Ryan Sargent lists at Ranker - the ultimate source for lists and rankings in all categories

Ryan Sargent - Lists at Ranker

Mickey Mantle

Mickey Mantle is one of the great legends of the New York Yankees - and baseball in general. His performance at his peak was rivaled by few, and he was a critical part of the Yankees&#39; string of successes in the 1950s and &#39;60s. And yet, Mantle&#39;s downfall was just as dramatic as his rise.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/drunk-or-high-sports-performances/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">Heavy drinking&nbsp;and bitterness</a> took its toll on both him and the people around him.

<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-happened-to-shia-labeouf/nathan-gibson?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">What happened to</a> Mickey Mantle after the glory days? Though his life was fairly well-documented after his playing career ended, many still may not know the kind of turmoil and tragedy he faced for years. Ultimately, the former superstar was able to serve as a valuable lesson, albeit only at a dire cost to himself.

The Rise And Fall Of Mickey Mantle

Person

What Happened To Mickey Mantle? His Rise & Fall

Ryan Sargent

Outdoor Activities

Mountain climbing is a potentially treacherous hobby, but when the proper precautions are taken, it can be&nbsp;a fun and challenging sport. When those precautions are thrown out the window, or unexpected events occur,&nbsp;disaster strikes. This&nbsp;became clear&nbsp;with&nbsp;the infamous K2 disaster of 2008&nbsp;when 11 people, including both visitors and guides, perished while ascending&nbsp;and descending the mountain together.&nbsp;

On average, approximately&nbsp;one person perishes on the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/mountain-climbing-accidents-deaths-on-k2-peak/notable-famous-deaths" target="_blank">K2 mountain</a>&nbsp;for every&nbsp;four who reach the summit, but what happened on K2 in&nbsp;2008 became known as the most fatal climb of them all.&nbsp;Several international expedition groups had been waiting all summer for the weather to clear at the mountain on the border of China and Pakistan and started their expedition together on August 1. What followed is both a tragic and sobering reminder that adventure sports can be as unpredictable as they are exciting, and require careful planning.&nbsp;

Many people still have questions about what went wrong and how 11 people lost their lives during the&nbsp;2008 K2 climb. A 2013&nbsp;Sundance documentary,&nbsp;The Summit,&nbsp;recalls the events of that fateful day, but the details of what actually happened remain a mystery.&nbsp;

The Tragic Details And Unsolved Mysteries Of The K2 Disaster

General

What Happened On K2 In 2008 Disaster?

Inventions

Nearly everyone in the world is familiar with the yellow smiley face. It&#39;s the universal symbol for happiness, the basis for all emojis, and it&#39;s been around for as long as most can remember. However,&nbsp;many continue to debate over who invented the smiley face&nbsp;and who owns the rights.

The original smiley face - that beaming visage&nbsp;with two oval eyes and a broad smile - has been around since the early 1960s. Some smileys are <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/original-emoji-discovered-at-an-ancient-turkish-burial-ground/kellie-kreiss" target="_blank">even older</a>, however - much older. And since the &#39;60s, the smiley face has become twisted, parodied, exploited, and merchandised to the ends of the Earth. The history of the smiley face is complex and sometimes tense, but it&#39;s&nbsp;still strange and amusing enough to put a smile on your own face.

The Surprisingly Complicated History Of The Smiley Face

Who Invented The Smiley Face? The Surprisingly Complicated History

Lists about the fascinating, often brutal customs and rituals about the legendary Norse seafarers.

A Viking's Life for Me

The dos, don'ts, and steps of survival in likely and highly unlikely, very dangerous situations.

Staying Alive

Weird History

Keeping your homeland safe from Vikings was no easy task in the Middle Ages. These <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/vikings-practices-too-brutal-for-tv/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">hardcore warriors</a> were strong, proud, and often unpredictable. Still, the clever, the tough, and the lucky managed to overcome Viking forces and keep their people safe.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-it-was-like-in-viking-raids/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">Viking raids</a> were usually opportunistic and lightning fast. Defending against them was not as important as&nbsp;outlasting them. Of course, some did overcome these Scandinavian warriors in combat as well. It usually came at a cost, but victory over the Vikings was not impossible.&nbsp;

How You Could Have Survived A Viking Raid

How To Survive A Viking Raid

Lists about people who were tried, convicted, and even executed for crimes they didn't commit.

Wrongful Convictions

Unspeakable Times

On the night of April 18, 1989, Trisha Meili was brutally attacked&nbsp;while jogging through Central Park. Her attacker sexually assaulted her and nearly battered the life out of her. Meili&#39;s case immediately became a subject of outrage, and pressure built on police to make arrests. Under such muddled circumstances, the NYPD quickly found five teenage suspects to put on trial.

Four of the five confessed, but under dubious circumstances, and with little other evidence. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/central-park-murderer-facts/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">murderer&nbsp;and rapist Matias Reyes</a> was left unquestioned about the crime. Through racial bias and a rush to convict, justice was miscarried and the true attacker slipped through the cracks for more than 10 years.

Many myths still exist about the Central Park Five case. The circumstances that led to five young men being convicted of a crime that&nbsp;evidence later showed they&nbsp;could not have committed are complex. Ava DuVernay&#39;s Netflix series When They See Us - which dramatizes&nbsp;the case of the Central Park Five,&nbsp;from the crime itself to the exoneration -&nbsp;became&nbsp;one of the streaming service&#39;s <a href="https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a28052530/when-they-see-us-netflix-most-watched-show-lucifer/" target="_blank">most successful</a> offerings. What follows is a timeline of the events as they played out - an ordeal that lasted a decade and a half.

The Central Park Five Were Convicted Of Matias Reyes's Crime: A Timeline

A Timeline Of The Central Park Five 's Conviction And Exoneration

Entertainment

Our favorite departed musicians can leave us starstruck and humbled with their legacies, but they really were just human. Among other things, proof of the normalcy of these legendary <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/rock-stars-whose-deaths-were-the-most-untimely" target="_blank">rock stars</a> is in their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/historical-figures-favorite-foods/melissa-sartore" target="_blank">favorite foods</a>.&nbsp;Even the wealthiest and most demanding stars have a soft spot for cheap eats and junk. Someone as famous as Amy Winehouse, for example, found joy in the simple pleasure&nbsp;of KFC.

If you&#39;d like to put together a tribute buffet to the best departed music stars, you won&#39;t have to spend big. To eat like your favorite musician from history, you likely just have to let yourself indulge in <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-greatest-guilty-pleasure-movies?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">a guilty pleasure</a>.&nbsp;

Favorite Foods Of Legendary Musicians We Lost Too Soon

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

Chew on This

Food History

Thanks to notable films like The Godfather and Goodfellas, Italian-American life now harbors at least two major stereotypes: the expectation&nbsp;of delicious home cooking&nbsp;and the assumption of Mafia connections. The truth is, everyone enjoys good food, and <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-famous-gangsters/reference" target="_blank">famous gangsters</a> from around the world are no exception. From the mean streets of 1940s Los Angeles to the end credits&nbsp;of Martin Scorsese&#39;s <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/all-mafia-movies-or-list-of-mafia-films" target="_blank">best mafia movies</a>, delectable recipes have often tempted America&#39;s most notorious underworld bosses.

Over the decades, some of these recipes have filtered out to the public for everyone to enjoy. If you&#39;ve ever thought, &quot;What did Al Capone eat?&quot; you can now find out for yourself. A number of classic, delicious gangster recipes are free to cook up in your home kitchen, and the best restaurants visited most frequently by notorious families have set the standard for classic dining.

History’s Most Notorious Gangsters' Favorite Recipes

Recipes From Famous Gangsters

When reporter and&nbsp;author Annie Jacobsen wrote&nbsp;The Pentagon&#39;s Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America&#39;s Top-Secret Military Research Agency,&nbsp;she did what many conspiracy theorists often urge US citizens&nbsp;to do: She took&nbsp;a closer look at the US government and dived deeply into the activities and research funded by the US armed forces. What Jacobsen&nbsp;found was surprising and often frightening. DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency;&nbsp;originally ARPA) has a history stretching back to the dawn of the Cold War, is associated with the conflict&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/most-influential-people-of-the-cold-war" target="_blank">most influential figures</a>,&nbsp;and has been on the forefront of arms&nbsp;technology for more than half a century.

The secretive government agency has&nbsp;researched&nbsp;and created&nbsp;technology far beyond anything available to the general public; some of their creations may seem like the stuff of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-conspiracy-theories-you-believe-are-true/desertrat89" target="_blank">conspiracy theories</a>&nbsp;or science fiction, but they are shockingly real. Along with many new technologies,&nbsp;The Pentagon&#39;s Brain&nbsp;reveals&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-pentagon-rules/donn-saylor" target="_blank">a culture of government&nbsp;secrecy</a>, which is&nbsp;both ingenious and dangerous.&nbsp;

All The Secrets Revealed In 'The Pentagon's Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA'

'Pentagon's Brain': All The Secrets Revealed

Graveyard Shift

The similarities between your favorite holidays and the rituals of people who lived thousands of years ago may seem difficult to pin down - however, there&#39;s probably a stronger connection than you might suspect. &quot;Pagan&quot; holidays have become so embedded in Christian culture that&nbsp;determining where one ends and another begins&nbsp;can be surprisingly complex. While most&nbsp;connections are quite innocent, sometimes these traditions are rooted in <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/metal-pagan-holidays/laura-allan" target="_blank">dark and dire ceremonies</a>.

<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/christmas-myths/mike-rothschild" target="_blank">Even holidays like&nbsp;Christmas</a>, which seems inextricably tied to the Christian faith, share practices and traditions with Celtic druids.&nbsp;All of these multi-religion&nbsp;conventions present an amusing reminder that, despite humanity&#39;s cultural diversity, everyone loves an excuse for a holiday.

Pagan Holidays That Have Made Their Way Into Everyday Christianity

Everyday Christian Holidays With Pagan Origins

All birds, great and small, from the freaking enormous ostrich to the itty bitty hummingbird and every feathered flapper in between.

Avian Aficionados

Birds

Paleontologists may study the distant past, but their world remains fresh and exciting. Every year, they discover&nbsp;new fossils, broadening the horizons of prehistory and scientific understanding. One 2014 discovery - or rather, rediscovery - revealed an enormous and terrifying bird that existed more than 20 million years ago.

Pelagornis sandersi, the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/prehistoric-animals-that-arent-dinosaurs/eric-vega" target="_blank">largest flying bird ever discovered,</a> appears to have been a massive and&nbsp;voracious predator, with pointed&nbsp;teeth and a 24-foot wingspan. As it glided over the ocean, smaller creatures would have desperately sought refuge from its gigantic jaws.

Pelagornis&nbsp;is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating fossils ever found. This super-bird and its remains are simultaneously&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/crazy-weird-real-dinosaurs/eric-vega" target="_blank">odd, frightening, and impressive</a>.

The Biggest Prehistoric Flying Bird Had A 24-Foot Wingspan

What Was The Largest Prehistoric Bird?

Ancient History

The world has been fascinated with stories of Vikings and shieldmaidens for centuries. One of the most recent hits to capitalize on this interest is&nbsp;Vikings, a History channel TV show that focuses on the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok and his chiefdom. Perhaps no arc of the show was more exciting than Ragnar&#39;s attack on medieval Paris&nbsp;and the hard-fought exchange&nbsp;that finally resulted in a Viking victory.

The true story behind the Siege of Paris is at least as exciting as the one the show told. Like many parts of the show, the portrayal of the siege is rife with <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/inaccuracies-in-history-s-vikings/theodoros-karasavvas" target="_blank">inaccuracies</a>.&nbsp;However, decades of anger and conflict between the Vikings and the Franks&nbsp;created some remarkable action both on screen and in real life. Between broken treaties, burning ships, and raging plagues, the Siege of Paris is a classic story of Vikings in the Middle Ages.&nbsp;

What The Vikings' Siege Of Paris Was Really Like

The Vikings' Siege Of Paris: What Really Happened

Did dinosaurs have feathers? Scales? Deep voices or shrill, piercing squawks? Australian accents? Sarcastic lilts? Check out these lists about the many bird-like reptiles that roamed and ruled over Planet Earth between 66 and 230 million years ago.

Raaaarrr!!

Animals

Our understanding of dinosaur biology is changing all the time, both with new fossil discoveries and new technologies with which to interpret them. Although some argue in favor of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/dinosaur-conspiracy-theories/justin-andress" target="_blank">conspiracy theories</a>, we are beginning to put together a solid understanding of what these massive animals probably looked like. In time, we&#39;ll learn even more, and our collective mental image will adapt&nbsp;once again; nonetheless, the picture is clearer than ever before.

Through clever use of comparative biology, pigment analysis, and powerful new X-rays, paleontologists&nbsp;have a renewed&nbsp;confidence about the physical appearance of dinosaurs. This includes everything from their colors to their eating behaviors to the shapes of their tongues. The results can be&nbsp;as impressive as they are <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/crazy-weird-real-dinosaurs/eric-vega" target="_blank">strange</a>.

What Modern Scientists Think Dinosaurs Really Looked Like

What Dinosaurs Really Looked Like

The Case Against Adnan Syed (HBO)

In 2014, Serial&nbsp;brought podcasting into the mainstream with its gripping telling of a Baltimore&nbsp;murder case with a number of suspicious flaws and puzzles. Its first season has become a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-most-bizarre-true-crime-stories-in-history/justin-andress" target="_blank">true crime story</a>&nbsp;for the history books,&nbsp;but how many people even know the basic&nbsp;Serial&nbsp;timeline?

Even without all the legends and speculation, the story of Hae Min Lee and Adnan Syed&nbsp;is a fascinating one. In the span of less than a year, they went from teenage sweethearts&nbsp;to victim and chief suspect of a murder investigation, respectively. The exact events that brought them there <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/hae-min-lee-serial-theories/katherine-ripley" target="_blank">are clouded in mystery,</a> but the public knows the people&nbsp;and places they touched along the way.&nbsp;

With the release of HBO&#39;s&nbsp;The Case Against&nbsp;Adnan Syed&nbsp;and additional court hearings piling up each year after the podcast&#39;s premiere, it&#39;s clear we haven&#39;t heard the end of this story. If you want to understand where it&#39;s going, you have to get acquainted with the basic facts.&nbsp;

The Complete Timeline Of The Case Against Adnan Syed

'Serial' Explained: A Timeline Of The Case Against Adnan Syed

New York City

Martin Scorsese&#39;s period epic&nbsp;<a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/78970/14-epic-facts-about-gangs-new-york" target="_blank">Gangs of New York</a>&nbsp;took up residence in&nbsp;the chaos-ridden New York City neighborhoods of the mid-1800s, populated by eccentric characters and vicious acts of aggression. Its depiction wasn&#39;t entirely accurate, but it was based on a very real neighborhood and the very real misery it experienced. Five Points, a major intersection in lower Manhattan, was home to a host of impoverished immigrants seeking a better future for their families. That future wasn&#39;t easy to come by; newcomers mostly encountered hostility and distrust, which often boiled over into conflict.

This ignored, feared community was the subject of slander and exaggeration, which only increased the terror within the neighborhood. In later years, residents were able to reform it, but only by challenging the lack of city funding and the control the underworld held over local politics. Still, the legacy of Five Points - America&#39;s first notorious slum - remains intact.

All About The Real Five Points, The Neighborhood That Inspired 'Gangs of New York'

Five Points' Gang History: Real Neighborhood That Inspired 'Gangs Of New York'

When filmmakers first release their movies to theaters, it&rsquo;s not always in the form they would prefer. Studio mandates, public taste, and rights issues can transform an <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-movies-of-all-time" target="_blank">all-time classic film</a>&nbsp;into something mediocre by the time it&rsquo;s reedited. Fortunately, the rise of video streaming has allowed many of the better director&#39;s&nbsp;cuts to come to light.

Lots of director&rsquo;s cuts are undeniably better than their theatrical versions. Extra scenes and added&nbsp;creative freedom can truly improve a film, regardless of how good it was in the first place. Plus, since the public has already reacted to the theatrical version, it&#39;s possible for creators to respond to criticism by fixing plot holes the second time around.&nbsp;

When it&rsquo;s&nbsp;director&rsquo;s cut vs. theatrical version, which comes out on top? Which director&rsquo;s cuts are better than the versions first seen by the public? While the answers to all of these questions are up for debate, a few director&#39;s cuts stand tall above the rest by keeping the best parts of their theatrical cuts while including&nbsp;much-appreciated bonus material.&nbsp;

Director's Cuts That Are Better Than The Theatrical Movies

Film

Food is tradition. We cook and eat what our parents made, and what their parents made before them. But since the dawn of the 20th century, when&nbsp;it became easier&nbsp;for both people and information to travel throughout the world, Americans have been exposed to all kinds of new cuisines. From one decade to the next, the country experienced rapidly changing food trends, from the tasty to the healthy to the bizarre. The <a href="https://www.ranker.com/collections/lifestyles-of-the-very-wealthy" target="_blank">well-off</a> usually decided what was fashionable - on plates and otherwise -&nbsp;for better or worse.&nbsp;

The times we live in influence <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/us-beauty-trends-in-the-twentieth-century/nicky-benson" target="_blank">how we perceive beauty,</a> and they affect&nbsp;the foods we love, too. It&#39;s impossible to predict a <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/food-trends-2019/samantha-dillinger" target="_blank">culinary trend</a>, but once it hits, the whole country just has to try it. Some last forever;&nbsp;others fade quickly.&nbsp;Either way, they remain indelible markers of our cultural history - and might even serve as inspiration for the next swanky restaurant.

Here’s What Foodies Ate In Every Decade Since The Turn Of The 20th Century

What Rich People Ate Every Decade Since The Turn Of The 20th Century

History

Vikings are one of the most legendary groups of warriors from the Middle Ages. Their combat strength took undefended monks and villagers by storm&nbsp;and created a legion of terrifying Viking myths. How much of it is really true&nbsp;though? Our understanding of history changes all the time, and Hollywood can just confuse matters when they take artistic license.

Historians have been hard at work debunking myths about Vikings for decades, but a lot of their conclusions are still little-known by the public. Behind the battle cries and the mighty longships, Viking culture was complex and remarkably different from the rest of the European world at the time. Viking facts can now replace myths and give us a better idea of what both <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/viking-sex-lives-facts/lyra-radford" target="_blank">Viking</a> women and men were really like.

Myths About Vikings, Debunked

Vikings Myths Debunked

Exploring the folklore, stories, and teachings in different cultures around the globe and throughout history.

Mythology Around the World

Mythology

Greek mythology remains popular thousands of years after the stories were first penned. Modern culture is filled with&nbsp;retellings that include everything from the Percy Jackson&nbsp;books to Disney&#39;s Hercules; however,&nbsp;some pop culture references to Greek mythology are more obscure than others.&nbsp;

The <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weirdest-greek-myths/laura-allan" target="_blank">weird</a> and wild world of Zeus and the Olympians is so embedded in Western culture that it can manifest&nbsp;without most people&nbsp;even noticing. Some of the most popular stories would hardly&nbsp;be as clever or visually striking without the details they borrowed from the ancient Greeks.

Mythological Easter Eggs Hiding In Pop Culture

Greek Mythology Easter Eggs In Pop Culture

Fun facts and wild true stories from behind the scenes of some of history's most beloved and infamous movies.

Movies in the Making

Indiana Jones Franchise

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas once teamed up to tell one of cinema&#39;s most beloved and fun stories: Raiders of the Lost Ark. The hero&nbsp;Indiana Jones is still&nbsp;well-known,&nbsp;and John Williams&#39;s music remains synonymous with the professor&#39;s epic&nbsp;tale. Putting together an adventure film&nbsp;is now safer and easier, thanks to digital technology. In 1980, however, Spielberg and the rest of the crew had to create everything by hand, leading to some wild and spontaneous filmmaking. Scenes were delayed, added, and&nbsp;reworked as&nbsp;the&nbsp;RotLA&nbsp;crew tackled new challenges every day.&nbsp;

The story behind the scenes of&nbsp;Raiders of the Lost Ark&nbsp;is almost as fun and exciting as the film&nbsp;itself. It was born from the brilliantly chaotic world of cinematography that was present in the &#39;80s and became one of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-movies-of-all-time" target="_blank">best movies of all time</a>.&nbsp;

12 Stories That Prove The Making Of 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' Was An Adventure Behind The Scenes Too

Raiders Of The Lost Ark' Behind The Scenes Stories That Are As Timeless As The Movie

Fascinating facts and interesting stories about organized crime: gangs, gangsters, mobsters, the mafia, and other criminals & crime syndicates all over the world.

Feels Good to Be a Gangster

The Godfather

In 1972, The Godfather&nbsp;made its debut and was instantly hailed as one of the best movies ever made.&nbsp;The Godfather&nbsp;is beloved by critics and audiences alike for many reasons, but primarily&nbsp;because of the masterful direction by a young Francis Ford Coppola and legendary performances from Al Pacino and <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/crazy-marlon-brando-facts/thaneeconomou" target="_blank">Marlon Brando</a>.&nbsp;Yet, behind the scenes of The Godfather, the movie came close to falling apart. Scare tactics and troubled casting made production &quot;nightmarish.&quot;

While there was a high cost to making one of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-movies-of-all-time" target="_blank">greatest</a> <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/all-mafia-movies-or-list-of-mafia-films" target="_blank">gangster movies,</a>&nbsp;much&nbsp;joy and humor also abounded. Stories from the making of&nbsp;The Godfather&nbsp;include a lot of pranks and unusual characters. In the end, a dedicated cast and crew came together to tell the story of the&nbsp;rise and fall of Michael Corleone and the Corleone&nbsp;family.

How 'The Godfather' Became An American Classic Even Though It Was 'Nightmarish' Behind The Scenes

'The Godfather' Behind The Scenes Stories Are Nightmarish

Dinosaurs

When we think of a fossil dig, we often picture a rocky valley or pit far away from civilization. However, surprising fossil locations are uncovered all the time. It&#39;s not a <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/dinosaur-conspiracy-theories/justin-andress" target="_blank">dinosaur conspiracy&nbsp;</a>- prehistoric life existed all around us, even under our shopping centers and subway systems.

Fossils found in surprising places can give regular people a chance to experience the excitement of discovering the remains of prehistoric <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/prehistoric-animals-that-arent-dinosaurs/eric-vega" target="_blank">animals and dinosaurs</a>. It&rsquo;s a great reason to keep your eyes peeled when exploring the great outdoors - or even when building a new fire station.

From Parking Lots To Subway Tunnels

The Weirdest, Most Unexpected Places Fossils Have Been Found

Most Unexpected Places Fossils Have Been Found

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

US History

The United States condoned slavery for centuries, and the institution, which forced thousands&nbsp;of African Diaspora descendants to work under inhumane conditions for free, was considered just. In fact,&nbsp;many people refused to accept abolition because they feared economic and personal losses. While America struggled with abolition, though, other nations embraced revolution. Some individuals produced outstanding works of art; others invented. There was&nbsp;even a <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/mount-tambora-volcano-effects/quinn-armstrong" target="_blank">mighty volcanic eruption</a>&nbsp;that affected almost every nation.

These historical events aren&#39;t less significant because they occurred during the same time period as American slavery; instead, they present a much more complete picture of the world.

Historical Events You Didn't Realize Were Happening Around The Globe While Slavery Existed In The US

World History Events That Happened While Slavery Existed In The US

Lists about punishments, penalties, systemic harm, and execution methods used then, now, here, and all around the world.

Crime & Punishment

Many a curious renaissance fair or historical park visitor has probably wondered: &ldquo;What was it like to be in the stocks?&rdquo; A lot of people picture having their head and neck restrained for a few minutes and being pelted by old tomatoes, but punishment on the stocks (and its cousin, the pillory) was rarely so pleasant.

Today, the stocks and pillory are often confused with one another, but they were two different devices that had different effects. Stocks restrained the feet, with the offender sitting; the pillory restrained the head and hands, with the offender standing.

Punishment in medieval times, like <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-being-tortured-on-the-rack-is-like/aaron-edwards" target="_blank">the rack</a>, was usually the source of pure injustice and suffering, and people put in these devices received those in spades. This form of punishment, however, is more akin to being&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/history-of-tarring-and-feathering/rachel-souerbry" target="_blank">tarred and feathered</a>; though people perished due to the practice, the ultimate goal was to humiliate the offender.

What It Was Actually Like To Be In The Stocks

Gwen Verdon

Two legends of the stage and screen are being honored in the 2019 FX miniseries&nbsp;Fosse/Verdon. Similar to <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/story-of-the-real-beauty-and-the-beast-couple/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">the real Beauty and the Beast</a>, the history of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon&rsquo;s relationship is worthy of high drama. The two talented performers met, partnered, married, separated, and reconciled, all while putting on some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-musicals" target="_blank">best musicals</a> of all time.

Fosse and Verdon loved and respected each other to their final days, but along the way had to endure the strain of working and living together with the constant possibility of infidelity hanging over their heads. The Fosse/Verdon true story has its share of sweetness, but also quite a bit of spice, scandal, and jazz.

The Tumultuous Relationship Of Bob Fosse And Gwen Verdon, The Inspiration For FX's 'Fosse/Verdon'

Inside Bob Fosse And Gwen Verdon's Relationship

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

Joe Pesci

To understand&nbsp;the&nbsp;full picture of Joe Pesci&#39;s biography, you have to look outside the tough-guy roles that made him famous. Behind the short-tempered characters we see onscreen in <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/all-mafia-movies-or-list-of-mafia-films" target="_blank">mob movies</a> is a complex, talented&nbsp;man who has found himself involved in some strange and important stories during his life. From the early rock scene of 1960s New York to an ongoing attempted homicide&nbsp;case, Pesci never fails to make an impression.&nbsp;

Joe Pesci now is quite a different figure from the Joe Pesci of the past; while he occasionally returns to movies, such as Martin Scorsese&#39;s&nbsp;The Irishman, he has largely backed away from the limelight.&nbsp;But what drove him away from making classic <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/what-movies-can-you-watch-over-and-over-again--v1" target="_blank">rewatchable movies</a>? Did he ever even want to be an actor? These Joe Pesci facts and stories will provide fascinating insights into pivotal questions about his life and legacy.

Joe Pesci's Led One Of The Most Interesting Hollywood Lives - And You Only Know About His Mob Roles

Joe Pesci's Life And Career: His Biography Is More Interesting Than His Movies

Whittier

Moving&nbsp;anywhere in Alaska takes a special type of personality, but Whittier is an experience all its own. Whittier is a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/weirdly-famous-small-towns/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">small town</a>, surrounded by mountains and water, and the whole place is overshadowed by an old condominium block called Begich Tower. In <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-its-like-to-live-in-whittier-alaska/donn-saylor" target="_blank">Whittier</a>, 80-90% of the town&#39;s full-time population live&nbsp;in this one building - hence its nickname, &quot;The Town Under One Roof.&quot;

Begich Tower&nbsp;residents have to make some unusual adaptations because nearly everyone in&nbsp;town&nbsp;is&nbsp;an elevator ride away and the nearest city is 60 miles northwest. The Whittier, AK, building is a dream come true for some, a nightmare for others, and absolutely bizarre for most.

And lucky for us, residents and visitors are keen to comment on the experience of living in Whittier.

People From Whittier, AK, Describe What It’s Like Living In The Same Building As Their Entire Town

People Who Live In Whittier, Alaska, Describe What It’s Like Living In The Same Building As Their Entire Town

Lists ranking the best songs and albums by the band known for operatic rock, stadium anthems, and Freddie Mercury.

Dynamite with a Laser Beam

Bohemian Rhapsody

Bohemian Rhapsody, the 2018 movie about Queen and beloved singer Freddie Mercury, took the top spot at the <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=bohemianrhapsody.htm" target="_blank">box office</a> when it opened. But few realize&nbsp;it was&nbsp;eight years in the making. The story behind the making of&nbsp;Bohemian Rhapsody includes&nbsp;plenty of controversy and arguments. Many different scripts, directors, and actors joined the movie and were then replaced or fired. And it transformed from a gritty R-rated tale to a family-friendly epic and then halfway back again.&nbsp;

While the original song <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/behind-the-scenes-recording-bohemian-rhapsody/melissa-sartore" target="_blank">is an undisputed classic</a> with a&nbsp;fascinating history of its own<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/behind-the-scenes-recording-bohemian-rhapsody/melissa-sartore" target="_blank">,</a> this collection of&nbsp;Bohemian Rhapsody&nbsp;stories tells the tale of the troubled and chaotic production that brought <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-queen-songs/voteable" target="_blank">Queen</a>&#39;s journey&nbsp;to movie theaters worldwide.&nbsp;

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