The saying goes that history is the teacher of life. And what will she teach us from these scary, terrifying, blood-curdling facts that will keep you awake today?
10 scary historical facts, which will keep you awake today:
Rainbow Valley
On Mount Everest, you will find a cemetery that is completely random there. It got its name from the multi-colored jackets and climbing gear attached to the many corpses lying on the slope. Those who want to climb Mount Everest have to pass these colorful corpses. Over time, these mummified corpses became a target for some climbers.
Little Albert
With the 'Little Albert' experiment, John Watson tried to find out whether fear is inherited or learned. In order to reach a conclusion, he traumatized a sick child, whom he kidnapped from the hospital every day without the mother's knowledge. He showed him soft, fluffy toys, while he hit a gong behind the curtain to scare the child. The child developed a phobia of white, fluffy things, and the experiment ended because Albert's mother found out about it and moved in with the child. According to relatives, little Albert never learned to walk or talk. He died at the age of 6.
More: en.wikipedia.org
The Jonestown Massacre
Jonestown, or the 'People's Temple Agricultural Project', ended when cult leader Reverend Jim Jones forced 981 people to drink Kool-Aid mixed with cyanide, chloral hydrate, diazepam and promethazine. The event is often called a mass suicide, although it was closer to a mass murder, as all those who drank the poison did so under duress. A third of the victims were minors.
More: en.wikipedia.org
The Baby Farmer
Minnie Dean, known as The Baby Farmer, is the only woman to have been sentenced to death in New Zealand. Minnie took in unwanted babies, and most of them mysteriously fell ill, died or disappeared. They eventually discovered that Minnie had killed them and kept the remains in hat boxes. When she was found guilty, she was hanged.
More: en.wikipedia.org
To live forever
Qin Shi Huangdi, the founder of the Ying Dynasty and the first emperor of China, was obsessed with eternal life. So he ordered his doctors to find the elixir of immortality or he would kill them. The doctors quickly 'discovered' the magical potion that the emperor drank daily. Unfortunately, he drank mercury and eventually died of poisoning.
More: en.wikipedia.org
Horrible wishes
On an expedition to Africa in the late 19th century, James Jameson, heir to the Jameson Irish Whiskey empire, requested a live performance of cannibalism. To make his horrible wish come true, he bought a slave and gave her to men to kill her and then eat her flesh. Jameson is also said to have illustrated the gruesome scene, and then used these illustrations for a series of watercolors.
More: query.nytimes.com
The Stanford Prison Experiment
One of the most famous psychological experiments of all time, the Stanford Prison Experiment, attempted to investigate the psychological effects of power and authority. The guards and prisoners were randomly selected from volunteers, and the experiment soon turned to the 'dark side' when the guards began torturing the prisoners. The prisoners accepted it, and some began to lose their minds. The entire experiment was abandoned after 6 days due to questionable morality. Even today, it is a benchmark for how quickly 'normal' people can become cruel when given authority.
More: en.wikipedia.org
The Green Man
Raymond Robinson, or the Green Man, lost his face as a small boy. Nevertheless, he lived to the age of 74, despite having no eyes, mouth, nose and only one ear. His severe disfigurement kept him at home during the day, and his habit of taking long walks at night turned him into an urban legend.
More: en.wikipedia.org
The Hinterkaifeck Farm Murders
All 6 inhabitants of the farm were killed with a pickaxe in 1922. A few days before the attack, one of the victims saw footprints in the snow leading from the forest to the farm, but there were no footprints leading back. Also, a newspaper appeared that no one bought. Six months before the attack, the maid left the farm because she was convinced that the house was haunted. The murder remains unsolved to this day.
More: en.wikipedia.org
Buried alive
Octavia Hatcher lived in Kentucky. After losing her child, she fell into depression and eventually fell ill. This resulted in coma and apparent death. A few days later, other residents who had the same symptoms as Octavia fell ill, but they eventually recovered. At the time, they thought that Octavia might have the same disease, but it was too late: Octavia was buried alive. When they opened the coffin, they saw the torn fabric and bloody fingernails of Octavia trying to climb out of the coffin. She eventually died from lack of oxygen. Her husband erected a life-size monument to her.
More: appalachianhistory.net
