an H.P.&nbsp;Lovecraft story.

But that&#39;s just the beginning of the terrors nature has to offer, at least as far as mandibles, tongues, and teeth go. This list just might make you second guess how cute penguins are, or your decision to adopt a pet tortoise. If you ever find yourself on land or in the water with one of these terrifying creatures, remember: don&#39;t look it straight in the mouth. You will freak out.

Gelada Baboon

15 Oddly Terrifying Animal Mouths That Are Upsetting To Even Look At

Animal/Plant

15 Terrifying Animal Mouths That Are Upsetting To Even Look At

A look behind the scenes of the films that brought Harry Potter, Hogwarts, and the wizarding world to life.

Harry Potter Movie Magic

Photos

What could be better that watching a Harry Potter movie for the 27th time? Getting a glimpse at some of the&nbsp;most wonderful behind-the-scenes photos from the Harry Potter movies. For many people, the Harry Potter books and movies were crucial parts of&nbsp;childhood. Who didn&#39;t beg their parents to drive them to the nearest Borders when The Goblet of Fire&nbsp;came&nbsp;out? Who didn&#39;t wait in line, in full Potter regalia, for a midnight showing when The Prisoner of Azkaban was released?

While there will likely be no more&nbsp;Potter movies with the classic cast, one&nbsp;can always relive the memories by watching the movies again. Now, you&nbsp;can&nbsp;even feel what it must have been like to hang <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/harry-potter-half-blood-prince-behind-the-scenes/tyler-mitchell" target="_blank">on set with the kids during filming</a>, thanks to the glory of the Internet and these wonderful Harry Potter set pictures!

14 Unforgettable Behind-The-Scenes Images From The Harry Potter Movies

Behind The Scenes Images From The Harry Potter Movies

Lists of creatures around the world that are simply beautiful (or, at least, very interesting).

Cool-Looking Animals

Animals

Nature <a href="/list/10-amazing-and-rare-natural-phenomenons/analise.dubner?page=2">surprises us in many ways</a>, and even her most common features and lifeforms deserve to be marveled. But these photos of rare and beautiful animals that aren&#39;t&nbsp;their normal color will take your sense of wonder to a&nbsp;new level. Everyone knows what colors&nbsp;dolphins and&nbsp;crocodiles usually come in, but have you ever seen an entirely white crocodile or&nbsp;pink dolphin?

These stunning animal photos might teach you something new - for instance, many animals <a href="/list/albino-animal-pictures/ranker-science">can be afflicted by some of the same skin conditions</a> as humans. They take on striking, uncharacteristic coats ranging from&nbsp;multi-colored patterns to solid shades, demonstrating <a href="/list/transparent-animal-pictures/kellen-perry">the animal kingdom&#39;s wealth of remarkable-looking creatures</a>. This list is like an animal rainbow, albeit a rainbow you&#39;ve&nbsp;not seen before.&nbsp;So take a work break, come on down to the watering hole, and see which animals are rocking&nbsp;some new trends.

Rare And Beautiful Animals That Aren't Their Normal Color

22 Rare Photos of Animals Who Aren't Their Usual Color

Sometimes, the identity of the offender overshadows the details of the transgression itself. Why did no one see this coming?

Shockingly Bad People

Unspeakable Times

It seems like many criminals&nbsp;have&nbsp;an excuse for their actions. However, few criminals resort to such far-fetched excuses as those of these criminals&nbsp;- that they were&nbsp;hypnotized&nbsp;when they committed their crimes.&nbsp;

Just 100 years&nbsp;ago, the defense that a killer was hypnotized while committing a crime was, in some instances, sufficient for a criminal to walk free. Many&nbsp;criminals who give a hypnosis defense&nbsp;claim to be helpless pawns of mind control, puppets of some&nbsp;powerful mastermind. It even has its own name -&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Svengali" target="_blank">Svengali</a> defense. Whether the following &quot;hypnotized&quot; criminals were really victims themselves or not, you&#39;ll have to decide for yourself.&nbsp;

9 People Who Committed Crimes While Allegedly Under Hypnosis

Animal Sex

While humans love participating in sexual activities, we're not the only species on Earth who do. There are animals who&nbsp;like sex just as much as&nbsp;humans do. Whether they're engaging in sexual activity&nbsp;all&nbsp;the time&nbsp;or just have an insatiable desire for pleasure, numerous&nbsp;animals are on the hunt for more than just procreation.Each of these species has its own quirks when it comes to mating, but it's shocking how similar animal mannerisms are to that of humans in some sexual situations, yet how different they can be in others.&nbsp;

Animals Who Mate For Pleasure

8 Animals That Like Having Sex Way More Than Humans

True Crime

It&#39;s hard to imagine that a&nbsp;family of sadistic&nbsp;sociopaths could exist, let alone be capable of torturing another human being - or, in the case of some families in this list, several&nbsp;human beings.&nbsp;

The gruesome details of these stories are extremely unsettling. While most are familiar with the exploits of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/worst-serial-slayers/tool100?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">infamous serial killers</a> like Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer, the evil is taken up a notch when an entire family colludes to torture and kill others.

6 Real Life Families Who Tortured Innocent People

Real Life Families Who Tortured Innocent People Together

Dolphins are often seen as cute, friendly, and gentle animals from the ocean. But these beloved, playful creatures also have a dark side.&nbsp;Dolphins have many lesser-known behaviors that could be described as overly sexual or malicious. This includes taking advantage of others and inflicting harm on creatures.&nbsp;

Of course, dolphins don&#39;t think the way humans do. To them, these dark and disturbing behaviors are likely just fun and normal. They&#39;re simply relying on their natural behaviors and instincts in a way that&#39;s unsettling for us to comprehend. So, while these facts might ruin your innocent&nbsp;assumptions&nbsp;about dolphins, it&#39;s important to remember that they&#39;re not &quot;evil&quot; in any way. Every animal species behaves differently, but there are always some dark facts that are purposely kept out of pop culture.

11 Dark Facts About Dolphins

Dark, Disturbing Facts About Dolphins

Did you read that article that linked so-and-so to that guy from the thing? Or see the video about how this is the same as that? Come on, let's weave some tangled webs!

It's a Conspiracy

How much do you trust the government? Some people go through life paying taxes, believing the media, and supporting the Commander-in-Chief at every turn. But&nbsp;some people have an inherent and extreme distrust of&nbsp;the government, and that's putting it lightly. Conspiracy theorists, they're called—folks who believe Bush did 9/11, Donald Rumsfeld is a lizard,&nbsp;or Area 51 is hiding alien artifacts. But these are the wacky theories—the ultimately disprovable, meandering allegations of wildly imaginative Internet users. Regardless, there's no shortage of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-conspiracy-theories-you-believe-are-true/desertrat89">conspiracy theories about the US government</a>.There are, however, far more creepy <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/american-founding-father-conspiracies/aaron-edwards">government conspiracies</a> out there, past and present, that are actually proven to be true. Some of the theories on this list, either proven as truth or highly speculative, are the most disturbing conspiracy theories you've never heard of. Whether you believe in these or not, they'll certainly give you shivers and make you second-guess what you think you know about our leaders. Strap in for some unbelievable truth.

15 lists