The idea of an assassin often invokes the image of the lone gunman, working on his own to eliminate whoever he views as a threat. But a handful of groups have recruited enough of these individuals to assemble into entire organizations—made up of those willing to kill for what they believe in.

10The Vishkanyas

The vishkanya, deadly and beautiful assassins, were developed in ancient India to end the conflict between kings without widespread violence. According to ancient literature, one way of grooming a girl was to dose her with poison a bit at a time until she built up an immunity to it.^[1] She would then be sent into an enemy camp or tasked with getting close to a rival king, administering poison to him while eating and drinking from the same vessels to allay suspicion. In other cases, the girl might be purposely infected with a poison (spread through blood or sexual contact) or an infectious disease before being dispatched to the rival capital or camp.

9Werwolf

The Werwolves were a group of around 5,000 volunteers selected from the most promising members of the Hitler Youth and the Waffen SS. They were trained in sabotage and silent killing, and then they were left behind in territories taken from Nazi control and placed in Allied hands. While there are a few sporadic reports of Werwolf cells being effective, they were, for the most part, crippled by many of the same problems that plagued the mainstream Nazi armies at the end of the war.^[2]

In the spring of 1945, there was a rash of assassinations of civil officials and Allied-appointed mayors in towns once held by German forces. The most famous was the assassination of Franz Oppenhoff, appointed head of Aachen. Officially called Operation Carnival, the assassins disguised themselves as downed German pilots to get close enough to Aachen’s mayor to shoot and kill him.

8The Band of Thebes

The Sacred Band of Thebes, a troop of soldiers that consisted of 150 gay male couples, formed the elite force of the Theban army in the 4th century BC. The rationale behind the Band’s composition was that lovers would fight more fiercely and cohesively than strangers with no intense bonds. Theban general Pelopidas formed these couples into a distinct unit—the “special forces” of Greek soldiery—and the 40 years of their known existence (378–338 BC) marked the pre-eminence of Thebes as a military and political power in late-classical Greece.

The Sacred Band fought the Spartans at Tegyra in 375 BC, vanquishing an army that was at least three times its size. It was also responsible for the victory at Leuctra in 371 BC that established Theban independence from Spartan rule and laid the groundwork for expanding Theban power. Their only defeat came at the Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC), against Philip II of Macedon and his son, Alexander the Great. It is written that Philip, after the fight, took a view of the slain; coming upon the place where the three hundred that fought his phalanx lay dead together and, understanding that it was the band of lovers, he wept. Around 300 BC, the town of Thebes erected a giant stone lion on a pedestal at the burial site of the Sacred Band that still stands today.^[3]

7Sarasota Assassination Society

Founded in 1884 as a political club, the Sara Sota Vigilance Committee was renamed the Sarasota Assassination Society by The New York Times. By then, nine of the 22 members were on trial for two murders.

Their politics was an angry divide between the North and the South. With so many Northerners heading down to enjoy the business opportunities in the South, there was quite a bit of bitterness. The group’s official purpose became ridding the state of those the law wouldn’t touch, “the removal of all obnoxious persons.”^[4]

It is not clear how many of these obnoxious persons the society got rid of, but the murder of a postmaster named Charles Abbe catapulted the society to the front page of the national news. Abbe’s body was dumped in the Gulf of Mexico and was never recovered, and the prison sentences handed out to society members were enough to lead to the organization’s downfall.

6The Black Hand

When 10 men from Serbia formed The Black Hand in 1911, they did so with a very straightforward goal: using violence and terrorist activities to create a unified Serbia.

That started with sending out assassins to first kill Emperor Franz Josef, then the governor of Bosnia-Herzegovina, General Oskar Potiorek. Both attempts failed, but membership in the group rose. By 1914, one man, in particular, needed to go: Archduke Franz Ferdinand.^[5]

Three Black Hand assassins set up along the motorcade’s route to ensure someone’s success, and Gavrilo Princip succeeded, where Trifko Grabez and Nedeljko Cabrinovic failed. All three had been inducted into the group by members recruiting from Belgrade cafes.

5The Sicarii

The Sicarii were Jewish assassins named for their weapon of choice—a curved dagger called a sica. They received the name from ancient Greek historian Josephus, who wrote about the anti-Roman group’s preferred method of killing. While they were known for their large-scale raids, they are more commonly associated with their tactics of simply hiding their weapons in their clothes and stalking their targets through what would normally be rather inconvenient public locations.

The group was known as followers of Judas of Galilee, and their goal was a simple one: incite rebellion against Rome. A revolt did happen in Jerusalem in 65 BC, but the unsuccessful revolt led to the eventual disappearance of the group.^[6] They last appeared at an attack on the ancient fortress at Masada. Eventually, the term “sicarii” was broadened to refer to any Jewish terrorist.

4Harmodius, Aristogiton, and the Tyrannicides

According to Cicero, the assassination of a political leader is sometimes justified if that act meets certain criteria. If the leader has committed atrocities against his people and the common good, if the death will advance the common good, and if the act is a last resort, it can be justified—and those who commit the assassination are the tyrannicides.

The original tyrannicides were Harmodius and Aristogeiton, a pair of lovers who murdered the brother of Athenian tyrant Hippias. Even though they failed to kill their target, their actions were glorified by Athenian history, and their motivation was elevated to an Athenian ideal.^[7] After their martyrdom, Athenian citizens vowed to assassinate any future tyrants, and tyrannicides (and their descendants) were granted rewards like tax exemptions, free meals, and front-row theater seats.

3Murder, Inc.

Murder, Inc. was a branch of the National Crime Syndicate, responsible for 400–1,000 assassinations during the 1930s and 1940s.

Their headquarters were in the Midnight Rose Candy Store, a 24-hour store in Brooklyn. The store had a bank of payphones, and assassins would wait for the phone to ring with details about the next hit. Most hits were along the East Coast, and most were done with an ice pick, and most targets were either gangsters more trouble than they were worth or ordinary citizens who had the misfortune of witnessing a crime.^[8]

Murder, Inc. was run by Louis “Lepke” Buchalter, who met his own end in the electric chair in 1944. Originally, his arrest came with a 14-year sentence on drug charges, and his execution came amid conspiracy theories about just who he had killed and who he was really connected to.

2The Nokmim

A handful of different words refer to the Jewish assassins who made it their duty to make sure unpunished Nazi war criminals paid the price for their actions. Some call the group “Nokmim,” Hebrew for “Avengers.”

The group was secretive, and the few testimonies of former members tell differing stories and give no real estimates as to how many Nazis were hunted and killed by the organization. One BBC reporter who wrote extensively on the Nokmim told stories about everything from hit-and-run incidents to one former Gestapo officer who was in the hospital for a minor operation when he came down with a fatal case of kerosene injected into his blood.

No one knows how long the Nokmim were active, but they likely operated well into the 1950s. Their reach was worldwide and included individual assassinations and massive operations aimed at eliminating scores of men with (failed) plans to poison the water supplies of entire cities.^[9]

1Hassan-is-Sabbah’s Assassins

When Hassan-is-Sabbah died in 1124, he left behind a sect of believers in the Fortress Alamut, the heart of an assassin’s guild for the next century and a half until they were wiped out by the Mongols in 1256.

A philosopher and preacher, also known as the Old Man of the Mountain, he taught that there was nothing honorable about leaders who lived a life of luxury while their people starved. The most devoted were trained to remove heads of state and military they saw as corrupt and too powerful, along with those who followed the Sunni doctrine.

The first recorded assassination was in 1092, and the order then targeted anyone they saw as unjust, including those who fought in the Crusades. Viewing themselves as judges rather than murderers, the ranks of the assassins would grow so large they would eventually occupy 70 locations and communicate through their own coded language.^[10]

While there seems to be some security when one sees the numerous restraints that roller coasters and other intense thrill rides have, these rides are not as safe as one might think. Even the greatest amount of safety and maintenance checks can’t prevent a split-second malfunction.Throughout history, a few rides have stuck out as being particularly known for causing serious injury or even resulting in death. This list includes these rides, and the unfortunate circumstances that illustrate their danger.

10 Derby Racer, Revere Beach, Massachusetts

The Derby Racer has a spotted history, beginning right when it opened in 1910. The owner of the Revere Beach theme park at the time stood up to present a lecture on amusement park safety, and in a bout of sheer irony, he fell from the one of the coaster’s cars and was killed instantly. In 1917, another fatality occurred when a passenger lost his hat on the coaster’s initial incline, and in trying to retrieve it, he fell onto the opposing track, was hit by the other car, and then dragged a total of 35 feet. The Boston Daily Globe reported that the man had broken every bone in his body, and he died later in hospital.

While the coaster was finally demolished in 1919, this wasn’t before another fatality occurred; a third rider was thrown from the train, and her family filed a Supreme Court suit in 1936 against Ocean View Amusements, who ran the coaster at the time. The coaster was replacing soon after its demolition with another bearing the same name, but the negative association proved to harm sales, and it was also demolished 10 years later.

9 Mission: Space, Disney World, Florida

Mission Space is controversial for being one of the most intense space-flight simulators accessible to the public, being connected to a centrifuge similar to that used by NASA trainees. Passengers are spun, being subject to 2.5Gs of force, twice that of gravity, in what is meant to achieve similar weightlessness to that which astronauts experience. Between the summers of 2005 and 2006, park employees had to manage 200 injuries caused by the ride, including incidents of people passing out, suffering chest pain or even suffering from irregular heartbeats.

Two people also died during that period, the first being a five-year old boy who suffered from heart failure in 2005 that was brought on by a prior heart condition. The other death took place in 2006, only ten months later, when a 49-year old woman complained of nausea and dizziness, symptoms common to prior riders.

Disney park employees examined her afterwards and believed she was stable, yet upon admission to hospital, she passed away of a brain hemorrhage. Since then, Disney has stepped up to determine how to balance their intent for the ride with its potential to be too intense. The ride currently operates under two levels; “Green Team”, and “Orange Team”, the former of which providing many of the same effects as the original ride, yet done so with much less force and pressure, and therefore fewer physical side-effects. “Orange Team” is the classic ride, and it pushes the culpability to the rider for what they feel they can handle.

8 Batman: The Ride, Six Flags Over Georgia, Georgia

This coaster itself is not for the faint of heart, reaching speeds of 80km/h and twisting riders through harrowing inverted loops and turns, and boasting an 105-foot drop. However, the inverted concept of the ride proved deadly in the spring of 2002, when a 58-year old employee was stuck in the head by the dangling leg of a 14-year old rider and later died in hospital. The girl was also taken to hospital afterwards, yet she sustained only mild injuries.

The second fatality in the ride’s history, and arguably the most catastrophic, occurred when a teenager visiting with his youth group entered the restricted area of the ride, having to scale two fences to get there. It was said that he was trying to retrieve his hat, which had fallen off. He was struck by one of the cars going full speed and was decapitated. No one in the cars, however, were injured.

7 Rough Riders, Coney Island, New York

The name Rough Riders was what initially drew attention to this ride, being the name that President Theodore Roosevelt used for his cavalry regiment. It opened in 1915, and differed from modern coasters in that each car had a ride-on driver, akin to what one might find in a modern subway train. Everything was going smoothly until the car abruptly accelerated, causing its wheels to leave the track as the whole car flipped and turned on its side. Ahead, 30 feet off the ground, was an iron railing which the passengers were then flung into.

Three people died from falling from that height, and the lone two survivors were a mother and her 4-year old son, who were able to cling to the wrecked car’s handrail. One bystander was also killed by the body of the driver falling and hitting her from above, bringing the death toll to four. The park was found not responsible for the accident, with jurors later determining that the accident was “unavoidable”.

6Verrückt Waterslide, Schlitterbahn, Kansas City

Effectively earning its name (which is German for “crazy”), Verruckt opened in July 2014, being the tallest waterslide in the world at the time, with a height of 168 feet 7 inches. Upon its initial testing there were concerns surrounding the ride’s safety, with rafts being flung into the air and reaching speeds of 70km/hr. Nonetheless, it opened to the public. In the year following its grand opening, at least thirteen riders complained of injuries from being thrown into the netting, receiving concussions or slipped and herniated discs.

The park’s manager was known to have attempted to cover these up, especially in a 2016 case where a man slipped and fell from the raft, sustaining facial injuries. The ride met its demise when Caleb Schwab, the 10-year old son of the state legislator, was killed while on the slide. After the initial descent, the force of the slide caused his raft to go airborne, and he slammed into a metal pole in the netting and was decapitated.

It was determined that the cause of this was the fact that he had been permitted to sit at the front of the ride, despite two women who were heavier than him being on the raft at the same time. The three of their combined weight was greater than the ride’s max capacity, stressing the raft. The women sustained non-fatal injuries, with one receiving a broken jaw, and the other getting stitches due to receiving facial fractures. Given the position of Schwab’s father, the case was brought to court and the park was shut down temporarily while the proceedings ensued.

The director of operations was found guilty of aggravated battery, aggravated child endangerment, involuntary manslaughter, and interference with law enforcement. It was found that despite numerous warnings about the risks posed by the ride, it was allowed to run, nonetheless. The park’s operators were acquitted on the basis of inadmissible evidence, but the ride was shut down later in 2018.

5 Fujin Raijin II, Expoland, Suita, Japan

Disaster struck on May 5th, 2007, conveniently being the same date that Children’s Day is celebrated in Japan. The seated coaster had operated for 15 years beforehand with no issues, being one of the most popular attractions at Expoland. The coaster was unique in that it was designed for riders to remain standing, and reached a top speed of 75km/h. The ride was almost over when one of the wheel axels on the car broke, causing it to lurch to the side and a woman to die due to smashing her head into the guardrail. The coaster dragged her for 300 meters before finally coming to a stop, and eighteen other riders sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

It turned out that the axel that broke hadn’t been checked or repaired in 15 years and was found on the ground below afterward. Three employees attempted to cover this fact up and ended up being found guilty of professional negligence resulting in death and injury, as well as for falsifying claims that the park conducted regular checks on the roller coaster. Their defense was that the park didn’t have enough space for repairing and dismantling the cars. The public wasn’t buying it, and ticket sales plummeted. The park was unable to recoup their reputation, and closed in 2009.

4 Big Dipper, Battersea Park, London, England

The incidents attributed to this ride have been referred to as the worst roller coaster accidents in history. Built in 1951, this wooden roller coaster experienced issues right from its launch, with the ride shutting down at one point that year as one of the empty carts derailed, knocked over a railing, and left the passengers in the other car stranded. Later, another accident would occur in which a woman left with a broken arm. The worst accident for the Big Dipper, however, was in 1972 when 31 passengers climbed aboard, only for the cart to detach from its chain at the initial incline of 15 meters.

The cart sped down the bump, and upon reaching a turn, fell from the tracks. This resulted in the death of five people: Two teenage boys and an eight-year-old girl immediately, and then two other children later in hospital. The manager of the park was tried for manslaughter, but despite the prosecutors describing the ride as a “death trap”, he ended up being acquitted on all counts. Soon after this, the Big Dipper was demolished, and the park closed its doors two years later in 1974, unable to recoup their negative reputation following the disaster.

3Cyclone, Coney Island, New York

This coaster is one of few that have a dark past, but still remain open to this day. The Cyclone is one of the more iconic representations of Coney Island, having been named a New York landmark in 1988. The coaster first launched in 1927, but its first fatality didn’t occur until 1985, where a 29-year-old man decided to stand up in the middle of the ride and smashed his head on a support crossbeam. He died instantly. The next year, one of the maintenance workers was on break when he decided to ride the coaster. He chose not to fasten the restraining belt, and stood up on the ride’s incline, despite being warned of the danger beforehand.

On the downhill, he fell from the cart, landed on one of the support crossbeams (much like the earlier fellow) and died. From then on there were no accidents on the Cyclone until 2007, when a 53-year-old man rode the coaster, and cracked the vertebrae in his neck due to the force of the decline. He was admitted to hospital but died from complications in relation to the surgery. Despite these incidents, all inquiries have proven the coaster to be a safe ride, and the coaster remains to be one of the defining symbols of Coney Island.

2 Mindbender, Fantasyland, Edmonton, Alberta

This is the only indoor coaster on the list, with this high-speed triple loop coaster being the largest of its kind in the world. For years, ironically, it was touted as the “world’s safest coaster”, yet things went awry in 1986, only one day after an inspection deemed the ride to be safe. It was believed that there was an issue with the final car’s wheels, as it began to sway after completing one of the loops. Bystanders watched in awe and horror as the cart derailed from the track to strike a concrete pillar. The incident happened to occur when a concert was taking place right underneath the coaster.

Three people were killed in the crash, a male and two females, and another suffered critical injuries. 19 others also experienced minor injuries and shock. Afterwards, it was found that indeed, four bolts on one of the coaster’s back wheels had come loose, and caused the accident. Over a six-month period, rigorous testing and maintenance was done to the coaster to allow it to open once more and proceed in a safe manner. Seatbelts, headrests, and anti-rollback mechanisms were installed, and the number of cars was reduced. The coaster re-opened the following year, and has been running smoothly, but more importantly, safely ever since.

1Puff the Little Fire Dragon, Lagoon, Utah

This final incident shows that rides don’t need to be overly intense or strenuous to be deadly. The coaster in question is Puff the Little Fire Dragon at Lagoon in Utah, a small children’s coaster with nothing more than a few bumps in the track. Tragedy struck in 1989 when a six-year-old boy named Ryan Beckstead mistakenly tried to unbuckle his seatbelt after one lap, thinking the ride was over, when in reality, the ride goes around multiple times. He fell from the car, and became trapped beneath the ride’s tracks. When the ride came back around after completing a lap, the car struck him in the head, killing him.

His father, who was watching from the sidelines, could only stand, helpless, which his son met his fate. During the investigation, attorneys found no reason to file criminal charges against the ride operator or Lagoon Corp. The girl operating the ride had tried her best to pull the brakes, but due to its nature and reliance on gravity, the ride failed to stop in time. We found no criminal negligence on the part of either Lagoon or the operator,”, said police when questioned. This was the first and only time a coaster of this form had resulted in a fatality, and the first time that a park with this coaster has sought out further safety enhancement. It goes to show you never can tell when horrific circumstances such as this might occur.

When most people go on vacation, they do it to relax. Others, however, like a little less relaxation and a little more courting death. Fortunately, there are a variety of death-defying tourist destinations scattered around the world, so no matter how you’d like to stare death in the face, you’ve got a choice.

10Yosemite National Park’s Half Dome

In total, around 60 people have died on Half Dome and the trail leading up to it. Hiking up Half Dome takes an entire day, during which you’ll climb over 1,500 meters (5,000 ft), burn anywhere from 4,000 to 9,800 calories, and climb the last 120 meters (400 ft) nearly vertical with the assistance of metal cables. And that’s where many of the problems start to occur.

Hikers are discouraged from undertaking the climb when conditions are wet, because the combination of slippery cables and slippery rocks can be deadly—so deadly, in fact, that the bottom part of the cliff on the same side as Mirror Lake is known as the Death Slabs. Even when it’s not wet and slippery, accidents are still well documented.

In 2012, a man slipped from the cables and had to be rescued after trying to grab a radio dropped by a person above him. Deaths of 2011 include three hikers who ignored guardrails and fell into Vernal Falls, another man who slipped and fell onto the Mist Trail (ultimately swept away and killed by the same river), and a 26-year-old who slipped on the cables and fell 180 meters (600 ft).

Falls and drowning aren’t the only dangers. There are also records of hikers being struck by lightning while attempting to make the climb. The Yosemite Search and Rescue team estimates that about 60 percent of their duties involve rescuing hikers in distress. They rely not just on helicopters for rescues and preparedness for medical emergencies, but also on canine search and rescue and swiftwater rescue teams.

9Alnwick Gardens

Because regular, non-deadly gardens lack a certain sense of adventure, Jane Percy, the Duchess of Northumberland, decided to make the gardens of Alnwick Castle something extra special. When she found herself at the head of the Alnwick household, she also inherited gardens that had long been neglected.

Originally thinking that she was going to include a section of plants known for their healing properties, she realized that wasn’t as much fun as plants that were poisonous. The result is a gated area on the grounds known as The Poison Garden, and it’s full of warnings and plants that can cause certain death. Even though visitors are a relatively safe distance from the plants and can’t actively smell or touch them, some have fainted from the toxic fumes that are released into the air.

While some of the plants have a bizarre, unsettling history—like the angel’s trumpet, which acts as an aphrodisiac before its poisonous effects kick in—other plants that the duchess has included in her garden have another meaning. She’s included plants like the coca plant and cannabis, seeing the garden as a valuable teaching tool for the schoolchildren that come through. While many of them might be bored by a trip to regular gardens, she sees her poison garden as a great way to get kids intrigued by plants and their properties.

8Hawaii’s Volcano Tours

If you’re the type that thinks checking out an active volcano is the way to go for a vacation, you’re in luck, as you have a couple of different choices in Hawaii. Both have track records of death and the National Park Service actually temporarily shut down the bicycle tour (mentioned below) in 2007 after there were three deaths and a number of serious injuries within the space of a year.

For a fee—about $100—tourists are driven up to the top of an active volcano and they then ride a bicycle down. Deaths came when people lost control of their bicycles on the downgrade, but that’s not the only way taking a volcano tour can kill you. In the decade between 1992–2002, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park reported 40 deaths and 45 major injuries.

The volcanoes—including Kilauea, which has been erupting almost non-stop since 1938—are a major tourist attraction for the islands. Called geotourism, the trend exposes people to a number of risks aside from the potentially deadly lava. Just as dangerous as the obvious lava flows are the gases that are released into the air. A number of the deaths are of park staff as well as tourists and are attributed to the presence of lava haze. The haze, which looks like a harmless white vapor cloud, is actually a deadly mix of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide.

The gases, while deadly on their own, can also increase the problems caused by asthma and heart conditions. Add in the scalding ocean water, the potential for flying rocks, and a chronic lack of preparation on the part of hikers, and the potential for death—or at least serious complications—from checking out Hawaii’s volcanoes is high.

7Skellig Michael

Skellig Michael most recently made the news as one of the filming locations for Star Wars, but it’s been a beautiful, remote, and integral part of Irish culture for centuries. The site of a monastic settlement, it was chosen by the monks because of its inaccessibility and difficult terrain, something that hasn’t changed since its establishment sometime between the sixth and eighth centuries. It is now a World Heritage site.

Visit Greater Skellig’s website and you will be greeted with a safety video for visitors. It stresses that there are 600 ancient steps that wind their way up the side of the mountain, and there are absolutely no safety features whatsoever. There’s also no food or water, visitor centers, toilets, or shelter.

Getting to the island means an hour-long boat ride across potentially troublesome open ocean, and it’s not uncommon for landing on the island to become impossible because of high waves and choppy water. The area is particularly prone to falling rocks, but that’s not the only problem. The stone stairs, more than 1,000 years old, are rough, uneven, and meandering.

Two deaths only months apart in 2009 sparked a review of the safety conditions on the island. It was determined that the addition of railings would not only destroy the natural beauty and authenticity of the site, but also, according to the Irish Office of Public Works, the presence of a railing would do nothing but lure people into becoming complacent with “a false sense of security.”

In spite of public outcry, the only real safety measures taken include signage and a handout that specifies the dangers of slippery, wet stairs, falling rocks, a steep climb, and a reminder to be courteous to others sharing the potentially deadly pathway with you.

6Praia De Boa Viagem

Wide, sandy beaches, breathtaking sunsets, perfect weather, close proximity to urban nightlife, and warm, clear, ocean waters. Sounds like the perfect vacation, right? Possibly, if it wasn’t for the sharks. Praia de Boa Viagem has long been one of Brazil’s premiere destination spots for tourists from all over the world, but since 1992, the picturesque beach has been plagued by shark attacks.

Between 1992 and 2012, there were 56 shark attacks at the beach. You might say, “Sure, but that’s still less than Australia!” But people have a better chance of walking away from a shark attack in Australia than they do at Praia de Boa Viagem. There, one-third of all attacks end in fatality. The sharks in question are bull sharks, problematic because they tend to like the shallow, coastal waters that they end up sharing with swimmers and surfers—and they’re not really the ones at fault.

Porto Suape was built on breeding grounds for the sharks. When it opened in 1984, it also sealed off several estuaries that were once used by female sharks as a safe, sheltered place to bear their young. Tiger sharks are also thought to be a huge part of the problem, though less proof has been found of their attacks than of bull sharks.

They’re attracted to the area for a different reason—they also prefer coastal areas, but that’s because they have a tendency to follow ships and eat the garbage that gets thrown overboard. When they run into tourists paddling around in the shallows, that’s an even better meal. And although there are a number of lifeguards patrolling the beach, they don’t always recognize that there’s a problem developing in waist-high water until it’s too late.

5The Colorado River System

White-water rafting can be fun for the whole family, but the Colorado River system has been plagued with accidents, injuries, and fatalities. In 2014, part of the problem has been due in large part to an increase in the melting snowpack from higher up in Colorado’s mountain ranges. Heavy rains can potentially add to the problem, but according to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife department, it’s the huge increase in melting snows that’s pushing them to issue high-water advisories for areas throughout the river system.

In 2007, the river system saw 12 fatalities and 176 serious injuries, and according to the state’s Division of Boating and Waterways, part of the problem is not just inexperience and neglect when it comes to wearing the proper safety equipment, but the atmosphere and attitude that goes along with boating and rafting on the river system.

Alcohol figures heavily into many accidents on the rivers, and with their Class V rapids, faster-than-usual currents, and high-running waters, it all adds up to making 2014 one of the deadliest years ever on the river system. During the first seven months of 2014, 15 deaths occurred on the waterways, tying the record high from 2009.

4The Beaches Of Acapulco

Acapulco is a name that’s been synonymous with one of the most relaxing, luxurious vacation spots that Americans can easily get to. Beaches, nice weather, huge city blocks built with the comfort of tourists in mind—unfortunately, those city blocks are in a city that has a crime rate that’s almost 30 times higher than the American average.

As recently as 2013, the murder rate was 142 per 100,000 citizens, and even though the city is quick to point out that it’s mostly drug-related and not tourist-centric at all, 200 murders in January and February of 2013 alone isn’t a great track record. There’s also no public information that details just where there’s the highest concentration of law enforcement patrols, or just where the murders happen.

In spite of assurances, stories still pepper the press with some pretty dark happenings on the beachfront paradise—including an incident in 2013 which saw the rape of six women on vacation. Afterward, Acapulco’s mayor stated that “it happens anywhere in the world,” which is a pretty cold statement to make—anywhere in the world.

According to the US Department of State’s Mexico Travel Warning, they recommend that if you do go to Acapulco, stay in specially designated tourist areas, plan rest stops carefully, make sure you have enough fuel to get you through the shady areas outside the tourist spots (if you absolutely need to travel through them), and travel by air when possible. In fact, when it comes to booking a place to stay for its employees, the US government will only book between the Hotel Avalon Excalibur Acapulco and Puerto Marquez, and it also forbids leaving the hotel after the Sun goes down.

3Cliffs Of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher have one of the most breathtaking views in Ireland, looking out over the rough Atlantic Ocean. Its rugged beauty is unobstructed by things such as safety rails, but the potential dangers are much greater than that. Not far from the parking lot is the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center, with their paved walkways, regular stone steps, and waist-high stone walls covered with signs warning people to stay off the walls.

But the walking trail extends out along the top of the cliffs, where it becomes something much more deadly. High, unpredictable winds, relentless and equally unpredictable rains coupled with steep sections of the path, loose gravel, and smooth stone mean that it’s not your normal walk in the park.

In 2006, one woman was walking along the top of the cliffs when winds swept her to her death at the bottom, while other deaths happen quite on purpose. In 2007, a 26-year-old mother took her four-year-old son with her when she jumped off the 180 meter (600 ft) cliff. This led to discussions over the implementation of policies directed not only toward warning people of the dangers of the site, but also putting plans in place to help those who go to the cliffs with intentions of jumping. And 2010 brought the focus onto the natural dangers presented by the cliffs, when a huge chunk of an upper ledge fell into the ocean.

2El Caminito Del Rey

The Caminito del Rey is so named because the now-deadly path was once walked by Spain’s King Alfonso XIII, shortly after its installation between two power plants in the Gaitanes Gorge. The man-made pathway is only about 1 meter (3 ft) wide (in the places that it still exists) and runs along a sheer cliff face about 100 meters (330 ft) tall. It’s technically closed to the public—and has been since five deaths between 1999–2000—but that doesn’t stop countless people from making the hike every year.

The pathway has fallen into disrepair over the years—and that’s something of an understatement. In many places, all that remains of the pathway are rusted metal rails, leaving the most daring no choice but to look straight down at the rocks below rather than at a nice, secure, wooden path. Many of the support beams are rusted through, and in some places, there’s no choice but to climb—carefully—along the side of the mountain.

Even where the path remains, holes are common, and even without a fear of heights, the view is dizzying. Although it’s technically illegal to walk there and trespassers face a hefty fine, it’s remained a popular destination—so popular that money is being sunk into extensive repairs, with the hopes that when the walkway reopens, it’s not only still popular but much, much safer.

1The Kokoda And Black Cat Trails

The Kokoda Trail is nearly 100 kilometers (60 mi) of hot, humid, treacherous, leech-infested territory running between the northern and southern coasts of Papua New Guinea. Its rainforests have exotic animals, jungles, clean water, and villages of native peoples who have lived off the land for generations. It is also the site of numerous World War II battles, fought between the Australians and the Japanese.

And every year, thousands of visitors make the trek, amid the threat of everything from trench foot to death. Walking the entire trail means six 10-hour days of walking, climbing, and swimming. Everything you need, you have to carry with you. Mountains make the miles seem even longer, and all the while you’re swatting mosquitoes that may or may not be carrying malaria. Walkers are escorted by guides, and along the way, many learn about the stories of the soldiers who fought and died in the old foxholes and amid the abandoned machinery. Dehydration, broken bones, and illness are the biggest threats, but there are others.

In September 2013, a group hiking the neighboring Black Cat Trail was attacked by a group of locals made up of villagers and escaped convicts. Two porters died after the machete attacks, and seven others were severely wounded—including one Australian who took a spear in the leg. Passports and personal belongings were stolen, and the whole thing was thought to be spurred by an ongoing battle between local tribes and villages—a battle to capitalize on the lucrative tourist trade acting as guides to those who come to walk the trails.

As a society, we sure do like a tipple. Government figures estimate nearly 87 percent of Americans will drink alcohol at some point in their lifetime, with 70 percent enjoying at least one drink a year. In England, around 69 percent of men drink at least once a week. It’s easy to see why. A couple of beers make you more relaxed, more sociable, and better-looking to the opposite sex. What’s not to love?

Well, it’s not quite so simple as that. While we all know the dangers of alcoholism, it turns out alcohol may be far more harmful than most of us realize, maybe even more so than any illegal drug. We’d never go so far as to argue for prohibition, but once you look at the data, getting horrendously drunk starts to look less like an amusing diversion, and more like a portal to your nightmares.

10 It’s The Single Most Important Factor In Ruining Life Happiness

If you’ve never heard of the Grant Study, you should know it’s one of the longest-running sociological studies in the world. Starting in 1938, researchers at Harvard tracked the lives of 200 men and reported on their emotional and physical well-being. Over the years, findings have included that intelligence (above a certain level) has no influence on earnings and that older liberals tend to have way more sex. They’ve also revealed that one thing above all else can destroy your happiness utterly: alcohol.

In the 2012 update to the study, Triumphs of Experience, study director George Vaillant revealed that alcohol was one of the key factors in participants’ life outcomes. More so than intelligence, more so than political leanings or how rich their parents were, alcohol was the top decider in how subjects’ lives turned out. No matter where they stood on the social spectrum, those who developed drinking problems took mostly the same path: downward. Alcoholism was the main cause of divorce in the study, one of the main triggers for neurosis and depression (importantly, the alcohol abuse tended to come before the mental problems), and tied with smoking as the single biggest contributor to an early grave. Vaillant called it “a disorder of great destructive power.”

Of course, a similar effect would probably be seen if the men had become drug junkies. But there’s no denying alcohol has other startling effects that reach beyond the murky shadows of addiction.

9 It’s One Of Our Biggest Killers

Between 2006 and 2010, 88,000 Americans died annually from alcohol abuse. That’s not a typo. Every year, the nation’s favorite drug killed more people than Mexico’s brutal drug war. According to the CDC, that makes alcohol the third leading lifestyle-related cause of death for people living in the USA. In Britain, the figures may be even worse. According to respected scientist David Nutt, alcohol is the leading cause of death for Brits aged 16–60.

The reasons for this make for some grim reading. Although by far the highest number of alcohol-related deaths come from liver disease and addiction, accidental poisoning and behavioral disorders caused by drinking ranked highly, too. Drunk driving also played a huge factor. According to the CDC, nearly one-third of all fatal road accidents in the US were caused by alcohol. On average, this means drunk driving killed one American every 51 minutes. The total cost of all this carnage is estimated at over $59 billion annually—roughly equivalent to the entire GDP of Croatia.

8 It Increases Sexual Assault Rates

It isn’t just where individual health is concerned that alcohol can have a hugely negative impact. We’ve known for years that alcohol and sexual assault rates have a disturbing connection to one another.

In one widely cited Harvard study from 2004, college campuses with reputations for binge drinking had significantly higher rates of sexual assault. The team first split colleges into either low, medium, or high binge drinking environments. Those classified as low had less than 35 percent of the student body drinking more than five drinks in one sitting over a two-week period. In those classified as medium, 36–50 percent of the students did so. In those classified high, the rate was over 50 percent. The team then concluded that being female at a medium or high binge drinking college increased your risk of getting raped by a shocking 1.5 times. A 2013 study later found similar results.

That’s a serious increase, and it doesn’t just occur on campuses. An influential 1990s study found around half of all attackers committed sexual assaults while drunk, while half of all victims likewise reported being intoxicated. That’s not to suggest the victims were in any way to blame. There’s only one bad guy here and that’s the scumbag rapist. Nor is it intended to suggest that one beer turns all men into rape-happy hooligans. Studies show only 3 percent of college men commit 90 percent of all campus rapes. It does show how entwined alcohol and violence can be, though, in a way it simply isn’t with other drugs.

7 No Other Drug Is As Bad For Public Safety

What would you say is the world’s most dangerous drug? If we’re talking about dangers to others, most of us would probably think of crack or meth. We would be wrong. According to a British study, the answer is alcohol.

In 2010, respected journal The Lancet published a study led by former government adviser Professor David Nutt into the dangers posed by 20 available drugs. While heroin, crack, and methamphetamine took the top places for dangers posed to individual users, one drug was found to be far and away the most harmful to society at large. According to the study, use of alcohol was over twice as likely to result in harm to others as use of crack cocaine was. Out of a possible score of 100, it scored 45, compared to slightly over 20 for heroin in second place.

The reasons for this are varied, with the researchers focusing on factors such as crime, environmental damage, family conflict, international damage, economic cost, and damage to community cohesion. While some drugs scored well in one category, alcohol was the only one to sweep the boards. Part of that may be due to its ready availability, but it’s still an astounding finding. By way of comparison, cocaine and cannabis both scored under 10 for harm to others, while ecstasy, LSD, and mushrooms scored around zero.

6 It Kills More Teenagers Than Any Other Drug

Every couple of years, some new drug will come along and whip up a media panic about teenagers. In September 2015, K2 was supposedly turning people into nude, psychotic zombies. Before that, it was Cloud 9 putting kids in hospitals. What every single one of these scare stories always glosses over is that we already have a readily available, extremely deadly drug doing the rounds among our kids. Every year, 4,300 US teenagers die from drinking alcohol.

That’s more people than died during 9/11. According to nonprofits and pressure groups such as Mothers Against Drink Driving (MADD), it’s more than are killed each year by all illegal drugs combined. Even if you think their data might be susceptible to bias (they are an overtly anti-alcohol charity after all), if they’re anywhere in the ballpark, it’s still an enormous number. To give it a comparison point, the panic-inducing Cloud 9 was linked to only a handful of deaths, some of which may have been falsely attributed by an overexcited media. If we can get worked up over a comparatively tiny number of deaths, all while ignoring a much bigger epidemic, it’s tempting to wonder what’s going wrong.

5 Media Bias Against Other Drugs Is Unbelievable

The media loves a simple narrative. Fitting a nuanced argument into a headline is a tricky task, so most outlets don’t even bother to try. Sometimes this reaches absurd heights, as in the case of drug reporting. Since the 1990s, it’s been utterly clear that the media’s response to drug and alcohol stories is horrendously biased at best, and downright dangerous at worst.

Between 1990 and 1999, Scotland recorded 2,255 drug-related deaths. Curious to see how the media reported these deaths, Alasdair J.M. Forsyth compared every single Scottish news report on a fatality against the coroner reports. Of the 546 deaths that received coverage, the bias was profound. Only 1 in 72 deaths from morphine was reported, because it didn’t fit into any easy media narrative. By contrast, one in every five deaths from heroin got coverage, as did one of every eight cocaine-related deaths. But the biggest imbalance by far came from ecstasy. Nearly every single one of the 28 deaths ascribed to ecstasy received coverage in this period, a period that just happened to coincide with a media scare in the UK. Meanwhile, only 1 in 256 aspirin-related deaths got a similar treatment.

The point is that “bad” drugs get a disproportionate amount of press attention, reinforcing the belief that these deaths are happening all the time. In the exact same period of time, alcohol killed around 2,000 people—over 70 times the number killed by ecstasy—but wasn’t once reported as a deadly menace. As a result, talking seriously about the dangers of alcohol compared to other drugs becomes all but impossible.

4 Many Of The Alternatives Are Safer

Plenty of drugs are highly dangerous. Heroin, crack, GBH, and crystal meth can all mess you up in ways we’d rather not think about, leading to horrendous health problems. But so can alcohol. And while all those drugs are rightly frowned upon in our societies, alcohol is basically given a free pass.

The differences are even starker compared to other drugs we might consider socially acceptable. While cannabis does have detrimental health effects and may be linked with an increased risk of mental illness, it is far safer for you than drinking. David Nutt’s research that we referred to earlier placed the risk of cannabis to a user as less than half of that of alcohol. In recorded history, there has never been a single confirmed case of a marijuana overdose. The DEA has estimated you would need to smoke nearly 700 kilograms (1,500 lb) of the stuff in 15 minutes to be at risk of death. (Good luck staying awake.) Even the Dude in The Big Lebowski couldn’t manage something like that.

Other recreational drugs are even safer. The risk of death from ecstasy is roughly equivalent to that of riding a horse, while that from both LSD and magic mushrooms is essentially nonexistent (provided you don’t accidentally pick and eat a poisonous mushroom). It’d be a fool’s game to try and get people to give up drinking entirely, but cutting down becomes even harder when many of the safer alternatives are illegal.

3 The Alternatives Would Still Be Safer If Taken On A Larger Scale

One major obstacle to comparing alcohol with other drugs is that alcohol is both legal and widely available, whereas most others are not. Even in states like Colorado that passed pot legalization laws, not every city is selling, and it remains illegal in much of the country. This means there are way more drinkers than there are users of any other kind of drug.

Taking this into consideration, statistics about things like public health spending on alcohol can suddenly seem weaker. After all, some would argue that we’d see equally expensive (if slightly different) health problems if everyone was smoking pot all the time. That may not be true. In 1995, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a study into drugs and public health. They concluded that even if everyone started using cannabis as regularly as they do alcohol or tobacco, the effect on public health would likely be significantly lower.

That’s not to say there wouldn’t be serious health issues arising from widespread pot consumption, especially among teenagers. We’re not trying to convert everyone to be militantly pro-marijuana here. But the overall effect would still be less than at current levels of alcohol consumption, even though most legal systems treat alcohol as the safer substance.

2 Alcohol And Child Abuse

It’s a terrible fact of life that some adults get off on abusing kids. Whether through violent sexual acts or just through miserable, half-assed neglect, there are parents out there who do nothing but make their children’s lives a misery. Toss alcohol abuse into that mix and you’ve got the ingredients for a nightmare.

Studies have found that children who have either one or two alcoholic parents are anywhere between 2 to 13 times more likely to experience an awful situation at home. Known as adverse childhood experiences, these awful situations could be anything from living in forced squalor to seeing their mom get hit to being deliberately abused. In each case, the likelihood of that abuse increased with alcoholism. In situations where both parents were alcoholics, for example, children were 13 times more likely to grow up with a battered mother. Other studies have linked alcoholism to “profound suffering” in families.

Again, it’s not just the children of alcoholics who have crappy childhoods. Having a mom or dad who’s addicted to crack, gambling, or heroin can produce similar results. But the point is those activities are largely illegal or sensibly restricted. Alcohol is completely entwined with Western culture and its consumption actively encouraged.

1 It’s Basically Our Culture’s Fault

After reading all that, here’s a theory that might surprise you. According to respected anthropologist Dr. Anne Fox, alcohol doesn’t cause violence. She maintains there’s no proof that drinking can trigger violent acts in people. Instead, she thinks our problems with alcohol go deeper. It’s our culture that’s to blame.

If alcohol itself caused violence, we’d see uniform levels of violence across all drinking cultures. But places like Iceland drink way more and in a much more reckless manner than somewhere like Australia, all while experiencing significantly less alcohol-related violence. Instead, Dr. Fox says that how we behave when drunk is mostly how our culture teaches us to behave. That’s potentially very worrying.

Most of us grew up in cultures that taught us getting drunk was a wonderful thing to do. In countless movies, TV shows, and books, drinking is shown as something that normal people do regularly. At the same time, we’re taught to connect this popular pastime with violence and lack of self-control. The result is a powder keg of all worst possible outcomes. We put our own health at risk by drinking at a level we’d consider excessive if done with any other sort of drug. Then we endanger the health of others and those around us by acting out our violent, thuggish roles when we’re completely wasted.

We’re not trying to agitate for prohibition. It failed spectacularly last time, and we like the occasional drink as much as the next group of list-writers. But maybe we need to stop this glamorization of alcohol and the violence that accompanies it. Happily, this might already be happening. In Britain at least, rates for binge drinking among teenagers are dropping sharply, and young people are becoming more sensible in their alcohol consumption. Here’s to hoping the trend continues.

Unlike Earth, every new planet we have discovered has been hostile to us. Some could become habitable if we figure out the answers to a few problems, like the unavailability of oxygen and water. Others would still be unsuitable for human life.

These deadly planets are ready to kill any creature that strays too close or tries to develop on them. Most of the planets on this list are not just too hot or cold. They have more terrible conditions that will never support life.

10 HD 189733b

In 2005, astronomers discovered a Jupiter-sized exoplanet, HD 189733b, with a distinctive Earthlike blue tint 63 light-years away. However, unlike Earth, HD 189733b was not blue because of its seas and oceans. Instead, the color came from its silicate-rich clouds.

HD 189733b is also deadly. The first problem is the 8,700-kilometer-per-hour (5,400 mph) winds that blow across the exoplanet. That is seven times the speed of sound, which is insanely fast. For comparison, peak sustained winds of the notorious Hurricane Katrina blew at 280 kilometers per hour (175 mph).

Then there is the rain. The silicate-rich clouds of HD 189733b cause rain of molten glass to fall from the skies. That rain does not fall straight down because of the superfast winds we just talked about. Instead, this strange precipitation falls sideways.^[1]

Even if we somehow found our way around that, we would still need to deal with the high temperatures on the exoplanet. HD 189733b is so close to its star that it is ridiculously hot. To put that in better perspective, it is so near to its sun that HD 189733b completes a revolution around its star in just 2.2 Earth days. Interestingly, a day on this exoplanet is also 2.2 Earth days long.

The gravitational interaction between a planet and its star can cause a planet to have a day and year of the same length if the planet becomes tidally locked to its star, just as our Moon is tidally locked to the Earth. This means that the planet rotates on its axis in the same amount of time that it takes to complete one revolution around its star. (Rotations cause days and nights, and revolutions cause years.)

A tidally locked planet always keeps the same side toward its sun. So, one side is condemned to nonstop daytime while the other has perpetual nighttime.

9 CoRoT-7b

In February 2009, astronomers operating the Convection, Rotation and Planetary Transits (CoRoT) satellite discovered a new exoplanet in the Monoceros constellation 480 light-years away from Earth. They called it CoRoT-7b.

CoRoT-7b is a rocky, Earthlike exoplanet even though it used to be a Saturn-sized hot Jupiter—a term used to describe the huge, gas-filled planets outside our own solar system with tight orbits around their stars. Despite having a rocky surface that could support life, CoRoT-7b is not the place to be.

For starters, its atmosphere is filled with minerals that form rock clouds. These clouds send pebbles and small rocks falling from the skies as if they were rain. Even if humans managed to survive that, they would be destroyed by the insanely hot surface temperature of the exoplanet.

Our own Earth is 60 times farther from our Sun than CoRoT-7b is from its star. In the daytime, the star in the skies of CoRoT-7b appears 360 times bigger than our own Sun looks from here on Earth. Talking about daytime, CoRoT-7b may also be tidally locked to its star. A day and a year are just 20.4 hours long.^[2]

As you may have guessed, this means that half the exoplanet permanently faces its star. The surface temperature of that side is between 1,980 degrees Celsius (3,600 °F) and 2,300 degrees Celsius (4,220 °F), which is enough to melt rock. Astronomers believe that the rocks on the side facing the sun are molten because they can’t remain solid at that temperature.

8 KELT-9b

Exoplanet KELT-9b is the hottest planet we have ever found. The temperature of its star is around 9,700 degrees Celsius (17,500 °F), which is almost two times the 5,480-degree-Celsius (9,900 °F) surface temperature of our Sun. The daytime temperature on the exoplanet hovers around 4,300 degrees Celsius (7,800 °F), which is still insanely hot. Most stars in the universe do not even come close.

As you read this, KELT-9b is so hot that its hydrogen-rich atmosphere is boiling and escaping into space and right into star KELT-9, around which the exoplanet rotates. Star KELT-9 is huge, reaching three times the size of our Sun. Exoplanet KELT-9b is two times the size of Jupiter and three times heavier.

The extreme temperatures are caused by the relatively short distance between KELT-9 and KELT-9b. Both are so close that the exoplanet completes an orbit in just 1.5 days. Mercury is 10 times farther from our Sun than KELT-9b is from KELT-9.

Astronomers believe that exoplanet KELT-9b will lose its entire atmosphere to star KELT-9 in just 200 Earth years. By that time, KELT-9 will have become so big that it could be touching the exoplanet. However, astronomers do not think that the exoplanet will slam into the star.^[3]

7 WASP-121b

WASP-121b is one weird exoplanet. To begin, it is not spherical but looks more like a football. We mean American football and not the more popular one that Americans call soccer. But the shape is not what makes WASP-121b deadly. Instead, the problem is the exoplanet’s nearness to its star.

WASP-121b is so close to its star that temperatures hover around 2,540 degrees Celsius (4,600 °F). Solid or liquid objects cannot form there, and everything just remains in a gaseous state. This includes its metallic atmosphere, which is filled with iron and magnesium gases. Worse, the exoplanet is losing this atmosphere to its star, just like KELT-9b.

Curiously, the closeness to its star is the same reason that WASP-121b is stretching out of shape. The star is able to exert a heavy gravitational pull on the exoplanet. WASP-121b cannot resist the pull because it has a weak gravitational force. It manages to partly resist, though, causing it to bend out of shape.^[4]

6 Upsilon Andromedae b

Upsilon Andromedae b is one strange exoplanet that rotates around the star Upsilon Andromedae A, which is 44 light-years away from Earth. The exoplanet is too close to its sun, completing an orbit in just 4.6 days. As you may have guessed, this suggests that it is tidally locked, with one side permanently facing the sun and one unbelievably hot.

Interestingly, the hottest area, the “warm spot,” does not face the star. Instead, it is on the side that never receives sunlight. This discovery puzzled astronomers because the side facing the star should be hotter. Astronomers believe that things are a bit different here because the wind transfers the heated air to the opposite side of the exoplanet.

Here is one theory as to how that works. The heat from the star Upsilon Andromedae hits the side of exoplanet Upsilon Andromedae b that is facing the sun, causing the air to heat up. When that air becomes hot enough, the wind transports it to the opposite end of the exoplanet.

At the same time, the wind transports the cooler air at the opposite end to the side facing the sun. Then the process continues. The continuous switch means that the side shielded from the sun has a reliable flow of hot air while the side facing the sun has much cooler air.^[5]

5 OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb

OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb is a rocky exoplanet with a very thin atmosphere located right in the middle of our own Milky Way. All three factors made astronomers suspect that it could contain life when it was discovered. However, they now believe that it does not due to the exoplanet’s super-low temperature.^[6]

The surface temperature on OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb is around -220 degrees Celsius (-364 °F), which is too low to support life as we know it. For comparison, by some accounts, the lowest temperature ever recorded here on Earth is -97.8 degrees Celsius (-144 °F). The temperature was recorded in an area of ice-cold Antarctica that has never seen sunlight. An attempt to breathe in that area will destroy our lungs and cause instant death.

4 TrES-2b

TrES-2b is the darkest planet out there. It is so black that coal will appear lighter if both were ever placed side by side. TrES-2b is the size of Jupiter and located in the Draco constellation 750 light-years away from Earth. Its star is GSC 03549-02811, which is almost like our Sun.

TrES-2b is black because its atmosphere absorbs over 99 percent of the light it receives from the sun. Astronomers believe that the exoplanet reflects so little light because its atmosphere is filled with vaporized sodium and potassium or gaseous titanium oxide.

Nevertheless, being black does not mean that the exoplanet is cool. In fact, its atmospheric temperatures reach over 980 degrees Celsius (1,800 °F). This extremely high temperature causes some parts of the exoplanet to emit a red glow, just like burning coal or electric stove coils. Astronomers also suspect that the exoplanet is so close to its star that both are tidally locked.^[7]

3 OGLE-TR-56b

Planet OGLE-TR-56b lies in the Sagittarius constellation 5,000 light-years away from Earth. It is one of the “hot Jupiters” we talked about earlier. Hot Jupiters are often formed farther out in their stellar systems and later move closer to their stars.

Planet OGLE-TR-56b has already moved too close to its own star.^[8] It is so near that a year is 29 hours long, and the exoplanet’s surface temperature reaches 2,000 kelvins. Over there, the clouds are not made of water but of vaporized iron. Rain falls to the ground as hot liquid iron.

2 Venus

Deadly planets do not only exist outside our solar system. We have one lurking nearby, too. Without a doubt, Venus is the deadliest planet in our solar system thanks to its sulfur dioxide–rich clouds. Those clouds prevent useful sunlight from reaching the planet’s surface and stop deadly carbon dioxide from leaving the atmosphere.

The surface of Venus is filled with volcanoes that emit large amounts of heat and carbon dioxide. The large deposit of carbon dioxide makes Venus poisonous for humans. The thick clouds also trap heat and gas, making the planet lethally hot. Temperatures reach a hostile 467 degrees Celsius (872 °F).

The hot temperature remains constant all over the planet—even at the poles. Other hot planets are often cooler at the poles. Venus also retains this high temperature every day of the year. Even the nights are as hot as the days. Researchers think that Venus would be similar to Mercury if Venus did not have these clouds.

Interestingly, it also rains and snows on Venus, although things are quite different than what occurs on Earth. The snow is not made of liquid but of galena and bismuthinite metals. Rainfall is composed of deadly sulfuric acid. However, the high temperature on the planet means that rain never touches the ground. Instead, it evaporates midway to form another cloud.^[9]

1 Proxima b

Proxima b looked promising when it was discovered. It orbits Proxima Centauri, a red dwarf star 4.24 light-years away from Earth. The exoplanet interested astronomers who thought that it had water and Earthlike properties. However, they soon discovered that they were wrong.

Proxima b is so close to Proxima Centauri that the exoplanet completes an orbit in 11.2 days. It is also tidally locked, leaving one side deadly hot and the other fatally cold and frozen. Between the two is a middle ground that is more temperate. However, that region is unlikely to support life because of Proxima Centauri.

As we mentioned earlier, Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf. One characteristic of such stars is their tendency to release solar flares every two to three months that strike the planets orbiting around the stars. Those flares would destroy the ozone layers of those planets, making them vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation from the stars.

We observed one such event on March 24, 2017, when Proxima Centauri released a solar flare toward exoplanet Proxima b. The flare was so intense that the star became 1,000 times brighter within 10 seconds. Proxima b received 4,000 times the radiation that reaches the Earth from solar flares. That is bad for anything living on the exoplanet.^[10]

Before we begin, let’s just quickly clear up one point of confusion: spiders are (usually) venomous, not poisonous. For something to be poisonous, it must be harmful through being eaten. To be venomous, a thing must be harmful by injecting venom—via fangs in the bulk of cases with deadly spiders. Now, on with the list!

SEE ALSO: 10 Fascinating Mysteries Involving Spiders

Across the globe, most people can agree that spiders are critters they want nothing to do with. A fear of spiders, otherwise known as arachnophobia, is one of the most widespread fears people have, and there’s a good reason for it.

Most of our fears don’t stem from irrational places; they come from evolving on a dangerous planet. Even though most spiders are harmless to humans, there are several species capable of killing you with a bite or two, and it’s because of these ten that arachnophobia is anything but irrational.

10 Wolf Spider—Hogna carolinensis

From the family Lycosidae, Wolf Spiders are named for their wolf-like habit of chasing and pouncing upon their prey. There are about 125 species in America and another 50 in Europe, and they typically measure about 2.5 cm (1 inch), with their legs adding about 2.5 cm to their (terrifying) size. They can be black, gray, or brown, and they have one of the most unique features: an eye arrangement with four small eyes in the bottom row, followed by two large eyes in the middle row and two medium eyes in the top row.^[1] These venomous spiders are sometimes confused with a brown recluse (both brown in color) or a tarantula (both are hairy). These spiders hunt their prey rather than hang out in their webs, waiting for a hapless insect to meander into the sticky trap. They prefer to establish dens in the ground from which they hunt, dragging their prey back inside. They use webbing to fortify the den, so it can look like a webbed funnel.^[2]

Wolf spiders inject venom into their prey to subdue it. And they will bite humans as well, although they don’t prefer to. If a wolf spider does bite a human, the worst thing that will happen is it will leave a red, itchy welt on the skin. This is the body’s natural reaction to the venom injected. Some people, who are sensitive to spider bites, may experience nausea, a rapid pulse, dizziness, or necrosis around the bite wound.^[3] If bitten, you should seek immediate medical attention. Although extremely rare, it is possible to die from a bite, depending on how the person’s body reacts.

9 Yellow Sac Spider—Cheiracanthium inclusum

Yellow Sac Spiders are widely distributed spiders ranging in size from only 3 to 15 mm (0.1 to 0.67 inch). You’ve probably seen them numerous times over the years and not given them much thought due to their size, but size rarely matters when it comes to spider bites. A Yellow Sac Spider’s venom contains a cytotoxin, which is a nasty substance that impairs call functions, often leading to cellular death. You will immediately know if one bites, as their bites are incredibly painful.^[4]

The good news about a Yellow Sac Spider bite is that it’s not going to kill you.^[5] You may wish you were dead when the pain hits, but there have never been any reported deaths. These spiders will aggressively defend their territory, and the last thing you want to do is threaten one of their egg sacs. Their venom does cause limited necrosis of the skin in the area where a bit occurs, which often results in a misdiagnosis of a Brown Recluse bite. Some species of a Cheiracanthium’s bite is more severe than others, but the most common are C. inclusum and C. mildei.

8 Brown Recluse Spider—Loxosceles reclusa

The Brown Recluse Spider is one of the most feared spiders in the civilized world due to the nature of its venom. While bites from a Brown Recluse will likely not result in the death of a person, it will cause the death of tissue, as its venom is highly necrotic. Much like a rattlesnake bite, the venom of a Brown Recluse will course through your veins at the site of the bite, resulting in the death of the tissue at the bite location.^[6] One of the problems with a bite is that it may not be initially felt, nor will it always be immediately painful. The resulting symptoms can be misidentified as a result.

The severity of the necrosis varies, and not all bites result in tissue death. Only 37% of bites will cause skin tissue to die. A small percentage of people may experience hemolysis—the bursting of red blood vessels.^[7] The fear of necrosis is what makes these spiders particularly scary to humans, and they are all over the central and southern United States, though they are rarely aggressive. Untreated bites can result in large portions of skin becoming gangrenous.

7 Redback Spider—Latrodectus hasseltii

The Redback Spider, sometimes called the Australian Black Widow, is often mistaken for a Black Widow thanks to the similar coloring and red mark found on the backs of females. They are highly venomous with a cocktail of different types of neurotoxins that deliver a staggeringly high amount of pain in humans.^[8] Fortunately, they don’t often strike with full venomization, preferring to hold back some of their precious venom for prey animals. If a Redback Spider were to deliver its full load in a bite, it would likely result in death.

That being said, there have been no known deaths attributed to these spiders since the invention of its antivenom in 1956. Before that time, a bite could result in death, which would likely be the same today were it not possible to get the antivenom in time. The dangerous symptoms from a bite include nausea, excessive sweating near the bite, muscle weakness, and vomiting. These spiders aren’t timid, and they will strike a person if they feel threatened, which is what happened to one unfortunate Australian man who encountered one while sitting on a toilet.^[9]

6 Brown Widow Spider—Latrodectus geometricus

The Brown Widow Spider is an incredibly dangerous cousin to the more familiar Black Widow. These lovely little beasts carry a particularly dangerous neurotoxin in their venom, which can result in a condition named after the spider’s bite called Latrodectism.^[10] The Brown Widow Spider’s venom is more toxic than its famous cousin, but thanks to its stingy nature, it doesn’t completely envenomize humans with a bite.^[11] These spiders are particularly shy and will only bite a person who disturbs them, or if they feel threatened.

That being said, a bite from a Brown Widow spider is going to hurt. A lot. There have been no recorded deaths from a Brown Widow bite, but the pain from a single bite has been described as being hit with something “like a sledgehammer.”^[12] The venom will cause immediate pain and muscle contractions, and if left untreated in a particularly sensitive location, the bite can result in spinal or cerebral paralysis. Their distribution has become cosmopolitan, and they are found throughout the developed world.

5 Six-Eyed Sand Spider—Sicarius hahni

The Six-Eyed Sand Spider is a relative of the Recluse Spiders, though it is only found in the deserts of southern Africa. Some consider this the most venomous spider in the world. The spiders are excellent at camouflage thanks to their being covered by tiny hairs called setae.^[13] The hairs pick up sand particles to create a sort of ghillie suit it wears as it buries itself under the sand. It sits there, patiently waiting for prey to come along so it can ambush and kill it quickly. These spiders rarely attack humans, but if they do, the bite could be dangerous.

Most bites do not result in envenomation since they prefer to store that for food they can actually eat. That’s a good thing, seeing as their venom contains a cryotoxin capable of destroying tissue and even organs. A bite with full envenomation would likely lead to hemorrhaging followed by liver and kidney failure. Death would come soon after, and there is no antivenom.^[14] Fortunately, there are no recorded cases of these shy critters envenoming a bite in humans, but from what we understand of their venom, that’s a good thing.

4 Black Widow Spider—Latrodectus mactans

Black Widow Spiders are some of the most notorious arachnids on the planet, and their level of danger can be seen in how much they have invaded our popular culture. The term “Black Widow” has been used to describe a woman who kills her husband(s), while Marvel Comics opted to name a deadly assassin after the little buggers. They are found throughout North America, Central America, Africa, and the West Indies, so there’s a good chance one is crawling up your back right now.

National Geographic^[15] lists them as the most venomous spider in North America with a venom that is 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake. A bite from a Black Widow will result in a small pricking of the skin, but don’t let the size of the mark fool you; there’s a dangerous amount of venom coursing through your veins, which can cause severe muscle cramping, nausea, and paralysis of the diaphragm, which can result in difficulty breathing.^[16] A bite can theoretically kill infants and the elderly, but no recorded cases of this happening are known.

3 Chilean Recluse Spider—Loxosceles laeta

Brown Recluse spiders are often feared for their necrotizing venom, but they pale in comparison to their Chilean cousins. The Chilean Recluse Spider is considered the most dangerous of all the Recluse Spiders, and their bite can cause some serious damage or even death. Fortunately, like most Recluse spiders, they don’t often interact with humans and only bite if they feel threatened. Their venom contains a dermonecrotic agent,^[17] which kills off skin tissue in the area of the bite. When a bite is serious enough, it can cause deadlier issues.

In about 4% of cases, the venom caused a series of failures resulting in death. This can happen if the bite consists of a tremendous amount of venom or if it hits an area near the heart or kidneys. Renal failure is the most common severe reaction to a bite with full envenomation, but these are incredibly rare. Their venom is 15 times more toxic than some species of cobra, and as much as 10 times more potent than sulfuric acid.^[18]

2 Sydney Funnel Web Spider—Atrax robustus

While Australia may be known for its larger, more toothy animals, there is one spider that stands as the most dangerous of them all in the land down under. The Sydney Funnel Web Spider is listed by Guinness World Records as being the “most venomous”^[19] spider in terms of toxicity to humans. While a lethal dose of venom is currently unknown, the spider’s lethality to the crab-eating macaque has been noted as 0.2 milligrams per kilogram. An average venom yield from a male Sydney Funnel Web Spider is 176 milligrams.^[20]

The venom of the Sydney Funnel Web Spider is particularly harmful to primates, which includes humans. The venom contains a compound called δ-atracotoxin, which inhibits a primate’s nervous system, and when they bite, they don’t hold anything back. Snakes typically reserve their venom and don’t deliver it all with a strike, but these spiders are far less conservative. They issue a full envenomation with a bite, and there have been numerous deaths^[21] attributed to the Sydney Funnel Web Spider prior to the creation of an antivenom in 1991.^[22][23]

1 Brazilian Wandering Spider—Phoneutria fera

While many of the spiders on this list are dangerous, the one spider most feared around the world is the Brazilian Wandering Spider.^[24] They are different from most spiders in that they hunt their prey instead of setting up a trap using webbing, and its prey sometimes includes humans. Granted, it doesn’t bite humans to eat them, but it probably could if it wanted to. They like to hide inside bunches of bananas where they await a passing prey animal … or human who attempts to harvest some bananas.

If a bite occurs, death will follow in less than an hour if left untreated. Fortunately, they don’t often envenomize their bites with people, preferring to save it for their actual prey. There are some unusual side effects of Brazilian Wandering Spider bites aside from tachycardia, nausea, blurred vision, hypothermia, and death; males may experience a painful erection, which will last for hours. If the embarrassment doesn’t kill them, not treating the bite certainly will, so if you ever find one of these spiders lurking in some bananas,^[25] avoid it at all costs.

About The Author: Jonathan is a graphic artist, illustrator, and writer. He is a Retired Soldier and enjoys researching and writing about history, science, theology, and many other subjects.

While there’s no official definition of ‘ancient history’, modern historians tend to define it as the period from the beginning of human civilization up until the early Middle Ages, usually until the fall of the Roman empire in 476 AD. From Europe to China to Africa, it was a period of intense violence among countless rising and falling empires, leading to some of the most devastating wars in history we know of. 

10. War Of Actium

The War of Actium was fought in 31 BC as a part of the Roman civil wars between Octavian and Mark Antony. While there were many reasons behind the conflict, the main one seemed to be the tensions between the two because of Antony’s relationship with Cleopatra. Octavian used Antony’s will as pretext for all-out war, which hinted at a potential shift of the Roman government to Alexandria  and an eventual control of the eastern territories by Antony, Cleopatra, and their children. 

The decisive battle happened on September 2, with Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa commanding Octavian’s fleet against Antony’s forces. Cleopatra’s unexpected departure from the battlefield ultimately led to Antony’s defeat, and by the end of it, both Antony and Cleopatra had committed suicide to escape captivity and retribution by Octavian’s forces.

While the war remains forgotten in the larger contemporary history of Rome, it was an important event that solidified Octavian’s position as the dominant political figure. It was the beginning of the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire, with Octavian – later Augustus – establishing himself as the first Roman Emperor. 

9. Kalinga War

The Kalinga War was a major conflict fought between the Mauryan Empire and the state of Kalinga in the southeastern part of India. Beginning sometime around 261 BC, it’s considered one of the bloodiest military campaigns in ancient India due to its death toll, largely fought as a war of conquest by the Mauryas to expand their influence to other parts of India. 

Kalinga was a prosperous region with strategic trade routes and a strong navy, making it a threat to the Mauryan Empire. The war would result in devastating losses for the natives and invaders alike, with around 100,000 soldiers killed and 150,000 captured by the end of it. According to the legends, the scale of the violence and its bloody aftermath deeply affected the Mauryan king Ashoka, leading him to abandon further conquest and embrace Buddhism.

8. Alexander’s Wars Of Conquest

Alexander was the king of Macedonia from 336 to 323 BC, as well as one of the most famous military commanders in history. His conquests began in 334 BC, starting with the invasion of the Persian Empire with his army of Macedonians and experienced mercenaries. He won early victories at the Battle of Granicus and the Battle of Issus, where he defeated the Persian king Darius III. Alexander’s campaign would continue with the conquest of other large, historically-important regions like Egypt, Babylon, and Susa. 

After decisively defeating Darius at the Battle of Gaugamela, he marched eastward into the ancient region of Bactria and then into India, though growing dissent among the troops resulted in him taking his army back into Macedonia, where he died at the age of 33. Alexander’s legacy survived in the form of successor kingdoms that had a huge influence on the regions he conquered long after his death, though these were also some of the most devastating conflicts of that time.

7. Bar Kokhba Revolt

Named after the rebel leader that started it, the Bar Kokhba Revolt – also sometimes called the Second Jewish Revolt – was fought in the ancient region of Judaea between 132 and 135 AD. The underlying cause was oppressive Roman rule, specifically the policies of the Roman governor Tinnius Rufus and Emperor Hadrian that tried to establish a Roman colony in Jerusalem, all the while restricting Jewish religious practices and customs. 

The uprising was initially successful, as the rebels were able to capture and temporarily hold the city of Jerusalem after defeating the powerful Roman Legion XXII Deiotariana. That wouldn’t last long, however, and those gains were quickly overturned after the intervention of Hadrian himself, who summoned reinforcements from Britain led by Gaius Julius Severus. The region was brought under Roman control by the end of the conflict, which concluded with the death of Bar Kokhba in 135 AD. Jewish casualties throughout the war are estimated at around 580,000, though that doesn’t include civilian deaths due to hunger and disease. 

6. Punic Wars

Also known as the Carthaginian Wars, the Punic Wars were a series of three deadly conflicts between Rome and Carthage beginning in 264 BC. The First Punic War – between 264-241 BC – started from a dispute over the control of Sicily and the western-Mediterranean sea lanes. Rome emerged victorious after almost two decades of bitter warfare, gaining Sicily as its first overseas province. The second war – from 218 to 201 BC – saw the famous Carthaginian general Hannibal invade Italy by crossing the Alps with his troops, including war elephants. 

Despite initial victories, however, Hannibal was eventually defeated by the Roman general Scipio Africanus, leading to the complete loss of Carthaginian control over Italy. The Third Punic War from 149 to 146 BC ended in the fall of Carthage to the legions of Scipio Aemilianus, followed by the almost-complete destruction of the city in the coming weeks. 

The wars resulted in the end of the Carthaginian empire, with its territory being turned into the Roman province of Africa. As retribution, most of the surviving Carthaginians were sold into slavery, with almost every part of their culture completely wiped off from history. Even the most conservative estimates put the number of casualties in the hundreds of thousands, making it one of the most destructive wars in history. 

5. Cimbrian War

The Cimbrian War refers to the series of conflicts between the Roman Republic and migrating Germanic tribes, the Cimbri and Teutones. Fought between 113 BC to 101 BC, these tribes started posing a threat to Roman allies in modern-day Austria during one of their southward migrations. Roman leaders initially underestimated their strength, leading to a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Arausio in 105 BC and tens of thousands of military casualties.

As a result, Rome took drastic measures to counter the growing threat from the tribes, granting sweeping military powers to one of their leaders, Gaius Marius. He’d go on to successfully reorganize the Roman army into a professional fighting force, leading to his decisive victory over the Teutones at the Battle of Aquae Sextiae in 102 BC. Marius later fought the Cimbri at the Battle of Vercellae in Gaul, resulting in another huge victory for the Roman forces. The war was marked by huge battles and extraordinary casualties on both sides – some estimates suggest that over 600,000 people lost their lives due to various reasons throughout the conflict.

4. Warring States Period

The Warring States era from 475 to 221 BC forms a part of a larger period in Chinese history called the Spring and Autumn period. The country was divided into seven smaller competing kingdoms throughout this time, each fighting for control over the other with some of the largest recorded battles in Chinese history. 

It was a time of widespread warfare and political intrigue, but also major advancements in culture, philosophy, science, medicine, and a bunch of other fields across China. The time period saw the rise of various philosophical movements we now come to associate with ancient China, including Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, and Mohism. The era also saw the widespread adoption of iron tools and weapons in various forms, beginning the Iron Age in the region.

The seven independent states constantly fought for control over territory, and this was when the concept of a single Chinese emperor ruling over all the kings emerged in the region. The conflict ended with the rise of the Qin dynasty, when it finally conquered the other kingdoms in 221 BC and established the first unified Chinese empire in history. While there are few official estimates about the death toll, one could tell that it was one of the deadliest conflicts of its time by the fact that just one of its campaigns – the Battle of Changping – resulted in the loss of around 650,000 soldiers.

3. Gallic Wars

From 58 BC to 50 BC, Julius Caesar fought a brutal series of wars now remembered as the Gallic wars. The aim was to bring large parts of the territory of Gaul – now France and a few other neighboring regions – under direct Roman control. On the Gallic side, it was a war to stop Roman encroachment on traditionally Gallic-territories, along with other deep-rooted issues going back over several centuries. 

While the Gauls were fierce fighters by all accounts, they lacked cooperation and teamwork on the battlefield, where Rome’s advanced equipment and experienced legions gave them the clear upper hand. The Battle of Alesia in 52 BC cemented their control over the Gallic territories and marked the end of the civil war, though it came at a terrible cost, especially for the Gallic tribes. According to estimates by Roman historians Plutarch and Appian, the conflict resulted in the death of over one million Celts – a casualty rate not experienced by even the most-affected countries of the Second World War.

2. Yellow Turban Rebellion

Named after the yellow headgear worn by its members, the Yellow Turban uprising was one of the largest rebellions in history, beginning in China in 184 AD. It was largely a fight of the peasantry against the ruling Han Dynasty, caused by a number of factors including natural disasters, epidemics, and socio-economic issues. 

The civil war would soon spread to most parts of China, with various rebel armies made up of local peasants and warlords springing up across the region. The Han Dynasty responded with force, with many Chinese military officers gaining higher positions for their experience suppressing the rebellion. 

The Yellow Turban rebellion’s impact was profound and long-lasting, as it severely weakened the Han Dynasty and its control over its territories, directly leading to its eventual collapse in the year 220. By some estimates, the war claimed the lives of around 8 million people across China, making it one of the deadliest civil conflicts in history. 

1. Three Kingdoms Period

The Three Kingdoms period in China refers to the time immediately following the fall of the Han Dynasty, beginning in 220 AD and ending with the short-lived reunification of the country in 280 AD. It was named after the three ruling regimes in China at the time – Wei, Shu, and Wu – and was marked by some of the largest battles in the country’s history.

The period saw continuous conflict among the three states, with important battles fought over territories like Jingzhou and Hanzhong. It would end in the year 256, when Sima Yan usurped the Wei kingdom and established the Jin Dynasty, leading to the eventual end of the war in 280. While there are no reliable estimates on the number of casualties, population counts from that time place the number of dead due to these conflicts at around 40 million.

The 20th century featured some of the deadliest battles and wars in history, and we’re not even including the world wars here. Some of them – like the Nigerian Civil War – would result in the deaths of millions of people, many of them civilians that had nothing to do with the many underlying causes of these brutal conflicts. Here are 10 of the bloodiest non-World War battles of the century

10. Battle Of Warsaw

The Battle of Warsaw is also sometimes called the Miracle on the Vistula, fought between August 12 and 25, 1920, during the Russo-Polish War. It began with the Bolsheviks’ attempt to export their revolution to nearby regions and secure their borders, with Poland being one of their oldest and strongest enemies in the region. Poland, on the other hand, fought to assert its newly gained independence and expand eastward. 

As the Red Army approached Warsaw, the Poles, led by General Józef Pi?sudski, defended the city while launching a flanking maneuver from the south, encircling and overwhelming the Red Army. The Polish victory outside Warsaw is still remembered as a victory of a weak, outnumbered enemy against a vastly-superior military force, although at a heavy price. The battle resulted in the deaths of possibly 15,000 – 25,000 Soviet soldiers, with up to 5,000 dead on the Polish side. 

9. Tet Offensive

The Tet Offensive of January 1968 was a major military campaign of the Vietnam War launched by North Vietnamese forces and the Viet Cong. It involved simultaneous attacks on South Vietnamese cities, military installations, and towns, with around 85,000 participating troops. The offensive aimed to break the stalemate in the war and achieve either a collapse of the South Vietnamese government or a withdrawal of United States forces from the conflict. 

Despite advance warnings on the southern side, the attacks were larger and more intense than expected, briefly capturing parts of Saigon and 36 provincial capitals, including the ancient capital of Hue that was occupied until February.

The northern forces suffered heavy casualties by the end of it, with estimates suggesting up to 50,000 troops killed. Conversely, U.S. and South Vietnamese losses were far fewer. Although a military failure, the offensive was a propaganda victory for North Vietnam and Viet Cong, as it weakened the South Vietnamese government and adversely affected its military alliance with the United States.

8. Battles Of Khalkhin Gol

Tensions between the Soviet Union and Japan started flaring up in the late 1930s, particularly along their shared border along the Khalkhin-Gol river in Mongolia. The largest clashes – now known as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol – happened between May and September, 1939, when Soviet forces crossed the river to assert control over disputed land, encountering fierce resistance from the Japanese Sixth Army. Believing that the river marked the border, the imperial Japanese forces launched a series of attacks across the front, decisively pushing back the initial Soviet advance. 

By the end of August, however, Soviet forces under General Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov outnumbered the Japanese two to one, with superior tanks and artillery. His envelopment and destruction strategy proved successful, inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese army. Despite the Japanese commander preparing a counteroffensive to respond to it, a ceasefire was declared in Moscow due to the outbreak of war in Europe. On the other hand, the skirmishes convinced the Japanese that a protracted conflict with the Soviet Union was unfavorable, which in turn influenced their decision to attack the United States in 1941 instead of Siberia.

7. Battle Of Teruel

The Battle of Teruel took place during the Spanish Civil War, lasting from December, 1937 to February, 1938 amidst some of the most severe winter conditions of the war. It was centered around the city of Teruel that changed hands between Republican and Nationalist forces many times throughout the conflict. 

It was one of the deadliest phases of the civil war, marked by intense artillery and aerial bombardment that resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. Many died due to the effects of the winter, resulting in a total number of 110,000 deaths on both sides over the course of two months.

6. Battle Of The Marshes

The Battle of the Marshes, or Operation Kheibar, was fought during the Iran-Iraq War between February and March 1984. The main battleground was the Hawizeh Marshes towards the north-east of Basra, where Iran launched a new offensive after many earlier unsuccessful operations. They initially faced heavy losses with human wave attacks, resulting in over 15,000 casualties and slow progress. Iranian forces adapted over time, however, with more-successful amphibious assault offensives with the help of their 92nd Armored Division.

While the Iranians eventually nearly broke through the Iraqi lines, they were eventually pushed back to these marshes and Majnoon Island, where it turned into a massacre. It was a pyrrhic victory for Iran, as they succeeded in removing the Iraqis from the territory but still suffered losses of over 200,000 men in one of the most brutal military offensives of the century, at the cost of about 10,000 soldiers on the Iraqi side. It was also when Iraq deployed chemical weapons like mustard gas on a mass scale, giving the war a whole new horrifying dimension.

5. Battle Of Dien Bien Phu

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu was the most important battle of the First French-Indochina war, fought between the French colonial government and the Vietnamese nationalist forces under the command of Ho Chi Minh. It began on March 13, 1954 and lasted until May 7, bringing a decisive end to French rule in the region. 

By November, 1953, thousands of French forces had taken control of an airstrip in the Dien Bien Phu valley in the northwest of Vietnam. They aimed to cut off Vietnamese supply lines and  support a growing insurgency in Laos that matched with their goals, hoping to draw the Viet Minh into a conventional, open battle they believed they could win. 

However, they had greatly underestimated the capabilities of General Vo Nguyen Giap’s Viet Minh forces that soon surrounded the valley and began artillery bombardment that lasted for four months. The siege against this single French position was relentless and brutal, and despite support from the United States, the French garrison ultimately succumbed to the overwhelming assault. Around 10,000 French troops out of 15,000 lost their lives during the battle, including 2,200 that died during the battle and more than 7,000 that succumbed to the harsh conditions of Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camps. 

4. Lebanese Civil War

The Lebanese Civil War was a multi-faceted conflict that lasted for more than 15 years. From 1975 to 1990, anywhere between 150,000 to 200,000 people – mostly civilians – died in the war that left Lebanon in ruins, making it one of the deadliest conflicts of the century in the Middle East. 

It began with an attempted assassination of a Christian Phalangist leader, triggering clashes between Palestinian-Muslim forces and Phalangists. Syria intervened in 1976, aiming to meet its own goals in Lebanon, followed by the entry of various other Arab and Middle-Eastern countries. Israel invaded in 1982 to eliminate the presence of the Palestinian Liberation Authority in the country, leading to brutal civilian massacres in refugee camps and involvement of the United States and United Nations to end the conflict. 

3. Battle Of The Ebro

The Battle of the Ebro was fought between July 25 and November 16, 1938, marking the final and bloodiest chapter of the Spanish Civil War. It began when Republican forces launched a surprise attack after crossing the Ebro river at various points and breaking through the defensive lines of General Franco’s army. 

The battle lasted 115 days and resulted in about 130,000 casualties on both sides. According to some reports from the time, many soldiers that died during this time still remain buried in unmarked locations across the front. While the Republican forces saw some early successes, they were ultimately defeated by Francoist troops that countered with overwhelming bombing runs and frontal assaults.

2. Huaihai Campaign

The Huaihai Campaign was an important battle of the Chinese Civil War, fought from November 1948 to January 1949 in the valley of the River Huai. The campaign marked a decisive turning point of the entire conflict, as it was here that the Communist forces – led by Chen Yi and Liu Bocheng – gained the upper hand against Nationalist troops. 

The final and decisive battle of the offensive happened in and around Yungchung, resulting in the capture of 327,000 Nationalist prisoners, including their commander General Tu. At the same time, Liu Bocheng targeted the Nationalist stronghold of Ch’inglungchi, which ultimately fell on January 22 and opened the way for further Communist advances towards Nanjing and Shanghai. 

The Battle at Xuzhou witnessed the deaths of about half a million Nationalist troops, dealing a major blow to their positions north of the Yangtze River. The victory during this campaign played a crucial role in the ultimate Communist conquest of China.

1. Nigerian-Biafran War

The Nigerian-Biafran War, also called the Nigerian Civil War, began in 1967 when the Republic of Biafra in the southeast of Nigeria seceded from the country. It was a fierce conflict marked by widespread violence against civilians, fueled by long-standing regional tensions like ethnic competition, educational inequality, and economic disparities. 

Biafra – largely populated by displaced Igbo people – seceded after political turmoil and two failed coup attempts, leading to fighting between the secessionist state and Nigeria’s government. The war escalated quickly, and while Biafran troops made some initial advances, they were soon pushed back by the might of the heavily-armed federal Nigerian forces. International efforts to mediate and provide humanitarian aid were proven ineffective due to the scale of the war that ultimately cost the lives of anywhere between 500,000 to 3 million people.

All wars are bad and destructive, though some conflicts have etched their names in the history books as the bloodiest military encounters of all time. These deadliest battles ever have caused the deaths of tens of millions of people in total, with a majority of them being civilians and workers caught in the crossfire. 

10. Siege Of Candia

Often called one of the longest sieges in history, the siege of Candia between 1645 and 1669 was also one of the deadliest battles in history. It was a part of the Cretan War between the Ottomans and Venetians, as Candia was an overseas colony of the Republic of Venice. Candia, located on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea, held strategic importance for both the Turks and Venetians, as its fortifications were considered some of the strongest in the world. 

Throughout the siege, the Ottomans established a network of siege lines and cut off all supplies to the city. The Venetians sought help from European countries and the Pope, though these requests were declined due to other ongoing conflicts across the region. Despite numerous attempts to break it, the siege continued for about 21 years. By the end of it, close to 137,000 people had died on both sides, including about 70,000 Ottoman soldiers that died trying to climb the walls. 

9. Battle Of Tenochtitlan

On August 13, 1521, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés – allied with other local tribes – marched into the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, marking the beginning of the end for the Aztec empire. 

The Siege of Tenochtitlan – also called the Fall of Tenochtitlan – went on for 93 days, as the Spanish and their native allies launched multiple assaults against the Aztec defenders. While the attacking side was vastly outnumbered, the defenders were no match for the superior European firepower. Combined with a smallpox epidemic that was ravaging native communities throughout the region, the Aztecs were quickly worn down and defeated.

The victory on the battlefield was followed by the sack of the city and indiscriminate killing of its inhabitants – anywhere between 200,000 to 220,000 people died during the course of the entire battle, most of them native Aztecs. 

8. Third Battle Of Nanking

The Third Battle of Nanking refers to a decisive engagement of the Taiping Rebellion, fought between March and July 1864. The rebellion was led by one Hong Xiuquan and gained some initial successes, though by 1864, the majority of rebels were trapped within their own captured capital of Nanjing. The battle involved about one million combatants – making it one of the largest military engagements in history – and resulted in a devastating defeat for the rebels. 

As the siege intensified, the defenders dug tunnels to counter the loyalist forces, though to little success. Starvation was rampant across Nanjing throughout this time, and continuous bombardment from the European-supplied artillery further weakened the city’s defenses. 

The city fell in July, and the invading force proceeded to sack the city and murder its inhabitants, resulting in the deaths of over 200,000 people according to one estimate. While their leader was captured and executed, many of the rebels chose to fight and die instead of surrendering.

7. Battle Of Okinawa

On April 1, 1945, more than 1,600 warships and 350,000 personnel belonging to the US and UK navies landed on the Okinawa beach in southern Japan. It would be the largest amphibious assault force of the Second World War, aimed at securing the island and eliminating the last military obstacle between allied forces and mainland Japan.

The Allies faced little opposition in the beginning, though that wouldn’t last, as they’d soon encounter the first line of Japanese defenses. The defenders fought fiercely, using kamikaze attacks and rocket-powered Ohka flying bombs to slow down the approaching army. The battle would soon turn into a large-scale engagement involving land, sea, and air forces, with heavy rains and rugged terrain complicating the allied advance.

While it was won in the end – as we all know how WW2 ended – the human cost of the battle was staggering. More than 250,000 people lost their lives during the invasion, which includes around 90,000 Japanese soldiers and 150,000 civilians. 

6. Easter Offensive

The Easter Offensive was one of the largest offensives of the Vietnam War, lasting from March to October 1972. Led by Le Duan and assisted by Vo Nguyen Giap, it was an attempt to break through the Demilitarized Zone and attack south-Vietnamese forces – or ARVN – while also launching secondary offensives in other regions like Saigon. 

The offensive began when the People’s Army of North Vietnam (PAVN) forces, supported by 200 tanks, crossed the DMZ and directly targetted the southern ARVN troops. Additional divisions and armored regiments attacked from Laos, while PAVN troops from Cambodia advanced south into the Binh Long Province. 

While the ARVN, supported by massive US airpower, fiercely defended certain positions and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, they failed to hold on to key locations and bases across the front line, and were ultimately forced to withdraw. The Easter Offensive resulted in heavy casualties – according to some estimates, there were around 300,000 military deaths on both sides throughout the engagement. 

5. Battle Of Verdun

Verdun in France was the site of one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the First World War, beginning in February 1916 and lasting until December of the same year. The Germans chose Verdun as their target due to its strategic location on the Western Front and its historical military significance, as the city was a symbol of French resistance during the Franco-Prussian War.

The first bombardment of the battle began on February 21, when German artillery began attacking French defenses and pushing them back. Despite initial setbacks, the French forces regrouped and launched multiple counterattacks, though the battle would ultimately turn into a stalemate with both sides suffering heavy casualties by the end of it. 

Thanks to support from other allies and parallel offensives like the Brusilov Offensive on the Eastern Front, the tide gradually turned in French favor, and by December 1916, they had successfully regained all of their lost forts and pushed the Germans back to their original positions. The battle would exact a heavy toll on both sides, however, with over 300,000 soldiers killed and about 400,000 more wounded. 

4. Battle Of Wuhan

The Battle of Wuhan was a part of the Second Sino-Japanese War, lasting from June to October, 1938. Wuhan, as the capital city of the Hubei Province in China, was a critical defensive objective for the Chinese and other allies in their fight against Imperial Japan, as it was a strategic hub for the movement of industrial and military goods. 

The battle began with aerial attacks by the Japanese, followed by a full-fledged ground invasion. Chinese defenses included around one million soldiers, 200 aircraft, and 30 naval vessels, they were ultimately no match for the Japanese war machine.

Despite some early victories for the Chinese, the Japanese forces successfully encircled Wuhan – along with Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang – by October. The Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek made the decision to withdraw and preserve his forces’ strength, though the battle would still result in heavy losses for the Chinese side. While the Japanese suffered heavily at around 140,000 casualties, the Chinese lost a staggering 400,000 people to the battle. 

3. Battle Of Passchendaele

The Third Battle Of Ypres – also called the Battle of Passchendaele – was a major military engagement of the First World War. Beginning in July 1917, it was the third battle of the war to be fought in the Belgian city of Ypres, and is still remembered for its harsh conditions and senseless slaughter. Although it was an Allied victory, it came at an immense cost, especially for a territory that would again be abandoned the following year.

The battle was marked by some of the most horrendous conditions of the war, with nearly-non-stop rain and shellfire making it difficult to even walk. After weeks of fierce fighting, the Allies succeeded in routing the German forces by mid-November. The Battle of Passchendaele resulted in massive losses for both sides, with an estimated 275,000 British and 220,000 German casualties. 

2. Battle Of Kursk

Also known as the largest tank battle ever fought, the Battle of Kursk between Nazi Germany and USSR started on July 5, 1943. It was planned by the Germans, as they aimed to attack a Soviet salient that had formed on the frontline called the Kursk salient. They wouldn’t succeed, however, as the Soviet generals had prior knowledge of the attack and withdrew much of their forces back to strategically-defensive points. 

During their attack, German forces – made up of nearly 50 divisions and 900,000 troops – immediately encountered stiff resistance, mostly in the forms of dense anti-tank batteries and minefields. Soviet forces launched a counter-attack on July 12, and shortly went on to regain control of the settlements of Orel and Kharkov.

The Battle of Kursk saw some heavy losses on both sides, with about 200,000 Soviet and 50,000 German casualties in just the first ten days of fighting. The decisive Soviet victory marked an end to the German offensive in the East, and set the stage for the Soviet offensives of 1944-45. By the end of it, Soviet forces had suffered around 800,000 casualties, compared to about 200,000 on the German side. 

1. Siege Of Leningrad

It’s difficult to underestimate the scale of destruction left in the wake of the Siege of Leningrad, lasting from September, 1941 to January 1944. Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, a coalition of German and Finnish forces had quickly moved to surround and besiege the city on three sides. Leningrad’s population of over three million people, including 200,000 Red Army soldiers, mobilized to construct fortifications and defend the city.

Despite these preparations, however, the city was nearly completely encircled by early November, with most of its vital supply lines cut off. The resulting German blockade and constant bombardment caused the deaths of about 650,000 citizens in 1942 alone, mostly due to starvation, disease, or shelling.

Despite the severe scarcity of supplies, however, the city’s arms factories continued operating. The residents resorted to extreme measures, like consuming pets and even cannibalism to stay alive. The tide would turn in January 1944, when Soviet offensives breached the encirclement and drove the Nazi forces back. By one estimate, the Siege of Leningrad would cost the lives of over one million inhabitants of the city, along with about 500,000 military deaths.

Humans are fighting a relentless battle against deadly diseases. These microscopic threats can wield immense power. From global pandemics to almost eradicating societies, the world’s deadliest diseases have left an indelible mark on history.

Here are ten truly unsettling facts about these deadly afflictions. From their mysterious origins to the staggering toll they’ve exacted, these facts show how delicate the balance between health and sickness is.

Related: Top 10 Diseases You Can Get from a Dirty Gym

10 Cardiovascular Disease Death Rate

This statistic is as serious as a heart attack—literally. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. But do you have any idea just how many deaths they make up?

According to Campbell County Health, “1 in 4 deaths in the United States is a result of heart disease.” Over 800,000 people die in the U.S. annually because of it; that’s one death every 36 seconds.

With the high death toll, it’s important to be aware of the symptoms that could lead to death. Here are the signs you might want to watch out for:

• Chest pain or discomfort

• Shortness of breath

• Fatigue or exhaustion

• Arm or Leg pain

• Jaw or stomach pain, especially in women

• Swelling in the legs, ankles, or feet

• Heart palpitations

If you’re having any of these symptoms, you might want to talk to your doctor before you become another statistic.

9 Cancer Prevention

Cancer is the second most common deadly disease causing more than 600,000 deaths in the U.S. alone in 2022. At least one-third of cancer deaths could have been prevented through routine screenings, early detection, and treatment.

But how often should you get screened? Talk with your doctor to get a personalized plan, but here are a few of the basic guidelines:

• Breast cancer: It’s recommended women who are over 40 choose to have annual mammograms. Once women are 45, annual screenings are strongly recommended as long as they are expected to live another ten years or longer.

• Cervical cancer: Women should start screening at age 25 with a Pap test every three years, an HPV test every five years, or a combination of both tests every five years.

• Colorectal cancer: Both men and women starting at 50 should be screened for colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps, even without risk factors.

• Lung cancer: An annual screening is recommended for heavy smokers.

• Prostate cancer: Most men should start screening when they are 50.

8 Children with HIV

When you think about people living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), it’s typical for sexually active adults to come to mind. But the number of children living with this lifelong disease might shock you. And the geographic concentration of those suffering with it will catch you off-guard too. “70% of all people living with HIV (24.7 million) live in sub-Saharan Africa, including 91% of the world’s HIV-positive children.” HIV weakens the immune system, leading to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which increases the risk of severe infections and certain cancers.

HIV in children can be difficult to diagnose, and symptoms can vary depending on the child’s age. It’s tough to determine in infancy, but some signs include trouble gaining weight, diarrhea, and pneumonia. As children get older, they might show slowed growth, swollen lymph nodes, infections, and developmental delays. They may also have joint pain or swollen stomachs. Older children and teens might also develop a sickness similar to the flu.

7 You Could Have Tuberculosis Bacteria

If you’re a hypochondriac, you might want to skip this one. The World Health Organization says, “About one-quarter of the world’s population is infected with tuberculosis (TB) bacteria.” You could be walking around with TB and not even know it.

TB is an infectious disease caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that primarily affects the lungs and can be life threatening if left untreated. In most people who breathe in TB bacteria and become infected, the body is able to fight the bacteria to stop them from growing. This is called latent TB infection.

People with latent TB infection have no symptoms and don’t feel sick. The bacteria are “asleep” in their body and cannot spread. However, the bacteria can become active if the immune system can’t stop them from growing. When TB bacteria are active (multiplying in your body), this is called TB disease. People with TB disease are sick and may also be able to spread the bacteria to others.

6 Diabetes—the Silent Killer

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high blood sugar levels, leading to various complications affecting the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves. Unfortunately, too many people either don’t know or simply ignore the signs. In fact, “More than 37 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 1 in 5 of them don’t know they have it.”

Since diabetes is one condition that needs monitoring and care, that’s a sobering thought. If you’re concerned that you might have diabetes, it’s a good idea to watch for signs and talk with your doctor. The signs and symptoms of diabetes can vary, but here are some common signs that you might have diabetes based on the search results:

• Frequent urination (especially at night)

• Excessive thirst

• Unexplained weight loss (despite eating normally)

• Fatigue and weakness, even with rest

• Blurred vision

• Slow healing of cuts or wounds

• Frequent infections (UTIs, yeast infections, or skin infections)

• Increased hunger, even after eating

• Numbness or tingling in your hands or feet

• Dry and itchy skin

• Mood changes and irritability

5 Seniors with Alzheimer’s Disease

A common misconception about Alzheimer’s disease is that it only affects your memory. And that’s true—Alzheimer’s and other progressive neurodegenerative disorders do result in memory loss and cognitive decline. But its effects can also be deadly. Based on research from the Alzheimer’s Association, “1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.”

This disease attacks the brain and causes healthy cells to die. Alzheimer’s is one of the top 10 causes of death in American adults. However, Alzheimer’s in and of itself does not kill a person. The most common cause of death among Alzheimer’s patients is aspiration pneumonia. Because patients’ immune systems are often impaired, pneumonia is often fatal.

However, seniors with advanced dementia are usually too frail and immunocompromised to fight bacterial infections, even with the assistance of these drugs. Because of this secondary cause, deaths with a primary cause of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are seriously underreported.

4 Diarrheal Disease and Children

No one likes having diarrhea, but few realize it can become a disease. Unfortunately, this is one deadly disease that children are especially prone to. The World Health Organization stated that “Each year, diarrhea kills around 525 000 children under five.”

Contaminated food or water can cause severe diarrhea, leading to dehydration and death, particularly in developing regions. Diarrheal diseases can be prevented through a combination of measures.

• Hand washing with soap before eating, after using the bathroom, and after changing a diaper.

• Access to safe or treated drinking water.

• The use of sanitation facilities and avoiding defecating in any body of water.

• Food should be washed with safe water, cooked thoroughly, and served hot.

• Vaccines for rotavirus and measles can help prevent diarrheal disease.

• Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.

• Good personal hygiene, including bathing regularly.

• Health education about how infections spread.

• Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) can help replace lost fluids and electrolytes.

Because it’s so preventable, sharing best practices for prevention can be a helpful way to lower those depressing numbers:

3 Drop the Cigarette for COPD

What if there was a way to significantly lower your odds of contracting a deadly disease—would you consider it?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of progressive lung diseases that include chronic bronchitis and emphysema, often caused by smoking or exposure to harmful pollutants. In fact, “up to 90% of COPD cases could be prevented by not smoking.”

People with COPD who continue to smoke will experience more rapid lung damage compared to those who quit smoking. Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do to protect your lungs and prevent COPD from worsening.

Knowing these frightening facts doesn’t make quitting such a hard habit any easier, but it just might give you more motivation to try and quit. And it’s certainly a reason to never start.

If you have concerns about COPD or smoking, it’s best to consult a healthcare professional for personalized advice and guidance.

2 Pneumonia in Developing Countries

Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs. The signs and symptoms of pneumonia can vary from mild to severe, depending on factors such as the type of germ causing the infection and your age and overall health. Apart from pneumonia and influenza, other lower respiratory tract infections can be severe and life-threatening, particularly in vulnerable populations.

With so many treatments available in Western medicine, the extreme dangers of pneumonia might seem like a thing of the past. But it’s still a life-threatening reality in many places around the world. Based on research by the National Library of Medicine, “150 million new episodes of pneumonia are identified per year worldwide, more than 90 % of which occur in developing countries.”

So what does deadly pneumonia look like? You might get a cough with colored or bloody mucus. Many patients experience sweating, fevers, and trouble breathing. From headaches to muscle pain and fatigue, there are plenty of physical signs to watch out for.

1 Hepatitis B Can Lead to Cancer

You’ve heard about Hepatitis B, but not many people understand just how serious this condition can grow to be. Chronic infections with these viruses can lead to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, making them significant causes of morbidity and mortality globally.

Based on a study by the CDC, “25% of chronic hepatitis B infections progress to liver cancer.” In fact, the relationship between hepatitis B and liver cancer is pretty well-established. HBV attacks the liver and weakens its ability to perform important functions, such as filtering toxins from the blood and maintaining blood sugar levels. This leads to long-term inflammation and damage to the liver, which increases the risk of developing liver cancer.

Thankfully, there are a few ways to help prevent and treat this. Vaccination against HBV is an effective preventive measure to reduce the risk of both HBV infection and subsequent liver cancer. And regular monitoring, early detection, and appropriate treatment of chronic HBV infection can help reduce the risk of liver cancer.