Every so often there are trials that become so famous they grab the attention of millions of people from around the world. These are five of those cases from the last century and the early part of this one, where the drama was so immense that the world became enraptured. 5. The Trial of Leon…
Author: Robert Grimminck
For many different reasons, the people on this list aren’t household names, but they had a major impact on the world. In some cases, there is something physically unique that is found only in them. Others have done something that has had a massive, rippling effect throughout history that we still feel today. Some of…
Humans are a fairly resilient species. We’ve survived for over 200,000 years and had to overcome famines, drought, disease, climate change, and natural disasters. However, it does beg the question: is there a single event that could wipe out humanity? Or at least decimate our numbers to the point where we can’t bounce back? The…
The selling of bottled water can be dated back to 1622 at the Holy Well in Malvern, United Kingdom, which sold bottles of Malvern spring water. In the last 30 years, consumption of bottled water has increased dramatically and the average American now consumes 30 gallons of bottled water every year. But is bottled water…
The surface of the Earth is 71% water, that water is home to some amazing and terrifying creatures. Some of these aquatic animals are rarely seen by humans and live in the murky depths of the ocean, while the others live near the surface and are quite dangerous to us. What they all have in…
Facebook was launched on February 4, 2004 as TheFacebook.com by Mark Zuckerberg, who was studying psychology at Harvard at the time. 24 hours later, 1,200 students at Harvard had registered and then within a month, over half of the undergraduate students were signed up. From there, Facebook expanded to other universities throughout the United States…
When authors write about the future, they have to predict what technology and life might be like decades down the road. While the books are often written as a metaphor for their contemporary society, some authors have made amazingly accurate predictions about what modern life has actually become. These are all fiction books that, somehow,…
How do we know what reality is? It’s a question that philosophers have been asking for thousands of years. With the advancements in computers, that question has been given an upgrade: what if life is just a computer simulation? 5. Computers Will Be Powerful Enough All the way back in 1965, Gordon Moore, one of…
Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis… or, humans and Neanderthals… started to diverge from a common ancestor, Homo erectus, about 700,000 years ago. Then our species completely branched off about 300,000 years ago. On average, Neanderthals were shorter than humans and they had a stockier build. They also had angled cheekbones, prominent brow ridges, and wide…
Why are we here? What is the purpose of our lives? It’s a question that has probably popped into everyone’s head at least once. These are five of the most interesting theories. 5. Hedonism Hedonists believe that pleasure and happiness are intrinsically valuable, and pain and sadness are disvaluable. Their argument for the meaning of…
The early foundations of the Arthurian legends, which other writers later expanded on, can be found in The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth, which was published sometime around 1136 AD. For centuries, people believed Geoffrey’s accounts were accurate depictions of England’s past. However, it’s now considered a piece of fiction.…
Throughout history, there have been people who have tried to explain the complexity of the universe, and even something as basic as our everyday reality. While these theories may provide some answers to the mysteries of life, they can also be confusing and boggle the mind. These are 10 of those theories, which are incredibly…
Monopoly was first produced in 1935 by Parker Brothers, and has been ruining friendships and tearing families apart ever since. Despite how frustrating the game is, it’s considered the world’s most popular and, as of 2009, over 250 million copies have been sold. While the game is meant to be played by people of all…
Coca-Cola was invented in 1886 by a pharmacist named Dr. John Stith Pemberton, who was also a Civil War vet and morphine addict. Coke is based on a drink called Vin Marine, which was brewed by Parisian chemist Angelo Mariani. Today, Coca-Cola is the most popular soft drink in the world. These are its five…
According to fossils, researchers believe that the earliest dinosaurs evolved about 230 million years ago in the late Triassic era. However, before the dawn of the “Terrible Lizards” there were other vicious creatures that lived in the Earth’s oceans and roamed the land. These are 10 of the most terrifying of those animals. 10. Cynognathus…
Butt dials, or pocket dials, are a fairly common occurrence in contemporary society. You’ve probably done it yourself, and probably have received one. Most of the time these calls are harmless, and at most, it’s annoying. However, it doesn’t always go that way. Some people have made butt dials that caused serious problems. 10. David…
Human trafficking is one of the most despicable crimes that one person can commit against another, and it is sadly way too common. The FBI says that it is the third biggest criminal activity. Anyone can become a victim of human trafficking, which is modern day slavery, and according to the United Nations, about 20 percent of…
What happens after we die? It’s a question we’ve all probably pondered at least once in our life, because it’s one of life’s greatest mysteries. And it will also probably stay that way until we leave this world ourselves. Throughout history, different civilizations have also thought about what happens when someone dies. As varying cultures,…
The universe is a vast and mysterious place, and there are so many scenarios where almost anything can happen. Have you ever considered what would happen if the Earth doubled in size? Or what would happen if the supercontinent Pangaea never broke up? Even if you haven’t thought of those specific questions, these ‘what if’…
The first McDonald’s was opened on May 15, 1940, by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald. When it first opened, McDonald’s was a barbecue restaurant and in the early days, they had 25 items on their menu. However, at the end of World War II, the brothers realized that 80 percent of their sales were hamburgers.…
Yes, sharks are horrifying killing machines. They’ve been on Earth for 450 million years, which is longer than trees have been around, and throughout their history many species have been (and still are) apex predators. However, the good news is that even though sharks can be dangerous to humans, most of the time they are…
If you’ve been a fan of TopTenz.net for awhile, you’re obviously familiar with our format. Heck, it’s right there in the name, after all. But we’ve heard some of your requests, particularly over on our YouTube channel, asking for a few shorter lists now and then. We listened, and today we’re introducing a new format…
One of the most famous, if not the most famous, Presidential homes in the world is the White House, which is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. Over 6,000 people visit it every day, and it is one of the top tourist attractions in America’s capital. Of course, besides being a famous monument,…
Spiders evolved over 380 million years ago, and are a vital part of the world’s ecosystem. However, just because they’re old and important doesn’t mean some of them aren’t absolutely terrifying. Yes, many of them are harmless, but others we would rather stay away from because they’re incredibly venomous. The good news is that deaths from…