Some historical figures may fade into obscurity not because their lives were unimportant but because their stories were too unconventional to mention—or downright ridiculous. Certain figures seem almost fictional, yet many of their stories hold hints of truth that could’ve been true in some way or another. Meet 15 historical people who were so bizarre that their stories have almost been forgotten.
Diogenes
Diogenes of Sinope, otherwise known as “Diogenes the Cynic,” was a Greek philosopher who embraced life’s simplicities and rejected social norms. Many regard him as the founder of Cynicism, as he once mocked Alexander the Great, lived in a pithos (tub), and walked through the city during the day with a lit lantern. His hatred for materialism and witty nature might’ve made him controversial, but it also made him a memorable historical figure.
Tarrare
Tarrare was a Frenchman who had an appetite that only vast amounts of food could satisfy. Most bizarrely of all, he also feasted on live animals. His condition baffled doctors, and he was promptly hired by the French military as a courier. His job was to swallow sensitive documents, cross an area where spies would likely be captured, and safely deliver the documents to their destination. He died young after being refused treatment at a hospital where he was suspected to have eaten a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler.
Grigori Rasputin
Grigori Rasputin proclaimed himself a mystic and advised the Romanov family of Russia after allegedly healing the heir Alexei of his hemophilia. His wild lifestyle, coupled with the influence he supposedly held over the tsarina and his rumored supernatural abilities, made him infamous across Russia. Assassination attempts—including poisoning and gunshots (one being to the head)—did not kill him, and it was only when the assassins threw him into a river that he drowned.
Hetty Green
Hetty Green, also known as “The Witch of Wall Street,” was one of the richest women in the 19th and 20th centuries. Although she was excessively wealthy, she lived frugally—often wearing tattered clothes, refusing medical care for her son, and eating cheap oatmeal. Her investment strategy would’ve coined her billions of dollars in today’s economy, but she cared little for the material wealth she possessed.
Count of St. Germain
The Count of St. Germain is known around the world as an alchemist and European nobleman who was rumored by many to be immortal. Although he was a fantastic alchemist, linguist, and composer, his claim to have found the secret to eternal youth attracted the most attention. Many eyewitness accounts said his appearance seemed ageless and his knowledge of the world made it seem as if he had read all the books ever written. Some people still believe he roams the earth under a different identity.
Johann Conrad Dippel
Johann Conrad Dippel was a German physician and alchemist who is seen as the real Dr. Frankenstein. He often experimented and dissected cadavers in attempts to use soul transference on the bodies. His infatuation with alchemy also spurred his eagerness to create an elixir of life, which he named “Dippel’s oil.” He once offered to buy Castle Frankenstein in exchange for his elixir of life but was turned down.
Sawney Bean
Sawney Bean was a Scottish outlaw who led a cannibalistic clan in the 16th century. Rumors suggest that the clan consisted of roughly 45 members who lived in a cave together. From that cave, they set out to ambush and murder travelers, carrying their bodies back to the cave and devouring them. Sawney, along with the other cannibals, were eventually captured and executed.
Lord Timothy Dexter
Lord Timothy Dexter’s personality and business approach have been described as eccentric and highly unconventional. Lord Dexter used the business models of those who tried to ruin him and made them work. The most interesting part is when he sold coal to Newcastle and even faked his death to see who would mourn him. His luck makes him an example of absurd success.
Mary Toft
Mary Toft was an English woman who convinced doctors that she gave birth to rabbits. By inserting the animals into herself and then faking their births, she fooled various medical professionals and even the king’s physicians. Soon after it was exposed that Toft lied about the animal births, it became one of the most embarrassing medical incidents in the 18th century.
Pedro II of Brazil
Pedro II was the emperor of Brazil for more than 50 years. He was a deeply intelligent man with a serious yet calm demeanor who brought progress and stability to Brazil’s economy. It is rumored he could speak more than 10 languages and even befriended Thomas Edison. Near the end of his life in 1889, he was overthrown and spent his remaining years in exile.
Julie d’Aubigny
Julie d’Aubigny, also known as La Maupin, was a French opera singer and swordswoman. She often dueled men and is said to have killed at least three during her dueling days. Her promiscuous lifestyle—with both men and women—defied the norms of the 17th century and made her a hot topic for conversation. Adventure never seemed too far out of reach for her rebellious attitude.
Joshua Norton
Joshua Norton is known by some as a business professional, but most know him as the self-declared “Emperor of the United States.” He made various decrees in the San Francisco area, which the people humored and decided to print in newspapers; they even accepted his self-made currency. He reigned over America for over two decades, and when he died, thousands of people attended his funeral.
Georg Carl Tänzler
Georg Carl Tänzler was a German-born radiologist based in Florida. When a young Cuban-American woman with tuberculosis came into his practice, his infatuation became less medically inclined and more like a Frankenstein project. After she died, Tänzler stole her corpse and preserved it for years. He attempted to restore her using wax and wires but was caught after authorities discovered her decaying body in his bed.
Henry Cyril Paget
Henry Cyril Paget, nicknamed “Toppy,” was a British nobleman who inherited vast amounts of wealth. Although he lived a lavish life, he had strange obsessions that prompted him to convert his family’s chapel into a private stage, perform in outlandish outfits, and hold unsettling performances. Many of his outfits were adorned with precious stones, and his constant splurging on performances ultimately led to his financial demise.
Lord Byron
Lord Byron was a poet and a former Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom. His poetry, especially of the Romantic genre, was exceptional, but he also had a scandalous side that exposed his various affairs and rebellious nature. He even fought alongside Greece for their independence, but died a hundred days later due to a fever, cutting his poetry and his fight short.
