Bobby Fischer rose through the ranks from a young age to become the King (and Queen and Knight and Rook…) of Chess. But amid all his accolades and admiration, trouble was brewing inside his singular mind, leading some to believe that his brain, which had gotten him so far in life, turned on him in the end.
When the Countess of Castiglione’s estranged husband tried to get custody of her son, she sent him a threatening photo of her gripping a knife.
Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll was a Scottish nobleman who spent his life in pursuit of money. Whether he was fishing for a rich wife or Spanish doubloons, Campbell was always on the lookout for a payday. But, instead of finding his riches, this Scottish peer only managed to find a cupboard full of scandals. Read these egregious facts about Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll.
In the Gilded Age, Caroline Astor ruled New York. Born Caroline Schermerhorn, she was already a member of one of the oldest families in the metropolis before she married into the obscenely wealthy Astor family. Soon enough her lavish parties, rigid etiquette, and clique of mean-girl socialites had turned Caroline into the gatekeeper of the New York Elite. And she didn’t become the Mrs. Astor by playing nice.
Possibly the most famous Old West outlaw was the notorious Jesse James, whose story has persisted over the decades through novels, movies, and TV series. Even during his time, his name became known throughout America as that of a hero bandit who stole from those in power and gave to those without. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
Homer and Langley Collyer were a pair of brothers whose reclusive hoarder lifestyle made them something of a local New York attraction. Sadly, in a horrifying twist, their hoard became their grave.
From Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo to the sinking of the Titanic, history is full of shocking plot twists, but maybe none were as tragic as the fate of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria. Attractive, rich, and powerful, Rudolf had everything—until the fateful day he threw it all away, changing the course of the future forever.
The charred scrolls of Herculaneum, buried under the ash of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, were long thought to be undecipherable. But new technology has allowed researchers to see what’s written on them.
Failure was not an option for the legendary magician, Harry Houdini—but ironically, this only drove him to his horrifying end.
If you like humaverse you may also consider subscribing to these newsletters:
