But there’s failing to keep up and then there’s displaying hilarious levels of ignorance. Time and again, people in high-profile situations seemingly go out of their way to mess up geography. We’re not talking little mistakes either. We’re talking stuff that even a fourth grader should know. Stuff like . . . 10The Twitter Users Who Confused Chechnya With The Czech Republic On April 15, 2013, two bombs exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring over 250....

Today, New York is a huge tourist attraction for people worldwide who want to take in Times Square, gaze at the famous buildings, watch a Broadway show, or take a trip to see the Statue of Liberty. Looking at the old photographs now, it is fascinating to see how the city has grown to be the mammoth attraction it is in modern times, with a population of over 8.5 million—especially considering that around 20,500 years ago, it was nothing but a 1000-feet thick sheet of ice....

The Lewis and Clark expedition was sent out by President Jefferson to cross the continent of America. They were to make scientific discoveries and contact the native Americans. Because they were to be gone for so long it was necessary to train them in medicine so that they could treat illness and injury. Benjamin Rush, famous doctor and founding father, was a key advisor. He was a keen advocate of purgatives and laxatives....

In reality, city life may have its drawbacks, but evil still lurks in the most tranquil villages, and justice is not always served. These ten tragic cases of rural murder—some unsolved—really are stranger than fiction. 10 Judith Roberts Judith Roberts, 14, was cycling along a quiet country lane in her home village of Wigginton, Staffordshire, one evening in June 1972. Later that night, she was snatched from her green bicycle and beaten to death; her body was hidden in a field....

However, throughout the years, some of the most horrific and shocking deaths can be traced back to candy and other fateful dessert choices. From the Candyman Murders of 1974 to India’s recent toxin outbreak, these ten shockingly dangerous sweets show just how dangerous our favorite desserts can be. 10Pesticide Pastries In 2016, in the Punjab province of Pakistan, a family prepared to celebrate the newest addition to their family. Following the birth of a happy and healthy little boy, an ecstatic father rushed to a bakery to purchase an assortment of tasty “laddoo,” sweet, ball-shaped pastries, in honor of his son’s arrival....

Some people argue that these events are the fault of society—that neighbors, visitors, social workers, and the police should have seen the clues and stopped things quickly. Was it truly that no one knew anything was wrong . . . or that no one wanted to get involved? Are these events criminal only or a failure of our mental health system as well? Increasingly, these types of questions are raised each time a new horror house is uncovered....

10 Balto In 1925, in the small town of Nome, Alaska, a highly contagious disease called diphtheria was spreading among all the children. Symptoms of diphtheria begin with difficulty breathing and swallowing. Without the proper medication, this disease can lead to heart failure and paralysis. At that time, Nome was incredibly remote. Even boats and airplanes could not reach these patients because there was so much ice, snow, and dangerous blizzard conditions....

Hetty Green was an eccentric miser who became known as the “Witch of Wall Street”. With her business acumen she accumulated such wealth that she was the richest woman in the world. In order to save money, Hetty would work out of trunks at her local bank so she wouldn’t have to pay rent. When her son fell ill, she disguised herself and took him to a charity hospital; when they realized who she was, she fled claiming she would cure her son herself....

Warning: This list contains graphic photos that may be disturbing to some readers. 10The Mad Bomber’s Mad Smile Over a span of 16 years, an unknown man simply called the “Mad Bomber” terrorized New York City. He would plant explosives in various public places like movie theaters, subway terminals, libraries, and buildings that were owned by the energy company Consolidated Edison. In all, 33 bombs were planted and 22 of them detonated....

Sadly, it’s the projects’ most vulnerable residents, the young and the very old, who suffer the most. They are the ones who get caught in the crossfire of racially segregated, poverty stricken, structurally flawed buildings—the ones who the system truly fails. 10 Pruitt-IgoeSt. Louis The infamous Pruitt-Igoe housing project was erected in 1954, when racial tensions were rife across the US. The megalithic complex consisted of 33 11-story buildings that shadowed the city below....

A popular vehicle for spreading humor in those days was animation. Typically created in Adobe Flash, these animations were crude, profanity-laced, and often violent. They were also surreal, funny, and highly quotable. They also managed to intertwine juvenile humor with dark subject matter and often had a finger on the pulse of what the ordinary person in that era found both humorous and frightening. The feelings generated by these animations, followed along with the infectiously quotable dialogue, created a one-two punch of virality that helped to usher in the meme-age....

10 Chicago City Council Candidates Seek Support Of Local Street Gangs In the run-up to several somewhat recent city council elections in Chicago, gang leaders united to form a group called the Black United Voters of Chicago. The gang leaders realized that by uniting, they could gain significant leverage over the politicians seeking office. They could use their significant influence to elect public officials who were sympathetic to their interests. Of course, not all of those interests were necessarily noble, but that did not matter much to the politicians involved....

Thanks to advanced satellite imagery and some arduous journeys across the solar system, astronomers have been able to observe and study the ferocious hurricanes that emerge out of the swirling atmospheres, capturing breathtaking images and forever expanding on our knowledge of these incredible planets. 10 Saturn’s Rose-Tinted Storm When you think of hurricanes in space, your mind will immediately be drawn to Jupiter’s mighty Great Red Spot, and rightly so; that storm is monumental....

Abarimon Abarimon is the name of a legendary race of people native to a country of the same name. The people of Abarimon had backwards feet, but in spite of this handicap were able to run at great speed. They lived side by side with wild animals and attempts to capture them failed because they were so savage. They lived in a great valley of Mount Imaus (now called the Himalayan Mountains)....

10Fiji Expeditions There were two Fiji expeditions: the first in 1855 and the second in 1859. The first expedition responded to damages on American property that occurred during the Fijian civil war. A US warship with a detachment of marines was sent to obtain compensation from Seru Cakobau, the self-proclaimed king of Fiji. When Cakobau couldn’t pay, troops clashed with native warriors and successfully routed them. The second expedition was ordered after two American traders were killed and cannibalized by natives on the Fijian island of Waya....

But those guys were writers to begin with. Every person on this list started out as criminal. Not a political martyr, an intellectual, or dissident, but the sort of the person who would hold no qualms about shooting someone in the face. What’s impressive about them is not that they were able to write books; it’s that they were able to affect real change within themselves, shrug off their violent pasts, and free their minds through the power of creativity....

10Marriage Was A Mere Agreement Girls married during their early teens while men tied the knot in their mid-twenties. Roman marriages were quick and easy and most didn’t flower from romance but from two agreements. The first would be between the couple’s families, who eyeballed each other to see if the proposed spouse’s wealth and social status were acceptable. If satisfied, a formal betrothal took place where a written agreement was signed and the couple kissed....

They get spoken about so much, the everyday person, whether skeptic or believer, is familiar with these classifications of ghosts. Unfortunately, while these ghost types get all of the love and hype, some of their lesser known brethren get tossed to the wayside. The following ghost types in this list may not be glamorous, but that doesn’t make them any less mysterious or scary, in my opinion. So let us begin down this hall of unknown spooks....

10The Victorian LOLcats Photographing felines in ridiculous outfits and placing even more ridiculous captions on said pictures goes back to Victorian times, to the studios of Harry Pointer and Harry Frees. These photographers separately took photos of cats and other animals in human-like poses and sold them for postcards and children’s books. It was hard work, as the photographers had to make do with primitive equipment while also keeping the live animals still long enough for the perfect pose....