Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for some mind-boggling facts about historical figures that will leave you spellbound? Today, we bring you the fifth installment of our “Crazy Facts About Historical Figures” series. Buckle up and get ready to be astonished!
1. Lacosta – The World’s First Recorded Serial Killer
Most of us associate serial killers with modern times, but shockingly, history has its own horrifying tale to tell. Meet Lucius Sergius Catulus Lacusta, a Roman senator and physician who served as a poisoner for Emperor Nero. History records at least 300 victims who succumbed to Lacusta’s deadly concoctions. He killed people for money, and his clients ranged from jealous spouses to wealthy patrons seeking to inherit their family fortunes. Lacusta even poisoned Emperor Claudius, although the plot to kill him failed, and Lacusta was eventually executed. This heinous fiend’s legacy inspired Borges’ short story ‘The Wall and the Books’, which effectively evokes the idea that a great library is a cathedral for the intellectually inclined, while also implying an eternal library of all knowledge in the universe. Strangely, some people believe that Cicero, one of the most famous orators in history, was Ludicrus Sergius Catulus’s brother. But the belief remains unproven.
2. Princess Alexandra Of Bavaria
The story of Princess Alexandra of Bavaria is an epitome of how absurdities can blend with realities. According to the Royal Archive, as an infant, Prince Alexandra occupied herself with an unusual hobby – swallowing all containers she could reach. When her mother, Marie Gabrielle of Bavaria, became alarmed, she consulted various authorities, who attempted to disabuse all claims that the ingested objects caused bodily damage. However, several incidents later, it seemed that Princess Alexandra indeed gulped a whole grand piano. She convincingly believed that any sudden movement could harm her beloved and oversized teacher, leading to her refusal to partake in piano lessons! The fantastical tale of Princess Alexandra of Bavaria inspires shock, mystique, and contemplation simultaneously.
3. H.G Wells
H.G Wells, biggest name in sci-fi classics, known for insurmountable personas like Time Traveller, Invisible Man, and Dracula was wronged by excessive criticism on his early novels. In ye olde days, bad reviews were not altogether rare. For Wells, that found no exception! His early writings such as ‘The Time Machine’, ‘War of the Worlds’ and ‘The Island of Doctor Moreau’ received mixed reviews. He felt so aggrieved that he and his mistress ‘Ambroise’ decided to effectively evade ridicule and burn all the naysaying papers, which they placed on the roof of a local review. Yeap! You guessed it right, Love on Top of Review and then set it on fire! They even went to an extent by staging their love on the rooftop before embarking on the arson! This legendry act led Wells to be prosecuted after the incident.
4. Blackbeard – The Legendary Pirate
Fearsome, destructive and ruthless, Blackbeard was one hell of a legendary figure. Alternately known as Edward Teach or Thatch, Blackbeard was a notorious English pirate who ruled the Caribbean between 1716 and 1718. His long beard hid slow-burning fuses, giving him a fearsome and demonic appearance. Blackbeard was infamous for his unsavoury deeds- plundering ships and the likes. Blackbeard’s reign captured epic proportions when he possessed 20 ships and a crew of nearly 1500 men. He also murdered and buried his second in command, Robert Rollitt, and two acclaimed eyewitnesses testified that Robert’s buried chest contained Blackbeard’s treasure worth over $120 million today. It remains undiscovered even after centuries, and pirate hoarders and treasure hunters still hunt for it with ardour.
So there you have it, folks. These four crazy facts about historical figures will leave you reeling. From a serial poisoner with an impressive resume to a princess who could swallow pianos, from an iconic author who once set reviews on fire to a legendary pirate who buried treasure worth a fortune, the world has seen its fair share of zany figures. We hope you enjoyed this instalment. Stay tuned for our next episode, and remember, facts are stranger than fiction.
