1.The Man Who Became Famous for Surviving Multiple Lightning Strikes
Roy Cleveland Sullivan holds a distinction that no one would envy—he was struck by lightning seven times and lived to tell the tale. Born in 1912 in Greene County, Virginia, Sullivan worked as a park ranger at Shenandoah National Park, where his encounters with nature took an electrifying turn. Between 1942 and 1977, he survived an unprecedented series of lightning strikes, earning him the Guinness World Record for the most lightning strikes survived by a single person. His bizarre misfortune made him a scientific curiosity and an object of public fascination, leading to his nickname: “The Human Lightning Rod.”
Each strike left Sullivan with burns, injuries, and near-death experiences. The first, in 1942, burned a half-inch strip along his leg. The second, in 1969, set his hair on fire while he was driving. By the time of his fourth strike in 1972, he carried a bottle of water with him at all times to douse the inevitable flames. Despite the astronomical odds—1 in 10 million per strike—lightning seemed drawn to him.
Sullivan’s notoriety was a double-edged sword. Some people avoided him, fearing they might become collateral damage in his next encounter with nature’s fury. Tragically, despite outliving seven lightning bolts, he died by suicide in 1983, adding a somber twist to his already surreal legacy.
2. How a Failed Assassination Attempt Made an Unknown Man a Legend
Some people become famous for their achievements; others for their failures. Richard Lawrence, a mentally unstable house painter, belongs to the latter category. On January 30, 1835, he attempted to assassinate President Andrew Jackson inside the Capitol Rotunda—but fate, or perhaps poor weapon maintenance, had other plans. Armed with two derringer pistols, Lawrence fired at Jackson from close range. Miraculously, both weapons misfired. The odds of this happening were estimated at 125,000 to 1. Jackson, despite being in his late sixties and suffering from various ailments, responded in the most Jacksonian way possible: by charging at his would-be assassin with a cane. Witnesses, including Congressman Davy Crockett, quickly subdued Lawrence before he could try again.
The incident turned Lawrence into a historical footnote, but it also fueled conspiracy theories. Some speculated that he had been manipulated by Jackson’s political enemies, such as Senator John C. Calhoun. However, Lawrence’s delusions—he believed he was the rightful King of England—suggest he acted alone. Declared insane, he spent the rest of his life in an institution. Though he failed spectacularly, his botched assassination attempt remains one of the most bizarre moments in U.S. presidential history.
3.The Woman Who Became Famous for Sitting in a Bathtub for Months
History is full of people achieving fame through bizarre and often inexplicable feats, but few have done so in a way as peculiar as Linda Riss Darling, a woman who allegedly gained notoriety for an endurance stunt involving a bathtub. While details about her feat are scarce, the notion of someone becoming famous for sitting in a bathtub for months fits within the long tradition of endurance-based publicity stunts that have captivated public curiosity.
Throughout history, endurance challenges have been used as a means of gaining attention, often turning otherwise ordinary individuals into temporary celebrities. From flagpole sitting in the 1920s to extreme fasting performances in the 19th century, these spectacles were designed to test human limits while drawing crowds and media coverage. If Darling indeed spent months in a bathtub, it would not be the first time a person attempted a seemingly mundane but extreme act to gain recognition.
The motivations for such stunts vary—some do it for world record attempts, others for personal challenges, and some as performance art. Regardless of the intent, these acts tap into a universal fascination with human endurance and perseverance. Whether Darling’s bathtub ordeal was a genuine survival challenge, a promotional stunt, or an artistic statement, it highlights how unconventional actions can lead to unexpected fame.
4. The Guy Who Accidentally Invented the Selfie in the 1800s
Most people assume selfies are a modern phenomenon, born from smartphones and social media. But the first known selfie actually dates back to 1839—long before the age of Instagram. The man behind this accidental invention was Robert Cornelius, an American photography pioneer from Philadelphia. At the time, photography was still in its infancy, requiring long exposure times and intricate chemical processes. Cornelius, a chemist with a passion for photography, set up a camera outside his family’s lamp store, removed the lens cap, ran into the frame, and stood motionless for several minutes before covering the lens again. The result? The world’s first deliberate photographic self-portrait.
Cornelius’ selfie wasn’t just a quirky experiment—it was groundbreaking. He used the daguerreotype process, an early photographic technique that required a silver-plated sheet exposed to iodine vapor and mercury fumes. Given the long exposure time, subjects had to remain completely still, making self-portraits particularly challenging. Yet Cornelius managed to capture his own likeness, his slightly disheveled hair and intense gaze frozen in time. He even inscribed the back of the image with the words: “The first light Picture ever taken. 1839.” Today, this historic photograph is housed at the Library of Congress, a testament to his pioneering role in photography.
Though Cornelius didn’t set out to start a global trend, his self-portrait laid the foundation for what would become one of the most ubiquitous forms of photography. His work contributed to the rise of portrait photography, and over time, technological advancements made self-portraits easier to capture. Fast forward nearly two centuries, and billions of selfies are taken every day—an evolution Cornelius could never have imagined.
5. How a Man Became a Celebrity for Eating an Entire Plane
Michel Lotito, a French entertainer better known as “Monsieur Mangetout” (Mr. Eat-All), achieved global fame for an ability that defied human biology—eating metal, glass, and rubber as if they were ordinary food. His most astonishing feat? Consuming an entire Cessna 150 airplane over the course of two years, from 1978 to 1980. Lotito meticulously cut the aircraft into bite-sized pieces and swallowed them, washing them down with mineral oil and water. Remarkably, he suffered no serious health consequences, a phenomenon attributed to an unusually thick stomach lining that protected him from internal injuries.
Lotito’s bizarre diet wasn’t limited to airplanes. Over his lifetime, he consumed an estimated nine tons of metal, including 15 bicycles, seven television sets, six chandeliers, and even a coffin. His incredible eating habits earned him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1984, where he was recognized as the “Greatest Omnivore.” Despite the absurdity of his talent, Lotito turned it into a performance art, captivating audiences worldwide. His fame may have been unconventional, but it proved that even the strangest abilities can secure a lasting legacy.
6. The Performer Who Gained Fame by Getting Shot Repeatedly
Few things capture public fascination quite like acts of extreme danger. And in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—before reality TV and viral stunts—some performers risked their lives night after night just to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Enter Chung Ling Soo, one of the most famous stage magicians of his time, who became legendary for performing the infamous “Bullet Catch” trick. The act, which involved catching a fired bullet with his bare hands or teeth, had already claimed multiple lives before he attempted it. But Soo, whose real name was William Ellsworth Robinson, made it a signature part of his act, wowing audiences for years—until the trick went horribly wrong.
On March 23, 1918, during a performance at the Wood Green Empire Theatre in London, the illusion failed. Instead of stopping the bullet as intended, the firearm discharged a live round directly into his chest. For the first time in his career, Soo broke character—he had long maintained the persona of a Chinese magician, never speaking English on stage. His final words? “Oh my God. Something’s happened. Lower the curtain.” He died the next day. Ironically, the very trick that made him famous also sealed his fate, turning his name into a cautionary tale in the world of stage magic.
