5 Eerie Historical Facts from Around the World

History is filled with weird, unexplainable, and even unbelievable stories. Not all historical events make it to the headlines, some are swept under the rug to make room for the bigger ones. Yet, it is important to know not just the big names and events of history but also the little details that give much more context about a specific era or period.

These tidbits of history can be anything: shocking facts to make us rethink conventional wisdom, funny anecdotes that could have made history class a bit more interesting, or even gruesome happenings that have shocked the world yet have somehow been forgotten.

By the end of it, we will find out that our generation is perhaps not the weirdest (nor the scariest) in history. Here are five eerie historical facts from around the globe:

1. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette’s signed handkerchiefs

Everyone knows Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the power couple of France. They were extremely powerful monarchs, ruthless, and highly criticized.

During their lives, they amassed countless enemies, from high-ranking officials to helpless citizens in the streets of Paris. In a way, they are to thank for the French revolution which they instigated through their actions and the way they dealt with their opposition.

The couple’s indecisive rule, added to the many rumors about the illegitimacy of their children, lead many elements of the French people to view them as a symbol of tyranny and promiscuity. In a dark twist of events, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were beheaded in 1793.

A recently discovered handkerchief in France led scientists to believe, through DNA tests, that the people of France dipped their handkerchiefs in the royal couple’s blood to keep as souvenirs after their execution.

2. Victor Hugo shut down the sex industry in Paris

In an occurrence like no other, renowned French writer Victor Hugo shut down the sex industry for a full day in Paris upon his death.

The author of the highly acclaimed Les Misérables, which has transcended time itself, was one of France’s most cherished thinkers and was very well respected in many circles. After he died in 1885, a funeral procession of more than two million people (more than Paris’ populace at the time) marched through the city in his honor.

However, what’s shocking is that almost all the brothels were closed that day, as the city’s prostitutes took a day off to mourn him. Some people claim that’s because he was a frequent client of many sex establishments around the capital, but nothing proves or disproves that.

The more logical reasoning would be that Victor Hugo was a fervent defender of the sex workers’ community. Often mentioning their daily struggles in his writings, he tried to raise awareness about a marginalized part of society so poor it had to resort to prostitution. Paris’ sex workers saw in him their one true defender, and thus mourned him for a day upon his death.

3. Andrew Jackson hit the jackpot at 67

On the 30th of January 1835, Andrew Jackson became the first-ever US president to experience an assassination attempt.

As the president was leaving a congressional funeral held in the House chamber of the Capitol building, he was approached by an unemployed house painter named Richard Lawrence who grabbed a gun and shot at him. His gun misfired.

A furious sixty-seven-year-old Jackson chased after his assailant, confronting him and clubbing him with his cane. Lawrence somehow managed to pull out a second loaded gun which also misfired.

The event made president Jackson very paranoid and convinced that the opposition was trying to assassinate him. His suspicions were never proven and Lawrence was believed to be a mentally unstable person.

He spent the remainder of his days in a mental institution. A century later, a study was done on Lawrence’s guns during which both weapons were discharged on the first try. It was later determined that the odds of both guns misfiring were one in 125,000.

4. The first Nazi Oscar winner

Born in 1884 in Switzerland, Emil Jannings was a German actor known for being the first person in history to win the Academy Award for Best Actor.

He is also known for being the only German to hold the title ever since. His performances in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh have enchanted many generations and are still considered two very powerful roles in film history.

What most people don’t know about Emil Jannings is that, just after he won the first-ever Oscar, he once and for all quit Hollywood and went back to Germany. He dedicated the rest of his life to making Nazi propaganda movies and was a very important instrument in the normalization of the Nazi movement in Germany.

5. Audrey Hepburn’s dance moves

Once Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, Audrey’s mother moved her back to Arnhem thinking that, just like World War I, the Netherlands would remain neutral throughout the war.

A year later, Germany invaded the country and Audrey had to change her name to Edda van Heemstra. An English name during the German occupation would have only brought her trouble.

During the next few years, the Hepburn family would know many losses. Audrey’s uncle was executed by German soldiers, and one of her half-brothers was deported to Berlin to work in a labor camp.

During that time, Audrey started dancing underground to raise money for the Dutch resistance, quickly becoming a respected figure inside its ranks. It is unknown whether Hepburn was part of the resistance or not, although Robert Matzen provided evidence in his book that she was indeed part of the resistance by giving underground concerts, delivering the resistance newspaper, or even taking messages to downed Allied flyers fallen in combat.

These are just some of the eeriest historical instances that we know of. Because history is not only about headlines that shook the world, it’s also what’s in between.