We tend to reflect less on the news of the 19th century, since newspapers were densely-packed walls of text, and TV, radio, and computers did not yet exist.But just as much incredible stuff happened in that century as the 20th and 21st. Here are some of the most note-worthy news stories that the 1800’s ever produced.

Thanks to urban legends, pranks, and the use of pseudonyms, there have been a number of people who managed to get famous without having to go through the hassle of actually existing. Some were used for shady marketing purposes, others served as tools for building hoaxes, and one was even responsible for encouraging early medieval expeditions into Asia. In each case, the air of mystery that surrounded them only helped to build up their false celebrity. Here are the top ten famous people who didn’t actually exist:

The first sword appeared during the Bronze Age.  It was made of copper and was uncovered at the Harappan sites in present-day Pakistan.  By the Middle Ages iron and steel swords were being mass produced and used in battle.  Soldiers were trained in swordsmanship and prepared for combat.  It was before the era of guns and high powered artillery and face to face fighting was the norm.  During this time in history, all of the royal generals, kings, and emperors owned personal swords.  These weapons were manufactured by the greatest sword makers of the time.  Many historical manuscripts document events surrounding significant swords.  This article will be examining ten world famous swords that still survive today.  Mythological and legendary swords will not be listed.

Some do it for love, some do it for money or politics: these people sold out their countries, their comrades…even their own families…changing the course of history forever. Here is our list of Top 10 Traitors.

While the final outcome of most wars is generally decided on land, occasionally a sea battle can have a profound impact on history as well. More than one empire’s plans for further expansion has been waylaid by a catastrophic sea battle, and even entire kingdoms have been brought to their knees because of some fiasco at sea. Of course, not all of the most important sea battles are large;  the Battle of Jutland, for example, was one of the largest naval battles in history but it had little impact on the course of the First World War, while the small engagement between just two ships, the U.S.S. Monitor and the C.S.S. Virginia during the Civil War forever changed the face of naval warfare, making some battles game-changers in terms of tactics and technology. And so, without further ado, here are my candidates for the most important or game-changing naval battles in history.

When most people are asked to name the most brutal and murderous leaders in history, they will first mention the names of recent dictators like Hitler and Stalin. Going back further, many people will talk about the Norse raids, the British Empire, Attila the Hun, and so many of the most vicious Roman Emperors. However, going back before any of them came to power, Genghis Khan and the Mongols permanently reshaped an enormous portion of the world, and changed the culture and genetic makeup of the region forever. The khan was a master strategist and his brutal warriors left a path of destruction in their wake.

There have been a number of military achievements throughout world history that have revolutionized warfare.  Listed here, I have attempted to formulate the top ten military achievements that have most significantly impacted warfare throughout world history.

There was a time in history when piracy became so rampant that several trading ships, which ferried huge amount of treasures and valuable goods, were plundered by the most skillful pirates the world has ever known. This particular period, known as the Golden Age of Piracy, threatened international trading from 1680 until 1725. Within that span of time, pirates such as Blackbeard, Henry Morgan, Captain Kidd, and Calico Jack gained notorious reputations for successfully overpowering not only trading ships, but also naval military forces, which cemented their legacy in piracy.

Cannibalism is a fairly normal part of nature. After all, why let perfectly good food go to waste, even if it used to be part of your best friend? But just because it’s common doesn’t mean we have to like it, and we particularly don’t have to like it when adorable animals that belong in petting zoos or coloring books decide to throw that away and instead start eating each other alive.

I see the error with confusing Da Vinci and Galileo. We will notate this. I think the writer accidentally confused the two, because the source we listed for this in our description (see link: http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/sciurban.htm) shows the name Galileo, so we knew what we meant to write, but wrote the wrong thing. Sorry for this and thanks for the catch from our viewers. If someone dropped two rocks now, I think I would hide under one.