Cracked Archive - History
The 5 Most Clearly Cursed Expeditions of All Time
We tend to romanticize the age of exploration, like it was all grand exotic frontiers and tiny people tying sailors down with ropes. What we don't hear about so often is the scurvy and the starvation and the months of endless walking through landscapes full of awfulness. And that's too bad, because it actually makes their stories that much more bad
- By Eric Yosomono, Dustin Koski
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- March 31, 2012
5 Historic Artifacts You Won't Believe Still Work
Unless you're talking about diamonds, Twinkies or vampires, lasting forever usually isn't in the cards. Yet all over the world -- and universe -- there are machines, engineering feats and pieces of meat that never got the memo that we all have a use-by date.
- By Evan V. Symon
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- March 22, 2012
6 Historical Events That Are Way More Modern Than You Think
In which you'll discover that stuff you only thought existed in grainy old pictures continued until just a few years ago.
- By Robert Evans, Pauli Poisuo, Jacopo della Quercia , Xavier Jackson
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- March 12, 2012
6 Mind-Blowing Ways Poop Created the Modern World
We here at Cracked take pride in our research department's ability to make as many poop jokes in a 2,000-word article as is humanly possible. Especially when it's about poop.
- By Mohammed Shariff
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- March 11, 2012
5 Ridiculous Cold War Myths You Learned in History Class
During the Cold War there were good guys and bad guys. And it was all bullshit
- By Jacopo della Quercia
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- March 05, 2012
The 5 Saddest Attempts to Take Over a Country
When we hear about a rebellion in Egypt or Libya or elsewhere, we instinctively want to root for the scrappy kids trying to fight back against The Man. Of course, a lot of coup attempts aren't all that inspirational. Some, in fact, border on slapstick comedy.
- By Evan V. Symon
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- March 04, 2012
The 5 Most Insane Rescue Missions That Actually Worked
We know how it is in movies but sometimes in real life, every once in a while, the good guys pull off a rescue that would seem grossly implausible by Hollywood standards.
- By Eric Yosomono
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- March 03, 2012
The 5 Most Unintentionally Creepy Gifts Given to Presidents
What do you get the man who has everything? The answer to that question is usually something lame like a 'poem' or a 'song' or 'a heartfelt macaroni portrait.' But sometimes it's something awesome like 'furniture made from super-predators' or 'all the cheese.'
- By Julien Blower
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- February 28, 2012
5 Ridiculous Archaeological Frauds (That Fooled the World)
As enchanted as we are with the search for Holy Grail-esque treasures, every so often a discovery comes along that excites us so much that we forget to ask whether it might be bullshit.
- By Josie Moore
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- February 26, 2012
The 6 Worst Attempts at Damage Control in Political Scandals
Embattled politicians will either fess up and resign, or deny and fight charges levelled against them. Some politicians, however, choose a different course.
- By Steve Keller
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- February 24, 2012
The 5 Craziest War Stories (All Happened on the Same Ship)
When we say that this ship's service played out in exactly the way it would if it had been a hastily-scripted Adam Sandler comedy, we're not exaggerating.
- By Xavier Jackson
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- February 19, 2012
5 Forgotten Atrocities from '80s Pop Culture
Although I consider myself a child of the 90s because that's when I went to college and ultimately became an adult, I still lived through the 80s. I remember Michael Jackson on the radio, Dynasty on TV, and Schwartzenegger in the theaters. Everyone had shoulder pads and neon purses. And questionable mothers let their sons go to elementary school gr
- By Gladstone
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- February 18, 2012
How to Fight Andrew Jackson: The Deadliest President Ever
Long story short, you've traveled through time and ended up ... somewhere and somewhen. But there's a bigger issue to deal with: Andrew Jackson.
- By Daniel O'Brien
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- February 17, 2012
7 Horrifying Historical Origins of Famous Corporate Logos
Nobody holds the copyright on ancient myths. So why make up a new name for your company when you can just call it Trojan? A word of advice, though. Before you go sticking a mythological figure on your logo, take a few minutes to look up its story. Otherwise you get some downright hilarious unintentional results.
- By J.F. Sargent
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- February 16, 2012
5 Lost Photos That Could Have Changed History
There are amazing accomplishments, conspiracy theories and outlandish claims that are all supposedly out there waiting to be proven true ... if only we could find the pictures.
- By Evan V. Symon
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- February 01, 2012
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