Weird History: 10 Bizarre Facts About Popular Historical Figures

Winston Churchill once defined history as “One damn thing after another”. Yet the truth is that history has been filled with fascinating events and interesting people.

There has also been plenty of weird history you’ve probably never been aware of. After all, people do crazy things. They always have and always will. These facts can be fun to learn if you know where to look.

In this article, we take a look at 10 random history facts that will surprise you. Keep reading to have your mind blown.

1. Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison was an inventor known for many things. These include inventing the electric light bulb, the phonograph and the motion picture camera, just to name a few. Yet here is a weird fact about Edison you likely didn’t know.

When he died of diabetes in 1931, Henry Ford convinced Edison’s son to capture his soul as it left his body at the moment of his death. You can actually see Edison’s last breath on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit.

2. Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla was one smart cookie. He was so smart, in fact, that he wanted to make sure that he was able to conserve all his mental, physical, and emotional energy for his work.

Thus our boy Telsa was a confirmed bachelor. This means no romance and no relationships. Was he a 40 year old virgin? Who knows. But we do know that he scarified chasing women so that he could focus on the kinds of things he felt were much more important.

3. Galileo Galilei

It’s no secret that Galileo is responsible for much of what we understand about the universe. He was an undeniable genius who used the telescope to make astronomical discoveries that challenged the common beliefs of his day.

He died in January of 1642 at age 77. But before he was buried, three of his fingers and one of his teeth were removed from his body. As gruesome as that might sound, luckily for you these body parts are currently on display at the Museo Galileo in Florence, Italy.

4. Walt Disney

Walt Disney was a rich and famous man who owed most of his success to an animated mouse. 

A little known fact about Disney is that he was having a hard time finding a housekeeper to take care of his home. He eventually hired a woman name Thelma to cook for his children and keep the house clean.

The family loved Thelma, and Disney held her in such high regard that he rewarded her with stock in his company that eventually made her a millionaire.

5. Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte might have been a small guy, but he had a huge ego and massive ambitions. Best known for his military conquests, many people aren’t aware that he also had literary ambitions.

Believe it or not, Napoleon wrote a romantic novella called Clisson et Eugenie. It was the story of a soldier and his lover, obviously inspired by Napoleon’s relationship with his one-time fiancee Eugenie Desiree Clay.

6. Elvis

There’s no denying that Elvis Presley was one of the greatest entertainers of all time. And yet there are some things about the The King that you’d probably be better off not knowing. 

Elvis actually suffered from chronic constipation. This led to the removal of part of his colon, which was a common treatment for constipation in the 1970s. Needless to say, being constipated wasn’t the most pleasant experience, thus Elvis was known to frequently complain about the condition. 

It’s widely believed that his unpleasant issue with constipation was a contributing factor to his untimely death. 

If you’ve been experiencing unpleasant health issues, be sure to check out this resource for information to support your joints.

7. Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart was filled with a sense of adventure. She was born to explore the world and make the most of life. Not only was she an aviation pioneer, she was also extremely liberal in her views of love and marriage.

When Earhart became engaged to George Putnam in the 1920s, she was insistent that she not be tied down to one man for the rest of her life. Believe it or not, she actually wrote a prenup stating that neither one of them should be chained to a medieval code of faithfulness.

In other words, she wanted an open marriage. 

Obviously, she was way ahead of her time, even though her time on earth would ultimately be cut short.

8. William Shakespeare

It’s no mystery that Shakespeare was a man of words. His plays have been considered among the greatest contributions to theater in history. 

He died in 1616, and two days after his death his body was buried in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church.

The part of this story you might not have known is that he grave is complete with a stone slab featuring a carved epigraph written by Shakespeare himself. The epigraph is a threat of a curse upon anyone who moves his bones.

9. Voltaire

Voltaire was a famed French philosopher known for the publication of his “Philosophic Letters”. He might have been famous, but his writings made him rather unpopular. As a result of threats upon his life, he developed the habit of living near the borders of other countries so that he could quickly flee for safety if necessary.

10. Albert Einstein

Long considered one of the most brilliant minds in the history of the world, it turns out that Einstein wasn’t a fan of being famous. In fact, the constant attention he received from the general public made him very uncomfortable. Add to this the fact that he was easily recognizable.

His solution to being approached in public was to simply tell people that they had mistaken him for someone else.

A World of Weird History

The world is full of weird history. In fact, the cool stories contained in this article only represent the tip of the iceberg. Always remember that even the rich and famous are simply people with problems and bizarre habits just like the rest of us.