10The Fake Letter That Made An Entire Castle Surrender As we can see throughout their history, the Knights Hospitallers were clearly no pushovers, preferring to fight to the last man if need be. That scenario almost happened when the Mamluks besieged the formidable Hospitaller castle Krak des Chevaliers in March 1271. Led by Sultan Baybars, the Muslim forces slowly took the castle and gradually pushed the knights into the interior by the end of the month....

This 1855 book of poetry ushered in the American equivalent of the Romantic Era of literature. Whitman’s brilliant work changed art, and changed what could be discussed in art with his bold and bawdy epic poem. This work was both subversive and celebratory, that opened the door for discussion of many issues, and also was the work that opened the beat movement that followed nearly a century later. [Read the full text online]...

SEE ALSO: 10 Horrifying Accounts Of North Korea’s Prison Camps But thanks to a few daring undercover journalists who snuck in, along with gruesome reports from defected North Koreans who snuck out, we’re getting a better picture of how the cogs turn behind the veil of this great propaganda machine. And it’s not pretty. 10 Labor Camps North Korea currently operates about 16 labor camps—massive compounds scattered across the mountainous terrain and enclosed by electrified barbed wire fences....

Some of these actors have been performing for decades. They’ve perfected their craft, while others are just starting out but are already blowing us away with their talent. Without a doubt, these 10 celebrity performances moved everyone in the audience. 10 Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest In One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Randle Patrick McMurphy was a criminal who fakes insanity to skip out on prison....

When a serial killer is able to smile their way through a murder trial, admit they feel no remorse, and never apologize for their unimaginable crimes, it’s quite clear they’re better off removed from society and safely kept behind bars. These following chilling quotes all prove that those who said them lack any remorse. 10 Carl Panzram I am not the least bit sorry. I have no conscience so that does not worry me....

Over time, the concept of beauty has changed—a lot. The generations that came before us had their own ideas about what looked good, and some of those seem completely bizarre today. 10 Gluing A Unibrow On Your Head In ancient Greece, there was nothing more unsightly than a woman with two clearly separated eyebrows on her head. If a woman wanted to exude sophistication and beauty, she needed a long, black, caterpillar-like line of hair stretching across her brow....

10Linguistic Dating As time goes by, two geographically isolated communities that speak the same language will display differences in the way they talk. After a few generations, language change becomes more significant. After thousands of years, we’re most likely faced with two related but totally independent languages. Linguistics can date text on documents, pottery, building walls, and numerous other surfaces. Many important ancient texts have been dated on the basis of linguistic comparison, such as the Zoroastrian Avesta, which is believed to have been written somewhere between 1200–1500 BC based on linguistic similarities with the Indian Vedas....

10 Streptococcus Pyogenes Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as group A streptococcus (GAS), is a normal flora of the human body. Under ordinary circumstances, it resides on our skin and other parts of the body. Since it is naturally pathogenic, it can sometimes cause diseases such as strep throat and scarlet fever. In more severe cases, this bacterium can actually eat our flesh in what is called necrotizing fasciitis. In 1999, the CDC reported 600 cases of necrotizing fasciitis by S....

10 George BarringtonPrince Of Pickpockets Irish-born George Barrington started down the wrong road when he stabbed a fellow student with a penknife at age 16. After that, he fell in with a group that taught him everything he’d need to know to make a living as a pickpocket and con man. Able to mingle with the best of them, Barrington headed to London and fell in with the upper class and elite, all the while picking their pockets and stealing whatever wasn’t nailed down....

This week, we watch pornography on giant billboards and listen to rock music under the sea, surrounded by sharks. We celebrate the Nigels of the world while we puzzle over what is mutilating cattle in Oregon. SEE ALSO: Top 10 Crazy Ways Actors Prepared For Sex Work Roles 10 Anachronistic Artillery Divers from the Royal Navy had to dispose of a German World War II bomb they found in the wreck of a 17th century warship....

10Contraception Childbirth before the invention of anesthetics and modern medicine was brutal, painful, and dangerous. Euripides has Medea in his play declare, “I had rather stand my ground three times among the shields than face a childbirth once.” Is it any wonder then that women sought ways to avoid the horrors of the birthing bed? And sometimes, they might just like to have sex without the risk of dying. So, they turned to the best available products at the time....

SEE ALSO: 10 Creepy Photos Of People Unaware They Are With A Serial Killer For some of the following victims, looking at a camera in the hands of their serial killer would have been one of the last things they ever saw. The images captured of their torment provide a chilling glimpse into the brutal reality of their deaths. 10 Robert Ben Rhoades Serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades stalked the highways of Texas in his mobile torture and death chamber....

10Hops & Pops Hypnotism Heist On September 11, 2014, security camera footage captured a hypnotist placing a London liquor storeowner in a trance before robbing him. The owner of Hops and Pops, Aftab Heider, 56, was shocked to discover he had been relieved of several hundred pounds in cash. The CCTV footage reveals an Eastern European man in black bomber jacket, who brushes past Heider, before gently tapping his arm. Moments later, the suspect makes a stabbing motion, which places the merchant in a trance....

Even the non-violent and not-so-scary criminals pop up where you’d least expect. Your local Wendy’s may be home to an embezzling ring and that local laundromat that never seems to be open—it may just be laundering more than clothes. From tiny infractions to major misdeeds, from nobodies to notables, history has played host to an unimaginable number of hidden lawbreakers. You’ll find several here, as we list ten criminals you would never expect....

Unfortunately, the money often attracts greedy people, who believe that they are entitled to some of the winnings. Family, friends, even strangers have no problem requesting small fortunes. Many become angry if they are not given exorbitant amounts of money. The following people each had their lives—and their families’ lives—ruined by winning the lottery. 10Abraham Shakespeare Abraham Shakespeare won $30 million in the lottery, and he took a lump sum amount of $17 million....

10Christoph Haizmann A painter working in Bavaria and Austria in the late 17th century, Chistoph Haizmann was at the center of a bizarre witch hunt and pact with the Devil. When he collapsed on August 29, 1677, he showed all the signs of being tortured by a witch’s curse. When questioned by authorities, Haizmann claimed that it was his own fault and that he’d signed a pact with the Devil nine years earlier as a way out of the cycle of poverty and depression that had become his life....

10 Davy Crockett You’ve probably heard of him: Davy, Davy Crockett, alleged King of the Wild Frontier. “Kilt him a b’ar” when it was politically correct to do so, at the tender age of three. He was already pretty well known when Walt Disney made a motion picture chronicling his heroic stand at the Alamo. Crockett is best remembered as being the last man standing, swinging his rifle as Mexican troops stormed the Alamo....

Unfortunately, those big ideas sometimes go beyond what is actually possible. Other times, a great idea simply just doesn’t make the cut for so many reasons. There is a countless number of sketches that never became reality, but here are just ten of the most intriguing Disney attraction ideas that were never finished. 10 The Enchanted Snow Palace Frozen hit theaters in 2013, and it quickly rose to one of the most popular Disney animated films of all time....

When such a neighbor ignores property lines and polite requests to tone things down, events can quickly escalate from petty retaliation to a tragic declaration of all-out war. 10 Helen Staudinger In Fort McCoy, Florida, 92-year-old Helen Staudinger was a lonely widow who became smitten with 53-year-old Dwight Bettner. The two met in 2010 when Bettner moved in next door. Shortly after moving in, Bettner helped the senior with her stove, driving her to a nearby city to pick up a part....

10Stop-Action Substitution The first special effect occurred in the 18-second 1895 film The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. The Edison Library film shows Mary (portrayed by Robert Thomae, Kinetoscope Company’s secretary and treasurer) kneeling at the chopping block. She extends her neck, peering ahead. The executioner, amid a company of onlookers holding pikes, lifts his axe. Bringing it down swiftly, he chops off her head, which tumbles forward, off the block, and rolls on the ground....