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Life back then kind of sucked. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re discussing 10 reasons you wouldn’t
survive ancient times.
For this list, we’ll be looking at reasons why we probably wouldn’t survive if transported back into the pre-
modern era. For the purposes of this list, we’ll be defining “ancient times” as anything up to and including
the Medieval period.
Conspiracies are one thing, but these are actual mysteries. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be
counting down our picks for the top 10 biggest secrets and mysteries of ancient Egypt.
For this list, we’ll be looking at the unexplained historical events, objects, and locales about or related to
ancient Egypt that still puzzle historians to this day.
These events cast a long shadow over history. Welcome to WatchMojo UK, and today we’re counting down
our picks for the top 10 darkest moments in British history.
For this list, we’re looking at black marks on the history of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranging from
tragedies at home to unethical conduct abroad. We’re looking for key historical moments rather than
general practices or principles, so Britain’s sweeping policies of colonialism and slavery – while clearly
unsettling – do not qualify.
There are many instances from “the Troubles” that could’ve made this list, including the Omagh bombing by
the Real IRA in 1998 that killed 29 people and injured hundreds of others. But the tragedy of Bloody Sunday
is perhaps the highest profile example of the conflict, when members of the British army fired on civilians at
a protest march, killing 14. In 2010, the Saville Inquiry publicly labelled the killings “unjustified” and
“unjustifiable,” and concluded that British soldiers had lied about the day’s events in order to cover up their
actions.
The vice-president of the White Star Line shipping company once famously boasted that the ship was
unsinkable. But that didn’t save the vessel when it struck an iceberg on its maiden journey, resulting in the
deaths of more than 1,500 passengers. One of the deadliest ever maritime disasters, the tragedy was
worsened by factors including an inadequate number of lifeboats and design flaws in the Titanic. The lasting
legacy of the disaster is shown by the way it has been immortalized in both books and films.
On July 7, 2005, four Islamist terrorists carried out suicide attacks on London in one of the worst terrorist
atrocities ever to take place on British soil. Three bombs were detonated on the Underground and one on a
bus, killing 52 people and injuring more than 700 others. It was later revealed that two of the bombers were
already known to the authorities. However, an independent inquest found it would be unfair to accuse MI5
of paying insufficient attention to the terrorists’ ringleader in the lead-up to the attack.
Britain’s participation in the Crusades may be worth its own entry on this list. While estimates vary wildly,
it’s believed that up to 2 million people died in the series of religious wars beginning in the eleventh
century. But we’ve especially highlighted the massacre at Ayyadieh, in the Third Crusade. Following the fall
of the Middle Eastern port of Acre, King Richard I of England held thousands of Muslim soldiers and civilians
captive. When the Saracen leader Saladin stalled over a prisoner exchange, Richard responded by
slaughtering his captives in view of the enemy army.
In the 1830s, millions of Chinese were addicted to opium, which was being smuggled into the country
principally by British merchants. So, when the authorities confiscated large quantities of the drug, the
merchants complained to the British government. Most British people wanted to halt the sale of opium, but
the government sided with the merchants and sent a fleet to bully the Chinese into submission. At the time,
the future British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, denounced the conflict as a war “to cover this country
with permanent disgrace.”
During the Irish Potato Famine in the nineteenth century, Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland. A significant proportion of Ireland’s population relied on potato crops for survival, yet
the government deliberately delayed sending help to those affected. The official in charge of administering
relief, Charles Trevelyan, believed the famine was an act of God, going so far as describing it as an effective
mechanism for reducing population. Whilst other factors contributed to the disaster, the government’s
inaction worsened a tragedy that killed a million people.
Britain’s occupation of India gave rise to many dark moments, notably the partitioning of India in 1947 and
the Amritsar massacre in 1919. But an even greater loss of life took place in 1943, when millions of Indians
starved to death while their country was part of the British Empire. As a famine swept Bengal, the British
government refused to send food to the region and even blocked other countries from doing so. Instead,
Winston Churchill reportedly blamed the crisis on the Indians themselves for “breeding like rabbits.”
During the Second Boer war, the British responded to the enemy’s use of guerrilla warfare by imprisoning
over 100,000 civilians in concentration camps. Around 10 percent of the Boer population died in these
camps from disease or hunger, including thousands of children. Sadly, it seems no lessons were learned
from the tragedy, because Britain employed similar tactics during the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya in the
1950s. Thousands of civilians were reportedly tortured or killed, prompting the British government to agree
to a settlement with over 5,000 victims.
Having originated in Central Asia, the plague swiftly spread across Europe before reaching the southern
coast of England in September 1348. By 1350, it covered the whole of the UK and Ireland, killing between 40
to 60 percent of the entire population. Locally, though, the effects were often even more disastrous, with
some villages all but wiped out by the disease. Nor was 1350 the end of the ordeal, with the plague
returning in 1361 and at various other points in the fourteenth century and continuing into the seventeenth
century.
The largest World War One battle on the Western Front, this conflict saw the greatest ever loss of life for
the British army in a single day with 60,000 casualties. The British prepared for the offensive by bombarding
the German lines, but the barrage did not inflict as much damage as had been hoped. Along sections of the
front, the Germans remained well entrenched, so when the British finally advanced, they did so into
devastating machine gun fire. In total, more than a million soldiers died on both sides during the battle as a
whole.
Don’t bring that voodoo on us. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for
the Top 10 Cursed Families.
For this list, we’ll be looking at various families who have allegedly been cursed throughout the years. While
a curse may or may not be a part of the story, these are the families that have gone through numerous
tragedies over the years. We’re just saying: these are some freaky stories.
With their bubblegum pop and a clean-cut image, The Osmonds rose quickly to fame in the 1970s. However,
the family has dealt with many secrets, personal demons and multiple health issues throughout the years.
While not part of the performing band, older brothers Virl and Tom Osmond were born deaf; as was the
second son of The Osmonds’ lead singer and bassist Merrill. Both Alan and his son David, have multiple
sclerosis, while Wayne was successfully treated for a brain tumor. Sister Marie was reportedly sexually
abused when she was a teen star and later experienced postpartum depression. Meanwhile, one of her
sons, Michael, killed himself following battles with depression and addiction.
#9: The Brando Family
Considered one of the 20th century’s greatest actors, Marlon Brando left an enduring legacy. But his
personal life was marred by tragedy and health issues. He had an alcoholic actress mother, and he felt he
could never live up to his father’s expectations. The first of his 4 wives, Anna Kashfi, had substance abuse
issues and allegedly arranged for the kidnapping of her and Brando’s son, Christian. Christian later pled
guilty to manslaughter in the death of his half-sister’s boyfriend and died of pneumonia. Cheyenne, Brando’s
daughter by his third wife, was diagnosed with schizophrenia and hanged herself. Brando’s health declined
as he aged; along with Type-2 diabetes stemming from obesity, he also had liver cancer.
Even the most insane amounts of money can’t save you from bad luck. The first notable Rockefeller tragedy
occurred in 1951, when John D. Rockefeller’s great-niece killed her two children and committed suicide soon
after. Ten years later, Michael Rockefeller mysteriously died in New Guinea, with rumors circulating that he
was killed and eaten by cannibals. John Rockefeller III was then killed in a car accident in 1978. The curse has
continued as recently as 2014, when Richard Rockefeller died outside of New York after crashing his plane.
Life hasn't exactly been the smoothest of rides for the Rockefellers; that's for certain.
On June 1, 2001, ten people of royalty were massacred at the Narayanhity Royal Palace. The killer, Prince
Dipendra, had been drinking heavily and smoking hash throughout the day, and after he was ordered by his
father to leave the party due to his belligerent behavior, he returned with various weapons and enacted the
massacre. As legend goes, the founder of Nepal rejected some food offered to him by a yogi, with the yogi
then cursing him, saying that his reign would last for ten generations. Dipendra, who killed himself after the
massacre, was technically the tenth descendant to the throne.
Ernest Hemingway is one of the most popular authors in English literature, having written such classics as “A
Farewell to Arms”, “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, and “The Old Man and the Sea”. However, he was constantly
worried about money, and after various institution visits and bouts with alcoholism, he shot himself at 61.
Later evidence showed that Hemingway suffered from hemochromatosis, a disease that deteriorates the
mind. He wasn’t the only person in the Hemingway family to kill himself either; his father, his brother, his
sister, and his granddaughter have all committed suicide, thus totaling five suicides across four generations.
The House of Habsburg was one of the most powerful royal families in Europe, but that royal blood was
seemingly beset with poison. There are various stories as to where the curse originated, including the time
when the Habsburgs cleared their family castle of ravens. The most significant consequence of the curse
came from the marriage of Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth. Their only son, Rudolf, was killed in a
murder-suicide, and nine years later, Elisabeth was assassinated. As a result of Rudolf’s death, his cousin
Franz Ferdinand, took the throne. Ferdinand's 1914 assassination would be the moment that kick-started
World War I.
#4: The Grimaldi Family
The legend of the Grimaldi curse states that Lord Rainier I raped a woman, and to enact revenge, she cursed
the family, saying that a “Grimaldi will never find happiness in marriage.” The curse seems to have finally
taken hold in 1982, when Grace Kelly, wife of Prince Rainier III, died in a car accident. The family’s
relationship troubles don’t end there, as their daughters, Stéphanie and Caroline, have each had multiple
marriages. However, their brother, Prince Albert II, married Charlene Wittstock in 2011, a union which as of
2018 appears uncursed.
J. Paul Getty is the founder of the Getty Oil Company, and he was declared the richest man in America in
1957. Getty was married five times, and in 1958, his son Timmy died from a brain tumor at age 12. His third
son, John Paul Getty Jr, married Talitha Getty, who allegedly died of a heroin overdose in 1971. Getty Jr.’s
son, John Paul Getty III, was kidnapped in 1973, and after his grandfather refused to pay the ransom, his ear
was cut off and delivered to a newspaper. He later suffered from alcoholism and drug addictions, and
suffered a debilitating overdose in 1981, before dying in 2011.
The Lee family curse has numerous beginnings, but the popular story is that Bruce Lee’s father was cursed
by a group of merchants who told him that all his sons would die young. That wasn’t exactly true, as Bruce's
brother Robert is still kickin’, and his fencing champion brother Peter lived a long life, but it was certainly
true for Bruce. Bruce Lee died at 32 when he suffered an allergic reaction from a painkiller. Meanwhile, his
son Brandon Lee was accidentally shot while filming a scene for “The Crow,” and despite attempts to save
his life, he died in the hospital. He was only 28.
JFK and Robert may have been the most famous victims of the Kennedy curse, but there was plenty of
misfortune to go around. Joseph Kennedy Jr. was killed in WWII. In 1948, Kathleen died in a plane crash.
Rosemary Kennedy was left permanently disabled after a lobotomy. In 1955 and ’56, Jacqueline Kennedy
suffered a miscarriage and stillborn, respectively. In 1963, the same year JFK was assassinated, his son
Patrick died just 39 hours after birth, while David, Michael, John Jr., and Mary have all prematurely died
from various circumstances since 1984. Even the family of Jackie's second husband, Aristotle Onassis was
pulled into the fray.
The Middle Ages were a rough time. Welcome to WatchMojo UK and today we’re counting down our picks
for the top 10 totally ridiculous facts about Medieval England.
For this list we’ve looked for the strangest, weirdest and most downright disturbing trivia tidbits about
Medieval England – many of which were missed off of your standard school curriculum.
Hark back to your history lessons in high school, and chances are you’ll at least know something about the
famous Battle of Hastings. And if there’s one thing we all know for sure, even if you’ve forgotten all of the
rest, it’s that it definitely took place in Hastings. Right? Sadly, that’s where you’d be wrong. There are
accounts that the Normans came to the battlefield from Hastings, but the fight itself took place around 7
miles northwest of there – at a spot where you’d now find a town called Battle, which was built in memory
of the moment.
Despite the era’s reputation for being quite a grimy time, the medieval English really did believe that
cleanliness was next to godliness – with the Church actively encouraging people to go to public baths, and
building a fair few venues to house them. But the practice didn’t quite achieve the soap-sudded, super-
hygienic Utopia that it might’ve done. In fact, far from it. Because the public bathhouses quickly emerged as
a great place for prostitution… which turned the idea of bathing into a pretty sordid affair – prompting many
to lay down their sponges, and boycott the bathhouses altogether.
There was a time in history when simply having a Christian name was adequate enough, but those times
were over by the end of the Middle Ages. By then, not only did your contemporary peers know Bob's your
uncle, but they could now surmise that Bob's your father's brother, too – because family names were finally
a thing. However, up until that time surnames didn’t exist to officially differentiate one Bob from another.
They first crept in as a symbol of marriage between the richer folk, until eventually your average Joe became
your average Joe someone – to quell the confusion.
Students love themselves a drink, even back in the 1300s – but the boozing got way out of hand here! This
infamous 1355 riot, dusted up because two students from Oxford University didn’t like the drinks they’d
been served. But, when they issued their complaint with the barman, it did not go down well. Ale was
thrown, fists were flung, and a fully-fledged, two-day riot broke out between the locals and the Oxford uni
attendees. It may sound like something of nothing, but almost 100 people were actually killed in the
incident – and it’s still spoken about today!
Believe it or not, there was a point in time where animals could be put on actual trial for crimes that they’d
supposedly committed, and no one would bat an eyelid. Whether it be for criminal damage or even murder,
these cases would have witnesses (human witnesses, that is) and sometimes even trained lawyers, all
determining if Daisy the cow was guilty. And if the animal accused was deemed at fault, they could even find
themselves executed as punishment. So, remember that next time you’ve done something wrong, and you
try to blame the dog.
Want to suddenly feel thankful for modern day food hygiene standards? Because even the bread could kill
you back in Middle Ages England. The problem was, when rye crops ran out – which they often did – people
turned to old and mouldy rations of the stuff… Which was a big mistake, as it was often contaminated with
fungus which caused the potentially deadly disease, Ergotism. While the Black Death takes the headlines as
the deadliest of Medieval plagues, the bloody, blistery effects of Ergotism were not for the faint of heart
either. From hellish hallucinations to painful and drawn-out sickness, if your bread was bad then your life
was in danger.
In Medieval times, your barber wasn’t always just your barber. Because he could also be your surgeon. Yes,
those are two things that require vastly different skill sets, and probably shouldn't be conducted under the
same roof, but that’s what makes it all the more disturbing. Barbers were often asked to amputate the limbs
of anyone who found themselves injured – especially soldiers – simply because they had easy access to
razors. Apparently, if you could style a beard you could cut off an arm, too. The whole process was as you’d
probably expect; unsanitary, unpredictable and unbearably painful.
Medieval farming was drastically different to what we now know, in terms of the crops harvested,
techniques used and even the animals kept. Since scientific, specified breeding hadn’t started yet, the
livestock tended to be quite undernourished, resulting in farm animals far smaller than what we’d expect
today. For example, an adult bull would often only grow to be slightly larger than a modern-world calf. But,
while the thought of a farm full of miniature animals may sound adorable, the fact that none of them were
especially healthy kind of undercuts the cuteness.
Plenty of people have tried to predict the future, usually unsuccessfully. So, when someone manages to
correctly guess it several times over, it gets pretty unsettling. According to some reports, the philosopher
and friar, Roger Bacon, was especially gifted when it came to ‘getting the future right’. A leading figure in
science and linguistics during his lifetime, he has since become shrouded in myth and mystery – mostly
because his work seems to pre-empt the existence of cars, planes, submarines and telescopes, long before
they were invented. Various modern scholars have cast some doubt over Bacon’s significance, but his
apparently futuristic foresight feels fairly freaky all the same!
Upholding the law in Medieval England was a pretty brutal business. Under the understanding that God
would intervene if the accused were innocent, offenders were subjected to a ‘trial by ordeal’ – which was
essentially the complete opposite of today’s ‘fair trial’ approach. The process boiled down to a basic life or
death situation… if you survived, you were innocent; if you died you were guilty. But, these scenarios
weren’t the easiest things to get out of alive. The trials were typically by combat, fire, water, or poison. So,
you either fought to the death, were burnt to death, drowned, or forced to consume something that would
almost certainly kill you. Ultimately, you were guilty until proven immortal – which rarely ever happened.
What a fascinating time to be alive! Welcome to Watchmojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks
for the Top 10 Amazing Scientific Discoveries Made Recently.
For this list, we’re looking at the most exciting scientific developments and discoveries of the 21st century,
prioritizing those which have occurred most recently.
For this list, we’ll be looking at the pieces of ancient technology that were far more advanced than most of
their contemporaries, or even better than what we have today!
#8: Hypocaust
350 BC
Central heating is a relatively recent development. Or is it? The hypocaust was a form of primitive central
heating invented by the ancient Greeks and later adopted by the Romans. Meaning “under burnt,”
hypocausts were created with furnaces built under buildings, which fed smoky, hot air into a space built
between the ceiling of the lower room and the floor of the upper one, with pipes and outlets used to heat
walls and upper floors. While some private residences used them, they required lots of labor, usually done
by slaves, to maintain, so they were normally found in public buildings, like baths or temples.
Modern artillery may pack a bigger punch, but these old school tools are truly something to marvel at.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Coolest Ancient
Warrior Weapons.
For this list, we’re looking the most interesting weapons from history, and avoiding specific ones that were
only used by one historical figure.
#8: Flail
The flail has several different iterations, but even in its most basic form it is a weapon that you do not want
to go up against. The purpose of a weapon with this design (other than looking totally cool) is that with the
right technique, you can wrap it around your opponent’s shield, striking them even when a sword couldn’t.
The peasant flail, which was used in the Late Middle Ages, was actually an agricultural tool that peasants
took to using in combat. Interestingly, due to a lack of physical evidence, it is debated as to whether the
spiked flail, which is so commonly seen in pop culture, ever actually existed.
#6: Qiang
Quite simply, Qiang is the Chinese word for spear. In ancient China, there were four major weapons used in
battle: the staff, the saber, the sword and the spear. The qiang, or spear, earned the name of "The King of
Weapons". These spears could range from 9 to 21 feet in length, and were characterized by their blades
which were formed in the shape of leaves. Another distinctive feature of the qiang was the red tassel made
of horsehair which served to distract the person being attacked and make it more difficult for them to grab
the spear before it hit them.
#5: Scissor
Scissors? You’re probably wondering how this humble household item ended up on a list of the coolest
weapons in history. However, we’re not talking about scissors, but rather the scissor (singular), a short
range weapon used by a type of ancient Roman gladiator who shared the weapon’s name. This weapon is
put over the wearer’s forearm, and features a handle inside for optimal precision. The top features a
crescent shaped blade which made this a multipurpose tool which could either slash at your opponent, or
block their attacks. Sadly, little is known about this unique weapon, but it sure was cool.
#3: Shuriken
The Japanese translation of Shuriken is “hidden hand blade” but we’re guessing you know these handy little
weapons by their westernized moniker: ninja stars. While those who have seen a lot of ninja movies may be
familiar with the star-shaped version of these tiny terrors, they were in fact made in a variety of different
shapes. And in traditional use, their purpose wasn’t necessarily to kill your enemy, but rather to distract
them while using a sword to go in for the final blow.
#2: Mace
Sometimes it’s the simplest tools that do the most damage. A mace is a weapon that can be fashioned out
of nearly anything, which made it an accessible one for people from various social classes. The handle can
be made from sturdy wood or metal; it really just needs a piece on the tip heavy enough to deliver a solid
blow. Maces have been around since prehistory, with evidence of them being found from the Upper
Paleolithic period. A mace isn’t to be confused with a morningstar however, which is the mace-like weapon
that features a spiked ball at its tip.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Mangonel
Halberd
Crossbow
#1: Katana
Despite all of the advances we’ve made in weaponry over the course of history, none of our modern
creations can hold a candle to this one in terms of coolness. Swords in general are pretty awesome, but
none have quite as much mythos and lore attached to them as katanas do. These ancient Japanese blades
are forged with a curved edge, which sets them apart from their Western counterparts. Historians have
called katanas some of the “finest cutting weapons” in the global history of weaponry.
There’s much more than a smile hidden in this classic work of art. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today
we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Hidden Secrets in the Mona Lisa.
For this list, we’re looking at details that experts have noted in examining this famous Da Vinci painting. Of
course, all of this is speculation and we’ll never know what the grandmaster really intended.
#10: A Pregnancy
Hundreds of years after this work of art was created, the experts at the National Research Council of Canada
used infrared technology to conduct a 3D scan of the work. Their findings caused Bruno Mottin of the
"Center for Research and Restoration" at the French museum to make a shocking speculation. He says that
these scans show Mona Lisa wearing a guarnello, which is a specific type of veil that was worn at the time by
pregnant women or women who had recently given birth. Considering we still don’t even know for sure who
the subject of the painting was, we’ll probably never know if she was pregnant or not.
Ron Piccirillo is an artist himself, and one day in studying the Mona Lisa decided to place the piece on its
side in order to get a new perspective on it. What he found was what he thought to be several images of
animals hidden in the background of the painting. He uses these findings to establish a complex theory
about the theme of envy in the piece. Even Piccirillo himself can’t seem to parse all the clues though, saying
"Da Vinci could have been using horses’ heads as some kind of religious code, but as to why they are hidden
I have no idea.”
#8: The Landscape Came First
In the exhibition "Mona Lisa Secrets Revealed”, many details were uncovered in the painting using modern
technologies. Pascal Cotte, who is behind the project, pointed out that Da Vinci actually painted the
landscape in the background of the painting and then using precise painting techniques, added Mona Lisa’s
transparent veil on top of it. Speaking of the landscape, many have wondered where exactly the painting is
set, and the people of the city of Arezzo in Tuscany have claimed it as their own. You’ll have to decide for
yourself whether this seems accurate!
During the same round of research that discovered the veil painting technique, Pascal Cotte also noticed
something when examining the layers underneath the final painting. It turns out, Da Vinci had a change of
heart about a small detail of the painting. Cotte says, "If you look at the left hand you see the first position
of the finger, and he changed his mind for another position.” He goes on to add that "even Leonardo da
Vinci had hesitation." Hey, no one’s perfect, not even one of the greatest painters of all time!
This one may seem like a stretch, but bear with us. In 2010, Dr Vito Franco of Palermo University published a
paper at a Florentine medical conference making some surprising allegations about Mona Lisa’s health. He
says that her depiction shows some biological signs of a condition called xanthelasma, which is linked to
high cholesterol. He also stated that he can see signs of lipoma, or benign tumors under her skin that are
made of fatty tissue. This is just one person’s opinion, so we really can’t be sure how accurate it is!
The same infrared scans by the National Research Council of Canada that revealed Mona Lisa’s potential
pregnancy also quashed a rumor that had been going around since the Renaissance. Because Mona Lisa’s
hair appears to be loose in the image, many have speculated that she was a prostitute, since proper ladies
would never have worn their hair in that manner. These scans showed however that while the naked eye
can’t see it, her hair is actually held back and covered, contradicting many centuries of thought.
One of the other factors that made scholars believe Mona Lisa may have been a prostitute is her obvious
lack of eyebrows, because removing all signs of facial hair was common for sex workers at the time. In 2007,
Pascal Cotte uncovered the fact that Mona Lisa has had eyebrows (and eyelashes) all along, they have just
disappeared over time. Cotte said, "If I can find only one hair, only one hair of the eyebrow, I will have
definitively the proof that originally Leonardo da Vinci had painted eyelash and eyebrow." And his wishes
came true, because with advanced technology, he was able to find that one brushstroke.
This could potentially go against Dr. Vito Franco’s claims of Mona Lisa’s various illnesses, but Pascal Cotte
says that some of the markings on the painting that have led some to speculate that Mona Lisa was ill are
actually just varnish accidents. People have read much into blotches on her chin and the corner of her eye,
but Cotte found that these were not actually part of the original painting. We can only speculate when
varnish was allowed to interfere with the integrity of the work, but we’re guessing it was a really long time
ago.
#2: A Smile
One of the things that makes Mona Lisa so enigmatic of course is her smile, or lack thereof. Many have
wondered about what the subject was thinking or feeling to make her express such a subtle yet clear sense
of contentment, and many hours have been spent trying to parse her expression. At least one scholar,
Harvard’s Margaret Livingstone, claims the reason her smile is hard to wrap your head around is that it is
drawn in “low spatial frequencies.” That means it actually looks more like a smile when you’re looking at her
eyes rather than her mouth, or when you’re viewing the piece from afar.
Spawning both a bestselling book and blockbuster movie, the idea that there is a secret code hidden within
Da Vinci’s work has taken off in the new millennium. While Dan Brown’s book received a fair amount of
criticism for being historically inaccurate, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a grain of truth in his theory. The
Italian National Committee for Cultural Heritage decided to delve into his claims, and did actually find some
letters and symbols within the work. According to Silvano Vinceti, the president of the organization, "To the
naked eye the symbols are not visible but with a magnifying glass they can clearly be seen.” What do they
mean? We may never know.
They say that the definition of “insanity” is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different
result. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Mistakes
That the Human Race Keeps Repeating.
For this list, we’re looking at the most dangerous and tragic repeating trends throughout human history.
#10: Pollution
Barring a few notable exceptions, it’s only in the last two centuries or so that humans actually began to
realise they were having a far reaching impact on the world - and not a positive one. Pollution has become a
major issue in recent years; our oceans are filling up with plastic, our air is unsafe to breathe, and our water
is dangerous to drink. To top all that off, carbon emissions are so high that the Earth’s temperature is
steadily increasing, and despite a wealth of scientific evidence supporting this, many of the world’s most
powerful politicians refuse to believe in it, let alone do anything to help.
It’s a sad truth that for a long time, roughly half of the population have been regarded as second-class
citizens. While in the western world people have been making leaps and bounds towards gender equality in
the last hundred years, there are still many places around the world where women don’t enjoy basic rights.
Sexism remains extremely present, and violence against women just for being women is seen everywhere.
Even in countries where women have legal rights in law, the gender pay gap persists, with statistics from
2015 showing that American women earn just 80% of what men do in terms of salary.
#8: Dictatorships
In June 2018, Fox News anchor Abby Huntsman made a comment in which she called Donald Trump and Kim
Jong-un “two dictators.” She may have apologized for this highly controversial statement, but it does shed
light on the fact that the modern world isn’t as free from totalitarian rulers as we’d like to think. The term
dictator originates in Ancient Rome, where it wasn’t an explicitly negative concept. In more recent history
however, “dictator” and “tyrant” have become interchangeable thanks to such figures as Adolf Hitler,
Joseph Stalin, Saddam Hussein, etc. Despite the atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity
committed by such authoritarian leaders, we keep allowing them to take and maintain power.
#5: Racism
The reason people have different skin colors is because of the amount of melanin in their skin – the more
melanin someone has, the darker their skin is and the more protection they have from the sun, while the
lighter someone’s skin is, the better they are at absorbing vitamin D. Yet for thousands of years, humans
have been killing, torturing, and enslaving one another solely because of what race they are, and this
problem is far from solved. In America, the Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted how deeply racism
still affects society and how it is unfortunately still thriving, with people of color at risk of discrimination,
attack, and even murder.
#4: Poverty
Wealth disparity not just within western countries but also between those countries and the developing
world is one of the biggest issues we face as a species. In 2017 the richest 1% of the population controlled
50% of the wealth of the world as a whole, and it was carefully calculated that it would cost roughly $175
billion a year to end extreme poverty in two decades. This may sound like a lot, but it’s actually just 0.7% of
the collective income of the 30 countries within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development, who are supposed to be dedicated to ending world poverty.
This biggest three religions in the world – Christianity, Judaism and Islam – may have all originated from the
same place and even share many of the same Abrahamic roots, but that hasn’t stopped them waging wars
against each other for thousands of years. Holy Crusades in the Middle East killed thousands of soldiers and
even more civilians, while earlier in history the Roman invasion of Britain led to the slaughter of many Celts,
dubbed “barbarians.” Today, religious extremism is cited as the cause of the majority of terrorist attacks,
despite the fact that most popular interpretations of these various religious do NOT promote violence.
#2: Genocide
Genocide is the act of killing an entire people with that very intention - which makes it one of the most
appalling concepts in human history. Unfortunately, it’s happened many times, though the word “genocide”
didn’t exist until after Hitler’s mass extermination of 6 million Jews in World War Two. But there have been
despots like this both before and after Hitler; there was the Holodomor between 1932 and ’33 where up to
7.5 million people starved to death in the USSR; there were extensive massacres carried out on Native
Americans by colonizers; and, as recently as 1994, the Rwandan genocide saw up to a million members of
the Tutsi people murdered by rival Hutus.
#1: War
Ultimately, many of the things on this list are causes or symptoms of a much larger issue: war. With very few
exceptions, almost all countries have been involved or touched by war in some way or another. The concept
of war is almost as old as humanity itself, and there are rarely justifiable reasons behind it. More often than
not war is a product of greed, plain and simple. But perhaps the worst thing about war is how the more we
develop as a species the better we become at killing one another, going from clubbing each other to death
with stones to dropping nuclear bombs on Japan.
Well... we wouldn’t want to be in a war of words with any of these iconic figures. Welcome to
WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Epic Military and Political Quotes
in History.
For this list, we’re looking at legendary, intimidating or inspiring quotes attributed to real historical political
or military figures.
#9: Here I Am
Napoleon Bonaparte
This legendary French leader rose from an artillery office to become the Emperor of France and rule over
much of Europe. Of course, he made many an enemy and was ultimately defeated and exiled not once, but
twice. When he escaped exile the first time, his forces steadily grew as he made his way across the country.
When he reached Grenoble however, he was met by troops assigned to stop his advance. Ever the bold
leader, he reportedly stepped in front of them, opened his coat and loudly proclaimed: “If any of you will
shoot his Emperor, here I am.” As the story goes, they promptly joined his cause, and Napoleon retook the
country (albeit briefly).
#8: Liberty
Patrick Henry
You’ve surely heard this one before. In fact, you’ve likely ironically employed the quote at least once, even if
you never knew who first said it. Well, allow us to acquaint you with the man behind the words - Patrick
Henry. An American lawyer and founding father, this orator’s Second Virginia Convention speech at St.
John’s Church in Richmond was described as “one of the most bold, vehement, and animated pieces of
eloquence that had ever been delivered.” His bold proclamation of “Give me liberty, or give me death!” is
thought to have swayed the assembled body into contributing sorely needed Virginian troops to the
Revolutionary War and, by extension, helped to shape American independence.
Before we reveal the identity of our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “It was for this that I was born!”
Joan of Arc
#1: If…
The Spartans
The Greek city-state of Sparta produced some of the greatest warriors the world has ever seen. Boys would
begin their military training at the age of 7, entering service at age 20. In addition to combat skills, they
were also taught to be quick-witted with their words. When Philip II of Macedon (Alexander the Great’s dad)
sent word of his intention to conquer Sparta, he is quoted as warning them: “You are advised to submit
without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and
raze your city.” To this, the Spartans supposedly replied with one word… “if”. Philip never conquered Sparta.
Some things are memorable for all the wrong reasons. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be
counting down our picks for Another Top 10 Events That Made the World Stand Still.
For this list, we’re looking at events that caused people to rally together, had a large cultural impact, or had
far-reaching global implications and even caused widespread destruction. We are also excluding more
isolated events like celebrity deaths.
On April 20th, 1999, one of the most tragic and notorious US mass shootings took place at Columbine High
School, Colorado. Teenagers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered twelve of their classmates and one
teacher in cold blood. They also injured more than twenty others before finally committing suicide. At the
time it was the worst school shooting in American history, leaving people struggling to understand why two
boys would do something like this. It also refocused serious discussions on gun control in the United States,
as well as conversations on issues like goth culture and extreme antisocialism. Columbine’s bloody legacy is
an unfortunate influence to this day.
This deadly disease is believed to have wiped out over one third of the population of Medieval Europe when
it first reared its head in the 14th Century. As many as 200 million people across Europe and Asia fell victim
to it. For roughly a decade the Plague ravaged the world, characterised by blotchy, pus-filled lumps or a
violent cough. It took two centuries for the world’s population to recover, but horrifyingly this gruesome
infection just won’t stay dead. Outbreaks have continued through the centuries, with one even appearing in
Madagascar in 2017.
#8: The Titanic
Headlines of sheer disbelief and horror dominated European and American newspapers after the
unimaginable sinking of the RMS Titanic on the morning of April 15th, 1912. Over 1,500 of its roughly 2,200
passengers perished on the so-called unsinkable ship after it struck an iceberg and sank within three hours.
The Titanic’s legacy is one of tragedy and horror, as it became a mass grave at the bottom of the Atlantic
Ocean. Its name is regularly evoked when comparing something to an unmitigated disaster. But at least the
tragedy is responsible for governments and companies taking steps to ensure greater maritime safety.
This event was the closest the Cold War ever came to turning hot. By October 1962, the USSR hadballistic
missiles on Cuba ready to fire on almost every major US city. Simultaneously, the US had the same missiles
in Turkey and Italy prepared to do the same thing to the Eastern Bloc. The whole world held its breath,
waiting to see if these two superpowers would finally resort to all-out nuclear warfare, but finally an
agreement was reached to remove the missiles. The fear of annihilation was felt globally, and US Defense
Secretary Robert McNamara is quoted as saying, “I thought it was the last Saturday I would ever see.”
At one point in time nuclear power was seen as the safe future of energy supply, but all that changed when
Reactor No. 4 at the Soviet Union’s Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine went into meltdown. A combination
of poor design and human error was responsible. The reactor explosion was directly responsible for thirty-
one deaths, but the contamination has had long term effects on many more. The delayed evacuation orders
led to even more people being contaminated, and to this day Chernobyl and its surrounding town is one of
the most irradiated places on Earth. Only the Fukushima disaster in 2011 rivals it as the worst nuclear
accident in history.
After the First World War, the attitude in America was that the US should stay out of messy European
affairs. Because of this, it would take an enormous event to sway public opinion in favor of going to war
against the Axis Powers. That event was the surprise Japanese attack on the US naval fleet stationed at Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. The attack killed more than 2300 Americans and injured over 1000.
Pearl Harbor effectively ended American isolationism, and the ensuing Pacific War led to countless
casualties on all sides, and culminated in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Hundreds of years ago Jerusalem was thought of as the centre of civilization, and was considered holy by
three major religions, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The desire to lay rights to this important city led to
the Crusades. From roughly the 11th to the 15th century, wars raged in the Holy Land to try and seize
control of it. The First Crusade began in 1095 when Pope Urban II encouraged men from every echelon of
society to go and exterminate Muslims because he allegedly claimed “God willed it”. This resulted in the
massacre of Jewish and Muslim inhabitants of not just Jerusalem but also Antioch, Constantinople, and
many other major settlements.
#3: The Rwandan Genocide
A long-running conflict between the rival Hutu and Tutsi tribes turned into a brutal war in 1990. Despite the
signing of a peace accord in 1993, a year later members of the Hutu majority government began one of the
most horrific genocides of all time against the Tutsi. It lasted for 100 days, and the death toll was anywhere
between 500,000 and 1 million Rwandans, while a further 2 million were forced to become refugees. Today
many of the skulls of the victims are kept at the Nyamata Genocide Memorial.
We now call it the First World War, but at the time it was known as the Great War, with mass killing on an
almost unprecedented scale. An estimated 18 million soldiers and civilians perished between 1914 and
1918. Some one million people died or were wounded during the Battle of the Somme alone, and countless
more suffered through years of brutal trench warfare. This war also showcased the first of many destructive
weapons, like mustard gas, flamethrowers, and tanks, and destabilised Europe to such an extent that it
eventually led to the Second World War. The U.S., which had resisted involvement until 1917, returned to a
fairly isolationist mode after the horrors of this war.
In terms of total military casualties, including civilian deaths related to famine and disease, World War II
remains the deadliest conflict in history. But of all its victims, the most poignant and tragic were the people
killed by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. Six million Jewish people were systematically slaughtered by
Hitler’s fascist regime throughout Europe in the late 1930s and 1940s, with the primary goal of wiping out
anyone who was not a pure-blooded Aryan. As well as the Jewish casualties, millions more disabled people,
gay people, Romani, Slavs, Serbians, prisoners of war and Poles were also exterminated.
Rest in peace…wherever you are. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks
for the Top 10 Final Resting Places We Will Never Find.
For this list, we’ll be examining the famous and/or historical figures whose graves or last resting places are
unlikely to ever be definitively identified.
#8: Cleopatra
The last ruler of the Hellenic period of the Egyptian dynasty founded by Alexander, Cleopatra is generally
believed to have killed herself by having an asp bite her shortly after the death of her lover Mark Antony.
According to some accounts, the two of them were buried together in a tomb outside of Alexandria. Where
Cleopatra’s remains are today is a matter of debate and speculation. Some believe that her resting place
sank to the bottom of the sea after earthquakes destroyed or relocated parts of Alexandria. Others believe
she is one of many anonymous mummies that have been found in large mausoleums. Wherever she lies, her
legacy remains a memorable one.
One small step for man, one giant leap for conspiracy theorists the world over. Welcome to
WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 5 Apollo 11 Moon Landing
Conspiracies
For this list, we’ll be breaking down the Apollo 11 moon landing conspiracies that simply won’t go away.
Prepare to get scienced!
Many conspiracy theorists have pointed to the Apollo 11 lunar module’s lack of an exhaust flame while
departing from the moon as proof that it was actually a model being pulled by strings on a sound stage in
some top-secret Hollywood film studio. As exciting as that sounds, it’s simply not true. You know the old
expression, “it’s not rocket science?” Well in this case, it is. You see the Saturn V rocket that launched Apollo
11 into orbit burnt liquid oxygen and kerosene, the combination of which creates a massive flame. However,
the lunar module used nitrogen tetroxide and Aerozine 50, which produces transparent exhaust gases. Case
closed.
Despite the weight of the lunar module being reduced from 36,100lbs on earth to 6,100lbs during its
decent, people still wondered why it didn’t produce a crater on the moon’s dusty surface. Well, beneath all
that dust is a layer of dense rock, which is far more difficult to leave an imprint on, thus explaining why the
module failed to create a noticeable crater. Additionally, many wondered how Neil Armstrong and Buzz
Aldrin were able to leave footprints on the moon without moisture. Well, friction allows finely grained moon
dust particles to hold their shape when moved around, so that’s why the footprints are still there all these
years later!
Many a conspiracy theorist has claimed that because photographs show multiple shadows of different
lengths and angles, there had to have been an additional light source - such as a large lamp – on sight. Well
actually, because Neil and Buzz were snapping pics on an uneven, brightly lit landscape with the sun
hovering just about the horizon, the ground produced a slew of different shadows. Another theory involves
the stars, or lack thereof. How come there are no stars in the background of all those famous moon
photographs? The answer: nearby objects washed out the film. This is common in nighttime photography,
with bright foreground objects effectively erasing distant background objects from the film.
#2: No Radiation Poisoning
Protecting earth from harmful solar radiation are the Van Allen belts. They form a ring around our planet,
collecting and trapping all that pesky radiation in one place. Conspiracy theorists want to know why the
astronauts on the Apollo 11 mission didn’t succumb to radiation poisoning when they passed through.
While it’s true that there is a lot of radiation in the belts, Apollo 11 passed through them in less than four
hours, and it takes days of exposure to be considered dangerous. “Okay” say some, “but what about
meteors? Surely they would have done some damage!” Due to the density of space, the chances of this
happening are close to zero. Lawyered.
One the most infamous Apollo 11 conspiracy theories involve the pictures of the American flag taken by Neil
Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. In the iconic photos, the flag appears to be fluttering in the wind, which is
admittedly odd seeing how there’s no atmosphere and by extension no wind on the moon. The reason Old
Glory appears to be waving is because Neil and Buzz made it so. A wire was inserted in the top of the flag to
keep it steady and the astronauts created the waving effect as they were setting it up. In fact, once the flag
was planted, it stopped “waving” completely!
These missions mark our first interplanetary steps out into the universe. Welcome to Watchmojo.com, and
today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 space missions to other planets. For this list, we're
looking at missions and programs that have flown by, orbited, or landed on planets and dwarf planets.
#9: MESSENGER
Hurtling through space in the opposite direction to New Horizons, NASA’s probe MESSENGER became, in
2011, the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury. In 1974, Mariner 10 had flown by the little-explored, innermost
planet, but MESSENGER was able to return much more detail - mapping more of the surface, revealing
evidence of an immense, liquid iron core, and confirming the suspected presence of water ice in the
shadows of craters at the north pole. The craft met a fiery end when it was intentionally crashed into the
planet’s surface, but blazed a trail for future missions, such as upcoming European and Japanese mission
“BepiColombo”.
#5: Mariner 4
At the dawn of the space age, the Mariner program accomplished an impressive lists of firsts - including the
first planetary flyby in 1962, when Mariner 2 passed Venus. Spurred on by the space race, with the Soviets'
sights set on Mars, NASA’s Mariner 4 beat the competition to become the first successful mission to the Red
Planet, flying by in 1965, providing our first close-up look at the surface - images that revealed a barren,
cratered world very different from the popular images of science-fiction. If there was water or life on Mars,
we would have to search for it. It was a revelatory and revolutionary mission that set the parameters for
future exploration.
#4: Venera 7
The Soviets had been the first to land a spacecraft on the moon, in 1966. In 1970, they were also the first to
land on another planet. As Venera 7 drifted down toward the scorched, hellish surface of Venus, its
parachute ripped and collapsed, and it freefell for 29 minutes. But the hardy probe survived, and
transmitted valuable data back to Earth. It was the first manmade object to ever land on another planet.
Subsequent Venera missions had smoother landings, and in 1975, Venera 9 beamed back our first images of
another planet’s surface.
#3: Cassini-Huygens
What it would be like to fly behind Saturn’s rings? Where did they come from? And what secrets hide inside
its many moons? These were the ambitious questions behind Cassini-Huygens, a landmark collaboration
between US and European space agencies. From 2004 on, the Cassini orbiter examined Saturn’s rings,
uncovered seven new moons, and discovered evidence for an internal ocean in the moon Enceladus - the
source of Saturn’s E Ring. Cassini’s lander Huygens also revealed liquid methane lakes and rivers on the
moon Titan. The mission was a triumph, and in 2017, the orbiter went down down in a blaze of glory - burnt
up in Saturn’s atmosphere to avoid contaminating its moons.
Whether they created the empire or ruled over it, these names will always be remembered. Welcome to
WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Emperors in History.
For this list, we are not necessarily looking at the greatest emperors in history, but rather the most famous
ones.
#8: Moctezuma II
Evaluating Moctezuma’s legacy is slightly tricky. On one hand, he led the Aztec Empire to its greatest size
thanks in part to several key military victories. On the other hand, it was his decision to appease Cortes and
the Spanish that ultimately brought the Empire to ruin. The Aztec emperor invited them to live as guests,
before he was eventually imprisoned by the Spanish inside his own palace. Not long after conflict broke out
between the Aztecs and Spanish, Moctezuma was killed, with both sides claiming the other delivered the
fatal blow.
#6: Hirohito
Referred to as Emperor Shōwa within Japan, Hirohito reigned for over 62 years. He is most famous for his
role, or lack thereof, in Japan’s military operations in the 1930s and 40s. Some historians have claimed that
he was opposed to bombing Pearl Harbor and did not want an alliance with the Axis Powers. Others state
that he was actively involved in the decision-making process and his blame should not be minimized.
Whichever is the case, he avoided prosecution for war crimes after the war. Hirohito is notable for helping
lead Japan’s post-war recovery and assisting in the country’s transition into a constitutional monarchy.
#5: Peter I
Another Russian emperor to make our list, Peter I, or Peter the Great as he’s better known, helped guide
Russia into becoming a major power. He did so, of course, by engaging in several successful wars, including
the Great Northern War against Sweden. He also helped improve the cultural side of Russia. Influenced by
the Enlightenment, he adapted the Russian political and social systems and made them more modern. For
example, he sought to end arranged marriages and also issued a decree for all children of noble birth to
receive an education.
#2: Augustus
The first emperor of the Roman Empire, Augustus’ reign initiated an extended period of peace for Rome
following multiple bloody civil wars, the last of which saw Augustus defeat Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
Augustus annexed several territories, including Egypt, to help expand the Empire’s frontiers. He also
commissioned the construction of a series of roads to help make communication across the Empire easier
and even established police and fire-fighting organizations. He was such an influential emperor that we even
have a month named after him in our calendar.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
Tiberius
Charlemagne
Justinian I
Think you know your Victorian history? Think again. Welcome to WatchMojo UK and today we’re counting
down our picks for the Top 10 most disturbing facts about Victorian England.
For this video we’ve oggled the annals of history and heritage to serve you some of the most shocking, eye-
watering and downright disturbing facts about Victorian England.
#7: Workhouses
A more infamous fact than others, those in the Victorian era without jobs or a place to live could be housed
in workhouses. There, along with orphaned children and anyone deemed physically or mentally ill, they
lived in horrible conditions and were forced to work harsh jobs for long hours. And while some film
adaptations of Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist” do make light of the ruthless reality, living in these places was
definitely not a song and dance. And despite various reformations to existing Poor Laws, the houses proved
little more than prisons.
#6: Surgery
The thought of having surgery can make lots of us feel uncomfortable. But be thankful for modern medicine,
because Victorian surgery was hellish in comparison. First off, there was usually a bunch of students
overseeing, but bringing all kinds of dirt and germs to the operating table - as nothing was sterilised. But
worst of all, without the invention of anaesthetic until the mid-1800s, procedures were as quick as possible
but seriously painful. And even though major operations sometimes took less than a minute to execute, the
brutal nature of surgery meant that the chances of making it out alive were slim.
Even serious history buffs may not know that some of these facts are actually myths. Welcome to
WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Common Misconceptions
About World History.
For this list, we’re looking at commonly held beliefs about various historical events that are completely
untrue.
Horned helmets have been worn by various populations throughout history, but curiously enough, the
vikings weren’t one of them. Even though they have become the culture with which these helmets are most
strongly associated, there is not actual historical proof of them ever wearing them. It seems as though the
19th century opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen is to blame for this one! In similar headgear
misconceptions, cowboy hats were nowhere near as ubiquitous in the Old West as they’re usually made out
to be. At the time, cowboys would actually wear hats more similar to bowlers or derby hats.
Many people think that the modern image we have of Santa Claus, a jolly white bearded man in a red suit,
was actually a total construction by The Coca Cola Company in the 1930s. While it is true that Coke began
using the image of Santa Claus in their marketing at that time, lots of other companies has already used the
visual representation of the Santa we know and love in their own ads. Over the years, Santa Claus, or Saint
Nicolas, had been given different physical characteristics, but by the 30s his modern iteration had already
been established in pop culture.
If you’ve watched enough historical fiction movies, you’ve probably witnessed the common trope of
immigrants arriving in the new world trying to change their fortune. They have to pass through officials at
Ellis Island who decide their names aren’t “American” enough and therefore change them to something
more homogenous. The thing is though, no records were even kept at Ellis Island, and they weren’t creating
any paperwork with new names or in fact, any information at all. At the time though, anyone could change
their name in New York simply by using whatever name they wanted, so your family’s story of a forced
name change is most likely a myth.
#6: Columbus Discovered That the Earth Was Round
When Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, some say that he set out to prove that the world was round,
and that he surprised many when he returned with this information. In fact, according to one historian, “no
educated person in the history of Western Civilization from the third century B.C. onward believed that the
Earth was flat.” Key figures like Pythagoras and Aristotle had discovered that the earth was not flat nearly
two thousand years earlier! In the Middle Ages, this information was still retained by most.
Many people think of the Middle Ages as a dark time where people could barely make it into their 30s
before kicking the bucket. In fact though, many commonly held life expectancy facts are based on high
infant mortality rates, not to mention major diseases like the bubonic plague. It’s hard to come up with
exact numbers, but one source says that a man who had made it to the age of 21 without succumbing to
childhood illness was likely to live to 64. Also, these “dark ages” weren’t dark everywhere. Outside of
Europe, many societies were thriving and innovating.
When people are trying to prove that you can always succeed even after failure, they often cite the fact that
Albert Einstein failed math before going on to become one of the most important mathematicians of all
time. While this may seem inspirational, it’s totally made up. In fact when Einstein himself heard this rumor
he said, “"I never failed in mathematics... Before I was fifteen I had mastered differential and integral
calculus." And you know what, we believe him! He did fail the entrance exam for Zurich Polytechnic, but he
was taking it early and did just fine on the math section.
Unfortunately for him, this rumor was unintentionally perpetuated by Napoleon himself. Upon his death,
officials recorded his height as 5 feet 2 inches, which was admittedly short for a man, even in the early 19th
century. Here’s the thing though, that measurement was in “French feet” which was part of the “Mesures
usuelles” that Napoleon himself introduced! In our modern measurements, this would translate to
approximately 5 feet 7 inches, which is slightly under average today, but in the 1800s would have been
totally normal.
This is one of those pop culture myths that people have speculated must be false, but we’re here to
definitively tell you it’s not true. In fact, we can trace the exact source of this rumor. In 1765 Jean-Jacques
Rousseau completed his autobiography, “Confessions”, in which he tells a story of a “great princess” who
said, "Then let them eat brioches” when she heard that the peasants had no bread. It then went on to be
attributed to Marie Antoinette, even though it was written years before she became queen or even came to
France. In actuality, Marie Antoinette expressed sympathy with the lower classes and would likely not say
something so callous.
Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
Old Man of the Mountain, USA
#10: Syphilis
Back in the day, this sexually transmitted disease was BAD NEWS. We’re talking about open sores, crippling
pain, and eventually, brain damage and death. Just ask iconic gangster Al Capone, who famously contracted
syphilis and saw its effects worsen each year. Thankfully, with the discovery of penicillin, the world was
handed a simple cure to this sexually-transmitted scourge - no need to think about worst case scenarios
anymore. Unfortunately, syphilis not only continues to spread, but lso is actually on the rise again. Why?
The culprit is likely poor sexual practices. It’s treatable, of course, but this old-timey disease will continue its
comeback unless people actually get tested and treated.
#9: Leprosy
Throughout history, the term “leper” has been used to denigrate outsiders. It came from the idea that
people with leprosy were highly contagious, which, unfortunately for generations of isolated victims, is a
gross exaggeration. Though the disease is transferred between humans, the infection rate remains relatively
low. Nowadays, Multidrug Therapy is used to cure patients, but unfortunately, it remains an issue in many
countries. Believe it or not, armadillos have been associated with spreading the disease in the United States.
A spike in infection rates in Florida has forced many to acknowledge the condition’s relevancy in a 21st
century world, and encouraged others to re-evaluate its history.
#7: Cholera
In the 19th century, this intestinal disease was responsible for pandemics all over the world, claiming
millions of lives in the process. Thankfully, a simple but effective treatment exists in the form of oral
rehydration therapy. Unfortunately, the disease is contracted through contaminated water, which
meansthat underdeveloped countries are at serious risk regardless, as evidenced by the 2010 outbreak in
Haiti. For North Americans, cholera is indeed quite rare, yet it’s certainly not a disease that should be
dismissed as irrelevant. With so many people on the move, cholera outbreaks persist and continue to
spread. Considering it claims 28,000 to 130,000 lives per year, we can’t afford to take it lightly.
#5: Tuberculosis
Whereas cholera targets the intestines, this old-timey disease mostly affects the lungs. Tuberculosis was
officially identified in the early 19th century, and it became a common disease amongst the poor over the
following 100 years. It’s one of those diseases that doesn’t have obvious symptoms, and it’s been estimated
that approximately one-third of the world’s population is currently infected with latent TB. Nowadays,
tuberculosis is most prevalent in Africa and Southeast Asia, with most American cases being reported in
California and Texas.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Rickets
Typhoid Fever
Diphtheria
#1: Measles
While this contagious disease may not seem “old-timey,” it’s not quite what it used to be either. In the mid
20th century, Measles was a fatal problem for the world’s youth. Fortunately, a vaccination was developed
in 1963, making parents a little less stressed about symptoms. In fact, it seemed to be gone forever by the
year 2000, at least in America. Nowadays, the MMR vaccine is highly efficient, and is usually given alongside
the vaccine for disease called the Mumps. But, Measles disease hasn’t gone away entirely, and an anti-
vaccination movement has been linked to a resurgence of outbreaks. The 2017 European outbreak reminds
that vaccinations are crucial, even if Measles may not seem like a serious threat.
Well, so much for that priceless artifact. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our
picks for another Top 10 Historical Objects Ruined by Morons.
For this list, we’ll be looking at more historical objects and artifacts that were destroyed by some pretty
inconsiderate, ignorant, or clumsy people. We will be ranking our picks based on the importance of the site
and/or artifact, and the level of idiocy involved in its destruction.
The Nazca Lines are brilliant artistic designs made in the desert grounds of southern Peru. The designs were
created between 500 BC and 500 AD and range from geometric patterns to depictions of human, animal,
and natural life. These can stretch over 1,000 feet in length and can clearly be seen from the air and from
nearby hilltops. However, many of the lines have been damaged in recent years by squatters, construction
machinery, careless Greenpeace activists who walked over the site with sneakers, off-road vehicles, and a
truck driver who accidentally drove over numerous lines.
Dunster, Somerset is known for being an extremely well-preserved example of a medieval English village. It
houses a 1,000-year-old castle and contained beautiful cobblestone paths that dated back to the Bronze
Age. However, after numerous reports of people tripping on the ancient stones, the village’s council decided
to rip up the millennia-old cobblestones and replace them with smoother paving stones. The villagers, who
initially supported the idea, then showed their intense hatred of the new paving stones by complaining to
the media. The council then decided to rip up the slabs at significant cost and replace them with stones that
fit more with the village’s aesthetic.
Well, we suppose they had good intentions. The Norwegian island of Tro houses a 5,000-year-old rock
carving depicting a man on skis. This carving is one of the world’s earliest indications of skiing, and it
inspired the symbols of the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. However, it was ruined in 2016 when two
teenagers carved over it in an attempt to make it appear brighter and clearer. The teenagers, not realizing
what a serious infraction they had committed, turned themselves in amidst the intense media frenzy. The
two then faced criminal charges and prosecution under the country’s Cultural Heritage Act.
Chalk this up to Tutankhamun’s curse. Tutankhamun was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled from 1332 to 1323
BC. His tomb was finally discovered in 1922, and the mummy of Tutankhamun was uncovered three years
later. While the chin was initially found broken off his death mask, it was permanently reattached in 1944.
Or so everyone thought. In 2014, it was accidentally broken off and hastily glued back on, a process that
caused irreparable scratches to the beard. After people began to notice the botched glue job, the mask was
professionally fixed, and eight people faced criminal charges for their negligence in “repairing” the priceless
mask with superglue.
And here we have another tragic case of a selfie ruining a beloved piece of art. A child-sized statue of
Portuguese king Dom Sebastian I stood outside the Rossio railway station in Lisbon, Portugal. This statue
lasted for 126 years before it literally fell to a selfie. A 24-year-old man climbed the façade outside the
Rossio station to take a picture with the statue. However, he accidentally knocked the statue over, and it
shattered to pieces upon contact with the ground. The man tried to run away, but he was apprehended by
police and faced prosecution for destroying a century-old artifact.
In 2015, workers in the Spanish town of Cristovo de Cea accidentally filled in a 6,000-year-old tomb with
concrete and topped it off with a picnic table. They thought the tomb’s slabs were a stone bench that had
fallen into disrepair, so they wanted to erect a fancy picnic table in its place. The town’s mayor said that he
wasn’t aware of the site’s historical significance, and the site wasn’t marked or protected in any way. People
better have some damn good picnics on that bench, because it cost history a 6,000-year-old tomb to put it
there.
While the original Temple of Artemis was destroyed in a flood, it was rebuilt in a more extravagant manner
around 550 BC. It stood nearly 400 feet long and 150 feet wide, contained 40-foot tall columns, and was
allegedly the first Greek temple to be made from marble. It was a notable attraction for almost two hundred
years, but it was burned to the ground in 356 BC by some snot-nosed punk named Herostratus, who simply
wanted to be famous. He was subsequently tortured on the rack and executed, and his name was banned
from being spoken or written with the intention of erasing him from history. It didn’t work.
#3: Troy
Troy is an ancient city depicted in Homer’s “Iliad,” said to be the site of the famous Trojan War. The
historical city of Troy is located in modern-day Turkey and was partially excavated by Heinrich Schliemann in
the 1870s. However, Schliemann was wasn’t a great archaeologist, and he proceeded to blast away the
walls and layers of Troy and carved massive trenches in the ground that remain to this day. As one scholar
stated, Schliemann “destroyed a phenomenal amount of material.” And this is why inexperienced
archaeologists are not allowed to excavate millennia-old cities.
The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two enormous statues of buddha that were carved out of a cliffside in
Afghanistan. The statues were carved in the 6th century, and they were reportedly decorated with
elaborate jewelry by the year 630. The statues persisted for over 1,000 years until they were destroyed by
the Taliban in March of 2001. The statues were bombarded with anti-aircraft weaponry, dynamite, artillery,
and mines before the Taliban repelled down the cliff and placed explosives inside the monuments. The
commander of the Taliban, Mohammed Omar, stated that, “It has given praise to Allah that we have
destroyed them.”
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions.
The Colosseum
Throughout the years, ISIS has destroyed many notable ancient sites with bulldozers and explosives. They’ve
destroyed religious sites like the Mar Elian and Mar Behnam monasteries, and the Mosque of the Prophet
Yunus. They’ve destroyed numerous historic pieces of architecture, including the Imam Dur Mausoleum.
They’ve bulldozed historic cities like Nimrud, an Assyrian city that flourished between 1350 and 610 BC, and
Nineveh, which was at one point the largest city in the world. Even UNESCO World Heritage Sites weren’t
safe, as the site of Hatra was extensively damaged by ISIS in 2015.
Top 10 Weapons that Won World War II
It took more than love and friendship to win this war. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be
counting down our picks for the Top 10 Weapons that Won World War II.
For this list, we’re looking at weapons that played a deciding factor in the outcome of World War II.
#10: Bazooka
When up against a massive tank, an infantry unit is obviously at a huge disadvantage. As most weapons did
not pack a big enough punch to put a dent in these armored vehicles, the U.S. Army developed the M9A1
Rocket Launcher for the specific purpose of taking down tanks and strongholds. Nicknamed the Bazooka by
radio-personality Bob Burns, this weapon launched rockets carrying a dangerous substance called pentolite,
resulting in an explosion capable of penetrating around 5 inches of armor. Easy to mass produce and
relatively lightweight considering their power, the Bazooka was hailed as a key factor in winning the war by
President Dwight Eisenhower.
#9: M2 Browning
Designed towards the end of World War I, John Browning's M2 machine gun has been employed in nearly
every major conflict since the 1930s. Equipped with .50 BMG cartridges, the M2 boasted firepower and
accuracy; but, more importantly, the Browning was rather flexible. The M2 was not only used by the
infantry, but the gun served as the primary or defensive weapon for many armored vehicles and patrol
boats. Due to its stopping power, the Browning was also involved in aerial warfare, allowing the P-51
Mustang to take down enemy aircrafts and damage naval destroyers.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
The world would look pretty different without the breakthroughs of these great innovators. Welcome to
WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Innovators who Changed the
World.
For this list, we're looking at inventors, entrepreneurs, and visionaries whose groundbreaking ideas altered
the course of history, ranked according to creativity, ingenuity, and influence.
Without him, you wouldn’t be surfing the internet. Tim Berners-Lee is the English computer scientist who in
1989 invented the World Wide Web - the system of interlinked hypertext documents that allows us to
browse the internet. At the time, Berners-Lee worked for CERN, and wanted a way for scientists to keep
track of and share research information. But the World Wide Web soon became one of the most important
communications medium of all time - connecting people all over the world. Since then, Berners-Lee hasn’t
rested on his laurels; he holds positions at MIT and Oxford, is director of the World Wide Web Consortium,
and a leading advocate of net neutrality.
Disgraced in his time, but celebrated today, Italian polymath and intellectual rebel Galileo Galilei is
sometimes called “the father of the scientific method”. He’s best known for arguing that the Earth orbits the
Sun, a proposal that aroused fierce scientific and religious opposition. Nicolaus Copernicus had proposed a
heliocentric model in the sixteenth century, but Galileo had hard evidence, having made his own telescope
and observed moons orbiting Jupiter rather than Earth. The Roman Inquisition found his theory foolish,
absurd, and heretical, and condemned Galileo to house arrest for the rest of his life. But his ideas lived on,
and we know now he was right all along.
Man has dreamed of flying for millenia. But it was American brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright who made it
possible for us to soar like the birds. Until the Wrights built and flew the world’s first successful airplane in
1903, human flight was restricted to kites, gliders, hot air balloons, and hydrogen dirigibles. Their designs
revolutionized aviation, in particular their invention of three-axis control - giving pilots direct control over
the pitch, yaw, and roll of the plane. Through dogged persistence, they achieved the world’s first powered
flights, making modern aviation possible. Not bad for men who built and tested their ideas in a bicycle shop.
Marie Curie was not only the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize, she was also the first person to receive it
twice - in both physics and chemistry. Born in Poland, Curie studied and worked in Paris, where she
pioneered research into radioactivity, and with her husband Pierre discovered the elements polonium and
radium. At a time where all the odds were stacked against female scientists, Curie blazed new trails.
Although radiation probably caused her early death at 66, her research paved the way for radiation therapy
and atomic energy, earning her the moniker the “Mother of Modern Physics”.
For some, Apple has become something of a religion. But whether you’re an acolyte, or an Android user, it’s
difficult to deny the impact Apple’s founder Steve Jobs has had on the modern world. A central figure in the
home computer revolution, Jobs was pushed out of Apple in 1985, but returned in triumphant fashion a
little over a decade later to oversee the rollout of the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. As a person, Jobs has
often been described in less than flattering terms - but without doubt, his uncompromising vision and flair
for design have radically changed the way we use technology.
The first automobiles remained the extravagant playthings of the upper class - until American industrialist
Henry Ford revolutionized production. In 1903, at age 39, Ford founded the Ford Motor Company, and in
1908 introduced the iconic Model T, priced at just $825. By creating the world’s first moving assembly lines,
Ford was able to minimize costs, maximize production, and at the same time pay his workers decent wages.
Within a few years, the price of the Model T dropped to $360 and, for better or worse, automobiles took
over the roads. Ford’s anti-semitism would leave a permanent stain on his reputation. But his method of
mass production formed one of the cornerstones of modern economic systems.
Charles Babbage was an English polymath with fingers in pretty much every intellectual pie imaginable. A
professor who preferred learning over lecturing, he busied himself with breakthroughs in mathematics,
astronomy, and cryptography, but it was his design in 1837 of the first general-purpose mechanical
computer that earned him lasting fame. Although it relied on gears and punch cards, Babbage’s Analytical
Engine had the same logical structure as a modern digital computer, and he’s remembered today as a
prophetic visionary ahead of his time - inventing the computer almost one hundred years before Alan Turing
conceived of the Turing Machine.
What do the light bulb, the motion picture camera, and the phonograph have in common? We owe modern
designs to American inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Edison, whose innovations were so miraculous he
was dubbed “The Wizard of Menlo Park”. An astute businessman as well as a hands-on tinkerer, he held a
staggering 1093 patents, and had a special talent for marketing his contraptions and developing existing
ideas into practical realities. While his vicious feud with rival Nikola Tesla isn’t winning him many fans these
days, Edison’s combination of ingenuity and business acumen fundamentally shaped the modern world.
Brilliant, eccentric, and prolific, Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla’s technologies power our homes
and contributed to wireless communication. Born in the Austrian Empire, Tesla arrived in the US with little
to his name, but soon quit a position at Thomas Edison’s Machine Works to strike out on his own. His
alternating current induction motor emerged the eventual victor in the War of the Currents between
himself and Edison. Tesla dreamt big, but sometimes struggled to finance his schemes, a fact embodied in
his most ambitious experiment - Wardenclyffe Tower, meant to transmit power around the world, but
demolished for scrap when funding collapsed. Still, it’s thanks to Tesla we can safely transmit electricity over
long distances today.
Before we reveal the identity of our top pick, here are some honorable mentions:
Benjamin Franklin
Bill Gates
A painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and inventor, Italian artist and scientist Leonardo Da Vinci mastered
more skills in his lifetime than many of us put together. In art, his attention to tone gradation, experiments
with light and shade, and innovations in perspective and composition changed painting forever. He used
meticulous anatomical studies to capture gestures and emotional expressions in rich, lifelike detail. In his
spare time, he sketched inventions both practical and impossible - ranging from a parachute, tank, and
helicopter, to a batlike flying machine and shoes for walking on water. Today, his iconic “Mona Lisa” attracts
millions of visitors a year, and he remains an enduring symbol of universal genius and the Renaissance.
For this list, we're looking at iconic or valuable objects and things from the past that have been broken,
damaged, or completely destroyed by inane decisions.
These ruthless rulers are responsible for some of history’s darkest hours. Welcome to WatchMojo UK and
today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 most evil queens in history!
For this list, the individuals do not necessarily have to have held the title of queen, as we’re including
anything equivalent in power - from wicked regents to unforgiving empresses.
These treasures remain unfound but not unwanted. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be
counting down our picks for the Top 10 Lost Treasures in the World.
For this list, we’ll be looking at the most valuable and/or famous caches of treasure that remain hidden or
else that have been lost to the world. We won’t be including treasures or locations that most agree are
fictional, like the sunken Atlantis.
Ready for a history lesson? Welcome to WatchMojo UK and today we're counting down our picks for the
Top 10 Most Important Events in British History.
For this list, we’re looking at some of the key the Moments that have propelled Britain forward in the last
thousand years. Obviously we can’t cram a millennium’s worth of history into one video so don’t be
surprised if there are some significant events we haven’t covered just yet!
We recommend not getting into arguments about any of the following politicians; it’ll probably get ugly.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Most Controversial
Political Figures.
For this list, we’re looking at the lawmakers and leaders that evoke intense reactions from their supporters
and their haters. In order for someone to be considered, they can’t be universally hated or acknowledged as
pure evil, like Adolf Hitler. They have to have a base that supports them, and detractors that point out their
flaws.
Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Tony Blair
Prime Minister of the UK (1997-2007)
- Robert Mugabe
President of Zimbabwe (1987-)
- Rodrigo Duterte
President of the Philippines (2016-)
The history of humanity has been shaped by incredible human beings doing unbelievable things. Welcome
to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Historic People Who May
Have Been Superheroes.
For this list, we’re looking at individuals throughout history who have demonstrated unbelievable skills and
abilities or achieved accomplishments beyond those of any typical person. These incredible individuals have
earned themselves a place in the history books, and could very well have been real life superheroes.
At 7 feet 9 inches, MacAskill was the tallest “natural giant” in recorded history. Although the tallest man,
Robert Wadlow, and woman, Zeng Jinglian, were well over 8 feet, both were diagnosed with gigantism, a
hormonal condition. MacAskill’s proportions were consistent with the average man - just massive. Born in
Scotland in 1825, his family moved to Nova Scotia when he was a child. He was of normal height until he hit
puberty. As an adult, he weighed an estimated 425 lbs and was quite healthy. Among the strongest men in
history, he reportedly lifted a 2,800-pound anchor to chest height and could tip over a two-ton boat to drain
it of bilge water.
Some heroes are super as a result of uncommon courage, willpower, and single-minded commitment to
their goals. Amelia Earhart is the most famous and accomplished aviatrix of the 20th Century. Just by virtue
of her uncompromising pioneering spirit in a male dominated world, she achieved Agent Peggy Carter levels
of badassery and respect. But she didn’t simply fly planes - she broke records, both in female aviation and
aviation… period. She set the speed record for 100km or 62 miles, and was the first person to pilot an
autogyro across America. She pushed the boundaries of aviation and had she completed her final journey, it
would’ve been the longest of its kind the world had ever seen.
Separating fact from fiction can be tough when it comes to the life of this lone samurai or “Rōnin.” His fame
during his own lifetime, from about 1584 - 1645, was so great that it inspired artists and writers to create
fictionalized accounts of his exploits, turning him into a “living legend.” But a few things are considered fact.
He was one of the greatest swordsman to ever live, and was unparalleled in his two sword technique. He
won a record breaking 60 duels. Despite his many activities, he died in his 60s of natural causes, cementing
his reputation as an “invincible” swordfighter. His philosophical and martial arts-based “Book of Five Rings”
is still studied today.
Born Choi Yeong-eui in Korea under Japanese occupation in 1923, Mas Oyama was a master martial artist,
and founded the influential Kyokushin style of karate. He credits Musashi’s “The Book of Five Rings” as his
greatest inspiration. Oyama earned his nickname, “The Godhand” with his “one punch - certain kill”
technique, which is... exactly what it sounds like. He fought bulls to the death barehanded, or, as happened
on some occasions, with a single punch to the face. He also invented the 100-man Kumite, which consisted
of one hundred 2 minute rounds of sparring. He once performed this feat three times back to back over
three consecutive days - a truly inhuman showing of endurance.
Mankind may never run as fast as The Flash, but this track and field star proved man capable of running
much faster than ever previously imagined. At the 1935 Big Ten meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Jesse Owens
broke three world records and tied a fourth one… in less than an hour. This achievement has been dubbed
the “the greatest 45 minutes ever in sport.” At the 1936 Summer Olympic games, he won gold in 100
meters, 200 meters, long jump, and the 4 × 100 meter relay. Held in Berlin, these Olympic games were
viewed by Hitler as an opportunity to showcase Aryan supremacy - any hopes of which the African American
Jesse Owens certainly dashed.
Born a sickly asthmatic child, he became one of the most accomplished men in American history, not to
mention President of the United States. A jiu-jitsu and boxing practitioner, Theodore Roosevelt was also a
respected author and scholar. As Police Commissioner in NYC, he went undercover as a beat cop to weed
out corruption. He personally led the charge at the Battle of Kettle Hill. He was shot in the chest while
campaigning, and still gave his scheduled 90 minute speech. His mediation of the treaty to end the Russo-
Japanese War earned him a Nobel Peace Prize. And he once rode 100 miles on horseback, at the age of 51...
just to prove a point.
Canadians must be feeding their kids right, because this is the second famous strongman to make our list
who grew up in the Great White North. A French Canadian from Quebec, Louis Cyr is known as “the
strongest man ever to have lived.” Some modern world champion weightlifters may claim to have him beat,
but since he lived 1863 to 1912, it’s hard to judge fairly. What we can say is that his most staggering feats of
strength include backlifting between an estimated 4,337lbs and 6,678lbs (based on varying accounts), and
lifting 500 lbs with a single finger. He worked as a cop for 2 years. Talk about “striking fear in the hearts of
criminals.”
Not every superhuman ability is physical in nature. There have been a number of super geniuses over the
course of history. Sir Isaac Newton gave us our understanding of gravity and the three “Laws of Motion,”
which would function as the governing rules of our universe until Einstein presented his theory of relativity.
Comparing the relative intelligence of geniuses from different lifetimes achieves very little. Einstein isn’t
necessarily more of a super genius than Newton, but there’s no denying his role as the most iconic super
genius, whose cognitive abilities some have called - superhuman. An autopsy of his brain revealed a number
of irregularities to support that idea.
The untimely demise of Bruce Lee meant that the world never got to see him realize his full potential - in
film, pop culture, or martial arts. But in his relatively short life, Lee, a prodigy of the legendary martial arts
master Yip Man, proved himself an extraordinary fighter, and truly one of a kind. His strength and reflexes
seemingly exceeded human standards. He could reportedly snatch grains of rice out of the air with
chopsticks. Cameramen complained that he moved too fast for traditional cameras. His reputed two-
fingered push-ups, one armed pull ups, and “dragon flag” core exercise could break even the most serious
of fitness buffs. His one inch punch… sure looks superhuman.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Leonardo da Vinci
Super Genius & Super Creativity
Muhammad Ali
Super Speed & Reflexes
He might be exactly what scientists in “Captain America” were aiming for - the perfect physical specimen.
Jim Thorpe performed like a superhuman, but he wasn’t created in a lab. Born near Prague, Oklahoma, to
parents of Native American and European ancestry, in the Sac and Fox Nation, he is considered one of
history’s greatest athletes, and undeniably, its most versatile. In 1950, the Associated Press named him the
greatest athlete of the first half of 20th Century. At the turn of the 21st century, ABC Sports declared that to
still hold true. In his lifetime, Thorpe played football at the college and professional level, as well as baseball
and basketball professionally. In 1912, he won two gold medals in Track and Field.
It may have been known as the war to end all wars, but these conundrums still exist in the minds of many.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Unsolved World War
I Mysteries.
For this list, we’re ranking the most well known, yet enigmatic situations that arose during the first World
War. The secrets behind some of these mysteries are shrouded in obscurity, while others might never be
solved, but that hasn’t stopped historians from trying to uncover their secrets.
Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Despite the extensive coverage of the event, these are things you may not have known about the fated day
of December 7, 1941. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top
ten things you didn’t know about the attack on Pearl Harbor.
For this list, we’re discussing various facets of the attack on Pearl Harbor that you may not be aware of.
#4: Roosevelt Almost Didn’t Use the Word “Infamy” In His Speech
Roosevelt’s Infamy Speech is often considered to be one of the finest American speeches in political history.
It was only seven minutes long, but its impact was immediate. Congress declared war on Japan within an
hour after the speech was finished and the public became highly supportive of the war effort, inundating
the white house with letters of praise and support. The line, “A date which will live in infamy” has become
engrained into the public conscience, but that was almost not the case. The original line was, “A date which
will live in world history,” but Roosevelt personally scratched it out and added “infamy” in its place. It was a
good decision.
#3: Elvis Presley Helped Raise Money for the USS Arizona Memorial
The USS Arizona memorial sits on top of the sunken USS Arizona. Over two million people visit the memorial
on an annual basis, and visiting it is considered a highly emotional experience - and we have Elvis Presley to
thank (at least in part) for its existence. President Eisenhower approved the memorial’s creation in 1958,
but it was stipulated that it be privately financed at a cost of $500,000 (about $4.25 million today). On
March 25, 1961, Elvis put on a benefit concert which raised $64,000, or nearly 13% of the structure’s cost.
Construction went ahead, and the memorial was opened on May 30, 1962.
#2: The Ashes of a Soldier’s Daughter Went Down with the USS Utah
During the attack, the USS Utah was hit by Japanese torpedoes, which caused the ship to quickly take on
water and sink. 64 people were killed in the attack, and, like the USS Arizona, the dead remain entombed
with the ship. One of its occupants are the ashes of a baby girl. Nancy Lynne Wagner died when she was
two-days-old, and her father, Albert Wagner, had taken her ashes on the ship with the intention of
scattering them at sea. However, the ship was attacked before he had the chance, and her ashes remain in
Wagner’s locker to this day. In 2003, a funeral service was held at the site of Utah in her honor.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Japanese Tourists Visit Pearl Harbor on an Annual Basis
- Most of the Sunken Battleships Were Salvaged
- The Japanese Attempted to Attack Pearl Harbor Again on March 4, 1942
It’s about time we had a talk about just how dangerous these things are. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and
today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 scariest nuclear bombs.
For this list, our focus is not necessarily on the biggest bombs ever created, but on the bombs that have
done the most damage, harmed the most people, and inspired the most fear. We’ve also decided to rank
nuclear bombs, including atomic and hydrogen bombs, while excluding other nuclear weapons, like
missiles.
#9: B-41
Also known as the Mk-41, this bomb was called the most efficient weapon ever built at the time of its
creation - when comparing its weight to its yield, or the amount of energy it emits at detonation. In fact,
with a maximum yield of 25 megatons, this bomb has the ability to release the same destructive power as
25 million tons of TNT. Had it been detonated, it would have produced a fireball almost 4 miles wide,
burned people to the third degree about 32 miles away and annihilated most structures within 15 miles.
Although never used in actual warfare, the B-41 remains the most powerful nuclear bomb ever created by
the United States.
The truth is out there - but these conspiracy theories are way, way out there. Welcome to WatchMojo.com,
and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 craziest JFK conspiracy theories.
For this list, we're looking at the most extraordinary explanations that people have offered for the
assassination of 35th President John F. Kennedy.
Fancy yourself a linguist? Why not brush up on one of these obscure tongues? Welcome to WatchMojo.com
and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Rare Languages Still Spoken Around the World.
For this list, we’re looking at the rarest “organic” languages, meaning those that arose naturally, and were
not intentionally created – like Esperanto or Lincos – or created for TV or movies, like Klingon or Na'vi.
#10: Friulian
While this Romance language is spoken by roughly 600,000 people worldwide, the vast majority of speakers
are found in northern Italy near the Slovenian border. Related to Ladin (spelled with a “d”, not a “t”), the
language took on its own identity over the centuries under the influence of Slovene, Italian, German, and
Venetian. Oddly, despite originating deep in alpine Italy, the language is thought to be more similar to
French in construction than Italian. Though once very much isolated to the province of Udine, poverty in
that region has seen Friulian-speaking Italians move across the globe and generate more interest in the
distinct language.
#9: Tuyuca
This uncommon language is spoken by the Tuyuca, an indigenous people located near the Papurí, in Inambú
and Tiquié rivers in South America. It is a polysynthetic language, meaning that complex words are created
by staking simple words together, and as a result, it is notoriously hard to learn. With about 50 to 140
genders or noun classes, it is considered one of the most difficult languages in the world. You really have to
be immersed in it daily to even begin to get it right. Not to mention that there are tones to worry about. So,
unless you are one of the 500-1000 native speakers, good luck.
#8: Yupik
Like in the previous entry, the Yupik lexicon is polysynthetic, and largely created with combinations. The
new words can have very, very specific meanings. You can basically create sentences out of a single word.
An often-cited example is, well, this word [“Tuntussuqatarniksaitengqiggtuq,”] which means “He had not yet
said again that he was going to hunt reindeer.” It’s spoken by the Yupik peoples in Alaska and far eastern
Russia, where more than 75% of the population is fluent in this language, or rather, some form of it. You
see… “Yupik” isn’t one language but rather a collection of similar but distinct languages, one of which is
actually extinct.
#7: Pawnee
Another polysynthetic language, this one is perhaps the big boss of them all. The language – spoken by
Native Americans of the same name who reside predominantly in what is now Oklahoma – has a fairly
simple alphabetical set up, with only eight vowels and nine consonants. However, most sentences will have
at least one word with more than ten syllables, with some words containing as many as 30! With the
number of native speakers shrinking as the population ages, the Pawnee Nation has developed programs to
teach the language to youth and adults alike in hopes of saving it from extinction.
#6: Archi
Spoken almost exclusively in the village of Archib and the six, smaller, nearby villages in southern Dagestan,
Russia, this one is seriously rare. For a long time, there was no writing system, and it wasn’t until 2006 that a
Cyrillic-based alphabet was created for this Northeast Caucasian language. It has a ton of phonemes (or
distinguishing sounds), and an incredible morphological system, with many irregularities. For every verb
root, there are over 1.5 million forms to be derived. And you thought your “Intro to Spanish” class was hard.
#5: Pirahã
As a change of pace, here is a much simpler language. In fact, it is often thought to be one of the simplest
languages in the world, with ten or less phonemes. Sometimes there are no words at all, only hums. It is also
lacking many descriptors common in other languages. There don’t seem to be any words for colors,
numbers, or past and future tenses. The language of the isolated Pirahã people of Brazil, it is the only
remaining dialect of the Mura language, which once had a robust speaking population of 30-60,000, but has
dwindled to just about 300 native speakers.
#4: Basque
A language isolate, Basque is its own language family, and there is nothing else like it in the world. Basque
speakers are mainly found near the western Pyrenees mountains, between Spain and France. Predating
almost all Indo-European languages, the origins of Basque are shrouded in mystery. It was once even
postulated that Basque dated back to prehistoric Europe, based off the theory that many of the words for
various tools contained the root word for “stone,” suggesting a Stone Age beginning. This is now known as
the Aizkora Controversy, and widely debated. The language was strongly discouraged during the Franco
regime in Spain, but in the 1960s measures were taken to strengthen this ancient language.
#3: Welsh
Developing out of Common Brittonic, and likely arriving in Britain during either the Bronze or Iron Age, this
Insular Celtic tongue has enjoyed a revival, thanks in large part to grassroot efforts to reclaim the language.
Like many Celtic languages, by the 20th Century the populations of native speakers were dwindling sharply,
in large part due to old English laws and practices that sought to wipe them out. In 2011, the ‘Welsh
Language Measure’ granted this Brittonic language official status. This makes it the only other official
language in Britain outside of English. Some words are a bit tricky, so you might need a little practice in
order to achieve fluency, however.
#2: Taa
One of the many Khoisan languages, which incorporate clicks, Taa is spoken by native peoples living
Botswana and to a much lesser degree, Namibia. It is perhaps most famous for being the language with
likely the most number of phonemes, as it incorporates not only vowel and consonant sounds, but also
many clicks, and tones within those clicks. It is the closest living relative, so to speak, to the traditional South
African “Nǁng” language, which, sadly, is all but extinct, with only three native speakers left as of 2013.
Despite its sound range, Taa is assembled in a common Subject-Verb-Object agreement – the sentence
structure shared by many other languages, including English, French, and Chinese.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Xhosa
- Sentinelese
And like that, they were gone. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for
the Top 10 Civilizations That Mysteriously Faded Away.
For this list, we’re looking at civilizations, cities or groups of people, that for one reason or another,
dwindled, declined or gradually disappeared from the face of the earth due to reasons that aren’t always
known or haven’t been fully confirmed.
#9: Nabataeans
The Nabataeans emerged around the fourth century BC in what is now the countries of Jordan, Syria, Saudi
Arabia and Israel. They are responsible for building the carved city of Petra, which is a prime example of
their architectural achievements. And it’s worth noting that slavery was not as widely practiced among the
Nabataeans as it was among other civilizations of the time. Little is known about why the Nabataeans
disappeared, possibly because they were a secretive culture to begin with. However, it has been suggested
that, over the years, they may simply have melted into the larger Greco-Roman culture that surrounded
them.
#5: Çatalhöyük
Considered one of the oldest settlements ever discovered, Çatalhöyük is believed to have existed between
7500 BC and 5700 BC. This Neolithic society was situated in what is now southern Turkey, a region that’s
home to another mysterious ancient wonder, the temple of Göbekli Tepe. While this was an illiterate
society, it didn’t stop them from creating works of art and complex structures. In fact, the layout of the
proto-city was quite unique. Instead of roads, the homes were built side by side, with ladders and sidewalks
built along the rooftops. Why did Çatalhöyük mysteriously disappear? No one knows and few clues exist to
make an educated guess.
It seems like many school systems have left out a few important lessons from the past. Welcome to
WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 things you didn’t learn in history
class.
For this list, we’re looking at remarkable moments and facts from the past that are seriously under-
represented in the history books. Though you may be familiar with some of these lessons, if they made the
list, they’re far from common knowledge, and you likely didn’t learn them in school.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Leif Erikson: The Actual 1st Explorer to Reach the Americas
The 1st European to discover North America was not Christopher Columbus, but Leif Erikson, a Norse
Explorer who arrived in c. 1000
Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About the Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
With the flick of a switch, the way humanity thought of the bomb was changed forever. Welcome to
WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 things you didn’t know about the
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
For this list, we’re looking at little known or thought-provoking facts about the bombings. It’s likely there
will be photos and videos that some find disturbing or upsetting; viewer discretion is advised.
#8: The Hiroshima Peace Flame Will Burn Until All Nuclear Weapons Are Destroyed
As the saying goes: those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. To serve as a reminder of the horrors
of atomic war and a memorial to the bombing victims, the Peace Flame was built on the remains of
Hiroshima’s commercial and residential district, and lit in 1964. Burning at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial
Park, the flame will remain lit until all nuclear weapons in the world are destroyed and the world no longer
faces the threat of a nuclear “D-Day.”
#5: The First Flower to Bloom After the Bombing Became Hiroshima’s Official Flower
In the wasteland left behind by the bombs, it took a long time before anything living poked through the
rubble – in fact, some thought it would take at least 30 years before any plant life sprouted. However,
within a year of the explosion, the Oleander became the first flower to bloom. It’s a shrub with bright pink,
red, or white flower that’s hearty enough to weather the difficult soil conditions and thrive despite the
debris. Because this flower was the first to grow through the rubble after the destruction of Hiroshima, and
therefore inspired residents, it was named as the city’s official flower.
#3: “Duck and Cover” Apparently Saved the Lives of Nagasaki Police
After the bombing of Hiroshima, some survivors fled to the neighboring city of Nagasaki. One of these
survivors was a policeman from Hiroshima, who’d witnessed how “ducking” after the atomic flash
minimized injury caused by the ensuing shock wave. He taught the Nagasaki police force the importance of
the “duck and cover” method, which involved lying flat on the ground after a bomb explosion to reduce the
risk of burns or fatal injuries. As a result of this instruction, it’s said that zero policemen were killed in
Nagasaki when “Fat Man” was dropped. Unfortunately the general population didn’t receive this lesson, and
many were injured while looking to the sky for the source of the blast.
#1: The U.S. Dropped Warning Leaflets on Japan Before the Bombings
Not only did the Japanese detect the bombers ahead of time; the American Air Force also warned the
Japanese that the bombs were coming… kinda. Believing it would increase the associated psychological
damage, Curtis LeMay – commander of the B-17 Flying Fortress unit, the 305th Bomb Group – had leaflets
written up by Japanese POWs and dropped over major cities. Dates about the last pamphlet drops are
conflicting, with some sources stating they stopped in early-July and other survivors reporting they received
leaflets just days before Hiroshima was bombed. Either way, they warned about air raids and fire bombings,
encouraged evacuation and surrender, and listed major cities as potential targets – with the exception of
Hiroshima. However, they never threatened atomic warfare.
The Universe is a very big place, and these are the best efforts humankind has made to explore it so far.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 space exploration
achievements!
For this list, we’re looking at the greatest achievements in the history of space travel and the moments that
have most advanced scientific research and our understanding of space to date.
#10: Sputnik 1
October 4, 1957
The successful launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union was the first major move in the twentieth century
space race between the USSR and the USA. As the first artificial Earth satellite, the now-iconic spherical
design of Sputnik 1 caught global attention as a Soviet-made ‘star’ in the sky. It was a symbol of hope and
scientific endeavor for many, but it also prompted Cold War concerns in America. The 184-lb spacecraft
orbited Earth once every hour and 36 minutes, travelling at 18,000 mph, for 92 days. When it eventually
burned up re-entering Earth’s atmosphere on January 4th 1958, it had travelled more than 40 million miles.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Expedition 1 – First Long-Duration Stay of a Crew on the ISS
November 2, 2000
Believe it or not, some secrets never get out. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down
our picks for the Top 10 People Who Died with Huge Secrets.
For this list, we’re looking at famous people who died taking either a personal or scientific secret to the
grave.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Jan Sloot
Advance in Data Compression
- Edward Leedskalnin
Moved Tons of Stone with Little Equipment
There’s nothing like a good doomsday prediction to bolster ratings or sell more newspapers. Welcome to
WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down the Top 10 False Doomsday Predictions.
For this list, we’re looking at some of the most outrageous prophecies that turned out to be hoaxes, lies, or
just plain misinterpretations.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “Preparing for the Kingdom of God – Book 1”
- Montanism [aka New Prophecy]
- Large Hadron Collider Will Create Earth-Destroying Black Hole
These men and women had a knack for attracting the attention of professional killers. Welcome to
WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 people who survived the most
assassination attempts.
For this list, we’re looking at people who were put in immediate danger more than once by those who
would do them harm, but repeatedly survived such attempts. So although there were numerous plots to kill
President Barack Obama, for example, the would-be killers never came close.
These predictions may have sounded ridiculous at the time, but turned out to be right on the money.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Historical Predictions
That Came True.
For this list, we’ll be looking at predictions from the incredible thinkers that actually became a reality.
#9: Television
John Elfreth Watkins Jr.
At the turn of the 20th century, a man named John Elfreth Watkins Jr. submitted an article to “The Ladies’
Home Journal,” titled “What May Happen in the Next Hundred Years.” The list included everything from the
height of the average American to ready-cooked meals, but his most impressive prediction without a doubt
was the invention of the television. Watkins wrote: “Man will see around the world. Persons and things of
all kinds will be brought within focus of cameras connected electrically with screens at opposite ends of
circuits, thousands of miles at a span.” Today, more than half of the homes in the United States have at least
three television sets.
#8: The Periodic Table
Dmitri Mendeleev
In 1863, scientists had discovered 56 known elements. Several people at the time hoped to organize these
elements by creating a table of periodic elements, but none did so quite like Dmitri Mendeleev. A Russian
chemist, Mendeleev published his periodic table in 1869, but left gaps in it for future elements. He then
claimed that he had a dream where he saw a table with places for including 10 then-unknown elements. By
arranging the elements in a periodic way, he was able to predict characteristics of the elements that would
fill in the missing gaps. Remarkably, 7 of his 10 predicted elements were eventually discovered and added to
the table.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Netflix
Roger Ebert
You don’t want to be the target of any of these weapons. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re
counting down our picks for the Top 10 Most Dangerous Weapons Ever Created.
For this list, we’re looking at weapons that can cause a lot of damage and what specifically makes them
dangerous. Each entry is our pick for a particular “class” of weapon.
#5: Tank
These armored vehicles have been rolling down the battlefield for decades and come in different varieties.
Unlike the other entries on this list, tanks have seen so many different models over the years; it’s impossible
to single one out as the deadliest. The M1A2 Abrams tank from the United States has uranium depleted
armor almost three feet thick and a 120 mm cannon. The Leopard 2 from Germany weighs 68.7 short tons,
and its armor helps it withstand attacks from RPGs and improvised explosive devices. The K2 Black Panther
from South Korea has a fire control system that allows the tank to locate objects without input from the
operator, and it has a cruise range of 280 miles.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
- Mines
- Flamethrower
#4: Napoleon and His Troops Shot Off The Nose Of the Sphinx
Speaking of noses… how exactly did this mythical, riddle-asking beast lose his? The monuments of Ancient
Egypt are architectural marvels that have stood the test of time and captivated the attention of travellers
from the around the globe for centuries. Meaning that if you mess with them… the world does not forgive.
And Napoleon is a historical figure who needs little help inspiring dislike. Blame him for breaking countless
treaties, reinstating slavery in Haiti and the death of some 6 million Europeans, but not the sphinx’s botched
rhinoplasty job. Napoleon embarked on an Egyptian Campaign in 1798, and so the damage was attributed to
him retroactively. But sketches of the sphinx published in 1757 already included a missing nose, a timeline
other accounts from that time can corroborate.
#3: When a Pharaoh Died, Their Servants Were Buried With Them
It just takes a few eccentrics to tarnish the reputation of an entire civilization. We’ve all seen it in movies
and television - a pharaoh is embalmed, placed in an ornate sarcophagus, and then buried in a massive
tomb worthy of their status. Their servants place their greatest possessions around them, and then the
tomb is sealed… with the servants inside! Up until the inclusion of the servants, this account of a ritualised
pharaoh burial was accurate. But most pharaohs took small figurines with them to the grave, known as
“shabtis”, symbolic servants to serve them in the afterlife. Only two or three pharaohs of the first dynasty
insisted on bringing real servants along, but the discovery of these specific tombs inspired generalisations
about the practice.
#2: Egyptians Invented Hieroglyphs
Ancient Egypt has certainly provided modern researchers with an ample reading material to study in the
form of hieroglyphs. This pictorial language, first deciphered by Jean-Francois Champollion in 1820 using the
Rosetta Stone, was the formal writing system of Ancient Egyptians. For many years, it was considered the
oldest written language. But there is a curious lack of proto-glyphs in Egyptian artefacts - the glyph system
appears suddenly in their history between 3400 and 3000 BCE, already fully developed. Contemporary
scholars now believe that this language, or at least, the concept of a pictorial script, was introduced to Egypt
by the Sumerians, whose cuneiform seemingly predates Egyptian hieroglyphs. According to the Ancient
Egyptians however, the god, Thoth, invented it.
These tragic tales may have you second-guessing your desire for an adventure! Welcome to
WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Expeditions Gone Wrong.
For this list, we’re looking at some of the most notorious explorations that didn’t go according to plan, and
remain cautionary tales.
Will these burning questions ever be answered? Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting
down our picks for the Top 10 Unsolved Mysteries of World War II.
For this list, we’re ranking high profile stories from the Second World War that are surrounded by mystery.
Religion sets out to answer bigger questions about our existence, ascribe importance in a higher being, and
lay the groundwork for a moral life. Welcome to WatchMojo’s Top 5 Myths, the series that finds the biggest
myths that people actually believe and dispels them one by one. In today’s instalment we’ll be looking at
misconceptions surrounding major organized religions, along with the beliefs followers subscribe to. So step
aside Hozier, it’s time to take these people to church.
War may be hell, but sometimes it's also downright weird. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're
counting down our picks for the Top 10 Weird Weapons of War.
For this list, we'll be ranking the strangest and most bizarre attempts at creating a unique style of weapon.
Humanity has been engaged in war for as long as we've been on this planet, and as a result, there have been
some very left-field ideas when it's come to shifting how we view battle. [Here are some of the most "out
there" examples we could find.]
#8: Windkanone
The term "Wunderwaffe" refers to covert German plans for the development of so-called "super weapons"
during World War II. One of these proposed weapons was known as the Windkanone, which, roughly
translated, could be described as a "Wind Cannon." The Windkanone was a ground-based cannon that was
packed with a mixture of hydrogen and ammonia (though some sources say oxygen). It was designed to
shoot out a shell of compressed air at its targets, with the intention of grounding planes or otherwise
disturbing airborne threats. Windkanones were tested, but their effects against targets weren't to the liking
of German officials, and anyone manning it was essentially a sitting duck - so the idea was scrapped.
#7: Who Me
The next weird weapon on our list possesses a strange name for an equally strange idea. Who Me was an
idea that first came to light thanks to the proto-C.I.A. agency known as Office of Strategic Services. This
American intelligence sector designed the horrible smelling stench weapon known as Who Me for the
French Resistance fighting against Germany in World War II. The compound was placed within small
atomizer devices similar to a cologne dispenser, and was intended to disorient its target with the
overwhelming stench of feces. Unfortunately, the spraying of Who Me often backfired against its user,
making it yet another quickly discarded idea in the ever evolving fight against Nazi Germany.
#6: Novgorod
The Russian monitor Novgorod was a circular, flat-bottomed warship whose intentions were to be a heavily
armored protector ship, with the ability to carry a large amount of artillery on board. Built in 1871, the
reality of its strange design made Novgorod almost impossible to maneuver effectively in anything other
than perfect weather conditions. Its circular shape also meant that it could take nearly an hour for Novgorod
to make a U-Turn, thanks to an incompatible rudder system. To be fair, although Novgorod holds a
reputation as one of the worst wartime naval ships ever constructed, it actually achieved its intended aim
for coastal defense...even if it might've looked a tad silly while doing so.
When people go to the polls, history is made. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down
our picks for the top 10 world-changing votes in history.
For this list, we’re looking at the decisions that changed world attitudes, sparked massive conflicts or shaped
entire nations.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Paris Agreement on Climate Change
April 22, 2016
- Quebec Referendum
October 30, 1995
Now you live in them, now you don’t. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our
picks for the Top 10 Countries That No Longer Exist.
For this list, we’ll be looking at nations, republics, states and countries that were divided, replaced,
absorbed or otherwise ceased to be – flags and all.
#8: Prussia
1525 - 1947
Wow, Germany’s had more names than Puff Daddy. This iteration was called Prussia. Starting out as a
duchy, it became a kingdom in 1701 under Frederick I, and became famous for its military strength, most
notably under Frederick the Great and Otto von Bismarck. At its peak, Prussia covered parts of what are now
8 European countries. After German unification in 1871, Prussia was the largest state in the German Empire,
but ceased to be a kingdom after WWI. It later lost independence after the Weimar Republic dismissed
Prussia’s cabinet, and by 1934, their powers had been completely stripped by the Nazis. After WWII, the
Allies effectively dissolved Prussia, with Poland and the USSR taking the spoils and kicking the Germans out.
#5: Czechoslovakia
1918 - 1993
After the Central Powers were defeated at the end of WWI, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved and
split into a bunch of successor states. One of these was Czechoslovakia, one of the few countries in Europe
that was a democratic republic at the time. They had a good thing going until the Nazis gobbled it up, and
later, of course, the Soviets. During the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the Czechs deposed their government
and restored their democracy, but things weren’t all rosy. By 1993, nationalist tensions between Czechs and
Slovaks caused the country to peacefully split into two: the Czech Republic in the West, and Slovakia in the
East, effectively making them... Czechmates.
#4: Rhodesia
1965 - 1979
Starting out as the British colony of Southern Rhodesia and named after Cecil Rhodes, the British
businessman who exploited the region, this southeast African state had a history mired in blood. In 1965,
the minority whites signed a declaration of independence from the UK, which was declared illegal, as Britain
only allowed the majority to make such a declaration. After British sanctions, and a 15 year civil war
between Robert Mugabe’s ZANU, Joshua Nkomo’s ZAPU, and Ian Smith’s Rhodesian government, Rhodesia
buckled: universal suffrage was granted and the state was named Zimbabwe Rhodesia. Elections were held
in 1980, and Robert Mugabe and ZANU won. The European name of Rhodesia was replaced with just
Zimbabwe, and Mugabe has been in control, first as Prime Minister and now as President, ever since.
#2: Yugoslavia
1918 - 1992
Along with Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia was another remnant of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. Unlike its
peer, which adopted democracy, Yugoslavia became a Kingdom. That kingdom was invaded by the Nazis in
1941, as was the trend in Europe. At the end of WWII, it became a socialist federal republic unaffiliated with
the USSR, under the leadership of Josip Tito. It was a federation of 6 different republics that, after Tito’s
death in 1980, wanted independence because of ethnic differences. Some republics declared independence
in the early 1990s, effectively dissolving Yugoslavia into what is today 7 different countries, including
Croatia, and Serbia. The story doesn’t end there though, as the Yugoslav Wars unfortunately continued
throughout the 1990s.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Austro-Hungary
1867 - 1918
- Sikkim
1642 - 1975
- South Vietnam
1955 - 1975
These were the rumors you couldn’t believe were true – until it was revealed they were. Welcome to
WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 shocking declassified secrets.
For this list, we’ll be focusing on pieces of information that were once top-secret, but have since been
revealed to the public. For the record, we’re not passing judgment on these secrets, but rather discussing
how potentially shocking their declassification was to society as a whole.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are few declassified honorable mentions.
- Plame Affair
- Operation Gladio
- The Vatican & the Knights Templar
They captured the public’s attention with the power of their words. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and
today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Most Powerful Public Speakers in History.
For this list, we’ll be ranking the most influential historical personalities who used their oratory talents for
major social change during their lives – for better or worse.
Before we name our most impactful public speaker, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Abraham Lincoln
- Harvey Milk
- Charles de Gaulle
When the Pope offers redemption through aggression, you know it’s going to get ugly. Welcome to
WatchMojo’s Top 5 Myths, the series that finds the biggest myths people actually believe, and dispels them
one by one. In today’s instalment, we’re taking a look at some common misperceptions about The Crusades.
What were “The Crusades?” Well, how about this: Christians! Conversion! And War against Muslims! Well,
hold up now, because the Crusaders didn’t wage battle exclusively against Muslims like you might believe.
Essentially, The Crusades were about territory. And the First Crusade transpired when Pope Urban II
organized a mass pilgrimage to the Holy Land. “Deus Vult” or “God Wills It” functioned as the11th century
hashtag of the time, yet the primary goal for many wasn’t to fight Muslims – it was to wash away their own
sins in the name of Christianity. And while large numbers of Muslims were killed, Jews were also murdered,
most notably when the German Count Emicho initiated community slaughters within his own country. And
by the end of the 4th Crusade, even Orthodox Christians were murdered during the Sack of Constantinople.
Believe it or not, there was no official dress code for The Crusades. And given that peasants and plenty of
sketchy individuals were recruited for the First Crusade, well, they just wore what they had. Remember, one
of Pope Urban’s promotional tools was the offering of indulgences. Meaning, the most troubled of peasants
could be forgiven for their sins. Of course, the popular image associated with The Crusades involves some
white threads, complemented by a blood red cross. And sure, plenty of folks dressed up as such – they were
called rich knights. So, Christian crusaders weren’t exactly turned away for their weak or questionable style.
Let’s be clear: the Crusaders lost from time to time. And given some of the major fails of the Third and
Fourth Crusades – i.e. the failure to take Jerusalem – it’s easy to designate the Christian crusaders as just a
bunch of violent nuts that freaked out over religion and territory. Yet the Crusaders had enormous success
early on, especially given the internal conflict within the Seljuk Empire. In fact, the Crusaders DID manage to
secure Jerusalem in 1099, closing out the First Crusade and establishing Crusader “states” in Tripoli, Antioch,
Edessa and, of course, Jerusalem. And so, the concept of “crusading” only grew from there, as politics,
religion and territorial control evolved into a larger beast of burden for everybody involved. And by the
Third Crusade, Richard the Lionheart employed only knight crusaders, a tight little unit that understood
strategy. They lost quite a bit, but their synergy and affinity for castles gave them an upper edge over their
more disorganized enemies.
It’s impossible to get inside the head of Pope Urban II. But as the First Crusade began, the ultimate goal was
to bring Christianity to the Holy Land. As mentioned, the Crusaders slaughtered Jews and they most
definitely killed Muslims in their quest. Territory was the name of the game, and the various factions of
crusaders bonded through a shared interest towards a common goal. And while religion was obviously part
of the conversation, the crusaders didn’t seek to convert Muslims or Jews, nor did they pillage and provoke
them based solely on religion. Of course, this was made blatantly clear by the end of the Fourth Crusade, as
the crusaders sacked the Byzantine-controlled Constantinople, which didn’t go over too well back in Rome.
And so, The Crusades were not a holy war, but a war for territorial control.
So much news, so little time. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for
the top 10 events that were completely overshadowed by other events.
For this list, we’re taking a look at significant events that could’ve been top news stories any other day, but
flew under the radar due to another event that received the lion’s share of the media coverage.
Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Ayatollah Khomeini’s Death, First Free Elections in Poland, Gas Explosion in Russia
Overshadowed by: Tank Man
Caught on tape? If only. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top
10 Spectacular Historic Events We WishWe Had On Film.
For this list, we’re ranking the most important historical and pre-historical events that either occurred prior
to the invention of moving film, or were otherwise not captured by the medium. For the record, we’re not
arguing for or against some of the more controversial events on this list, but simply recognizing their
relevance and how each of them shaped the course of history.
Before we reveal our top historic event, here are few honorable mentions
- French Revolution
- Gladiatorial Battles
- Mongol Invasion of China
- Fall of Constantinople
- Construction of Stonehenge
This is one for the history books. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for
the top 10 greatest medieval battles.
For this list, the Medieval period refers to that chunk of European history from the collapse of the Western
Roman Empire until roughly the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire a thousand years later. So anything
outside that time and place (roughly the 5th through to the 15th century) won’t be included.
Before unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
Battle on the Ice (1242)
Northern Crusades
Battle of Grunwald [aka First Battle of Tannenberg] (1410)
Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War
Battle of Towton (1461)
Wars of the Roses
The Night Attack of Târgovişte (1462)
Wallachian-Ottoma Wars
He is one of history’s most influential rulers and conquered Asia before his 30th birthday. Welcome to
WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 fascinating facts about Alexander
the Great.
For this list, we’re looking at the most interesting tidbits regarding one of the greatest military minds the
world has ever seen.
Not much is known about these groups, yet they all might be controlling the world from behind the scenes.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for top 10 real life secret societies.
For this list, we are only considering secret or secretive societies that are known to exist. So, despite their
popularity and influence, myths such as Pierre Plantard’s Priory of Sion and the Elders of Zion are out.
#9: Ḥashshāshīn
Initially founded during the late-11th century, the Hashshashin was an offshoot of Islam known as Nizari
Ismailis, with members primarily in Persia and Syria. The fidai class of Hashshashin was famous for their
work as covert murderers, and the group saw to the deaths of many viziers, rulers and Crusade leaders –
with civilian casualties kept to a minimum thanks to expert planning and preparation. The group’s name is
thought to come from a translation of the term “users of hashish,” though there’s little proof that they used
hashish regularly. In fact, most of the information regarding the group was lost when their library was
torched, which piques our interest as to what secrets were lost in that fire.
#2: Illuminati
By far the Internet’s favorite secret society, the society we most often refer to as the Illuminati – called the
Bavarian Illuminati – originated during the Enlightenment period in 1776 and focused on freethinking ideals.
Unfortunately, the Illuminati was outlawed by Charles Theodore of Bavaria. By 1790, the group was seen as
radical and disbanded a few years later. Theorists think the group continued to exist underground,
manipulating the world’s events and infiltrating governments and corporations worldwide. Proponents
claim their lengthy membership list including President Barack Obama, Kanye West, and Angelina Jolie. A
fantasy, of course. They couldn’t control everything right underneath our noses...could they?
Before we reveal the existence of our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Rosicrucians
- Sons of Liberty
- Opus Dei
- Knights of the Golden Circle
- Thule Society
#1: Freemasons
Believed by some to be plotting to conquer the planet with a New World Order, using symbols to
communicate their ideals, the Masons were officially founded in 1717 London as a decedent of
stonemasons. However, rumors suggest the Freemasons were operating in the shadows many years prior,
making them one of the longest-lasting secret societies known to the public – though they might not label
themselves as such. And, considering they are a “secret society,” their secret handshakes, rituals, and order
of ranking are part of popular culture. In reality, their beliefs are based upon shared philosophical ideals of
charity, kindness and a general acceptance of one Supreme Being, meaning any members from any religion
are welcome in the Lodge.
We'll all have them, but these guys really made them count. Join WatchMojo.com as we count down our
picks for the Top 10 Best Famous Last Words.
For this list, we’ve collected the best, most profound and most memorable last utterances before deaths
ever documented. We have not included anything Biblical, however, and last words based on myths or
legends do not qualify.
#7: “Damn it! Don’t you dare ask God to help me!”
Joan Crawford
Famous last words rarely get more badass (or blasphemous) than Joan Crawford’s, who remained defiant
until the last. Reportedly spoken in response to a nearby maid who offered prayer at the actress’ bedside,
Crawford was not going to let religious faith infringe upon her final moments. Even though she identified as
a Christian scientist later in life, the Golden Age icon was set on stepping into the great unknown entirely
unaided and independent. And besides, what’s one last curse between a woman and her maker?
#4: “I know you are here to kill me. Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man.”
Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara
A leader of the revolution until his last breath, when Che Guevara came face to face with his executioner, he
understood that despite his own imminent death, his ideas would survive. The socialist icon was captured by
U.S.-backed Bolivian forces on October 8th 1967, before being held overnight and shot the next day. Mario
Terán, who had lost three friends in a fight with Guevara’s forces, volunteered to carry out his execution.
Just before Terán fired, Guevara parted with a reminder that a man’s principles do not necessarily die with
the man himself.
#3: “Of course I know who you are. You’re my girl. I love you.”
John Wayne
An undisputed American icon, John Wayne’s final words are perhaps the most touching of all in today’s top
ten. The model of masculinity, he succumbed to stomach cancer in June 1979, but not before leaving his
daughter Aissa with a heartfelt final message. Wayne’s condition had deteriorated during the days leading
up to his death, and he had been slipping in and out of consciousness. The desperate situation caused Aissa
to ask “Do you know who I am?” Wayne’s answer was beautifully simple and simply beautiful.
#2: “Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough.”
Karl Marx
One of the most important and influential people of the 19th century, if not human history, Karl Marx
certainly spoke and wrote more powerfully than most during his lifetime. The author of the “Communist
Manifesto” and “Das Kapital,” Marx’s theories and thinking had a profound influence on modern political,
economic and social thought. His final words were Joan Crawford-like, in that they were spoken in
frustration at his housekeeper. When pressed for his final thoughts, Marx clearly felt as though he’d already
said enough already – and it’s difficult to disagree.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
Nathan Hale
“Drink to me, drink to my health. You know I can’t drink any more.”
Pablo Picasso
The sea has always been an important part of human history, so naturally humans found a way to fight on it.
Welcome to http://ww.WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 famous
military ships.
For this list, we’re taking a look at sea-faring vessels that fought for militaries around the world, and gained
fame thanks to their service.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- HMS Beagle
- Yamato
- CSS H. L. Hunley
- HMS Bounty
#1: Bismarck
For hundreds of years, the Royal Navy was the most feared fleet in the world. But in 1941, they met their
match. The Bismarck was over 800 feet long and could travel at a speed of 30 knots, making it one of the
biggest and fastest ships in the world at the time. She sank the near-invincible HMS Hood and badly
damaged the HMS Prince of Wales, sending the Royal Navy in hot pursuit. The Bismarck abandoned the
Atlantic due to damage, however, and was attacked by the British off the coast of France just days later. She
was scuttled by her crew, and the wreck was finally found in 1989 by Robert Ballard, the same man who
found the Titanic.
Drink up, me hearties, yoho! Join WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Most Famous
Pirates in History.
For this list, we’re defining piracy as crimes and violence at sea. However, we will also include some
historical figures that were officially privateers —that is, they were exactly the same as pirates, but the
government sanctioned their actions, making them legitimate acts of war as opposed to criminal offences.
While pirates and privateers were technically different, the line between them was often blurred, and what
one country would call an honorable privateer, another would call a bloodthirsty pirate.
#3: Blackbeard
c. 1680 - 1718
Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, wasn’t just a pirate—he commanded a pirate army, and he was
known to charge into battle with a sword in each hand, several loaded pistols, and lit fuses under his hat. No
wonder he was feared and admired throughout the West Indies! His ship, “Queen Anne’s Revenge”, is one
of the most famous pirate ships in history. Legend has it that when he was finally defeated and beheaded,
his headless body swam around the ship several times before sinking.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- William Kidd
c. 1645 – 1701
- Hayreddin Barbarossa
c. 1678 – 1546
- Edward Low
c. 1690 - c. 1724
Killing these famous figures wouldn't be as easy as their would-be assassins first thought! Join
WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 People Who Survived Assassination Attempts!
For this list, we’re looking at the most significant failed assassinations in history. To qualify, however, the
target has to have been directly involved in the attempt, and under immediate danger because of it. We are
not including assassination plots that were foiled or that failed before any action of consequence was
carried out.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Gabrielle Giffords
1970 -
- Larry Flynt
1942 -
- Wolfgang Schäuble
1942 -
- Queen Victoria
1819 - 1901
- Pervez Musharraf
1943 -
For these marvelous structures, inspiring awe and wonder is as simple as just being there. Join
WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Iconic Pieces of Architecture.
For this list, we’re taking a look at the world’s most famous artificial structures and are basing our choices
on a mix of their design aesthetics, their capacities to influence and inspire, and of course, their iconic
statuses. However, we’re excluding skyscrapers from this list since they can easily be put on a list of their
own.
They say great minds think alike… But only the greatest minds make today's list! Join WatchMojo.com as we
count down our picks for the Top 10 Famous Inventors!
For this list, we’ve looked at those inventors that have had the most important, most popular, most
definitive effect upon the modern world. We’re interested in those responsible for the inventions without
which modern life would be very different!
#5: Archimedes
c. 287 BC - c. 212 BC
Of course, inventors were inventing things in ancient times as well, and none more so than Archimedes! The
brains behind the self-titled, and still widely used ‘Archimedes Screw’ – a device enabling efficient pumping
of water – the Ancient Greek engineer is probably best remembered as a mathematician. The most famous
Archimedes anecdote involves his creating a method to measure the volume of an irregularly shaped object.
Upon working it out in the bath, he ran down the street naked shouting ‘Eureka!’ – which is now the
unofficial catchphrase of inventorseverywhere!
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Johannes Gutenberg
c. 1398 - 1468
- Samuel Morse
1791 - 1872
- Alfred Nobel
1833 - 1896
- Galileo Galilei
1564 -1642
- Hero of Alexandria
c. 10 - c. 70 AD
For every intelligent, logical theory about the world's history, there's one that is just strange. Join
WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Bizarre Alternate Theories of History.
For this list, we’re looking at those theories that people once, or somehow still do, believe about the past.
However, we’re not including prophecies, such as the prediction of the end of the world in 2012, nor are we
including creation myths, like the idea that we all live on the back of a turtle.
You just can't put these books down... But at one stage you weren't allowed to even pick them up! Join
WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Books that Have Been Banned!
For this list, we've looked at books that have been banned from sale in some capacity. It doesn't matter
where the book was banned, why it was, or how long for... If it was ever taken off the shelves, then it could
feature on today's reading list.
Regularly described as one of the greatest novels of the twentieth century, "Lord of the Flies" is also one of
the most brutal depictions of human character ever written! A regularly challenged book and ranked at #68
on the American Library Association's list of frequently banned classics, it details the barbaric demise of a
once civilised group of boys. A tale that takes all of the worst aspects of human nature and watches them
war with one another, it's an uncomfortably 'un-put-down-able' read!
#9: "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1884)
Mark Twain
The oldest book to feature today, and regularly listed as one of the 'Great American Novels', "Huckleberry
Finn" has forever been subject to sanctions. The direct sequel to Twain's "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer",
it comes most under fire for its language, and specifically for frequent racial slurs. Depicting a Southern
Antebellum society the likes of which no longer existed at the time of publishing, its vocabulary was a little
out-dated, even in the late 1800s... Nowadays, some "Huck Finn" terms are considered hugely offensive,
and subsequently censorable.
An author banned on more than one occasion, George Orwell struggled to get "Animal Farm" published
because of its thinly veiled criticism of the USSR... But we've selected "Nineteen Eighty-Four" as Orwell's
best banned book - if only for the irony! The novel's almost-hero, Winston Smith, lives in a society ravaged
by war and revolution, under constant surveillance. As he contends with the ultra-restrictive Big Brother,
Smith's plight is appropriately paralleled by various governments (including the Soviet Union themselves)
banning the book entirely.
It's the best-selling book series in history, it's been translated into seventy-three languages... But that
doesn't mean that Harry Potter is beyond the ban! The tales of the 'boy who lived' have also picked up a fair
amount of criticism, particularly relating to the increasingly dark nature of the latter instalments. Various
religious groups have challenged the books, claiming they promote ideas of witchcraft, the occult and
Wicca. According to the ALA, they're the most challenged books of the twenty-first century!
It's a novel deemed 'harmful to minors' in Germany, only available to buy or rent if you're over eighteen in
Australia, and generally sold shrink-wrapped in New Zealand. In short, "American Psycho" caused, and
causes, quite a stir! Famous for its unflinching portrayal of extreme violence, Bret Easton Ellis actually
received death threats upon its initial publication! A story since adapted to the big screen with critical
acclaim, it's a really tough read and a nightmare tonic for almost anybody!
One of the most controversial novels ever written, Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses" brought about an
actual assassination, such was the level of offence that it caused! Rushdie was accused of misusing his
'freedom of speech', of mocking Islam, and of referring to the prophet Muhammad in a derogatory
manner... Subsequently, in 1989, the Iranian government issued a fatwa calling on all Muslims to execute
anybody involved in the book's publication... Rushdie himself survived several assassination plots, but in
1991 the novel's Japanese translator, Hitoshi Igarashi, was stabbed to death!
The autobiographical manifesto of probably the most infamous man ever to have lived, Adolf Hitler's "Mein
Kampf" is one of the most heavily vetted texts on the planet. Though translations are available in most
countries, they can prove difficult to obtain at times... In Austria the printing and/or owning of "Mein
Kampf" is prohibited, while in Germany the book's copyright is owned by the state of Bavaria, which tries to
prevent any reprinting. However, in 2016 that copyright is scheduled to expire, meaning that more copies
could become available...
#3: "Lolita" (1955)
Vladimir Nabokov
Our next novel took its author five years to write, and a further two years to publish! Vladimir Nabakov
finally settled for a French publication house of questionable reputation, releasing "Lolita" in 1955...
Following outraged reviews on the book's erotic themes and the central adult-child relationship, the British
government swiftly banned the import of "Lolita", and France soon followed suit. It eventually appeared in
America in 1958, and reappeared in Britain in '59... Arguably as controversial now as it was then, "Lolita" is
definitely not a 'light read'!
An ironic title if ever we've read one, Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" is actually considerably bleaker
than billed...! It's so bleak, in fact, the novel's dystopian drive has led to it being challenged the world over!
In 1932, it was banned in Ireland for anti-religious language; Between '32 and '37 - banned in Australia; in
India in '67, Huxley was labelled a 'pornographer'; and in 1980 it was removed from classrooms in Missouri,
USA. Continuing a by-now-established trend, however, it's also consistently ranked as one of the greatest
novels ever written!
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Anthony Burgess
Ray Bradbury
John Steinbeck
Lesléa Newman
William Powell
Holden Caulfield has long since established a legendary status within literature, as the epitome of teenage
angst... But Caulfield's language, family values, moral codes, and rebellious habits have landed J. D. Salinger
and "The Catcher in the Rye" in very hot water, very frequently! An incessantly challenged book, teachers
have actually been fired for assigning it... And murderers have actually claimed inspiration after reading it!
In 1981, it achieved a curious balance as the most censored and second-most taught book in US public
schools... And today it's our undisputed 'best of the banned'!
For this list, we are looking specifically at official executions as ordered by the state or government
throughout history and across the world.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Mary, Queen of Scots
1542 - 1587
- Timothy McVeigh
1968 - 2001
- Aileen Wuornos
1956 - 2002
- Gary Gilmore
1940 - 1977
- Troy Davis
1968 - 2011
- House of Romanov
1613 -1917
#1: Jesus
c. 7-2 BC - 30-33 AD
While some may debate the religious aspect, Jesus is widely considered to be a historical figure that did
exist. A preacher in the first century AD, Jesus’ teachings angered many of the religious leaders in Judea. He
was eventually betrayed by Judas, one of his disciples, and handed over to the Romans, after which he was
sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate and crucified in Jerusalem. Whether you believe that Jesus was the Son
of God or not, his execution remains as one of the most influential moments in history.
He's the protégé of Thomas Edison, and the man behind our modern world. Join WatchMojo.com as we
count down our picks for the Top 10 Amazing Nikola Tesla Inventions and Innovations. For this list, we’re
not only focusing on Nikola Tesla’s inventions, but also on concepts that weren’t necessarily “invented” by
him, such as limitless free energy, but innovated through his research and experimentation.
#6: Robotics
We’ve all heard this line before: “Mommy, Daddy, I want a robot!” But what it really means is, “Mommy,
Daddy, I want to pay homage to the great mind of Nikola Tesla.” When he introduced his aforementioned
boat to a New York City crowd in 1898, you could say that people were a tiny bit agitated as the concept
itself was frightening. But what transpired was the dawn of a new era; a world in which Tesla hoped that
actual robots could assist human beings in positive ways. Tesla saw the world through a unique lens, but
most of his contemporaries saw something else. That’s why Tesla was Tesla, and that’s why we now have
robots. And as such, he’s also been called the Father of Robotics.
#5: Radio
With all due respect to the Italian often credited with inventing radio - Guglielmo Marconi - it was Nikola
Tesla who first innovated the concept. Unfortunately, when he was preparing to transmit a signal in 1895,
his entire lab went up in flames, and all was lost. But not the idea, of course. Even so, Marconi was soon all
the rage for his “invention” that Nikola claimed was done with numerous Tesla patents, but in 1943, Tesla
was redeemed when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld his original patent. However, this came shortly after his
death. Oh well.
#3: X-Rays
If you’ve ever broken a bone, you’ve hopefully visited a doctor for a complete exam. This kind of experience
can be traced back all the way to 1894 when Tesla began studying radiant energy, but the aforementioned
1895 lab fire destroyed all of his experiments. Months later, the German Wilhelm Rontgen “discovered” X-
Rays, which led Tesla to build on his theories by incorporating his Tesla coils. And so, radiography was born
thanks to the innovations of one Nikola Tesla.
Here’s where you’d normally see the honorable mentions, but we’ve decided ten is enough for today!
There's bad medicine and then there's straight up insanity. Join WatchMojo.com as we count down our
picks for Top 10 Strangest Medical Practices in History.
For this list, we’re looking at some of the most baffling procedures throughout the ages that have been
approved by medical experts of the time. Considering some of the practices we came across in our research,
we’re glad to be living in this century. Due to the subject matter, please be advised that this list may contain
disturbing content.
#2: Bloodletting
One of the most iconic historical medical practices that comes to mind, bloodletting was practiced for over
two thousands years, notably in ancient Greece, Egypt and Europe in the 1800s. Bloodletting is the act of
cutting open a vein and draining a considerable amount of blood in order to cure or prevent illness and
disease. While metal instruments could be used, an alternative method for bloodletting was the practice of
using leeches. Yes, those worms with a sucker at either end! Leeching worked in a similar vein as the use of
metal instruments, but it was less invasive with the placement of leeches on the affected area; this
procedure usually ended when the leeches were full of the infected blood and fell off.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions.
- Urine as Antiseptic & Remedy to Other Ailments
- Dead Mice As a Cure for Warts
- Mercury As Topical Cream for Various Ailments
#1: Trepanation
This practice has been around for so long that it’s believed to be one of the oldest surgical procedures. In
fact, many skulls dated to 6500 BC have been found with holes from trepanation. It's believed that these
holes were drilled as a means of drawing out evil spirits as well as curing epileptic seizures, migraines and
mental disorders. Like the lobotomy, trepanation involves making a hole in the skull, but unlike the
lobotomy, it stops short of actually touching the brain. Disturbingly, the practice is still around today.
Proponents claim that it increases blood flow to the brain and expands consciousness, but there is no
scientific data to confirm these claims.
These women literally rule! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the
Top 10 Historical Women's Leaders. For this list, we’ve looked at the most important, iconic and effective
women’s leaders throughout ancient and modern world history.
#3: Cleopatra
69 - 30 BC
We head into the years BC but once in today’s top 10, but we do so for one of the most iconic women
history has ever known! The last of the active Pharaohs, upon her ascension to the throne in Ancient Egypt,
Cleopatra was seen as a reincarnation of the ideally matriarchal Goddess, Isis. A life story famously adapted
for stage and screen on more than one occasion, she fought against Rome with Mark Antony, but was
ultimately unable to prevent Octavian’s victory... Defiant until death, however, she committed suicide
before the new Roman Empire was fully established!
#2: Catherine II
1729 - 1796
More famously known as Catherine the Great, there are real good reasons why this Russian Empress was
given such a gracious moniker! Ruling for thirty-four years, she oversaw what’s largely considered Russia’s
‘Golden Age’... A period of massive modernisation bringing the country in line with the rest of Europe (and
in fact beyond most of it), it saw advancement made in agriculture, education, the military and the arts.
Catherine also oversaw Russia’s geographical growth, expanding the borders on all sides - even into Alaska!
A celebrated ruler, she’s beaten by just one other!
But, before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Elizabeth I of England
1533 - 1603
- Corazon Aquino
1933 - 2009
- Wu Zetian
624 - 705 AD
- Emmeline Pankhurst
1858 - 1928
- Boudica
30 - 61
- Hatshepsut
1508 - 1458 BC
These people had ideas that were to die for. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down
our picks for the top 10 inventors killed by their own inventions.
For this list, we’re looking at those innovators that were killed, either directly or indirectly, by their own
inventions or discoveries. We’re excluding those that simply died experimenting with others’ inventions,
such as Alexander Bogdanov, who died while trying to perfect and explain the process of blood transfusions.
Before we look at our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Ismail ibn Hammad al-Jawhari
Wooden Wings
- Otto Lilienthal
Hang Glider
- Aurel Vlaicu
These real-life figures were memorable because they were straight-up psychotic! Welcome to
WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Insane Rulers in History.
For this list, we’re ranking some of the most violent, mentally unstable, and outright selfish royal leaders in
history. We’re excluding non-royal dictators, such as Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and Nazi Führer Adolf Hitler
as well as democratically elected politicians here. But don’t forget to check out our other lists of the Top 10
Conquerors and Top 10 Ruthless Dictators if you’re looking for that kind of thing!
Before we get unveil our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions:
- George III of the United Kingdom
1738 - 1820
- Justin II of the Byzantine Empire
520 - 578
- Fyodor I of Russia
1557 - 1598
- Eric XIV of Sweden
1533 - 1577
- Maria I of Portugal
1734 - 1816
- Mustafa I of the Ottoman Empire
1591 - 1639
The world is full of wild conspiracy theories, so much so that we couldn’t just limit our entries to one list!
Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for Another Top 10 Conspiracy
Theories of ALL TIME. For this list, we are looking at hypotheses and theories that suggest people have
hidden or brought about a certain event or situation that is usually against the law or destructive to others.
If you don’t see a theory that you think should be on the list, be sure to check out our videos of the Top 10
Conspiracy Theories of All Time and the Top 10 Crazy Conspiracy Theories.
A number of conspiracy theories are attached to famous figures in history, and Adolf Hitler is no different.
With the Allies closing in and the war all but over, Hitler committed suicide in his bunker with his wife, Eva
Braun. British authors Simon Dunstan and Gerrard Williams have a different theory about Hitler’s end,
however – they believe that the Fuhrer didn’t actually kill himself, but rather escaped to Argentina and body
doubles were shot instead. According to their book, “Grey Wolf: The Escape of Adolf Hitler,” the married
couple settled down and had two daughters in South America before dying in 1962. This idea has been
widely dismissed by historians, though, who claim that the theory has no substance.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honourable mentions:
TWA Flight 800 Crash Was the Result of U.S. Navy Missile Test or Terrorist Strike
‘The Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ & the Jewish Plot for World Domination
#1: New World Order
The most powerful people in the world might not be lizards, but they may be part of a secret organization,
at least according to this conspiracy theory. The goal of all these groups, including the Illuminati, is to create
the New World Order, an authoritarian government that will rule the world. They allegedly use mind
control, social engineering, and fear-based propaganda to manipulate the population, and oversee all the
important institutions and organizations in the world, such as the United Nations and World Bank.
Do you agree with our list? What is your favorite conspiracy theory? For more great Top 10s published daily,
be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
Before we get to our number one battle in history, let’s review some honorable mentions:
- Siege of Orléans (1428-29)
Orléans, France
- Battle of Hastings (1066)
Hastings, East Sussex, England
- Battle of the Somme (1916)
Somme & Pas-de-Calais, France
- Huaihai Campaign (1948-49)
Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui & Henan, China
- Battle of Cannae (216 BC)
Cannae, Italy
- Siege of Masada (73-74)
Masada, Israel
- Battle of Megiddo (c. 1457)
Megiddo, Israel
It takes a lot of talent to write something worth reading; it’s a sure-fire sign of genius if your work is being
read for years to come. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top
10 classic English-language authors.
For this list, we’ve ranked the best and most prolific novel-writing authors, whose works were initially
published in English. That means writers like Homer are out, as he wrote in Ancient Greek, Edgar Allen Poe is
out as he was more known for his short stories and Shakespeare is out as he wrote primarily poetry and for
the stage.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Arthur Conan Doyle
- Joseph Conrad
- J. D. Salinger
- Oscar Wilde
Forget about computers and the worldwide web, we’re talking books and being worldwide read. Welcome
to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 international fiction authors.
For this list, we’ve looked at any author writing primarily in a language other than English, and especially at
those authors who have had their works translated into English. For lists looking more specifically at classic
English authors or popular writers, be sure to check out our alternative videos on those topics.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Émile Zola
- Amélie Nothomb
- Stieg Larsson
- Hans Christian Andersen
- Vladimir Nabokov
Who isn’t familiar with the dramatic threat, “I challenge you to a duel?” Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and
today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 duels in history!
For this list, we’re strictly reviewing conflicts between two individuals, although the manner of engagement
varies based upon the historical time period and location. These duels feature a variety of weaponry, from
swords to pistols.
Before we get to our number one duel, let’s review some honorable mentions:
- Lady Almeria Braddock vs. Mrs Elphinstone
- Isabella de Carazi vs. Diambra de Petinella
- Édouard Manet vs. Louis Edmond Duranty
- Jeffrey Hudson vs. Charles Crofts
- M. Melfant vs. M. Lenfant
From zero to hero and then back to zero! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our
picks for the top 10 shocking facts about Napoléon Bonaparte.
For this list, we’re reviewing unusual and generally unknown facts about this French Emperor’s life,
including his rise to and fall from power.
Before we get to our number one shocking Napoléon fact, let’s review some honorable mentions:
- He Seized Power Thanks to a Coup D’état; He Was Not Democratically Elected
- He Apparently Dressed as a Commoner on Walkabouts to Find Out How Popular He Was
- He was Arrested for Treason During the French Revolution
- He was a Math Geek as a Child & Was Bullied, But Asserted His Dominance Even Then
Life is full of chance encounters, but these bizarre events will make you wonder whether something else
was at work. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top10
Creepiest Coincidences in History.
For this list, we are looking at the weirdest chance encounters in history, or events that have been chalked
up to coincidence but seem to eerie to be true. Some of these events are confirmed; some may merely be
stories that circulate like a game of broken telephone, but all of them are creepy.
#3: 27 Club
The 27 Club refers to a group of famous people – mainly musicians – who have died at the age of 27. It
started in the late 1960s when Rolling Stone Brian Jones, Doors’ frontman Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and
Jimi Hendrix all died at this age. Two and a half decades later, Kurt Cobain committed suicide at 27, and
recently, Amy Winehouse overdosed and died at the age of 27. Winehouse actually stated years earlier that
she was worried about dying at 27. All in all, the club has claimed over 40 musicians since the start of the
20th century.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Unlucky Taxi
o In 1975, a man was killed while riding a moped in Bermuda when he was hit by a taxi;
o One year later, that man’s brother was riding that same moped and was hit by a taxi and killed;
o It was the same taxi driver who’d killed his brother, who was carrying the same passenger at both times.
- Falling Baby
o Joseph Figlock lived in Detroit in the 1930s;
o One day, while walking down the street, a baby fell out of a window and onto him;
o Neither was harmed;
o One year later, while walking in the same spot, that same baby again fell onto Figlock.
o Again, neither was harmed.
Words have the power to inspire, motivate, and influence millions of people, which is exactly what these
speeches did. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 famous
speeches in history.
For this list, we are looking at formal speeches delivered to an audience, and are not including impromptu
quotes such as Neil Armstrong’s or sermons from religious figures such as Jesus Christ.
Before we yield the floor to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
Et tu, Brute? Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 traitors
in history.
For this list, we’ll be taking a look at the most notorious defectors, turncoats, and double agents from
Biblical times to modern times.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions:
- Robert Hanssen
1944 -
- The Cambridge Five
- Claus von Stauffenberg
1907 - 1944
- John Anthony Walker, Jr.
1937 - 2014
#1: Judas Iscariot
? BC - c. 30 AD
Dante considered him history’s most notorious traitor, choosing to ensnare him in the jaws of Satan’s
central head in the Inferno. Iscariot was one of Jesus of Nazareth’s 12 Apostles, confidantes with a special
relationship to the charismatic religious figure. Despite the bond of trust that existed between Jesus and the
Apostles, Judas collaborated with those whom considered Jesus dangerous. Judas delivered him into the
hands of his enemies, identifying him with a kiss and leading to his subsequent execution by direct order of
the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate. To this day, the name Judas is synonymous with the idea of a traitor in
popular culture – and all, apparently, for 30 pieces of silver.
It’s hard to believe that something so tiny could destroy so many. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today
we’re counting down our picks for top 10 worst epidemics in history.
For this list, we’re looking at plagues, pandemics, epidemics and other scourges of disease that spread
through the human population like wildfire, killing millions. We’re not necessarily ranking them based on
how many people were killed by the plagues, but those figures definitely play into our choices.
#7: Cocoliztli
1545 - 1548 & 1576 - 1578
This disease is categorized in a group of ailments called Viral Hemorrhagic Fever, a family of illnesses that
continues to attack humanity with viruses like Ebola. Affecting the Aztecs living in the region that would
become Mexico twice in less than half a century, Cocoliztli decimated the population, infecting a group that
was already reeling from other diseases brought to their shores by Spanish conquerors and causing their
numbers to dwindle by millions in less than a century. With symptoms that included a black tongue,
dysentery, severe abdominal pain and bleeding from your nose, eyes and mouth, this Ebola-like epidemic
annihilated what was once a thriving civilization.
#6: Plague of Justinian
541 - 542
A forbearer of a pandemic that will be featured later on this list, this plague is believed to’ve been brought
to the Byzantine Empire, and Constantinople specifically, by infected rats traveling from Egypt on grain
boats. An event that likely changed the course of European and Christian history, the Plague of Justinian left
the Byzantine Empire short of healthy citizens who could act as laborers or militaries, meaning the Empire
was severely weakened. With some suggesting that at its peak, the mortality rate of this plague took 5,000
lives each day; the first wave of this disease eradicated 40% of Constantinople’s population, and continued
to kill through several more waves in the years that followed.
Before we reveal our top pick, here is an honorable – or in this case dishonorable – mention:
With these works of literature, authors turned inspiration into a lasting legacy. Welcome to
WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 greatest novels of all time.
While self-help books and short stories are appreciated, our list focuses on novels by one specific author,
which means The Bible failed to make the cut, as did a work like “Hamlet,” which is a play and not a novel.
Before we crack the spine on our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “The Lord of the Rings” (1954-55)
J. R. R. Tolkien
- “Nineteen Eighty-Four” (1949)
George Orwell
- “Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life” (1874)
George Eliot
- “Moby-Dick; or, The Whale” (1851)
Herman Melville
- “Great Expectations” (1861)
Charles Dickens
These voices were silenced before their time. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down
our picks for top 10 assassinations in history.
For this list, we’re taking a look at political and social leaders who had their lives cut short. These are the
unexpected deaths that shocked the world, impacted lives, and changed the course of history.
#9: Malcolm X
1925 - 1965
As a militant voice of the Civil Rights Movement, Malcolm X had long been a target of violence and death
threats. After Malcolm X’s very public break from the Nation of Islam religious movement, animosity
between him and the organization grew. Tensions boiled over during an address in Manhattan on February
21st, 1965, when three men shot and killed the civil rights leader. The Nation took responsibility, and
Talmadge Hayer admitted his guilt, but the other two maintained their innocence. And the Civil Rights
Movement lost one of its most active leaders.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Yitzhak Rabin
1922 - 1995
- Anwar Sadat
1918 - 1981
- Grigori Rasputin
1869 - 1916
- Caligula
12 - 41
- Leon Trotsky
1879 - 1940
- Harvey Milk
1930 - 1978
Not even the greatest minds of the world could decipher these codes. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and
today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Uncracked Codes and Ciphers.
For this list, we’ve chosen codes and ciphers based on their overall notoriety and whether or not they’ve
been completely solved. We’re not looking at cold cases or unsolved murders for this list – unless they
involve some sort of code – cause that’s a list for another day.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
- Navajo Code Talkers (1942)
- Chaocipher (1918)
For the following ten or so minutes, your monitor is a museum! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today
we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 famous paintings!
For this list, we’ve looked at the most famous paintings in the world. Of course, art is a very subjective
subject, so we’ve ranked our entries based upon the recognizability and global reputation of each piece.
We’ve also limited these to individual pieces, so any smaller parts of a larger whole are not up for
consideration.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “Napoleon Crossing the Alps” (1801)
Jacques-Louis David
- “The Night Watch” (1642)
Rembrandt van Rijn
- “American Gothic” (1930)
Grant Wood
- “The School of Athens” (1509-10)
Raphael
- “No. 5, 1948” (1948)
Jackson Pollock
- “Water Lilies” (1920-26)
Claude Monet
These people are riddles wrapped in mysteries inside enigmas. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today
we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 enigmatic people in history.
For this list we’ve chosen famous figures whose identities, background or activities are not known or 100%
confirmed to this day.
Top 10 Painters
Since the time of Homo erectus, man has been expressing himself through art. Whether on the walls of a
cave, the tombs of great kings, a canvas, or the walls of a building, the human desire to put ink to paper has
left the world with some of the most beautiful masterpieces. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top 10 painters of all time.
For this list, we are only focusing on artists whose painting contributions have made them stand out in
history.
#2: Michelangelo
1475 - 1564
Definitely one of the greatest artists to ever live, Michelangelo was a true triple threat: painter, sculptor,
and architect. His mastery of all three fields set him apart and put him in a league all his own. His
completion of his work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling between 1534 and 1541 is an awe-inspiring feat, and
the sheer beauty of the fresco has kept tourists and art lovers flocking to Rome for centuries.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Frida Kahlo
1907 - 1954
- Jackson Pollock
1912 - 1956
- Edvard Munch
1863 - 1944
- Gustav Klimt
1862 -1918
- Eugène Delacroix
1798 -1863
- Henri Matisse
1869 - 1954
War is hell, but these gadgets and gizmos are the silver lining. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today
we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 products invented because of war.
For this list, we’re looking at products that were invented, perfected or popularized in their most common
form during wartime because of a conflict – which means we are excluding any weaponry or obvious army
equipment. And just to be clear, we’re not necessarily saying that these entries were worth the cost that
came with them, but we do recognize their universal value to humanity.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Duct Tape (1942)
World War II
World War I
World War I
- Nylons (1939)
World War II
Cold War
Some fought for their greatness, others simply inherited power, but all of these men made history.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 most famous kings in
history.
For this list, we looked at the male monarchs who epitomize their era or changed the course of world
history. Many of these kings were celebrated in life, others were maligned, and some were of little
significance in their own day. Yet all of their legacies have stood the test of time, making them iconic
symbols of kingly rule.
#8: Tutankhamen
c. 1341 - c. 23 BC
A child king who reigned only nine years, Tutankhamen played a minor role in Egypt’s long history. Yet his
burial site is one of the only intact tombs ever found, revealing a wealth of extraordinary artifacts that shed
new light on the ancient Egyptians, which has made Tutankhamen an iconic symbol of this mysterious
world. Despite being involved in several building projects and making attempts to improve relations with
other kingdoms, he was a ruler of little consequence in life. However, the discovery of his tomb made King
Tut a legend three thousand years after his death.
#6: Hammurabi
Unknown - c. 1750 BC
Want to make history? Write stuff down. The sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty, Hammurabi is best
known for his famous legal decree – consisting of eight-foot high carved tablets and one of the earliest
examples of codified law ever found. Written in the Babylonian vernacular, the Code of Hammurabi is
famous for its “eye for an eye” approach to justice. Though modern law making is generally less brutal,
Hammurabi is still celebrated as one of the earliest known lawmakers in the civilized world.
#5: Charlemagne
c. 742 - 814
Fierce warrior king and formidable political strategist, Charlemagne unified most of Western Europe through
a series of bloody military campaigns. He attached himself to the last vestiges of ancient Rome by working
to preserve Latin texts and enforcing Christianity throughout his vast territory. He promoted literacy, and
established a network of diplomatic emissaries that centralized power and established his Carolingian
Empire. The medieval king with modern ideas, Charlemagne’s innovations built the foundations of
contemporary Europe.
Before we crown our pick for number one, here are a few honorable mentions:
- James I of England
1566 - 1625
303 - 232 BC
1629 - 96
c. 1028 - 87
1927 -
1594 - 1632
Only time will tell… Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10
historical predictions that turned out to be false.
For this list, we’re looking at prophecies, guesses or projections that were made in history, that turned out
to be painfully, painfully false. These include some of the worst future forecasts by notable individuals
regarding significant historic events, be it the end if the world, medicine, science, war or politics. We’re also
taking into account who supposedly made the prediction, because if it’s someone who should’ve known
better, it makes the fail that much worse.
#8: “There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom”
- Robert Millikan, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics (1923)
Although the atom was split back in 1917, harnessing its energy was a different thing altogether. With many
brainboxes working on the ins and outs of it, one physicist, Robert Millikan, claimed that man would never
fully harness its power. Well, it may have been a scattered timeline of progression, with the first nuclear
bomb test in 1945 and the first nuclear power station in 1954, but it was finally accomplished. And voila,
electricity on demand and Nobel Prize winner was taken down a peg.
#4: “You will be home before the leaves fall from the trees”
- Kaiser Wilhelm II, to German soldiers in WWI (1914)
Rallying troops to boost morale is one thing. But be careful of making promises. Someone should have told
that to Kaiser Wilhelm II before he spoke to his troops in 1914. Suggesting that the First World War would
be over before the end of the autumn months, the German Emperor must have had hopes high among his
soldiers. Who could know the war would last another four years? Not the Kaiser, that’s for sure.
Before we reveal our number one prediction fail in history, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “Don’t worry, there’s no hurricane on the way!”
- “In order to earn better than a ‘C,’ the idea must be feasible”
- “The concept of e-commerce is baloney; no online database will replace your daily newspaper”
- “Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy”
#1: “December 21st, 2012 will mark the end of the world”
- Conspiracy theorists interpreting the Mayan calendar (unknown)
Throughout history, many people have prophesized the end of the world [Harold Camping]. And, when
someone says the world will end on a specific date, people listen – especially if the source is a 5,000-year-
old Mesoamerican calendar. Said Mayan Long Count calendar suggested that a big change would befall the
Earth on December 21st, 2012. And, while some interpreted that in a positive way; glass half-empty folks
thought it spelled the end of civilization as we know it. With the date looming, people in many
Mesoamerican countries got together for festive commemorations. The apocalypse was a no-show.
Whether hapless pawns, political power players or iconic princesses, these ladies broke their royal mold.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 most famous queens
in history.
For this list, we looked at the female monarchs whose royal legacy continues to capture the public’s
imagination. Whether known for their brilliant leadership, or their less than brilliant demise, these are the
queens who, one way or another, defied expectations and in so doing redefined what it can mean to be a
queen.
Before we unveil our pick for number one, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Catherine of Aragon
1485 - 1536
- Eleanor of Aquitaine
1122 - 1204
- Empress Theodora
500 - 548
- Hatshepsut of Egypt
1508 - 1458 BC
- Wu Zetian
624 - 705
Music, film and stardom are some of the most unpredictable things around. Welcome to WatchMojo.com,
and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 entertainment predictions that turned out to be
false.
For this list, we’re looking at prophecies, guesses or projections that were made in the entertainment world
and turned out to be painfully, painfully false. We’re also taking into account who supposedly made the
prediction, because if it’s someone who should’ve known better, it makes the fail that much worse.
#5: “You’d have a decent book if you’d get rid of that Gatsby character”
- Anonymous Editor, on “The Great Gatsby” (1920s)
F. Scott Fitzgerald's “The Great Gatsby” is of the most famous American novels of all time, featuring strong
social commentary throughout and driven by the mysterious title character, Jay Gatsby. However, an editor
of Fitzgerald's work suggested that he would have a decent book on his hands if he got rid of Gatsby - the
most integral character in the book! Good thing the writer didn’t take the advice – the character isn’t only
the unforgettable center of this literary classic but he’s also inspired countless people thereafter.
#4: “I’m glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his nose, not me”
- Gary Cooper, on “Gone with the Wind” (1938)
Some movies will forever be cemented in cinema history, and “Gone with the Wind” is undoubtedly one of
them. When movie star Gary Cooper was offered a role in said movie, he turned it down. Instead, Clark
Gable starred. Cooper said the movie’d be Hollywood’s biggest flop and that he was glad Gable would take
the fall for it and not him. Tell that to the history books! Cooper wasn't the only naysayer though - an MGM
executive also wrongly claimed that “No Civil War movie ever made a nickel.” Way to stick your foot in your
mouth!
Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few (dis) honorable mentions:
- “The subscription model of buying music is bankrupt.”
- “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. You ought to go back to driving a truck.”
- “Taking the best left-handed pitcher in baseball and converting him into a right fielder is one of the
dumbest things I ever heard.”
You could not be more wrong… Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for
the top 10 tech predictions that turned out to be false.
For this list, we’re looking at prophecies, guesses or projections that were made in the tech world, that
turned out to be painfully, painfully false. We’re also taking into account who supposedly made the
prediction, because if it’s someone who should’ve known better, it makes the fail that much worse.
#10: “Machine guns will make war impossible”
- Hiram Maxim, inventor of Maxim gun (1893)
Whether they’re pitching a new kitchen utensil or a weapon for the military, inventors will always promote
their new-fangled gadgets as the be all and end all. Take Hiram Maxim, for example. After inventing the first
automatic machine gun, he was supposedly asked by British doctor and writer Havelock Ellis whether he
thought his Maxim gun would make war more terrible. Maxim replied by saying machine guns would not
only make war less terrible; they would make it impossible. He has unfortunately been proven false on
multiple occasions.
Before we reveal our number one prediction fail in the technology world, here are a few honorable
mentions:
- “Remote shopping, while entirely feasible, will flop – because women like to get out of the house, like to
handle merchandise”
- Time Magazine (1966)
- “Rail travel at high speed is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia”
- Dionysius Lardner, scientific writer (c. 1820s)
- “As far as it is possible to do so, [The Titanic is] designed to be unsinkable”
- White Star Line promotional material (1910)
There’s an old maxim that says: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” These people set out to do
just that. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 notable
revolutions throughout world history.
For this list, we picked the uprisings and conflicts that have left the biggest imprint in the world and
ultimately left the pages of history forever changed.
Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Israeli-Palestinian Conflict [First and Second Intifada, etc.]
(1947 -)
- The Glorious Revolution
(1688 – 1689)
- The American Civil War
(1861 – 1865)
Religion has played a crucial role in both the everyday lives of individuals and the history of the world.
Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 influential religious
figures.
For this list, we’re focusing on people who had a profound impact on religion or religious followers, either as
founder, inspiration or influential follower. However, we’ve excluded those figures who are more known as
philosophers rather than religious leaders.
#7: Zoroaster
(between 18th – 6th centuries BC)
Though it’s unclear when exactly this ancient Persian prophet lived, what’s more evident is that the concept
of monotheism may’ve had its origins with Zoroaster. His teachings emphasized both free will and the
importance of good deeds in life, and these ideas influenced Judeo-Christian and Vedic Hindu religions, as
well as some Greek philosophers. For a millennium, Zoroastrianism was one of the world’s most powerful
religions, though today it has split into two groups, the Parsis and Iranis, which are culturally and
linguistically distinct from one another
#5: Krishna
(c. 3228 BC - 3102 BC)
In Hinduism, Krishna is regarded as the eight incarnation of the god Vishnu; his story encompasses
centuries, but part of it involves time spent as a flute-playing youth and a human prince. Vishnu’s story
includes many exciting adventures, but his teachings had a significant impact on the development of
Hinduism through his role in the epic poem the Mahabharata and his well-known message the Bhagavad
Gita. Followers of Vishnu also have influenced Buddhism, Jainism, and Ahmadiyya Islam, among other
religions, thus affecting billions of followers worldwide.
#4: Moses
(c. 1391 BC - c. 1271 BC)
While the Biblical figure Abraham established the first covenant between God and what became the Jewish
people, the later figure of Moses is arguably of even greater significance to Judaism for his role in liberating
the Jewish slaves and leading them to the Promised Land. The author of the Torah, Moses is also a major
figure in Islam and Christianity. The Ten Commandments, which Moses brought to the people from God, is
the basis of western religious belief and has heavily shaped western political thought as well.
#2: Muhammad
(c. 570 - 632)
Considered the last prophet of God by the Muslims, Muhammad was said to have received revelations from
God through the angel Gabriel. He shared these revelations in the form of the Qur’an, a sacred text of the
Islamic religion that preaches monotheism as a central theme. As a military leader as well as religious figure,
Muhammad unified and changed the shape of the Arab world during his lifetime and has made a lasting
contribution to the religious lives of billions through the ages.
Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- King David (c. 1040 BC - c. 970 BC)
- Mother Teresa (1910 - 1997)
- Desmond Tutu (1931-)
#1: Jesus
(7-2 BC - 30-33 AD)
Jesus of Nazareth is considered the Son of God by Christians and an important prophet by the Islamic and
Baha’i faith. And today, Christianity is considered the world’s largest religion, with some 2 billion followers.
Though he only had a few years with which to preach his gospel of kindness, compassion and mercy before
he was betrayed, arrested and crucified, his teachings have profoundly affected religious, political and moral
thought over the past two millennia – and are sure to have a considerable continued impact in the future.
Baking soda volcanoes and potato batteries are a good introduction to science; these people took it a little
further. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 influential
scientists.
For this list, we’re focusing on people who had a lasting or significant influence on both science and daily
life.
#5: Archimedes
(287 - 212 BC)
The greatest mathematician of ancient times, and one of the greatest of all time, Archimedes was also a
physicist, inventor, astronomer and engineer. He created the principle by which the volume of an irregularly
shaped object can be determined, which has had enormous influence down through the ages. Some of his
designs have been disproved – including one which outlined a way to set a ship on fire using mirrors; but
much of his work stands the test of time.
#2: Aristotle
(384 - 322 BC)
Famous Greek philosopher Aristotle is equally renowned as a scientist; indeed, many consider him history’s
first genuine scientist. Geology, biology, physics, medicine, psychology and meteorology were among his
passions. Although many of his conclusions do not stand up to modern science, his efforts laid important
groundwork that influenced scientific belief through the Renaissance and into the Enlightenment. Modern
science would not be where it is today without his early contributions.
Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Alan Turing (1912 - 1954)
- Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642)
- Max Planck (1858 - 1947)
- Louis Pasteur (1822 - 1895)
- Enrico Fermi (1901 - 1954)
Top 10 Philosophers
What does it all mean? These guys had an idea. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting
down our picks for top 10 philosophers.
For this list, we looked for historically significant thinkers whose philosophies directly affected the societies
in which they lived, and whose intellectual approaches, ideas, and/or principles remain relevant to
contemporary civilizations.
#6: Socrates
(c. 469 - 399 BC)
Declaring that “The unexamined life is not worth living,” Socrates’ philosophy focused on justice and virtue.
This study took form through a dialectic strategy of contemplating certain questions to reveal universal
truths; a process now known as the Socratic Method. But perhaps his most enduring statement was “I know
that I know nothing.” Highly critical of the ruling elite in Athens, Socrates was sentenced to death for
impiety and corrupting the youth, becoming a martyr to the love of knowledge and the legendary father of
Western philosophy.
#5: Confucius
(551 - 479 BC)
Also known as K’ung Ch’iu, Confucius searched for remedies to the social and political chaos of his time. He
believed in the restoration and maintenance of traditional Chinese values to re-establish an ethical society.
This philosophy was built on the principles of loving others, self-discipline and self-restraint, and an early
precursor of the Golden Rule. Though he never saw the fulfilment of these ideals within his lifetime,
Confucianism continues to have a meaningful impact on cultural practices in many parts of East Asia.
#2: Plato
(c. 427 - c. 347 BC)
Believing that truth was best pursued through rational inquiry, Plato conceptualized two realms – one of
idealized versions of all things, which he called forms, and our physical world where imperfect versions of
these forms exist – as illustrated by his “Allegory of the Cave.” Plato’s “Republic” best outlines these ideas,
applying them to the conceptualization of an ideal society. Though his work veers toward the abstract,
Plato’s writing is an essential contribution to the annals of western philosophy, inspiring thinkers for the
past two and a half millennia.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804)
- Baruch Spinoza (1632 - 1677)
- Thomas Hobbes (1588 - 1679)
- Niccolò Machiavelli (1469 - 1527)
- Michel Foucault (1926 - 1984)
- Thomas Aquinas (1225 - 1274)
- Karl Marx (1818 - 1883)
#1: Aristotle
(384 - 322 BC)
Famed tutor of Alexander the Great, Aristotle’s works cover everything from physics to theatre. A student of
Plato’s Academy, Aristotle diverged from his predecessors’ rationalist pursuits by embarking on empirical
study of the natural world. This focus led him to conclude that no metaphysical notion of form exists
without evidence of real substance. A quintessential characteristic of Aristotelian thought, this idea would
have far reaching influence on the development of Western philosophy, theology and science, as did his
principles of causality and the golden mean.
Top 10 Conquerors
Everybody wants to rule the world. These guys pretty much did. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today
we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 conquerors.
For this list, we’ve chosen those world conquerors who historically excelled in military planning and
strategy, leadership and mobilization of troops, and whose empires at their peak and speed of expansion
eclipsed those of their contemporaries.
#6: Tamerlane
(1336 - 1405)
Tamerlane, a Turko-Mongol ruler, went from robbing travelers as a child to conquering much of West, South
and Central Asia as the self-appointed heir of Genghis Khan. Tamerlane was an unparalleled tactician, often
planning his campaigns years in advance and using information warfare to spread tales of his armies’ size
and brutality. His conquests resulted in the deaths of possibly 17,000,000 people – 5% of the population of
the entire world at the time. Not a guy to mess around with.
Before we crown our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Pharaoh Thutmose III (1481 - 1425 BC)
- Ramesses II (c. 1303 - 1213 BC)
- Hannibal Barca (247 - c. 181 BC)
- Francisco Pizarro (c. 1471 - 1541)
- William the Conqueror (c. 1028 - 1087)
Top 10 Inventions
These ideas changed the world. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for
the top 10 inventions of all time.
#10: Paper
One of the Chinese people’s Four Great Inventions, paper was invented and developed in the 2nd-century-
BC by the Han Dynasty. The idea eventually traveled to Europe, where papermills began manufacturing the
product on a larger scale. Without paper, the printing press would never have been invented, and our world
would be very different: we would not have maps, paper currency, or books to disperse information – its
impact is truly endless.
#8: Refrigeration
Though ice was used since prehistoric times to prevent food from spoiling and developing bacteria, the
concept of refrigeration was only developed in earnest starting in the mid-1700s. The process was then
refined and improved, changing the way the food industry transports and stores food. The implications of
this discovery are far-reaching; as it transformed the way we eat and live.
#6: Plumbing
The landscape of major cities would be drastically different without this innovation – after all, how would a
high-rise exist without modern plumbing? Evolving from holes in the ground, to chamber pots, to outhouses
and eventually to flush toilets as early as the 31st-26th centuries BC, the development of plumbing
improved living conditions for millions of people across the globe and lengthened our lifespans.
#5: Medicine
Many medicines and vaccinations have extended and changed our lives significantly. Discovered by accident
by Alexander Fleming, penicillin was the first group of drugs that fought illnesses like syphilis and strep
infections. On the other side of the spectrum, since they were introduced to the public in the 1960s
contraceptives such as the birth control pill helped level out the global population and launched a revolution
in social change.
#4: Engines
These engines got industry and the population moving. Instead of relying on horses as transportation,
people traveled across the countryside via Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine as of 1712, which was
improved upon by James Watt later that century, quickly becoming the backbone of society and sparking
the Industrial Revolution. Internal combustion ultimately replaced steam and ushered in the Second
Industrial Revolution, and allowed individuals to affordably travel great distances.
#2: Communications
Several inventions changed global communications forever: Samuel Morse brought us the electric telegraph
in 1836, Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone was the first to be awarded a patent to transmit voices in 1876,
Guglielmo Marconi and Nikola Tesla developed radio in the late-19th-century, moving pictures first came
across John Logie Baird’s television in 1925, Konrad Zuse developed the first computer in the early-‘40s, and
Tim Berners-Lee proposed the World-Wide-Web in the late-‘80s – and all made the world a bit smaller.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- The Cotton Gin
- Gun powder
- Optical Lenses
- Camera
#1: Electricity
Not only did sleep patterns change drastically with the introduction of electricity, so did work habits. From
Ben Franklin, to Nikola Tesla, to Michael Faraday to Thomas Edison, many innovators made important
contributions to this modernization, which brought light and power to the masses. However, electricity only
became a necessity and standard to everyday life in the mid-20th century; before that it was enjoyed mainly
in big cities.
These were the faces of a new political order. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down
our picks for the top 10 communist leaders.
For this list, we looked for political revolutionaries and communist leaders who had a major impact on the
emergence and growth of Communist states throughout the world, in the twentieth century.
Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Kim il-Sung
- Kim Jong-il
- Josip Broz Tito
Some political lies are commonplace, but others can cause wars and genocides. Welcome to
WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 political lies of all time.
For this list, we’ve chosen famous, memorable or impactful political lies that have been told throughout
history, and have tried to keep it spread out throughout the globe – after all, dishonesty isn’t restricted to
region.
#4: Watergate
Those are the famous last words spoken by President Richard Nixon, when he denied any involvement in
the June 17th, 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel.
However, the resulting investigation found proof that the Nixon administration had spied on the Democrats’
campaign, forcing Nixon to become the first and only U.S. president to resign the office.
Many empires have risen and fallen through the ages of history. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today
we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 world empires.
For this list, we looked for armies whose charismatic leaders, technological innovations, and military
conquests brought about significant watershed moments over the course of human history. We’re using
fictionalized movie version to illustrate most of these armies, for obvious reasons.
Top 10 Most Common Things Movies and TV Get Wrong About History
Those who get history wrong, are doomed to repeat it. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be
counting down our picks for the Top 10 Most Common Things Movies and TV Get Wrong About History.
For this list, we’ll be looking at the most frequent inconsistencies and inaccuracies in films and television
shows depicting historical events, people, and things.
Hollywood regularly features stories where stated dates don’t line up with their actual historical ones.
Although the last few centuries are generally pretty safe, the likelihood of errors often increases the further
back something is set, with events often placed in the wrong year, decade, century, or, in extreme cases,
millennium. In other cases, events that should take place many years apart take place in closer or farther
proximity. This is likely due to artistic license, or telling the story that those in charge want to tell, and
sometimes they even have people meet each other who never met in real life, or who weren’t alive at the
same time.
Every culture across the world has a host of traditions and idiosyncrasies that give them a distinct identity all
their own. However, films and shows often gloss over these behaviors, get them wrong, or omit them
completely, in favor of having the characters act like people from modern day. While this is sometimes the
result of ignorance on the part of the creators, in other cases it’s to make the characters feel more relatable
- or else it’s to avoid stopping the narrative to explain the custom to the audience.
While outfits and music are a bit understandable, technological mistakes seem a bit more egregious in our
minds. Characters will often use tools and other technology that won’t be created for years. In many cases,
the creators of the media in question will have the characters use the technology due to convenience, or to
make a cool scene, such as the use of dynamite in “Django Unchained.” This is especially bad when it comes
to more modern technology, like computers, since the documentation on their creation is significantly
easier to find.
Much like their customs, historical figures are often given modernizations to make them more palatable to
current day audiences. Heroes are shown to fight for freedom and equality, which are ideals prized by
people today, when they were far more likely to pursue things for reasons like nationalism, protecting their
families, or just to stay alive. Meanwhile, antagonists and villains are usually played up as being completely
irredeemable when they often had more depth to their motives than simply doing evil things for their own
sake.
Not only does Hollywood alter people’s motives, but they also mess up their personalities. Though historical
figures’ personalities can be difficult to discern the farther back in time we look, some things are generally
known about famed, ancient people and Hollywood rarely gets them right, or consistent, often amplifying
one personality trait. Cleopatra, for example, is usually portrayed as a seductress, despite having more to
her character than that. Even more recent historical figures are not immune to having their characters
warped for the sake of a good story either.
Hollywood has a real problem with getting the age of characters right, regardless of whether they’re real or
fictional. It can be very distracting sometimes for those in the know to see historical people who are years or
decades older or younger than they should be during a certain period. Still, we understand that casting is
often the result of the ability of the actor and not necessarily historical accuracy. Sometimes, though, it’s
clearly the result of revisionism, such as Pocahontas, who is drawn as a teenager or young adult in the
Disney film, but was actually only a preteen during the real-life events depicted in the movie.
Historical media made for English-speaking audiences almost always have the characters speaking modern
English in English or American accents, regardless of time period the story is set in or the culture of the
people speaking. Part of the reason for this is the need to make the film more palatable and/or
understandable to English speaking audiences; after all, there are plenty of people who think that subtitles
distract from the action onscreen. Also, it’s just so much easier to get actors to speak an accent of their own
language, rather than another language entirely.
Hollywood doesn’t have the best track record with racial anything, do they? Historical films and shows often
feature characters that are depicted by actors who are not the correct race for the location or the time.
Either they’ve cast all white people, in that classic Hollywood whitewashing maneuver, or else they’re
arguably too racially diverse, featuring people of color during a time and place when it would’ve been
bizarre. In either case, historical revisionism is often the culprit, though ambivalence, ignorance, and
political correctness (or a lack thereof) are other common causes.
Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
What’s the point of making your mark on history, if they’re just going to get it wrong later on? Hollywood
will often give credit to people, groups, or countries that didn’t do whatever it is they said they did. In other
cases, a person’s accomplishments are multiplied or exaggerated. Though this is sometimes a case of myth
or rumor becoming more well-known than the facts, in most cases, it’s used to glorify the subject of the
story, whether it be a person or a country, to make them appear more impressive or heroic.