That’s a shame because they can be quite fascinating—usually for reasons that they were never meant to be. Behind the stately columns and torches lies an entire world of weirdness hidden away from the public eye. 10 The Washington Mini Monument The Washington Monument, the giant white obelisk in Washington, DC, was built in honor of the first US president, George Washington. You probably knew that. What you may not have known is that the monument has a forgotten baby brother....

Sex is one of the most fundamental forms of both communication and introspection that we have, and it’s been this way since the dawn of time. Ancient Egypt was one of the marvels of the ancient world, exotic and unusual in almost every way. It seems that we can hardly get enough of their unorthodox practices and bizarre beliefs; even by ancient world standards, Egypt was definitely a weird place....

10 Shelly Miscavige There are a lot of things that sort of happen around Scientology and then get brushed under the carpet, like the fate of Church leader David Miscavige’s wife, Shelly. While he was “Chairman of the Board,” Shelly was officially his assistant. She disappeared in 2006, was seen once, briefly, at her father’s funeral in 2007 and hasn’t been seen or heard from since. The Church is notorious for the unwavering devotion that it demands from its members, so it’s not surprising that her disappearance wasn’t officially reported until 2013, after Leah Remini defected and filed the report....

They span the time frame of video game creation—from the earliest days to modern times. A plumber who powers up with mushrooms while trying to save a princess is nothing compared to these odd ones. 10 Toilet Kids PC Engine Kids have all sorts of fears that they hope will never become a reality. This game starts off with one of those possible fears—being flushed down the toilet. Toilet Kids is a poo-filled humorous game that starts out with a kid waking up in the middle of the night to take a dump....

10The Gigolo Who Conned His Way Into Becoming King Of Andorra His Majesty King Boris I of Andorra was born Boris Skossyreff in Vilnius, Lithuania between 1896 and 1898 and fled the country after the old Russian Empire collapsed in 1917. At some point, he made his way to London, where he was arrested in 1919 for passing forged checks. He was later deported from Britain due to “incidents of a similar nature....

W. C. Fields I always keep a supply of stimulant handy in case I see a snake, which I also keep handy. And another: I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally. Oscar Wilde I am not young enough to know everything. And as he was probably one of the most witty men in history, we need another: Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination....

Through the power of television, we are given a glimpse of the mysterious world beneath our own skin. We learn about what happens when these processes start to unravel, feeding our fascination with sickness and mortality. While the body remains a remarkable feat of evolution—having adapted to a range of climates, diets, and activities—it is not without its weaknesses. Sometimes, the immune system goes haywire, the pumping power of the heart dwindles, or genetic mutations corrupt some vital aspect of our metabolism....

10Jim Morrison’s FatherNavy Admiral During The Gulf Of Tonkin Incident Jim Morrison is one of the most iconic rock musicians of all time. Given his wild persona, you might be surprised to learn that his father, George Stephen Morrison, served in the United States Navy for four decades. Jim rebelled against his family’s lifestyle and practically disowned them after he found fame. Throughout his decorated career, the elder Morrison fought in three wars and was present at Pearl Harbor in 1941 when it was attacked....

There are many sad stories about the Titanic, but there are also many heroic stories of survival. If it’s remarkable for an adult to have lived through this terrifying event, it is even more amazing that children lived through the sinking of the Titanic. We can only imagine how scared these kids were and how this event changed their entire lives. In this list, we will discuss ten children who survived the sinking of the Titanic....

But on occasion, these terms do mean something. There are small churches and covens of practicing Satanists throughout the world, while bigger organizations like the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set occasionally get magazine coverage due to their large congregations. Some of the cities on this list are well-known hot spots of blasphemous activity, while others may surprise you. 10 TurinItaly Despite being the home of the ghostly, Christlike face that adorns the Shroud of Turin, this industrial city in northern Italy is also home to one of the most thriving satanic communities in all of Europe....

10 Tool Library Ever needed a specific tool for just one project? Enter the tool library, where community members can borrow power drills, hedge trimmers, ladders, and even jackhammers. The first tool library was established in Columbus, OH, in 1976. Today, it lends over 4,800 tools to those who can’t or don’t want to fork out hundreds of dollars for expensive tools they only need once. Since then, similar services have sprung up around the world to help neighbors share resources and get their projects done....

10Sharks Are Not Strictly Oceangoing Sharks are inextricably linked to the ocean in the public mind. By contrast, the existence of freshwater sharks is a reality. Lake Nicaragua was formed when a volcanic eruption cut a bay off from the ocean and the water inside gradually turned fresh, slowly enough that trapped sea life adapted rather than dying out. Among the trapped animals were bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) which may reach over 3 meters (10 ft) in length and weigh over 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) in exceptional cases....

However, not all religiously significant objects fit this pattern. Some, in fact, are quite small and seemingly mundane to the average onlooker. Only someone who truly knows the back stories behind the objects could get excited about things like… See Also: 10 Gruesome Acts Of Self-Torture That Will Horrify You 10Beard Clippings Readers with facial hair will be familiar with the routine of cleaning up after a trim or shave: wiping up the seemingly endless little bits that get all over the bathroom counter....

Every geek must have at least one item of Star Wars memorabilia – and if you don’t – this is a great item to start the collection. You can keep your old pizza crusts and soda cans in here, as well as your old draft copies of quantum physics papers. Unfortunately the trash can doesn’t beep and squeak like R2, but it is better than nothing! Tetris. Ice. Moulds. What more can I say?...

It’s no secret that celebrities have access to the best trainers, personal chefs, and workout facilities in the world. They also have more time to work out than the average person, so it’s no surprise that some of their routines seem like they were pulled straight from a sci-fi movie. So we’ve rounded up 10 celebrity workouts that will either drive you insane or work wonders on your body....

10 The Breastplate Of Aaron Birthstones first became a thing due to a Biblical legend about the breastplate of Aaron, the high priest. According to the story, God had Aaron make a breastplate that had 12 gemstones set in it, one gemstone to represent each of the tribes of Israel. This breastplate was also to be known as the “breastplate of judgment,” and was part of the high priest’s ceremonial gear....

10 The “Maine Hermit,” Christopher Knight For years, residents of North Pond, Maine noticed the constant disappearance of items in their homes. Instead of watches and wallets, however, it was simple things like peanut butter, or apples. Considering the inconsequential nature of the items, the residents didn’t think much. Not until the break ins happened again, and again, and again—1000s times in fact.[1] Finally, the police were able to catch and arrest the culprit—the “Maine Hermit,” Christopher Knight....

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Curious And Creepy Mummified Remains In 1930, aged 4, Shanti Deva from Delhi, India, told her parents that she had once lived in a place called Muttra (now known as Mathura), that she had been a mother of three, who died in childbirth, and that her previous name was Ludgi. Because the girl continually related the story, her parents investigated. It turned out there was a village called Muttra, and that a woman named Ludgi had recently died there....

The details and motives sometimes vary, but even stranger are the variations in the descriptions of the men in question. While some tales simply describe them as cold, aloof gentlemen wearing black suits, others say that they get an uncanny vibe from those who visit them. The stories tell of men who are unnaturally bald, men who talk in an almost robotic voice and wear lipstick over lipless mouths. Some suggest that they are from another world, disguising themselves as humans to learn our ways....

Here are 10 more stories of unsolved mysteries that just happened to take place on Valentine’s Day. Appropriately, it’s likely that some of these cases are the result of love gone bad. 10The Murder Of Jodine Serrin On Valentine’s Day in 2007, Art and Lois Serrin went to visit their 39-year-old daughter, Jodine, at her condo. Jodine was mentally disabled, and even though she was able to live independently, she still required frequent visits from her parents to check on her....