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History, in our experience, is rarely ever dull. It’s full of epic moments, witty remarks, and devastatingly dangerous individuals—heroes, villains, and a mix of both. And it seems like many people have a handful of favorite events that they like to bring up at dinner parties and on the internet.
In a viral thread, the amateur historians of the r/AskReddit community shared what they think are some of the most dramatic and powerful moments in history. You’ll find our collection of the best of the best below. Scroll down and upvote your favorite ones. But don’t blame us if this ignites a new passion for doing research and learning history!
Bored Panda reached out to Christopher J. Ferguson, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Stetson University, a published author, and the host of the Checkpoints blog on Psychology Today. He shed some light on why some historical events are dramatized and how someone can tell that things might have happened differently than claimed. You'll find his insights as you read on.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I've always been fond of the exchange between John Montagu and John Wilkes, both British politicians in the 18th century (Montagu was also the 4th Earl of Sandwich, the namesake and possibly inventor of the sandwich).
During one of their many verbal battles, Montagu reportedly spat at Wilkes and said, "Upon my soul, Wilkes, I do not know whether you will die on the gallows or of the pox."
Wilkes replied, "That depends, my lord, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress."
Lene 2 years ago
He did not invent the sandwich. He just named it. According to the QI-podcast, no such thing as a fish (someone here on bored panda mentioned it and it's the first podcast I just HAD to try and it works wonders to get me to do stuff despite my possibly-adhd. So thank you, bp-person who mentioned it!), the first ever recorded sandwich (edible stuff between two slices of bread) was from the early Jews who poured wine in/on it. But the Earl of Sandwich gave the sandwich its name.
We were interested in finding out why some moments in history might be exaggerated for dramatic effect. Dr. Ferguson, from Stetson University, had this to say: "As with anything else, you get more readers!"
He noted that many people write history with a particular moral message in mind. "They leave out inconvenient facts and add in other things that just aren't true in order to fit the narrative," he told Bored Panda via email.
Bored Panda also wanted to learn more about source reliability and the signs that historical events might have happened differently than someone claims. "For original sources, it's good to know who they were writing for. Who was their audience? Often, they were flattering someone powerful," the professor explained.
RELATED:
#2
This french guy named Favras was being sentenced to death and his last words were "you have made three grammatical errors" when they read his death sentence.
gerard julien 2 years ago
"One source says merely that "Favras then quietly corrects the spelling and punctuation errors made by the clerk in his statement".
#3
When Henry VIII proposed to Christina of Denmark, her reply was,"If I had two heads, I would happily put one at the disposal of the King of England".
mysterious(all pronouns) 2 years ago
Fun fact about Henry VIII! 50% of his wives were named Katherine.
"Shakespeare's histories are a classic example... written for the Tudors. Thus, for example, Richard III had to look bad (and hey, he did kill his nephews), as he was defeated by Henry VII Tudor. Older sources tend to embellish a lot in general," Dr. Ferguson said.
"The reliability of sources is improved if multiple sources say more or less the same thing, so different witnesses have the same account," the psychology professor said, adding that if one source is writing generations later, it might be based on a prior source.
"Look at, for instance, the 'official Gospels': they vary on many accounts, but are also similar on some others. Where there's agreement, that increases confidence those events actually occurred and aren't just embellishments." According to Dr. Ferguson, historical accounts that are unflattering for the group writing the account are another good indication of the truth.
#4
[Olga of Kiev](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olga_of_Kiev#Regency) has a pretty cool story. Summary:
* Married Prince Igor of Kiev around 903 AD
* When Igor took power, the neighboring Drevlian tribe stopped paying tribute, so Igor went to have a sit-down. He got paid and left, but then decided he wasn't paid enough. So he went back, and the Drevlians didn't appreciate this so they tortured and killed him.
* The Drevlians sent some people to Olga, to encourage her to marry the Drevlian responsible for her husband's death. Olga told them that sounded great, and that the next day she'd have them carried in their boat into her court for a formal announcement.
* Olga had a trench dug overnight. The Drevlians returned with their boat, sat inside, then were carried directly to the trench and the boat was dumped in. As the Drevlians were being buried alive in the trench, '*Olga bent down to watch them as they were buried and “inquired whether they found the honor to their taste.”*'
* Olga then invited the Drevlians to send more envoys to escort her to her new prince. The new group was invited to go have a relaxing bath, and Olga had the bathhouse barred and burned down, with the Drevlians inside.
* Olga then wrote to the Drevlians and asked for a funeral feast where her husband was killed. She went with a small group, mourned at the spot of the murder, then they all had a big feast. The Drevlians drank a lot, and while they slept it off, Olga's group killed like 5,000 of them. She went back home.
* Olga raised an army in Kiev and marched it back to the Drevlians, who holed up in their walls where they held her off for a year. She told them she'd take a tribute of 3 pigeons and 3 sparrows from every house. The Drevlians thought they were getting off easy, so they accepted, and gave her the birds....
* Olga took all the birds, tied a wad of sulfur wrapped in cloth on a string to the birds' feet, lit them up, and let the birds go. They all flew back to their Drevlian homes, which then all caught on fire. As the Drevlians fled the burning city, Olga's army caught them, and killed a bunch, took a bunch of others as slaves, and took tribute from whomever she let survive.
Apparently she was upset about what happened to her husband.
Tabitha 2 years ago (edited)
This should comfort you: Thinking it through, it occurs to me that the burning cloths had to have dropped from their feet when the string, which wasn’t soaked in sulphur, burned—-which would also have been long before the flames hurt their feet.
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glowworm2 2 years ago
You'd think the Drevlians would have learned not to take any invitations from Olga after the first time she tricked them but no!
Rohan Naik 2 years ago
Oh yes the murder of innocent civilians who had nothing to do with her husband's death is kickass.
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Gardener of Weeden 2 years ago
All of that because her husband was GREEDY. She had how many INNOCENT people murdered because some MEN decided to flex their manliness. There are no hero's here - she was a nasty vengeful woman ( the women and children had absolutely nothing to do with her husband - and yet she happily had them murdered.
LadyVischuss 2 years ago
If a man was avenging the murder of his wife then he could run rampant. He's protecting his family honor. 95% of all wars are started by men in a pissing contest. Soldiers are sent to fight and die while the government warlords play chess with real human lives. Olga dared to step out of the shadows, where many women are still kept today, and she showed her intellect! A mere woman kicked a*s and got the job done! She didn't bow down to the "winners" she told them just where they could put. Sit upon my words and spin while you do it. All of the story and you came away with saying that she was a lowly cure? Really...,
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#5
The fact that the founder of Lamborghini made Lamborghini because his Ferrari broke down and the company screwed him out of a warranty.
amy lee 2 years ago
It's like the superpower no-one wants but everyone needs.
Load More Replies... Pedantic Panda 2 years ago
IIRC, he told Enzo Ferrari that the clutches on his cars weren't very good, Enzo told him to go away as he only built tractors do he then started his own car company.
DJR 2 years ago
The way I heard it, he had to wait months for a new clutch, and when he got it, it was the same as the one in his tractor, but cost way more because Ferrari.
Load More Replies... Forrest Hobbs 2 years ago
There are lots of versions of the "Ferrari/Lamborghini" story. The one thing that's certain is the clutches kept breaking on the Ferraris.owned by Ferruccio Lamborghini. I've read that one time, Ferruccio Lamborghini got his (tractor factory) mechanics to fix his Ferrari when the official Ferrari place couldn't get the job done (in time?) and discovered that Ferrari was using the exact same clutches as Lamborghini used for his tractors - but charging customers 1000 lira for a part Lamborghini's factory bought for 10 lira. That, and the fact that Enzo Ferrari blamed Ferruccio Lamborghini's bad driving for breaking the clutches on his Ferraris, seemed to be what annoyed Lamborghini into making his own supercars.
Stannous Flouride 2 years ago
They still make tractors and a variety of other farm and construction equipment, much of it better suited to the smaller farms of Europe.
DJR 2 years ago
That's not what I learned by watching "Clarkson's Farm". According to that show, Lamborghini tractors are oversized monstrosities.
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Andy Frobig 2 years ago
Similar story about J.W. Packard, founder of one of the great US luxury car makers. He bought a Winton car and told the builder he wasn't satisfied, and Winton told him, "If you think you can make a better car, go ahead." The last Winton car was built in 1924; the last Packard was built in 1956 (no, a Studebaker with a frog mouth grille doesn't count)
Maria 2 years ago
There is the tale of Marquis of Pombal, Sebastião de Carvalho e Melo, that some say is true others don't believe it is, but according to the story, Marquis of Pombal and the first queen regent of Portugal didn't get along. She hated him and sent him away saying that he was never allowed to put a foot on Lisbon soil. So he put dirt of Pombal, a different town, inside his shoes and went to Lisbon.
#6
Diogenes the cynic was a very extreme philosopher who didn’t believe in ANY amount of earthly possessions. Literally the only thing he owned was a tattered robe to cover himself and he lived in a discarded barrel in the middle of the city square. One day he was just chilling, sunbathing in his barrel when Alexander the Great, the most powerful person in the entire world, came to visit him, he was like “Diogenes, I’ve heard such great things about you and your philosophy, if there’s anything at all you want me to do for you, just tell me.” And this absolute mad lad replies “move two paces left, you’re blocking the sunlight” in that same exchange, Alexander tells him “if I weren’t Alexander the Great, I would want to be Diogenes” and Diogenes replies “If I weren’t Diogenes, I would want to be Diogenes as well” what an absolute unit.
Javelina Poppers 2 years ago
He was also reported to have urinated on some people who insulted him, defecated in the theatre, and masturbated in public, but he did love his dogs.
Mustafa Kiziroğlu 2 years ago
I like stories of this crazy dude, real or made-up. Problem is, he was living in Corinth, far north of subtropical zone. -5 C (23 F) weather with humidity can happen there.
HellyHacka 2 years ago
I haven't read one yet that was recorded on cassette, so we'll just have to enjoy the legends!
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"People tend to embellish in ways that flatter themselves, their patron or groups, so unflattering accounts tend to be more likely to be true, all things being equal."
Meanwhile, the psychology expert shared his thoughts on how someone can tell that claims made in the present are likely exaggerated or changed. He said that one thing to look out for are claims that "map on nicely" on contemporary moral or social controversies.
#7
Oh, remembered another one. Yeah, I know, Ottoman again but these guys had 600 years and have performed some big f**k you's all around. This is more like a literal "eat s**t" moment but also funny.
Sultan Selim, receives a chest from the Iranian King of the time. The two sides are not really fond of each other and the tension is definitely big. But the chest is covered with jewels and quality fabrics, looking good... except the smell. It smells awful. While the council inspects the chest and the gift, they find human feces placed in bottom. Yes, Iranians sent literal s**t to the Ottomon King of the time.
You may think that's the f**k you moment, but there's more.
Selim, being the king, orders another chest to be prepared as a return gift. Only difference, they put Turkish Delight instead of feces. Oh, and a small, itty bitty note...
"Everyone offers what they eat."
Mustafa Kiziroğlu 2 years ago (edited)
If you like this one, here is another legend about corresponding guys. Sultan Selim's son, Suleiman the Magnificent started the work on his legacy mosque and educational complex. After the foundation laid, chief architect Sinan Ağa decided to wait two years for saddling. Ruler of Safavid State (today's Iran) Shah Ismail sent to Sultan a big chest of gold coins, saying, I heard you couldn't complete your mosque, here is the money you need. Of course Suleiman Khan got mad but there was a problem. It's against customs to reject a Muslim brother's contribution when building a temple; doesn't matter the man is leader of Shia Empire. So, he ordered to pour all the gold into the subbasement of the mosque and cover with cement, accepted as concrete filling material.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 years ago
This is similar to an idea I had during the Trump years. I wanted to start a movement to mail garbade to Mar-A-Lago. Not only would it clog up TFG's mail room but it would also support the US Postal Service. USPS needs some love these days.
#8
After The Hobbit was published in 1937, Berlin publisher Rütten & Loening wanted to circulate the book in Germany, but asked Tolkien for proof of his "Aryan descent". [Tolkien drafted two replies](http://www.openculture.com/2014/04/j-r-r-tolkien-snubs-a-german-publisher.html), and the TL;DR is that he - a *famous* etymologist - not only questioned whether or not they knew what the word Aryan actually meant, but included the line "*But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people*".
Zedrapazia 2 years ago
Then what does it mean? Like, seriously, I only know it as the Nazi ethnicity word.
Stardust she/her 2 years ago
Aryans are a group of people from Central Asia who migrated to Europe and the Indian subcontinent
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ButFirstCoffee 2 years ago
There is a joke in French: Pourquoi on ne sort pas avec un Nazi? Parce que c'est un bon à rien. (why don't we date nazis? Because they are good for nothing!). "bon à rien" is pronounced the same as "bon Aryen", the former meaning good for nothing and the latter "good Aryan".
Michelle C 2 years ago
The letter goes on to state that Professor Tolkien would regret being of German blood if the Nazis didn’t stop their vile and unnecessary campaign of hate and violence! He added that they would do well not to contact him again, either!
Sumeet Dwesar 2 years ago
Reminds me of a story about John Arlott, a famous English cricket commentator and journalist. He had to go to apartheid South Africa to cover the English cricket tour. At the end of the tour he had to complete a form to leave the country. It asked the usual things (name, nationality etc), but one question asked hom his race. His answer was "Human! Ever heard of it?" What a legend! One of the very few truly influential people in the cricket world that supported the isolation of South Africa until apartheid was dismantled.
#9
> Harald Hardrada: How much land will you give me?
> Harald Godwinson: Seven feet of English soil, for you are taller than most men.
XenoMurph 2 years ago
He was offering him a grave, because he was tall it would been to be 7foot long.
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The Starsong Princess 2 years ago
Harold Hardrada was an epically cool dude - a quite good poet, a legendary lover,, former captain of the Varangian Guard in Constantinople, adventurer, warrior Viking before seizing the throne of Norway. But his invasion of England was one adventure too many and he was killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. But he apparently died in style, naked, swinging a sword before being shot by an arrow in the throat. Harold Godwinson didn’t get to enjoy his victory much - he was killed and defeated by William the Conqueror at Hastings three weeks later.
XenoMurph 2 years ago
Poor Godwinson. Two massive invasions within weeks. He would have beaten either one, but couldn't beat both.
Load More Replies... Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 years ago
Battle of Stamford Bridge. 1066. Godwinson won but he was defeated a few months later at Hastings.
Aboredpanda 2 years ago
Is this supposed to be Harald Hardråde? *Confused scandinavian noises*
These narratives are designed to make the person stating them feel morally good. However, this comes at a cost. Namely, that the source doesn't recognize "the murky nuances of most of history."
One example, according to Dr. Ferguson is the idea that slavery was 'invented' by Europeans for North America. "Brutal slavery existed throughout history, and continues in much of the world to the present day... we just call it 'human trafficking' now."
Similarly, a red flag is when a source creates a binary—aka Manichean—narrative with clearly 'good' and 'bad' sides. Romanticizing one group of people and painting the other as complete villains ignores a lot of the nuances. Progressives and conservatives are both known to spin historical narratives, and focus on or downplay certain events, for their own ends.
#10
Winston Churchill and a woman had a conversation:
Woman: Mr Churchill you are drunk!
Winston: And you my dear are ugly, but tomorrow i shall be sober
Gavin Johnson 2 years ago
Lady Nancy Astor: ‘Winston, if you were my husband, I'd poison your tea’. Churchill: ‘Nancy, if I were your husband, I'd drink it.’
der sebbl 2 years ago
Another anecdote: Churchill told Lady Astor that having a woman in Parliament was like having one intrude on him in the bathroom, to which she retorted, "You're not handsome enough to have such fears."
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Chewie Baron 2 years ago
Another exchange between them was about a fancy dress party Lady Astor was hosting, Churchill “I’ve never been to a fancy dress party before, I do t know what costume to wear. Lady Astor : How about you come sober?
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 2 years ago
Random politician at Parliament: "Mr. Churchill, must you fall asleep when I am speaking?" Churchill: "No, sir. It is purely voluntarily."
Michael Largey 2 years ago (edited)
George Bernard Shaw telegraphed Churchill "Reserved two tickets for opening night of my new play. Bring friend - if you have one." Churchill replied "Busy that night. Will come to second night - if you have one."
gerard julien 2 years ago
" A magnum is the perfect size for 2 gentlemen to share over lunch...especially if one of them isn't drinking "
Sir Winston CHURCHILL. churchill-...3d0a87.jpg 
TheAmericanAmerican 2 years ago
The man was the definition of a "fat b@stard", but man was he savage with his quips!
Forrest Hobbs 2 years ago (edited)
He was young once, you know. This is him as a cornet in 1895. The bulk came later in life.https://i.pinimg.com...ab0d212d2bd.png
Load More Replies... #11
The winter war. When the soviet union invaded Finland expecting it to be a walkover. The fins captured entire divisions with small amounts of men, had no tanks or air force and inflicted massive losses on the Russians. The most effective sniper of all time "the white death" was fighting for the fins & there are loads of stories of russian soldiers waking up and finding their fellow comrades frozen solid with their throats cut. The Russians eventually overran the Finns but were internationally humiliated and had to settle with taking some slithers of land from the border as opposed to occupying the country.
ColdSteelRonin 2 years ago (edited)
Generally the only thing we learn from history is that we fail to learn from history
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LauraDragonWench 2 years ago
As a callback to the Favras entry, I must do this. It's "slivers" of land; to "slither" is to creep stealthily along the ground. They managed to get "Finns" correct at the end, so why use "fins" elsewhere? The information may be correct, but the presentation is horrendous. Sorry, not sorry.
ColdSteelRonin 2 years ago
That's what you get when they rely on spellcheck instead of proofreading
Load More Replies... John Dilligaf 2 years ago
actually the exact opposite. By the time of the Winter War the purge of the Red Army you are describing had already happened, which was one cause of the Soviet's poor showing. After analyzing their performance in the war the Soviets instituted a series of military reforms which included re-professionalizing the armed forces, reducing the power of the political commissars, re-equipping with more modern weapons, and updating their tactical and strategic doctrine.
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Svenne O'Lotta 2 years ago
"You're in the bullet's way, The White Death's prey, time to diiiiie"
Mark 2 years ago
Look up the Finnish Motti, amazing guerilla infantry tactic that won them the war
Filipa Menezes 2 years ago
Apparently it didn't because they are now repeating the feat
Load More Replies... Miss Frankfurter 2 years ago
As well, the Finnish army was used to fighting in the bitter cold of winter. They were dressed for that kind of cold. The Germans were not. (See the Russian front) How to stay warm at night when it’s even colder and be able to get sleep. How to move quickly in the snow. The battle tactics are different. It’s an additional training the soldiers need to have to survive and fight. My dad used to train soldiers in arctic warfare and arctic survival. It was during the Korean War. Winters there can be brutal.
Filipa Menezes 2 years ago
And somehow, nothing was learned from this. Someone buy that dude some history books please
#12
A town in germany pretend it was part of Switzerland during ww2
Natalie Bohrteller 2 years ago (edited)
That's Konstanz. To be fair, it's almost like they're one city with Kreuzlingen and the way they pretended to be part of that town is that they kept on the lights at the same time as Kreuzlingen. Lived there for two years ;)
Zedrapazia 2 years ago
To be fair, Konstanz still IS kind of part of Switzerland with all the shopping tourists coming there to buy stuff for cheap (prices in Switzerland are much higher than in Germany). I've been there myself too, they take Swiss francs and most shops understand Swiss German (which is actually quite rare, most Germans outside of Bayern can't).
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Lord of the laserprinter. 2 years ago
And the allies whoopsie dasily bombed Switzerland to stop them selling weapons to the Germans.
Zedrapazia 2 years ago
They "accidentally" bombed us instead of Berlin once, yeah. The response was that Switzerland would now be hostile towards any airplane that crossed their air room - but didn't stop doing business with the Nazis either.
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Multa Nocte 2 years ago
One of my favourite "8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown" moments ever!
Load More Replies... As a rule of thumb, it’s best to be slightly skeptical about everything and anything that you read online. So before you share or reshare some fact or claim that you’ve stumbled upon on social media, take a moment to do some research.
Now, we get it, we’re all super busy with work, school, parenting, and moonlighting as superheroes. There are very few people who have the time to double-check and cross-reference every single fact they find online. So your time and energy are better spent looking at the source that made the claim in the first place. Are they reliable? What kinds of biases do they have?
Broadly speaking, there’s no such thing as a ‘perfect’ source. However, that’s not to say that all sources are alike. Far from it! The very best sources value journalistic integrity and transparency, do proper research, and admit to having made mistakes (and then correct them!).
#13
Cromwell was so hated that after he was dead and buried, they exhumed his corpse so that they could execute him. He was drawn and quartered with his head piked on London Bridge two and a half years after he died.
David Paterson 2 years ago
Not when you consider what Cromwell did. In Ireland Cromwell's troops killed priests and monks on sight and set light to a Catholic church sheltering some soldiers. Civilians as well as soldiers were massacred, and Ashton was bludgeoned to death with his own wooden leg. In England, being a puritan, he banned everything fun, including singing and Christmas.
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RageOfAquarius 2 years ago
My parents wanted to name my brother Oliver, but my (Irish) grandpa just about had another heart attack lol
RageOfAquarius 2 years ago
Recently met a living descendant of his executioner, turns out the guy fled to found a farm in my hometown!
Chewie Baron 2 years ago
All the above was ordered to be done by Charles II after his coronation. It wasn’t just Oliver Cromwell either, it was every signature on his father’s execution order.
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 2 years ago (edited)
And some people say you cannot beat a dead horse...
der sebbl 2 years ago
Oliver Cromwell, fought in the English civil war, beheaded Charles the first, appointed himself "Lord protector" and ruled over England and the commonwealth. At the end more like a dictator. Killed many innocent in that time. After he died in 1658 his son was to take his place, wich didn't worked out and in 1660 Charles II was established as new king
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Lorraine R 1 year ago
Thomas was Henry VIII's minister who was executed in 1540. His nephew, Richard, was great-grandfather to Oliver Cromwell.
Load More Replies... #14
I think it's Sir Sidney Smith who had just been captured by Napoleon, writing a message for him on the wall of his cell that read something amongst the lines of "I'm not angry, because I am at the bottom now, and you are at the top, but when the wheel of fortune is spun, you will begin to fall, and I shall rise higher than I've ever been before" and Napoleon, who later got locked up in the very same cell, then read that message.
Sir Sidney Smith was an awesome character, by the way. You should definitely look up on him.
gerard julien 2 years ago
"Smith had managed to run up significant debts through his diplomatic expenses, which the British government proved to be very slow in reimbursing. In Britain, at that time debtors were often imprisoned until their debts were paid, so Smith moved his family to France, settling in Paris. Despite frequent attempts to obtain a seagoing position, he was never to hold a command again. He died on 26 May 1840 of a stroke. He is buried with his wife in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. "
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 2 years ago
I heard about the Duke of Wellington that, at a dinner party during the Congress of Vienna, I group of French officers turned their backs on him as an insult. When the hostess apologized, the Duke replied "Do not worry, Madam. I have seen their backs before..."
gerard julien 2 years ago
"The Congress's agreement was signed nine days before Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo on 18 June 1815. France, the "fifth" power, was represented by its foreign minister, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, 1st Duke of Benevento, as well as the Minister Plenipotentiary, Emmerich Joseph de Dalberg, 1st Duke of Dalberg. Talleyrand had already negotiated the Treaty of Paris (1814) for Louis XVIII of France. He sought to ensure that France rejoined the group of Great Powers, and avoided being dismembered by the occupying powers. Louis XVIII, however, distrusted him and was also secretly negotiating with Metternich, by mail." the french officers there were royalists and expatriates in Austria and the rest of Europe including Britain so I very much doubt that they turned their backs on Wellington !
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#15
Probably something everyone knows by now but my favorites are the ways the Spartans would talk s**t as part of their culture. King Agesilaus of Sparta being given a tour of another city called its walls "wonderful women's quarters". Or when Philip 2 of Macedon, Alexander's daddy, said "If I win this war you will be slaves forever," the Spartans simply replied "If."
LauraDragonWench 2 years ago
Spartan women handed their menfolk their shields with the words: "Come back with it or on it." Even Spartan women were tough as iron.
Forrest Hobbs 2 years ago
The `With your shield or on it" tale is also told about Roman mothers to their sons. I've read that Spartan women had to be hard as nails in part because when the men went off to war, the women were left behind to run everything - city and farms - and presumably provide civil defence if needed.
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der sebbl 2 years ago
Can't understand why Spartans are often so glorified. They straight up murdered their own children if they weren't "born right"
John S 2 years ago
As I understand it, the tldr is that Athenian fascists thought they were cool and hyped them up, then historians found those writings and went along with it.
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Mustafa Kiziroğlu 2 years ago
Daddy is to a toddler or a gold-digger, not to Alexander the Great.
nm 2 years ago
Philip died early, otherwise he himself would conquer the Persian empire.
Load More Replies...So, for example, if you find an outlet that links back to the original sources for any claims they make, you can trust them more than their competitors. This way, they’re allowing their audience to double-check any info they share. The quality of the original sources themselves matters to a massive extent as well. There’s a huge difference between a peer-reviewed academic journal and random gossip shared on a sketchy internet forum.
You should also always consider what the goal of someone making a specific claim is. Are they looking to make money? Do they have a particular political agenda? How well-versed is the person in that specific field? You’ll often find that people are simply parroting what they hear elsewhere or they might be biased when it comes to certain topics.
#16
The Persians and the Byzantines had a treaty, which the Byzantines then broke. The leader of the Persians, Khosrau, decided he couldn't have that. He marched through the Byzantine empire, looting towns, until he got to the Mediterranean Sea. He rigged a chariot race so that the Byzantine Emperor's favourite team would lose. Finally, after the Byzantine Emperor had paid him to leave and stop sacking towns, Khosrau headed home, sacking every town he came across.
The best part? He came to a major city, Antioch. He took notes of the city's layout, then captured the whole population and burnt the city to the ground. When he got back to the Persian Empire, he used the money he had gained from his recent sacking of towns to build a new city, with the exact same layout as Antioch. He moved all the original citizens of Antioch into this new city. He named the city Weh Antiok Khusrau, which translates roughly as 'Khosrau's Better Version of Antioch'.
Xitxarel•lo Panda 2 years ago
Don't joke about that. That terrifying rabbit may be is still alive.......( Happy knighmares;))
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#17
Sony releasing the PlayStation after Nintendo’s “f you” is one of the biggest technological Uno reverse cards in history.
Cyber Returns 2 years ago
I remember that one. Sony and Nintendo had an agreement that Sony would make a CD rom drive for the SNES (that's why there is an expansion slot on the bottom of the SNES) When Sony had completed most of the work Nintendo cancelled the agreement hoping to scuttle Sony so they could take it over but Sony very quickly added their own parts and software and produced the first Playstation
Neill Powell 2 years ago
As full of S**t and weirdness that Sony is, they are immensely resourceful and have almost never put a foot wrong. There are noted failures, but overall, you don't back out on a deal with Sony, they will find a way to completely corner the market.
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#18
"More weight." --Giles Corey
Rinso the Red 2 years ago
One of the victims of the Salem Witch trial. Fyi - none were burned. Most were hanged, this poor guy had rock put on him until he was crushed to death.
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I've often wondered why people think they were burned. I've only read the Crucible, but knew they weren't burned. I thought Americans actually learned about the trials in history, so are they not listening or are they being taught wrong? I've only really heard of witches being burned in relation to Europe.
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Lynn Morello 2 years ago
As long as he doesn't confess, he is innocent, when he dies, they will have killed an innocent man and will have to pay his family compensation.
Ozymandias73 2 years ago
Salem witch trials used this as one of their methods to get confessions.
Though complete neutrality is close to impossible, it’s well worth the effort to find sources and people you can trust to put in the effort to show a broader, more nuanced picture of the world.
At the end of the day, don’t forget to trust your gut. If you feel that some sort of claim is ludicrous or sounds fishy, do some digging!
#19
A governor put a bounty of $500 on the pirate Jean Lefitte. The pirate's response was to put a $5,000 bounty on the governor's head.
Also, Julius Cesar was kidnapped & wasn't released until a ransom was paid. After he was released, he raised an army & went after his kidnappers. Once they were caught he had them crucified.
LauraDragonWench 2 years ago
Caesar actually increased the ransom the pirates demanded as he thought the initial figure was too low for someone of his importance. While he was with the pirates, he made himself comfortable, bossing around the pirates, making them listen to his poems and speeches, and basically acting in every way opposite to a captive. He also occasionally threatened to have the pirates crucified, which the pirates laughed off. I don't think they were laughing when Caesar was crucifying them.
Donkey boi 2 years ago
Legend has it that Julius was actually insulted by the amount that they asked for his ransom and demanded his captors ask for more. It's also believed that the "army" he raised was actually a group of centurions from a military retirement town.
#20
I have 2. 1: when Charles DeGaul became President of France, he pulled the country out of NATO and then asked President Johnson (I think it was Johnson at least) to pull all US troops out of France to which he replied "does that include the ones buried in Normandy?"
2: During the cold war, the leader of Yugoslavia, Tito, was getting aid from the east and the west. Stalin didn't like that so he sent an assassin, he was stopped so Stalin sent another assassin and that one was stopped so after awhile Tito got annoyed by all the assassins so he sent a letter to Stalin saying "stop sending people to kill me. If you do not stop sending killers I will send one to Moscow and I won't have to send a second."
I know more but that's just off the top of my head
Rayne OfSalt 2 years ago
Just to note, De Gaulle didn't pull France out of NATO. He withdrew France from NATO's combined military command because he thought the USA had too much say in it. France is still part of NATO, as one of the original 14 founding countries.
Andy Frobig 2 years ago
Still pretty nervy considering de Gaulle may never have gotten to step on French soil again if not for the UK and US
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Forrest Hobbs 2 years ago
Apparently it was Dean Rusk on Johnson's instructions. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/mbfv87/dean_rusks_famous_quote_to_de_gaulle/?rdt=65354 "The next time I called on him after that I referred to this and on the personal instruction of President Johnson I said, "Mr. President, does that include American cemeteries?" And he was really flustered with that: really flustered. And he said, "Oh, no. No, of course not." But had we moved the American cemeteries out of France the French people would have come up with a roar. But that was, I think, the dirtiest question I ever had to ask anybody."
Max Fox 2 years ago
De Gaulle was an a$$hole. He nearly blew the lid on the D-Day landings so that he could demonstrate his importance. He behaved as though the Free French were a major military force and as though they were the ones who liberated France.
bernard wagner 2 years ago
our (german) children have been in french schools. While they were taught history in the german section of a their french school, they learned that the german 'Geschichtsbücher' reffered to France under de Gaulle as a dictatorship whereas the french 'Livres d'histoire' were talking of a presidential democracy ;-) french distorted understanding of their own history
Load More Replies... Xitxarel•lo Panda 2 years ago (edited)
That's true . Tito history is awesome, sadly is cause of him the balcans war started later. (Edit: my autocorrect is an a*****e)
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 years ago
Depending on when Stalin received that message, Tito wouldn't even need the assassin. Stalin wasn't long for this world. He died of a stroke in 1953.
#21
[operation Paul Bunyan](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_axe_murder_incident)
Basically the United States tried to trim a tree in the NK/SK DMZ that was supposedly planted by the supreme leader or something. While trimming the tree NK reacted and killed two soldiers. 3 days later a joint operation launched where South Korea and the US shows up with extreme force while the North Koreans get to watch the sacred tree nearly entirely cut down.
Running Panda 2 years ago
Lmao I had to research this one for a school project. Basically the U.S. soldiers were cutting down a tree and the NK soldiers were watching without doing anything but then the NK soldiers grabbed axes and killed two of the officers then chased the rest off. In retaliation the U.S. army brought a ton of soldiers helecopter an and weapons and cut the tree down in full daylight even pulling up and burning the stump.
Kelly Scott 2 years ago (edited)
If you read "The Long Gray Line", it follows a cadet, Arthur Bonifas, from his time at West Point to when he was one of the two soldiers killed trimming that tree. It's a very good book even though a long read.
Bad Alchemy 2 years ago
Yep, this sounds right. People acting stupid. It's a wonder we haven't blown ourselves off the planet by now.
As for historians themselves, the University of Oxford suggests that they sharpen their skills by reading lots of books and journal articles about the topics they’re passionate about.
“Work out what you think about what you read. For instance, ask yourself: what is the author’s argument? Is it convincing? Why (or why not)? What evidence does the author use to make their argument? What is missing from their approach to the past? What else do historians need to find out? What primary sources would enable historians to understand this topic better?” the university sets out some guidelines.
#22
I personally like Colonel John Sedgwick, a Unionist Colonel who was shot and killed by a sniper. His famous last words were "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance."
JB 2 years ago
It's even funnier when he's sometimes quoted as saying "They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist-"
Forrest Hobbs 2 years ago
It seems his judgement was mistaken because the range was extreme, 1000 yards or so, and he seems to have been unaware that the enemy was using (rare and expensive) rifles, not smooth bore guns. The lethal shot was fired by an English Whitworth rifle, often fitted with a telescopic sight, and widely considered the first ever sniper rifle, effective up to 800-1000 yards in the hands of a skilled sharpshooter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sedgwick#Death
Robert Trebor 2 years ago
The rifle may have been one taken off a Union sniper.
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Caroline Overill 2 years ago
The sniper’s famous last words were “Darn, I was aiming for the elephant.”
#23
On his Deathbed Voltaire was asked to renounce Satan to save his soul. His response, "Now, now my good man, this is no time to be making enemies." One last shot at stupidity.
Edit: for those misunderstanding, I'm saying V "took a shot at" stupidity, in that on his death bed he pointed out the ridiculousness of such a stupid belief (deathbed conversion + afterlife) put in practice
Satan Laughs 2 years ago
No one is misunderstanding you. I will see you in the afterlife muhahahaha.
Scott Rackley 2 years ago
"Le doute n'est pas une état bien agréable, mais l'assurance est un état ridicule" ~ "Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd" - Voltaire
Rinso the Red 2 years ago
Exactly this. Certainty is easier, but not better.
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The Darkest Timeline 2 years ago
If the Christian afterlife is real, people who think they can commit a lifetime of sin then simply confess and repent on their deathbed, professing their belief in Christ, they will be shocked to find themselves in hell. That isn’t how it works and there is nowhere in the Bible where it says simple belief is enough.
BTDubs 2 years ago
The guy had a quote for everything. I know this because my sister regularly has "quote battles" ans she only uses Voltaire's lines.
Kat Downard 2 years ago
Maybe he should have familiarized himself with Blaise Pascal and his Wager
Paul Navarrete 2 years ago
The wager that assumes there is only one possible god and it must operate in a reward/punishment model? I'm sure Voltaire would have seen all the flaws others have seen if he encountered it. It sounds great to those who already live under the necessary assumption. But when you don't, you wonder what happens if you pick on of the other gods in the god marketplace that don't fit the wager's requirements.
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#24
I forgot the name of the place, but at obe point during Alexander the Great campaign in Persia, right by the coast, there was a fortress on a Island. So he just filled the gap, turned it into a peninsula and beseiged it.
Satan Laughs 2 years ago
How can you FORGET THE NAME?! The title of this thread is, “Someone Asked Historians To Share History’s Biggest ‘Middle Finger’ Moments, And 36 People Delivered!” Excuse me, but you definitely did not deliver. One star.
聖楷Thomas 2 years ago
This might refer be the siege of Tyre (332 bce), when a city state off the coast of nowadays Lebanon was conquered in a 7 month siege. But no, Alexander did not »just« do this, the hundreds of Macedonian soldiers did this effort. And I find naming Alexander »great« rather horrible: After the siege, Alex let some 2000 Tyrians crucify, and some 30,000 Tyrians were enslaved.
nm 2 years ago
With the ethics of 21st century you're judging actions of 4th century BC. The massacre of Tyre served as a lesson. After that all cities surrendered and nobody suffered. Like it or not Alexander is still known as Great to the historians.
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Brian Droste 2 years ago
There was already a skinny causeway to the island. What Alexander did was took up rubble from a previous city that was destroyed and made the causeway wider so he could get his army to the city to capture it. He also surrounded the city from the ocean so no one could escape by the ocean.
Historians shouldn’t just spend their time in the library among gorgeous dusty books, however. They should also engage with the news, visit museums and historical sites, listen to podcasts, and take part in their academic community’s events.
For some more dramatic moments in history, take a peek at Bored Panda's previous post.
#25
TL:DR Arlington natl cemetery was Robert E Lee’s front yard.
During the American Civil War, when it became difficult to bury Union dead in appropriate cemetery’s, the quartermaster directed them to be buried in Robert E. Lee’s front yard, so that for the rest of his life, he would be reminded of the damage he caused the country ever day simply by coming and going from his home. And that boys and girls, is THE reason Arlington Cemetery became what it is. In an added twist, Arlington house and plantation were owned and built by George Washington’s adopted son, George Washington Custis, who’s daughter Mary, married Robert E. Lee (at the time a US Army office). Their son George Washington Custis Lee served in the Confederate Army. The Lee’s sued the Feds for illegally seizing their property, and years later, after Robert and Mary’s deaths, they won the suit in the US Supreme Court. Their heir, Robert E Lee Jr, knowing the impossibility of moving the thousands buried there. Offered to sell it to the US Federal Govt. who agreed to purchase it. Setting the stage for a remarkable occasion, where then Secretary of War, Robert Todd Lincoln (yes Abe and Mary’s boy) handed Robert E Lee Jr a check for approx $150k and purchased the plantation.
Michael Largey 2 years ago
Run-on sentences are also annoying to read. Try "This was so badly written that it was too annoying to read."
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ί𝔫ＣίŦᵃт𝐔𝐬 2 years ago
Any English speaker should be incensed at this mangling.
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Team Jay 2 years ago
"Taps" was written by Union general Daniel Butterfield while recuperating from being wounded after the battle of Gaines' Mill, near Richmond,Va.
Miss Frankfurter 2 years ago
Guys! The Civil War is over! And you still keep arguing about the smallest details. It’s like Civil War re enactments. What’s the point? The Confederacy still loses.
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#26
The reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks. They defeat the Ottoman sultan's army, but he sends them a message demanding their surrender, using a long and ridiculous title. They send back a reply mocking his titles, and telling him, literally, "f**k your mother" and "kiss our a*s."
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reply_of_the_Zaporozhian_Cossacks]
Lady Emsworth 2 years ago
Insults ranging from "You're the sausage of Alexandria" to "The Devil sh*ts and your army eats. . . " Great stuff. . .
David 2 years ago
You also forget the atrocities the Cossacks did in Ukraine, with the raping and slaughtering too.
Forrest Hobbs 2 years ago
It's eastern Europe. Everyone in that part of the world who turned up with an army committed atrocities at some point and it really doesn't do anyone any good to play the "But that set of atrocities were excusable but those other ones weren't" game. Study the history by all means, but don't go flinging around the "But what about the atrocities?" line.
Load More Replies... Forrest Hobbs 2 years ago
According to legend, it was a highly articulate response - just very very filthy too. This wasn't a simple "... your Mom ..." type thing.
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Mustafa Kiziroğlu 2 years ago
That's why there are no Cossacks in Zaporozhia, or even west of Urals.
Forrest Hobbs 2 years ago
There are still some Cossacks even in Crimea. But the Cossack nations were destroyed and Cossack peoples scattered because of the policies of the Russian Empire and, later on, various nasty goings-on inside the USSR - mostly Stalin's doing. The history is brutal and bloody and in some cases can legitimately be compared to what Hitler's lot got up to.
Load More Replies... #27
This exchange between General Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz and General Anthony Clement McAuliffe:
>To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne.
The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.
There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.
If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours term. All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well-known American humanity.
The German Commander.
>To the German Commander.
*NUTS!*
The American Commander.
(The artillery fire never happened (though there were assaults, including by *glider infantry*, and bombings), and General McAuliffe's forces (the 101^st Airborne) held off the Wehrmacht until reinforcements (the 4^th Armored Division) arrived.)
JB 2 years ago
Remember: at the time this was quite crude, like saying "m***********g cockballs!" Not unlike the British exclamation of "Bollocks!"
Forrest Hobbs 2 years ago
Er, at the time, British swearing was highly inventive and "bollocks" was a fairly normal expression. Not suitable for Sunday lunch, obviously, but not remotely remarkable in an industrial or military context.
Load More Replies... Richard Willis 2 years ago
After the Malmedy massacre the US didn't trust the Germans to treat POWs correctly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malmedy_massacre
Miss Frankfurter 2 years ago (edited)
Not to mention, at this point in the war, they had to have been well aware of the Normandy Massacres that occurred from June 7-17 1944. Yes. 10 days of horror and cruelty beyond imagination the treatment and murder of Canadian POWs. 156 soldiers. One of the regiments was the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. There were 2 brothers in the Rifles who were killed at the Massacre of Chateau d’.Audrieu. They were from my dad’s hometown. When they left for the war my dad rode with them on the train as far as a civilian could go. He was only 12. It’s a small town. They all mourned. But my dad was most affected because of all in the town he was the last to see them alive. It’s on Wikipedia. Not good at putting the actual site. Look up Normandy Massacres. It was horrific.
Load More Replies... Forrest Hobbs 2 years ago
I've read that the German commanders spent quite a lot of time trying to work out what on Earth this one-word response actually meant.
Nele Carlier 2 years ago
The town of Bastogne honours this. Their local basketball team is called "nuts"
Igor914624 2 years ago
To this day, no member of the 101st Airborne Division has ever admitted it needed relief in Bastogne.
#28
Don't remember who it was, but there was a conqueror who sent a messenger to another country and the promptly killed said messenger, so the conqueror redirected a river to completely wipe out said country.
JB 2 years ago
Genghis Khan, only he didn't reroute a river to destroy the Kwarazmenian Empire, he just sacked every city and town, once building a mountain of skulls 25 sqft at the base! They did divert a river to hide his eventual burial place, though.
Sven Grammersdorf 2 years ago (edited)
That's not very many skulls. A 5 foot by 5 foot square pyramid of human skulls would only be around 204 skulls. Assuming a skull is 8 inches wide and 8 inches tall, you'd have 64 skulls on the bottom layer, and it would be 8 layers tall, equaling 204 total skulls. (64+49+36+25+16+9+4+1 = 204)
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Timbob 2 years ago
How about Glad the Impaler? Glad asked some visiting dignitaries from a neighboring area why they didn’t remove their hats in his presence. They replied that they only honored their own king in that way. So glad had their hats nailed to their heads!
der sebbl 2 years ago
God, this one is laughable bad. If you can't remember anything, Dona research before you tell the story
ί𝔫ＣίŦᵃт𝐔𝐬 2 years ago
Hey, there was a guy once who was mad and did a big thing that was scary. Remember him?
Load More Replies... #29
Caesar. He was caught by pirates who sent a ransom note and asked for lot of silver (a few tonnes but can't remember the exact number). When the silver was delivered, Cesar said that he'll "raise an army and kill the lot of you." To which the pirate's laughed. Once Cesar sent word to Rome, he took a few Legions to the pirate's home base and literally wiped out the entire base and got the ransom back.
#30
The Scuttling at Scapa Flow. In 1919, the Germany High Seas fleet scuttled itself 1 day before the deadline of what the Allies were to agree about doing with it. All whilst under the British watch only able to save a small portion of the ships scuttled while the rest were to be taken care of over the course of 20 years. Although it’s debatable if this really counts as a “f**k you” moment as it was more in the sake of honor either way this really screwed with the delegation.
[Here’s a video on it and it’s quite interesting.](https://youtu.be/o1Vn2lkX2yA)
Donkey boi 2 years ago
It wasn't an 'F-you' at all, it was misunderstanding and miscommunication. It was the end of the war and the treaty of Versailles was still being ironed out (with GB trying to get as sweet a deal as possible). The German officers, while aware of the treaty talks, were being kept in the dark about the progress, so as far as they were concerned, their standing orders...well... stood. They had intended to had over the ships if the German government agreed to it, but were unaware that that had already been agreed. The British, intent on keeping the German officer in the dark, did not think to tell the Germans that the deadline for the treaty signing was extended, So when the deadline came and went, the Germans carried out what they believed to be their duty.
GlixDrap 2 years ago
Look up low background steel. I believe some of the wrecks in Scapa Flow were used for this.
nm 2 years ago
The German Navy had a victory over the British in the Battle of Jutland. The German crews could not accept that they had lost the war.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 years ago
Jutland wasn't a victory for either side. The Germans sank more tonnage but they withdrew in the middle of the night failing to take their objective. The British held the North Sea but again lost more ships. Most people call that a draw.
Load More Replies... Mark 2 years ago
The Germans had a warship called the Graf Spee, a Deutschland class that was notorious for its efficiency and deadliness. The Germans scuttled the ship off of Argentina because a British task force that had been absolutely mullered by the Graf Spee laid down a smokescreen and broadcasted false radio messages that an aircraft carrier and a battleship had arrived and were waiting on the other side. And thus, the Germans lost one of their best ships to a clever British ruse
Alan Gale 2 years ago
Some of the armour plate in the Graf Spee came from scrapped WW1 German warships, so Graf Spee steel was scuttled twice.
Load More Replies... #31
That one time that Caesar was besieging a castle, got surrounded, and built a castle around that castle, so instead of being attacked, he to was besieged. He beat the first castle, then beat the reinforcements.
Or when Hitler had France sign the surrender treaty in the same rail car Germany signed in WWI.
Or the grand and pompous display of having a bridge built across a Bay for the sole purpose of riding your horse across, just to spite those in the Senate that said you'd only make a good emperor after you rode a horse across a Bay with out swimming. Forget what the name of that Roman Emperor was.
LauraDragonWench 2 years ago
Oy. Caesar besieged the town of Alesia in what is modern day France (located on Mont-Auxois, near Alise-Sainte-Reine in Burgundy, France) opposite Vercingetorix. In roughly a month's time, Caesar's army built a massive amount of fortifications, including a trench for soldiers, an anti-cavalry moat, towers at regular intervals, and booby traps in front of the trenches, intending to starve out the inhabitants of Alesia. However, messengers managed to get through from Vercingetorix to his reserves. Once Caesar caught wind of this, his army built a second round of fortifications, this time around themselves, locking him and his soldiers between the two walls. All in all, about 25 miles of these walls were built. And it worked. Vercingetorix surrendered and was brought to Rome in chains to be a part of Caesar's triumphal procession through the city, before he was beheaded. A large copper statue of Vercingetorix now stands in Alesia as a memorial.
ί𝔫ＣίŦᵃт𝐔𝐬 2 years ago
Thank you for posting. I think the OP is getting confused because the Latin castellum indicates a fortification usually as part of a walled defense. Castellum, from which English gets "castle," does not have the same meaning we ascribe to it today. Sorry so wordy, it's late and I want to be clear.
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Michael Largey 2 years ago
If it's bat s**t crazy, Caligula is usually the emperor at issue.
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Chewie Baron 2 years ago (edited)
The second one, not only was it the exact same railcar, it was also in the same forest, in the exact same place it was in 1918. Oh, and he made the French organise it.
#32
General Sherman's March to the Sea. Burnt the f**k out of everything in his path.
Katie Lutesinger 2 years ago
"It is always the innocent who suffer, when you high lords play your game of thrones."
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CaptainDinosaur 2 years ago
One of Sherman's cavalry commanders, George Stoneman, burned my hometown.
#33
It's a bit understated, but the Battle of Surigao Strait qualifies for me.
The American battleship line was primarily made of ships that had been damaged or sunk during the Pearl Harbor attack. Together they sank the IJN battleship *Yamashiro,* which had been part of the escort for the carrier force that hit Pearl Harbor. They probably would've also sunk her sister ship *Fuso,* which also had been in that escort fleet, had she not been torpedoed and sunk earlier in the battle.
#34
The biggest "f**k you" moment in the history of technology: Torvalds' statement about cooperation with Nvidia
Cyber Returns 2 years ago
He called NVIDIA the “single worst company” that Linux developers have ever worked with, then pointed out that NVIDIA’s failure to work constructively with the Linux community is especially disappointing in light of the company’s large presence in the Android market. After criticizing NVIDIA’s development practices, Torvalds concluded by addressing the company directly: “NVIDIA, F*CK YOU." Torvalds proceeded to raise his hand and present his middle finger. If you find the video, its about 49 minutes in
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#35
So Egypt you wanna attack me? F**k you I'm taking half your country
Now I'm gonna give it back because nobody wants to live in the f*****g desert when you can live in the city?
OH right you don't have a place in your country that isnt a f*****g desert
T. 2 years ago
I'm not sure, but this seems to reference the 6 days war between Egypt and Israel. The occupied territory was given back some years after the war, if I remember correctly.
Load More Replies... Forrest Hobbs 2 years ago
A cause for deep sorrow more than anything, along with all the conflict and misery which has been going on in that part of the world since the necessary creation of the modern state of Israel on the back of the incredibly stupid decision to forcibly evict the Palestinians and steal their homes and their land without any thought of compensation or reasonable resettlement - and THAT was down (in no particular order) to the UK, the USA, and the UN. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakba
Load More Replies... What do you think ?
Enlee Jones 2 years ago
Not quite as extreme as the others on here but: Lord Byron. While at college he was told it was against rules to have a pet dog, so he went out and got a pet bear instead.
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 2 years ago
Didn't he arrived riding on the bear and got bit in the leg?
Load More Replies... Zedrapazia 2 years ago
My favorite historical figure is Götz von Berlichingen, a German knight who was really damn badass! He lost his right hand to a cannonball and had it replaced with an iron prosthesis that was so delicate he could write with it (which he was very proud of). Dude was captured several times during several wars and caused enough ruckus that even the emperor and Imperial Chamber Court heard of him. He also kidnapped a bishop for ransom and plundered his territories because he didn't like him, then was besieged by the troops of the Swabian League. However, be refused to leave his stronghold and remained camping there for weeks, doing nothing but telling the messenger in front of his door that he could "Lick my a$$!" (So he pretty much invented that saying.) He actually lived quite long and spent his entire retirement at his stronghold getting drunk.
Zedrapazia 2 years ago
The prosthetic arm can be seen in a museum in Bayern btw
Load More Replies... Mike Fitzpatrick 2 years ago
Some of these were pretty good but a full third of them were incorrect in some way. Many read like they were written by HS sophomores (...that one time...I forgot who but...).
INGI 2 years ago
They were so badly written, I just came down here for the comments! LOL
Load More Replies... Gardener of Weeden 2 years ago
Note that many of these f you's came at the price of many many innocent people being murdered. The people of power love to use the people as pawns. 90% of the time it is I will torture your citizens because I am mad at you. I have no respect nor admiration this blood thirsty lot.
SadieCat17 (she/her) 2 years ago
Omg just you wait until you learn about modern warfare!
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Rae Rory 2 years ago
Su Dongpo, a poet in the Song Dynasty was assigned to an official post across the river from a Buddhist Temple where Master Foyin presided. One day, Su Dongpo, wrote a very pretentious poem about the Buddhist concept of being "unmoved by the eight winds" and asked his attendant to send it to Master Foyin for approval. After reading the poem, Master Foyin wrote down one word as his comment. When the attendant came back with the poem, Su Dongpo excitedly opened it to read the comment. All that was written was the word "Fart!" Upon seeing such an insult, Su Dongpo sailed crossed the Yangtze River to confront the Master, demanding "How can you insult me like this!?" Master Foyin just laughed and said "You are unmoved by the eight winds, but s single fart can bring you across the river."
Rae Rory 2 years ago
The Eight Winds are gain and loss, praise and ridicule, credit and blame, and suffering and joy. If you aren’t aware of them, they will blow you away. For example when you actively seek praise, you are being blown away by the wind of praise.
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ChekovsCurlyHair 2 years ago
When someone called Abraham Lincoln two-faced, he replied, “My dear sir, if I had another face, do you think I’d be wearing this one?”
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 2 years ago
Also, I read somewhere that when a party guest asked Lincoln why did he turn his enemies to his side instead of destroying them, Lincoln replied "Madam, don't I destroy my enemies by making them my friends?"
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XenoMurph 2 years ago
The worst ones are when you say something really clever and well worded, but no one notices. SO frustrating.
SadieCat17 (she/her) 2 years ago
Wax words for your own satisfaction, not for validation from others. Even if no one else heard, those words will still live forever in your own mind.
Load More Replies... Enlee Jones 2 years ago
Not quite as extreme as the others on here but: Lord Byron. While at college he was told it was against rules to have a pet dog, so he went out and got a pet bear instead.
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 2 years ago
Didn't he arrived riding on the bear and got bit in the leg?
Load More Replies... Zedrapazia 2 years ago
My favorite historical figure is Götz von Berlichingen, a German knight who was really damn badass! He lost his right hand to a cannonball and had it replaced with an iron prosthesis that was so delicate he could write with it (which he was very proud of). Dude was captured several times during several wars and caused enough ruckus that even the emperor and Imperial Chamber Court heard of him. He also kidnapped a bishop for ransom and plundered his territories because he didn't like him, then was besieged by the troops of the Swabian League. However, be refused to leave his stronghold and remained camping there for weeks, doing nothing but telling the messenger in front of his door that he could "Lick my a$$!" (So he pretty much invented that saying.) He actually lived quite long and spent his entire retirement at his stronghold getting drunk.
Zedrapazia 2 years ago
The prosthetic arm can be seen in a museum in Bayern btw
Load More Replies... Mike Fitzpatrick 2 years ago
Some of these were pretty good but a full third of them were incorrect in some way. Many read like they were written by HS sophomores (...that one time...I forgot who but...).
INGI 2 years ago
They were so badly written, I just came down here for the comments! LOL
Load More Replies... Gardener of Weeden 2 years ago
Note that many of these f you's came at the price of many many innocent people being murdered. The people of power love to use the people as pawns. 90% of the time it is I will torture your citizens because I am mad at you. I have no respect nor admiration this blood thirsty lot.
SadieCat17 (she/her) 2 years ago
Omg just you wait until you learn about modern warfare!
Load More Replies... Rae Rory 2 years ago
Su Dongpo, a poet in the Song Dynasty was assigned to an official post across the river from a Buddhist Temple where Master Foyin presided. One day, Su Dongpo, wrote a very pretentious poem about the Buddhist concept of being "unmoved by the eight winds" and asked his attendant to send it to Master Foyin for approval. After reading the poem, Master Foyin wrote down one word as his comment. When the attendant came back with the poem, Su Dongpo excitedly opened it to read the comment. All that was written was the word "Fart!" Upon seeing such an insult, Su Dongpo sailed crossed the Yangtze River to confront the Master, demanding "How can you insult me like this!?" Master Foyin just laughed and said "You are unmoved by the eight winds, but s single fart can bring you across the river."
Rae Rory 2 years ago
The Eight Winds are gain and loss, praise and ridicule, credit and blame, and suffering and joy. If you aren’t aware of them, they will blow you away. For example when you actively seek praise, you are being blown away by the wind of praise.
Load More Replies... ChekovsCurlyHair 2 years ago
When someone called Abraham Lincoln two-faced, he replied, “My dear sir, if I had another face, do you think I’d be wearing this one?”
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 2 years ago
Also, I read somewhere that when a party guest asked Lincoln why did he turn his enemies to his side instead of destroying them, Lincoln replied "Madam, don't I destroy my enemies by making them my friends?"
Load More Replies... XenoMurph 2 years ago
The worst ones are when you say something really clever and well worded, but no one notices. SO frustrating.
SadieCat17 (she/her) 2 years ago
Wax words for your own satisfaction, not for validation from others. Even if no one else heard, those words will still live forever in your own mind.
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