Cracked Archive - History

Cracked Archive - Whether it s a crack on American history or world history, Cracked s funny writers know just how to point out the absurd and comical in all the historical stories we ve heard for ages. Check out funny articles and stories on history at Cracked.com.
The Pioneering 18th Century Chess Robot That Was Just a Dude Hiding in a Box

The Pioneering 18th Century Chess Robot That Was Just a Dude Hiding in a Box

The ‘Mechanical Turk’ blew minds. It was taken around Europe and America, presented as a sophisticated automaton that could beat almost anyone at chess — including Benjamin Franklin. Crowds flocked to see this technological marvel, a machine that could outwit the strongest of human minds. But it wasn’t nearly as ingenious as it seemed

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The Man Who Was Killed By His Own Beard

A 16th-century Dutch mayor named Hans Staininger had the most magnificent face full of whiskers the world had ever seen — a hirsute magnificence that ultimately proved to be his undoing

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History’s Horniest King

Alfonso XIII of Spain had endless affairs, tons of illegitimate children (in addition to seven with his wife) and a sideline in commissioning pornography for his own private consumption

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