Author: Matthew Zarzeczny

We are nearing the halfway point of 2013 and what a year it has already been!  For some, May has been frighteningly traumatic due to deadly tornadoes and the conviction of Former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt of the genocide of more than 1,700 indigenous Ixil Mayans during his 1982-1983 rule in the first time…

Kidnapping is a horrible crime, which effects every kind of person, from children to adults, men and women, boys and girls. Luckily, not all of these stories end in tragedy. Hopefully, the stories of these individuals rescued, and the kind-hearted individuals who helped them find freedom, will encourage us next time the unthinkable occurs. 10.…

This article covers some of the most appalling tortures and executions that notable historic women have ever suffered. Some of whom may be familiar to you, while others perhaps less so. One thing they all have in common though, is that their suffering was horrific and painful. 10. Martina This Byzantine empress-consort was the second…

On February 23, 2013, The Ultimate Fighting Championship made history, with a Pay-Per-View headlined by the first UFC women’s fight in history. Accordingly, this event received widespread coverage from not just niche fighting websites, but also from mainstream newspapers such as USA Today, due to the historic advance for women that the event represents. Here are…

As anyone following the news for the past month should know, the most critical news story of April 2013 will have lasting historical significance. Yet, several other keys events have also occurred. The most significant include the following interesting and important, albeit largely depressing, items. 10. A Week of American Tragedies In addition to the…

Everyone at TopTenz is devastated by the tragedy that occurred at the most recent Boston Marathon (We have made a donation and hope you will too).  Yet, all of us can do our part to assist our fellow citizens wounded by this disgusting and unjustifiable act of terrorism. Below is a list of ten individual…

For millennia, the Bible has served as the most influential and read book in human history.  It has been used and interpreted in many ways.  One recurring theme in the Bible is the astonishing bravery and determination of both people and divine beings alike.  This list features ten people and deities from the Bible who…

While many politicians seem like they possess more bark than bite, several have been able to physically back up their words when needed.  This list features ten badass politicians who demonstrated bravery in the face of danger, or significant physical prowess during their storied lives. 10.  Idi Amin Ugandan Dictator Idi Amin was very much…

Historical books are all over the place, all claiming to teach you this and that, but it turns out a lot of these so-called “facts” are not accurate at all, at least not according to popular culture, the ultimate Bible. All that stuff they taught you in High School and college? Well, those were a…

While adultery is never good or acceptable, it’s somehow even worse when somebody in the public eye does it. It exposes so-called role models for the shams they truly are, can damage or destroy careers and, in some extreme cases, topple whole governments. There is no way, in any of these instances, that the benefits…

The Greeks and Persians battled for over 175 years, between the beginning of the Greco-Persian Wars in 499 BC, and the end of Alexander the Great’s Persian campaigns in 327 BC. Possibly hundreds of thousands of Greeks, Persians, and their allies perished in these conflicts. Both sides won impressive battles, but the Greco-Macedonians ultimately triumphed.…

From popular culture to international military crises, 2013 continues to be an eventful year!  Not only was an excellent book published that is available for purchase at Amazon, many major developments in international relations and global culture gripped the world in both exciting and frightening ways these past thirty-one days.  Some of these developments concerned more…

Before the invention of photography, mankind recorded its most frightening historical events via paintings. Such paintings often romanticized struggles, or else presented the scenes in distorted ways, to further convey the terror experienced at the time by our ancestors. This list features the ten most disturbing paintings that depict historical atrocities and disasters from the…

Many of us buy heartwarming gifts for our loved ones, but why should we always be so serious and mature with our gift giving habits? Why not be like the guy on Family Guy who gives Peter a bag of salt-water fish instead? Below are some downright hilarious options for those with senses of humor,…

Many Christians are familiar with such famous martyred saints as Joan of Arc, but a number of other influential saints are not known for being martyred. These saints’ claim to fame comes largely from their positions as king or queens. This list covers the ten most historically significant monarchs canonized by a Christian church. These…

This list’s subject matter is not “first women” in the sense of “first ladies”, but rather females deemed to be the first human women by various scientists and/or adherents of diverse religious faiths. A common aspect of ancient civilizations is the establishment of origin myths tied into religious beliefs of peoples. More recently, however, academics…

List sites have already features lists of craziest Roman emperors or most evil women, but I have yet to see a list site focus in both Roman emperors and empresses together and without labeling them as either “crazy” or “evil.” Moreover, many of these other lists report actions by these men as if they are…

Many of history’s most vast and populous civilizations have existed on Asia.  Thus, the task of ruling over such empires and kingdoms required particularly talented leaders, in order for their countries to thrive.  Here are the ten greatest (not necessarily friendliest, though) native-born Asian rulers. These ten are remembered for more than just their ability to shed the blood of their…

After the success of our first monthly list of important world news stories at https://www.toptenz.net/top-10-important-world-news-stories-of-january-2013.php that received over one hundred Facebook likes in under a week along with over two dozen comments in the same amount of time, it come as no surprise that we are presenting a second edition for the month of February…

In the centuries prior to the French Revolution, French authorities used a variety of methods of execution depending on the nature of the crime and the condemned man or woman’s place in society. Some of these punishments took on what many would deem quite extreme dimensions of brutality. For example, French murderess Marie-Madeleine-Marguerite d’Aubray, Marquise…

Napoleon I the Great (15 August 1769-5 May 1821) is one of history’s greatest conquerors, but he is far more complex than a mere military man. He wrote and spoke of just about every aspect of life he could, as evidenced by the multi-volume collections of his numerous letters and memoirs. His ideas give great…

Recently, it was suggested that America should build a Death Star, but this PhD is here to tell you otherwise.  I recommend that we swap our science fiction franchises, and go with the titular space ship from one of television’s best space operas of all time, Battlestar Galactica.  So, Death Star be damned; let’s build us…

Among the most popular supernatural beings, witches rank right up there with vampires and werewolves. Witches appear in everything from The Wizard of Oz to Harry Potter to True Blood. The sheer number of books, television shows, and films that feature witches in main roles would be difficult to list. Yet, while there are many…

As a new feature for TopTenz, this list recaps the ten more important developments in world news from the past month that all world citizens really need to be aware of. This list will countdown the top ten key international developments in a concise manner so that readers understand the key points of what happened…