History
Discover facts about history. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
History
The royal marriage that broke the rules
Ignoring literally every rule of royal succession, the heir to the throne secretly married a widow whose religion explicitly disqualified her. He knew it was…
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Martin Van Buren left his wife out of his autobiography
You would assume a massive autobiography covering an entire political career might dedicate a footnote to a life partner. Not Van Buren. He wrote hundreds of…
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The queen who kept her dead husband nearby
Grief affects everyone differently, but Joanna's method was profoundly unsettling. She kept her husband's deceased body in a casket near her at all times,…
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Beethoven poured cold water over his head to write
Because standard cures for writer's block were apparently for peasants, the legendary composer literally dumped buckets of freezing water on his brain to…
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The composer who ate only white food
Taking aesthetic pretension to a dangerous physiological extreme, the eccentric French composer restricted his diet exclusively to white items. He survived…
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Klimt let stray cats take over his studio
The glittering gold leaf master had a fatal weakness for felines. He allowed an absolute horde of stray cats to freely roam his studio, completely unfazed…
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The composer who got away with a double murder
Being a highly respected noble meant you could literally get away with murder. This avant-garde composer caught his wife in a compromising position with an…
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Sartre Once Thought Invisible Crabs Were Chasing Him
After a particularly bad experience with mescaline, the legendary existentialist spent months utterly convinced that a legion of giant, invisible crabs was…
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Bernini had his lover’s face slashed
Proving that artistic talent does not equal basic decency, the celebrated sculptor discovered his mistress was cheating on him with his own brother. In a fit…
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Mondrian hated looking at trees
The pioneer of geometric abstraction despised the organic unpredictability of the natural world. If seated at a restaurant with a view of a park, Mondrian…
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Dvořák memorized train schedules for fun
Long before online forums existed for niche enthusiasts, Dvorak was the ultimate transit nerd. When he wasn't writing brilliant symphonies, he haunted railway…
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Brahms burned his own early music
Imposter syndrome hit classical composers hard, too. Terrified of being unfavorably compared to Beethoven, Brahms ruthlessly destroyed dozens of his own…
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A mathematician forbade his sons to study math
The brilliant mathematician possessed such an overwhelmingly massive ego that he flatly forbade his children from studying numbers. He was absolutely…
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Handel ordered dinner for three and ate it alone
Never one to embrace moderation, the Baroque master had an appetite that rivaled his musical output. He would frequently visit taverns, order enough food to…
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Caravaggio killed a man over a tennis score
The master of dramatic lighting was equally dramatic in his personal life. After arguing over a score in a casual game of real tennis, Caravaggio drew a…
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The philosopher who paid a lifelong pension after an assault
The ultimate philosopher of pessimism was absolutely miserable to be around. Annoyed by a neighbor chatting loudly outside his door, he angrily pushed her…
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Why Manet added a black cat to Olympia
Knowing his painting 'Olympia' was already going to cause a massive scandal, Manet intentionally painted a startled black cat at the foot of the bed just to…
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Liszt fans fought over his cigar butts
A century before modern pop idols existed, this piano virtuoso caused literal riots. Aristocratic women would swarm the stage, fistfight over his broken piano…
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The house-sized sculpture made of trash
Turning hoarding into high art, Schwitters spent years constructing a sprawling, room-consuming architectural pillar out of pure garbage. He seamlessly…
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Kant’s daily walk was so punctual, clocks used him
The defining philosopher of the Enlightenment was so neurotically rigid about his daily schedule that his afternoon walk occurred at the exact same minute…
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Rousseau wrote about raising children—then abandoned his own
Hypocrisy reached its absolute zenith during the Enlightenment. Rousseau boldly published wildly influential treatises on how to properly raise and educate…
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Wagner stole his best friend’s wife
Because writing four-day-long operas wasn't exhausting enough, Wagner decided to spice up his personal life by stealing Cosima, the wife of his devoted…
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Schubert wrote masterpieces without owning a piano
Despite writing some of the most enduring keyboard pieces in human existence, Schubert was chronically broke. He composed his masterpieces entirely on…
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The conductor who died after smashing his toe
Before delicate little batons were invented, conductors kept time by violently slamming heavy wooden staffs into the floor. Lully enthusiastically smashed his…
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