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Interesting & Obscure Bits of History

7 years ago

Florence, Alabama - August 16, 1856 - The Daily Dispatch

"School Master Murdered --- An atrocious murder has just been committed in Florence, Ala. A correspondent of the Mobile Morning Herald, thus furnishes the particulars:

A schoolmaster had a tame sparrow of which he was very fond, and he had warned his scholars that if any of them kiled it, they should die by his hands. By accident, or intentionaley, one of the boys stepped on the bird and killed it. Alarmed at the threats of the master, the boy was afraid to return to school; but the master tranquilized the boy's mind, and begged him to come back. He did so, and after lessons were finished, he took him into a private room, and strangled him. On the boy's father hearing what had occurred, he loaded his gun and went and shot the schoolmaster dead."

Unfortunately, that seems to be the only recorded case of the murder. Anybody else find any other interesting & obscure bits of history?

Interesting & Obscure Bits of History

7 years ago
Chronicle of the 20th Century. Knock yourself out, I'd argue most of my love for history came from that monolith of a book (it was roughly A4 sized and a good 3650ish pages)

Interesting & Obscure Bits of History

7 years ago

Well... That's a bizarrely specific warning to give to your students...

I know about the Custer Wolf, but he's actually pretty famous among hunting enthusiasts, or so I've been told, so he can't really be called obscure.

I've only found weird stuff from the wikipedia. Like Perak, actual crazed buttstabbers, some medieval monsters, this badass, and this.

I also found the First Anime. Can somebody translate?

Interesting & Obscure Bits of History

7 years ago

I don't think this is obscure, but it's at least spicy.

Masochism was named for an Austrian fellow named Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch. He was journalist and writer and all, but also a masochist with a thing for strong ladies in furs (He indeed wrote a book titled Venus In Furs). He once entered a 6 month slave contract with one of these lady types, adopting the name Gregor.

Contract between Mrs Fanny von Pistor and Leopold von Sacher-Masoch

On his word of honour, Mr Leopold von Sacher-Masoch undertakes to be the slave of Mrs von Pistor, and to carry out all her wishes for a period of six months.

On her behalf, Mrs von Pistor shall not demand anything of him that would dishonor him in any way (as a man or as a citizen). Moreover, she shall allow him six hours a day for his personal work, and shall never look at his letters and writings. On the occurrence of any misdemeanor or negligence or act of lèse majesté, the mistress (Fanny von Pistor) may punish her slave (Leopold von Sacher-Masoch) in whatever manner she pleases. In short, the subject shall obey his sovereign with complete servility and shall greet any benevolence on her part as a precious gift; he shall not lay claim to her love nor to any right to be her lover. On her behalf, Fanny von Pistor undertakes to wear furs as often as possible, especially when she is behaving cruelly.

At the end of the six months, this period of enslavement shall be considered by both parties as not having occurred, and they shall make no serious allusion to it. Everything that happened is to be forgotten, and the previous loving relationship restored.

These six months need not run consecutively: they make be subject to interruptions beginning and ending according to the whims of the sovereign lady.

We, the undersigned, confirm this contract,

FANNY PISTOR BAGANOW

LEOPOLD, KNIGHT OF SACHER-MASOCH

?And that's all he wrote.

Looks like he tried to live out a lot of fantasies from his books. Cost the guys some marriages.

Interesting & Obscure Bits of History

7 years ago

My small contribution to this is the name of a17th-century economist called Nicholas If-Christ-had-not-died-for-thee-thou-hadst-been-damned Barbon.

Also the eldest son of Praise-God Barbon. I found this whilst doing a search for stupid baby names.