Cracked Archive - History
Prima Nocta: The Weird Medieval Marriage Law (That Didn't Exist)
Prima nocta was a practice that would really ruin a marriage night. However, it was really just a myth.
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- By Ethan Tyrrell
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14
14 5 Realities of Medieval Warfare Hollywood Refuses to Learn
The Knights of the Round Table weren't exactly the upstanding gentlemen movies keep making them.
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- By Eirik Gumeny
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- 41
Gong Farmers Had The Crappiest Job Of The Middle Ages
In a time before flushing toilets, someone had to get rid of human waste. Gong farmers stepped up to the task.
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- By Ethan Tyrrell
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- 4
4 Odd Realities Of Food In The Middle Ages
Shockingly, the theme restaurant industry has lied to you.
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- By Amanda Mannen
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- 21
5 Bizarre Tales From The History Of Cannabis
Featuring hemp Nazis, magic spells, and very stoned monkeys
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- By Dana Larsen
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- 6
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A Dog Went On Trial, For Catslaughter
He was accused of 14 counts of (cat) murder.
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- By Ryan Menezes
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- 8
When Clear Channel Silenced The (Dixie) Chicks
In the amount of time it takes to melt a compact disc on a bonfire, the (Dixie) Chicks' career imploded.
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- By Nathan Williams
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- 32
Superman Beat Joseph Goebbels When It Came To Propaganda
He was also pretty good at punching.
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- By Ryan Menezes
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- 3
When Ping-Pong Helped Improve U.S./China Relations
In 1971, a group of unexpected American diplomats traveled to China and helped create diplomacy between the two countries.
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- By Ethan Tyrrell
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- 3
A Wild West Town Staged Fights And Crimes -- Without Telling Tourists
Residents of Palisade, Nevada ran an elaborate hoax involving fake shootouts and bank robberies.
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- By Ethan Tyrrell
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- 0
Pornaganda: A Tool Used By Every Army
Make love AND war.
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- By Ryan Menezes
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- 9
Ernest Hemingway's (Less Famous) Brother Created His Own Country
Leicester Hemingway may not be as well-known as his brother, but he tried to make his claim in history by founding an island nation.
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- By Ethan Tyrrell
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- 4
The London Beer Flood: The Alcoholic 'Act Of God'
In 1814, a vat of beer burst open in a London brewery, and the results were deadly.
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- By Ethan Tyrrell
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- 0
5 Screwed-Up Operations America Pulled Overseas
The US has done some pretty awful stuff.
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- By Michael Dawson
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- 25
That Time Germans Waged War (Against Potato Beetles)
In 1950, the potato beetle population surged in East Germany. The government responded with an insane propaganda campaign.
- Authors
- By Ethan Tyrrell
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- 2
