Every history buff knows that history books are full of interesting people, but let’s be honest here for a sec. When was the last time you saw a history book? Unless you really wanted or really needed to read one, chances are it’s been years. And deep down, you’re not particularly proud of it.
I know the feeling. You’re doing your thing. Wasting time on TikTok or whatever your guilty pleasure is, someone’s watching tv, and all of a sudden a history question comes up. You kinda know what the question’s about, it sounds familiar, you think you might’ve heard something about it at some point in your life, you’re raiding the drawers of your memory in a desperate attempt to find an answer. But the first thing that comes to your mind is “I should really learn some history”.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to convince you to read your middle school history books for fun. What I’m trying to do is to convince you to read.
Every man who aspires to become the best that he possibly can, should have a habit of reading and learning new things. One amazing way to become a more interesting individual is to just know interesting stuff. And knowing interesting facts about interesting people from history is just the way to do so.
Nikola Tesla
Did you know that the very man who invented alternating current was born during a fierce lightning storm? Now if that’s not an amazing fact, I don’t know what is.
*hint* Maybe the fact that he helped relieve Mark Twain’s bowel movement irregularities.
Or the fact that he had envisioned the smartphone and wireless connection 120 years ago.
Rasputin
If a born peasant can become a mystical adviser in the court of the Russian Czar, be the lover of the Russian Queen, have a group of French ladies worship his penis, I want to know more about him.
Che Guevara
One of the most recognizable faces in history, taking into account just how many t-shirts with his face have been sold throughout the years.
The face you can see on t-shirts and dorm room walls of countless rebellious college students, from all around the world, but people actually know very little about him.
A lot of them just think of him as a “t-shirt guy”, but did you know that he was a dermatologist? He was passionate about rugby, chess, and changing the world. No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, you have to admit, he was freaking cool.
Genghis Khan
Some history books portray him as one of the most ruthless emperors in the history of humankind, with an estimate of nearly 40 million deaths under his rule.
Some remember him as a great leader and the ruler of the largest contiguous empire in history, stretching from the Pacific Ocean all the way to Eastern Europe.
He had thousands of women in his harem, and it is believed that 8% of men from Asia are his descendants.
Frank Sinatra
Even though he was one of the most popular male performers in history, Ol’ blue eyes’ life wasn’t quite as smooth as one might think.
Even his first breath was a traumatic experience. He was thought to be dead until his grandmother put the infant under some cold water.
Later on in life, he grew up to be quite a rascal, and the fact that he was once arrested for seduction really backs up the claim.
The man truly lived life to the fullest, and apparently, the FBI believed that to be so. They kept a file on him for over four decades that grew to be over 2000 pages.
And of course, like many great men, he had a signature drink.
Hugh Heffner
Hugh Hefner used so much Viagra that it may have contributed to his sudden hearing loss, but if we take into account the fact that he had slept with over 1000 women, can we really blame the old man for trying to live life to its fullest.
Even though objectifying people is not really my forte, the fact that his life was a fascinating one is undeniable.
Steve Irwin
The life story of this magnificent man is guaranteed to make your heart warm. `The crocodile hunter` truly lived on his own terms. He grew up in a zoo, met his wife in a zoo, died doing what he loved the most, and now his whole family lives to continue his legacy. Talking about life coming full circle. Now if he’s not one of the most interesting people that ever lived, I don’t know who is.
Just endlessly scrolling through Instagram is one of the easiest and most unfulfilling ways of spending your free time. It doesn’t really add any value to your life apart from short term dopamine reward you might receive. Wasting your time on things that don’t matter to you is slowly ruining your life without you even realizing it. So the next time you find yourself pointlessly watching Instagram stories of people you don’t care about, just stop and do something a bit more meaningful. And learning more about these interesting people and the fascinating lives they lived, may be the right thing for you. Unlike some other activities, reading books is never a waste of time.
