History
Discover facts about history. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
History
Anton Chekhov kept a destructive pet mongoose
Because apparently writing soul-crushing plays wasn't stressful enough. He imported a mongoose named Svolog that spent its days aggressively digging through…
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August Strindberg tried making gold in his apartment
Because writing miserable plays inevitably leads to amateur metallurgy. The Swedish writer became entirely convinced he could transmute base metals into gold,…
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Emperor Rudolf II kept a lion in his bedroom
Because guard dogs are terribly boring when you rule the Holy Roman Empire. He insisted on sharing his personal sleeping quarters with an untethered apex…
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The writer who sold stray dogs as purebreds
Before writing legendary satire, you must live it. The Czech author made rent by stealing stray mutts, forging completely fake pedigree papers, and selling…
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Mikhail Lermontov flipped a coin to decide his travels
When you lack all sense of personal responsibility, leave it to gravity. The Russian poet literally decided which city he was moving to by tossing a coin in…
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The Danish king who vaulted over his guests
Diplomatic protocol means nothing when the king feels like jumping. The Danish monarch would routinely interrupt serious court functions to randomly vault…
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Salvador Dalí once walked an anteater through Paris
When walking a standard mammal simply isn't weird enough for your brand. The surrealist master casually paraded a giant anteater down the streets on a gold…
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The king who wore tiny dogs around his neck
Accessorizing reached an absolutely unhinged peak in the French court. The king had a special ribbon crafted just so he could wear a literal basket filled…
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Victor Hugo locked away his clothes to finish a novel
Because nothing sparks creativity quite like forcing yourself into solitary confinement by handing your clothes to a servant. He literally locked away his…
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The writer who burned his own books
The ultimate form of impulsive self-sabotage. Whenever the Italian writer felt mildly depressed about his legacy, he would furiously throw his own unpublished…
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The author who wrote a novel in a glass box
Publicity stunts used to require serious endurance. The hyper-prolific Belgian author locked himself in a transparent glass box in public, typing an entire…
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The novelist whose home was overrun by stray cats
You either die a celebrated Czech novelist or live long enough to become a massive cat hoarder. He let dozens of aggressive strays completely take over his…
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Alfred Jarry rode a bicycle wearing green face paint
Because walking around with your normal skin color is deeply uninspired. The chaotic French playwright loved to cycle furiously through the streets of Paris…
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Ivan Krylov lived on his couch for years
The Russian fabulist elevated laziness to a literal art form. He was so notoriously opposed to physical movement that he essentially lived on his sofa,…
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Dostoevsky once gambled away his winter coat
Because Russian winters are famously forgiving. The brilliant novelist had such an aggressive gambling addiction that he literally bet his only heavy winter…
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The author who reviewed books that didn't exist
Why bother reading a book when you can just invent one? The brilliant Polish sci-fi author got so bored with the publishing industry that he wrote incredibly…
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Auguste Rodin completely refused to ever wear socks
Creating masterpieces of human form apparently makes you hate foot garments. The legendary sculptor fiercely believed that socks were unnatural, spending his…
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When Baudelaire dyed his hair neon green
Long before punk rock existed, this moody French poet decided natural hair colors were too mainstream. He painted his hair toxic green just to wander around…
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Balzac wrote novels in a monk's habit
Deadlines require extreme sartorial choices. To force himself to crank out his massive novels, the French writer would ditch normal clothes and wrap himself…
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The famous thinker who left paper frogs everywhere
Even brilliant intellectuals need something to do with their hands. The Spanish thinker became weirdly obsessed with making paper frogs, leaving massive piles…
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Thomas Mann couldn't write until his desk was perfect
Procrastination via aggressive organization. The Nobel-winning author could not write a single word unless every single pencil, paperclip, and notebook on his…
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Fernando Pessoa created more than 70 personas
Using one pen name is amateur hour. The Portuguese writer created over seventy highly elaborate, entirely separate personas, giving each of them different…
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Mendeleev's secret passion was making luggage
Inventing the periodic table was just his side gig compared to his true passion for luggage. He spent his downtime binding books and obsessively gluing…
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The poet who tried to ride a horse into a bar
There is making an entrance, and then there is bringing livestock to a bar. The chaotic poet thought it would be absolutely hilarious to mount a completely…
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