Spinning a yarn, telling a tall tale, or flat out lying. Whatever you want to call it, these folks weren’t afraid to do it, and it didn’t prevent them from creating impressive legacies, being beloved, or amassing wealth.

10Benjamin Franklin

We may never know for sure what Benjamin Franklin meant when he (supposedly) said, “half a truth is often a great lie,” but we do know that he loved to tell a great lie. Despite this, he’s memorialized in art, history books, and even stuck on currency notes. Not bad for a cheating, lying, political opportunist!

Even most amateur historians agree Franklin lied about, after having a hunch about the true nature of lightning, experimenting on lightning with a kite and a key. It never happened, nor do most scientists believe it is even possible.^[1]

Besides this most famous of tales, Franklin was also among the first to deploy fake news to stir up passion in the people. Using a homemade printing press in 1782, he concocted, wrote, and printed an entirely fake newspaper, running a story about the discovery of teenage scalps on the frontier. The story was meant to arouse fear against the local Native American tribes and even included fake letters to the editor. It was picked up by the actual press, leaving Franklin to chuckle in his britches and brag to friends about how easily he had pulled a fast one on the poor American settlers.

9Frida Kahlo

While she isn’t known for being a liar, this artist is well documented for some blatant bending of the truth—and largely celebrated for being so unapologetic about it, rather than criticized for writing her own history

Frida told two bold, widely spread lies about her life. The first was that her father, Guillermo, was a German Jew, which he was not. While the claim spread far and wide (the feature film^[2] about her life even includes a scene where Guillermo refers to his background in this way), Guillermo was from a long line of Lutherans and only came to Mexico because he didn’t get along with his stepmother very well.

Frida also preferred to give a birthday that was not accurate. Although the artist was born in 1907, she said she was born in 1910, the year the Mexican Revolution began.

Who can point a finger? The artist lived most of her life in physical and mental agony and left an artistic legacy that very few individuals from her time can complete with.

8Frank Abagnale

Who can help (even secretly) cheering for Frank Abagnale? Not only did he get away with what are now considered to be horribly obvious hoaxes, he ended up a pretty wealthy dude because of getting discovered. That’s just some serious talent.

Abagnale is now most known for being portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the film Catch Me If You Can, about a teenage boy who figures out how to pull the wool over the eyes of everyone he comes into contact with, and spends the next six years doing just that. Abagnale’s most famous lies include: posing as a pilot at age 16, being handed a legitimate position as a medical supervisor at an ER at age 18, passing as a Harvard Law School graduate to obtain a job as an attorney in Louisiana, and seducing who knows how many older women into affairs.

Here’s the really good part: Abagnale ended up spending less than five years in prison before being hired by the FBI to consult on fraud cases in return for his release. Following this gig, Abagnale found it difficult to hold down a job, given his reluctance to disclose his criminal past to a long line of employers, and his entrepreneurial instincts once again came in handy. He founded the successful firm Abagnale & Associates, has had an Academy Award–nominated film and a Broadway play made about his life, and is a successful businessman with admirers around the world.^[3]

7Bill Clinton

You all know the story: Linda Tripp was out to get Clinton. She happened to record a friend of hers, the young and impressionable Monica Lewinsky, confiding in her about having a sexual relationship with Mr. President himself. Tripp turned over the tapes to the right people, and the morality of the nation was rocked to its core.

Instead of fessing up, President Clinton boldly, adamantly, and even under oath-y, denied the affair, only to recant and admit the entire thing later that year when it became clear that he would not be able to prevent truth from being exposed. Perhaps even more than being a liar, we can most accuse him of the worst ability to predict an outcome in American political history.

You have to hand it to Clinton. Despite the very public scandal, he came out on top (so to speak). He went on to be one of the most active and influential former presidents in history, founding the Clinton Foundation in 2001, partnering with multiple world leaders to help rebuild Haiti, authoring a best-selling autobiography, and being continually involved in successful environmental and humanitarian efforts domestically and abroad.^[4]

6Calamity Jane

No one can accuse Calamity Jane of lacking a bold streak. Orphaned at age 14, it appears she quickly decided she would do whatever it took to keep afloat, even if it meant telling a fib or two along the way.

Calamity Jane is memorialized in popular culture as the sidekick to Wild Bill Hickok and for being one of the Wild West’s original cowgirls. However, friends of Wild Bill’s claimed Hickok had very little interest in Jane as a friend and definitely didn’t consider her a sidekick.

Even Jane’s current Wikipedia page^[5] lists one of her occupations as a scout for the military. Jane loved to boast about this chapter in her life and that a Capt. Egan had given her the name “Calamity” after she saved him from capture. There is, however, no record of her ever having served under Egan, or any other general for that matter. It is, therefore, believed that Jane gave herself the name Calamity, along with most of the rest of her biography.

Although her lies are well documented and easily debunked, it hasn’t kept Jane from becoming one of the most beloved and famous figures from the Wild West, rivaling even her so-called partner in crime, Wild Bill Hickok.

5Pope Alexander VI

Pope Alexander VI, born Rodrigo de Borja is infamous for unabashedly making “the end justifies the means” his life motto (yes, he was born over 100 years before that term was invented, but that’s beside the point).^[6]

De Borja loved power, and in Italy in the late 1400s, the pope was pretty much as powerful as a human being could aspire to be. He also loved women and wasn’t about to let the pesky laws around sexual piety stand in his way. De Borja fathered four children by his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei, and though he denied his paternity at first, he was quick to legitimize all children once he was awarded the title of pope in 1492. De Borja is believed to have fathered five additional children by various women.

The Vatican was evidently a much different place in 1492 than it is today. Despite being out and proud about his many children, Pope Alexander had a pretty successful reign. While ruthless, he was known for favoring negotiation over war, was a fierce patron of the arts, and his children rose to power around Europe. Today countless books, plays, television shows, and even video games feature him as a force to be reckoned with.

4Herodotus

The Father of History may have had more of a taste for a good story than the facts, leaving some to now also refer to him as the Father of Lies.^[7]

Leaving a legacy for politicians to follow for the rest of time, Herodotus figured exaggerating the truth was the best way to make his side look better, and he would also be able to get away with it. His Histories included many exaggerations of the truth and outright lies, all for the purpose of enlarging the perception of Greek greatness. And while many like to view him as a pure scholar, others say his greater talent was perhaps relaying stories he had been told throughout his travels.

He remains one of the most notable figures in ancient history, and most memorialized as well. Herodotus’s image in sculpture form alone is found across the world, from New York City to Turkey to Greece. He must have been some performer.

3Henry VIII

Let’s face it, you don’t divorce your pious and devoted wife of 24 years, head up the Reformation, behead the woman you started it for shortly thereafter, and then marry another dame a week later without telling a fib or two along the way.

Wife #1 won’t disappear to make way for new, likely to-bear-strong-sons wife #2? Claim the marriage was invalid from the beginning and that you are just realizing it.^[8] Pope still refuses to grant you a divorce? Tell everyone that God wanted you to be the head of the church all along. Wife #2 doesn’t bear you a son? Tell everyone she’s a witch who is committing incest and have her head cut off. Ah the beauty of a lie of convenience.

Despite all this treachery, you can almost hear the people around King Henry saying “meh?” and shrugging their shoulders.

2Benedict Arnold

While he may be considered a Judas in American history, Benedict Arnold went on to lead a solidly successful professional life after being discovered as the biggest traitor ever to the American cause.

Arnold, who was born on American soil in 1741, was truly motivated by resentment and the promise of cash. Despite being an active figure of the American Revolution and ultimately becoming a celebrated war hero for nearly 10 years, he was convinced to jump ship and go undercover for the British army. Resentful over others being promoted faster than he was and that others got credit for his military chutzpah, Arnold must have given off the stench of a man ready to make a deal. By 1779, he had started plotting with the British Army with the agreement that cash and military command would be given in return.^[9]

Talk about poor execution. Arnold was quickly discovered when one of his cohorts was captured with written documentation of the plot. While the cohort was hanged for treason, however, Arnold escaped and managed to have solid careers in England, ranging from military service to exporting and property (though even in England he failed to ever gain much popularity).

His decisions didn’t sit well with American patriotism then or now. Following the discovery of his plot, the graves of his unknowing family members were destroyed. To this day, Benedict Arnold is demonized, and his name itself is a synonym for traitor. Yet not only did he achieve lasting fame—he always managed to come out on top in his dealings, and his three boys all had successful military careers.

1Robert Ripley

Believe him, or not?

The magic of Robert Ripley’s wild success might have been that he mixed lies that couldn’t be verified with outrageous facts that couldn’t possibly be made up. Combine that with an enormous dose of audacity, and you have the Believe It Or Not empire.

Ripley’s “discoveries” were from every category and place on the planet. In 2012, Vanity Fair listed just a few of his claims about fantastic people and freaks of nature he had encountered. The list includes: “men with horns on their heads, a child cyclops, an armless golfer, a fork-tongued woman. There were fish that climbed trees, wingless birds, four-legged chickens, peg-legged cows.” While much of what Ripley wrote about can be verified, a lot cannot, leading him to be introduced as the “World’s Biggest Liar” at speaking gigs during his lifetime. Ripley’s response: “It makes no difference what I say. You won’t believe me anyway.”^[10]

Given that he claimed his own dreams as sources for some of his discoveries, it’s easy to say that there was a lie or two told along the way, starting with the date of his birth up to the tree-climbing fish. Regardless, an empire was amassed in his name that continues to thrive today. Ripley Entertainment owns over 90 attractions around the globe that remain highly loved.

Janice Formichella is an American-born traveler of the world currently residing in Bali, Indonesia. She loves history, gin, girl talk, her bullet journal, and a good list. You can follow Janice and her adventures on Twitter and on Instagram.

Capitalism is at the core of our society; businesses and corporations produce consumer goods. This system breeds innovation. However, with a competitive free market, a company cannot create just one product in the same way and continue to be successful indefinitely. As time passes, products must be revamped, upgraded, and improved.

Sometimes, the public loves a new version of an old favorite. Other times, not only do the people not like it, but the product falls so far from the mark that stores can’t give the stuff away. Frequently, a company will spend millions on advertising campaigns and marketing, whether a new twist on an old favorite or an entirely new item. When a well-known company does so and can still not move the product, it is deemed a “dud.” These are the ten biggest duds of all time.

Related: Top 10 Bizarre Cancelled Food Products

10 Crystal Pepsi, 1992

In 1992, not for the first time, Pepsi tried to push a new version of its classic cola. Crystal Pepsi was sold in the U.S., Australia, and Europe for two years. The product failed due to branding issues, corporate sabotage from archrival Coca-Cola, and overall consumer dissatisfaction with the flavor of the product.

These factors culminated in one of the most well-known product flops in history. The YUM! Corporation took over operations for Pepsi Crystal and received many complaints that the product didn’t taste enough like Pepsi; they did nothing about it. Despite an attempted reboot in 2016, the product has never justified the millions spent on ad campaigns and is still considered an epic fail.^[1]

9 Apple Newton, 1993

The Newton is a series of personal digital assistants (PDAs) developed by Apple Inc. It was technologically innovative, but it had early issues with its handwriting recognition software, and combined with ridiculous prices, the product ultimately failed. Apple originally started development on the Newton in 1987. The device hit the shelves in August 1993, and production ended in February 1998.

According to former Apple CEO John Sculley, the company invested approximately $100 million to develop the device, and the term “Personal Digital Assistant” was first coined in reference to the Newton. While Apple did profit from the Newton, other companies developed their own, more affordable PDAs, causing sales to spiral. The product was discontinued after five years and is still considered a monumental flop.^[2]

8 RJ Reynolds’ Smokeless Cigarettes, 1989

RJ Reynolds is the producer of cigarette brands such as Newport and Camel. The company has been pushing tobacco for well over a hundred years. While under pressure from anti-smoking campaigns throughout the 1980s, Reynolds put over $300 million into a new product, “The Smokeless Cigarette.” The scheme was just as laughable as it sounds. This product allowed the tobacco to be heated but not ignited; the taste and scent produced were not the same as a lit cigarette.

The smokeless cigarette was only tested in a handful of cities in Arizona and Missouri. In addition to a substandard flavor, the cigarette was difficult to light and did not actualize the task of creating a carcinogen-free cigarette. After only five months, the product was pulled from shelves. According to a March 1, 1989 issue of the New York Times, Reynolds discontinued the cigarette because consumers had decisively rejected it.^[3]

7 McDonald’s Arch Deluxe, 1996

McDonald’s has been adding to its menu for decades, and in 1996, the fast food giant introduced the Arch Deluxe. It targeted a sophisticated demographic and was just as successful as one would think. After spending over $150 million on marketing campaigns, the burger was removed from the menu before the decade was up. Despite recruiting fine dining chef Andrew Selvaggio to create the sandwich, sophisticated suburbanites weren’t interested. It consisted of a quarter pound of beef on a split-top sesame seed potato bun, topped with a circular piece of peppered bacon, leaf lettuce, tomato, American cheese, onions, ketchup, and Dijonnaise sauce.

The Arch Deluxe was the greatest failure in McDonald’s marketing history. Through ad firm issues, a disinterested demographic, and a lack of support from franchisees, this product has become known as “A hell of a burger and a hell of a flop.” Prior to launch, the Arch was projected to bring in $1 billion to McDonald’s; needless to say, it fell short of the mark. In 2018, the company tried to reboot the product with the Arch Burger, a similar sandwich with a similar result, compounding McDonald’s most epic failure.^[4]

6 Cosmopolitan Yogurt, 1999

Cosmopolitan magazine has existed since the 1880s and is widely regarded as the standard in fashion and family magazines. For unknown reasons, the company produced a yogurt line in 1999. The late ’90s and early 2000s saw an overly saturated yogurt market, and the product was discontinued after only 18 months. The tasty snack was overpriced at over a dollar per unit. Combining sex and dairy was a long shot, and “Cosmo” readers were not impressed.

The brand extension Cosmopolitan employed is called piggyback marketing; it accounted for an underwhelming product launch and was the only marketing the product saw. “While there is not a lot of information on the details of Cosmo’s failed venture, it is clear that the product faced a significant lack of connection to the Cosmo brand and its other products. In the end, the brand extension (or piggyback marketing) attempted by Cosmo was too much of a long shot.” Cosmo had created an overpriced product in a saturated market and had ignored a potential demographic, leading to its most epic fail.^[5]

5 Google Glasses, 2012

Project Glass is a “Moonshot” technology developed under the Google (GOOG) X initiative. The product was mismarketed, giving the public a distorted view of what to expect from Glass. Initially, it was to be promoted as a futuristic prototype, but the hype built up around the launch, coupled with a high price tag. Glass subsequently failed to meet expectations.

Google spent hundreds of millions of dollars rolling out this product between research, development, and marketing. Unfortunately, they spent little to no money explaining it. The product was not intuitive and did not deliver what consumers felt they were promised. In just three years, Google discontinued the product; the marketing team had dropped the ball. There was no actual launch, explanation of the product, or mainstream advertising, and it was difficult to purchase. While this product had potential, it turned into an epic fail.^[6]

4 Mobile ESPN, 2006

Introduced in January 2006, ESPN Mobile was a short-lived “mobile virtual network operator,” or MVNO. ESPN’s idea was to sell phones exclusively offering ESPN content and video, leasing network access from Verizon Wireless. But ESPN had only one phone at launch, an overpriced Sanyo device. No one bought the product, even after ESPN sunk $150 million into it, including a reported $30 million on a Super Bowl ad. Despite the investment, the project reached only six percent of its sales projection.

The idea was scrapped by the end of 2006, less than a year after its launch. Mobile ESPN may be the biggest failure in the company’s history, but it also set the stage for ESPN to dominate the industry. Although the service was considered overpriced and a failure, in retrospect, the actual data and audio-visual backbone and software behind the service would be re-adapted successfully for the smartphone age several years later, untied to a specific carrier.^[7]

3 Gerber Singles, 1974

In 1974, Gerber Foods decided to innovate the baby food industry with food targeted to… adults. They produced small jars of beef burgundy, Mediterranean vegetables, and blueberry delight. As Gerber has been making baby food since 1927, it seemed the 1970s were the perfect time to move into adult food. One small problem: No one wanted a spoonful of creamed beef.

While the logic is sound, something about eating dinner out of a small glass jar turned out to be unappealing to even the most solitary people. Gerber’s marketing team believed the product would work based on the lower birth and marriage rates at the time. They saw 40 million singles, representing roughly $205 million in unsold profits. While it was a valiant effort, Gerber Singles was an epic fail.^[8]

2 Ford Edsel, 1957

Bill Gates cites the Edsel as his favorite case study. Even the name “Edsel” is synonymous with “marketing failure.” Henry Ford was the original car maker, and Ford Motors created some of the most classic automobiles in history. In 1957, they introduced the Edsel, an expansion of the Lincoln-Mercury Division to three brands: the Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division. The model was named after Ford’s son, Edsel Ford.

Americans wanted smaller, more economical cars. However, Ford Motors execs failed to define the model’s niche in the car market. Most Edsel models’ pricing and market aim were too high for a product that consumers did not want. It was taken off the market in 1960.^[9]

1 Betamax, 1975

Back in the 1970s, there was a massive rivalry between home video formats, VHS vs. Betamax. Beta was released in 1975 and allowed consumers to record up to one hour of television footage, while the VHS equivalent released in 1977 allowed for two, and the war between the two began. This feud lasted more than a decade, and while both recording formats have their unique qualities, they are very similar, which caused the format war to drag on for years.

In the end, VHS won despite Betamax having a higher resolution. VHS became preferable to most consumers due to its affordability and recording time. Despite being somewhat popular for nearly a decade, today, many people have never even heard of Betamax; it is the greatest epic fail of all time.^[10]

Highly successful people have unique morning routines beyond conventional breakfast and exercise. From industry leaders to renowned artists, these individuals use the early hours for creativity, focus, and personal growth. Their uncommon practices may inspire you to reevaluate your morning routine for increased productivity and clarity. Come with us as we explore ten morning routines of highly successful people.

Related: Top 10 Ways Binge-Watching Is Ruining Your Health

10 Prep the Night Before

Preparing the night before can set the stage for a better morning with reduced stress and smoother decision-making. The former American Express CEO, Kenneth Chenault, spends his evenings preparing for the following day to free up his mornings for meaningful work.

Here are some helpful things you can do to prepare the night before:

• Plan your outfit: Decide what you’ll wear the next day and lay out your clothes, including accessories and shoes. This simple step can save time and reduce decision fatigue in the morning.
• Pack your bag or work essentials: If you have a specific bag for work, school, or the gym, ensure it’s packed with all the necessary items you’ll need for the next day. This may include your laptop, notebooks, chargers, gym clothes, and other essentials.
• Prepare your meals: Prepping meals or snacks in advance can save time and ensure you have nutritious options.
• Set up your coffee or tea: If you enjoy a hot beverage in the morning, prepare your coffee maker or tea kettle the night before, so all you need to do is press a button or turn on the stove in the morning.

9 Naturally Wake-Up

There’s something truly special about waking up to the natural world around you. Instead of being jolted out of sleep by an alarm clock or a loud noise, you can ease into the day with the soft sounds of birds chirping, the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind, and the warm glow of the sun’s first rays. It’s an experience that instantly connects you to the natural world and sets a peaceful tone for the rest of your day.

When you wake up naturally, you also allow your body to adjust to its natural rhythms. Your body knows when it’s time to wake up and when it’s time to sleep, and by following those natural patterns, you can improve your overall health and well-being. Natural wake-up times can help regulate your circadian rhythm, the internal clock that regulates your sleep-wake cycles, and give you the energy and focus you need to tackle the day ahead.

Some successful people, such as Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Arianna Huffington, swear by getting at least eight hours of sleep each night and waking up naturally without an alarm. Try opening your curtains before bed to let the morning light in or setting a gentle alarm clock that gradually increases in volume to mimic the sound of a natural wake-up call. You may find that waking up to the natural world around you is just what you need to start your day off on the right foot.

8 Beat the Sun

Some successful people, like Apple CEO Tim Cook and former First Lady Michelle Obama, wake up well before dawn to have a quiet and productive time before the day begins.

Waking up before dawn can have several health benefits, including:

• Improved focus and productivity: Waking up early can help you feel more focused and productive throughout the day.
• Better sleep: Getting up at or before sunrise can reset your circadian clock and help lower and stabilize blood sugar, leading to better sleep.
• Healthier diet: Waking up earlier provides more time to prepare a healthy breakfast, which has been shown to improve energy levels throughout the day.
• Regulated hormones: Waking up early helps regulate your circadian rhythm, which can lead to better hormone regulation and metabolism.
• Lower levels of depression: Studies have shown that people who wake up early tend to have lower levels of depression.

It’s important to note that waking up early may not benefit everyone. People who are extreme night owls and don’t get enough sleep may end up exhausted if they force themselves to wake up early.

7 Meditate, Reflect, and Be Grateful

Starting the day with a few moments of meditation, reflection, or gratitude can set the tone for a positive and productive day. Some successful individuals, like Richard Branson and Tony Robbins, start their mornings by writing in a journal, setting intentions, or expressing gratitude.

By incorporating these three practices into our morning routine, we can cultivate a sense of peace and purpose that can carry us through the rest of the day.

• Meditation can help clear the mind and bring a sense of calm and focus.
• Reflection allows us to think about our goals and priorities and consider any adjustments we may need to make.
• Expressing gratitude for the good things in our lives can help shift our mindset toward positivity and abundance.

6 Stay Away from Your Phone

Like many of us, you may find yourself reaching for your phone and scrolling through social media as soon as you wake up. However, it’s advisable to avoid checking your phone, email, or social media to minimize stress and increase productivity. This is a routine followed by Arianna Huffington, founder of Thrive Global.

Staying off social media can have several health benefits, including:

• Improved mental health: Taking a break from social media can reduce anxiety, depression, and stress levels.
• Better sleep: Social media use can interfere with sleep quality.
• More meaningful relationships: Spending less time on social media can free up time for more meaningful face-to-face interactions.
• Improved self-esteem: Social media can contribute to feelings of low self-esteem and negative body image, so staying off it can improve self-esteem and body image.
• Reduced exposure to negativity: Social media can be a breeding ground for negativity and conflict, so staying off it can reduce exposure to these negative influences.

5 Pick Up a Book

Incorporating reading a book into your morning routine can be a transformative habit; just ask former U.S. president, Barack Obama. Starting your day with a few moments of reading allows you to nourish your mind, expand your knowledge, and ignite your creativity before the bustle of the day begins.

Whether fiction, non-fiction, or inspirational literature, immersing yourself in a book sets a positive tone, providing mental clarity and focus for the challenges ahead. Moreover, reading stimulates the brain, promoting better daily concentration and memory.

4 Embrace the Cold

Cold therapy, also known as cryotherapy or cold water therapy, involves exposing the body to cold temperatures for therapeutic purposes. For example, entrepreneur and podcast host Tim Ferriss is known for taking ice-cold showers in the morning to boost alertness and mental focus.

Cold therapy can be beneficial for various reasons, such as:

• Improved metabolism and weight loss: Exposure to cold temperatures has been found to speed up metabolism, potentially aiding in weight loss. Cold exposure activates brown fat, a type of fat that burns calories to generate heat.
• Better sleep: Cold therapy can help improve sleep quality. The cooling effect can help lower body temperature, which is associated with better sleep.
• Increased energy and alertness: The shock of cold water therapy can boost energy levels and increase alertness.
• Faster recovery and reduced muscle soreness: Cold therapy has been shown to help alleviate muscle soreness and promote faster recovery after intense physical activity.

It’s important to note that cold therapy may not be suitable for everyone, and it’s always advisable to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new therapy or treatment.

3 Walk with Your Pets

Several successful individuals, such as Oprah and Jillian Michaels, include their pets in their morning routine. Incorporating a morning walk with your pet can have significant health benefits for both you and your furry companion. Not only does it promote physical activity, but it also boosts mental well-being. Walking helps to kickstart your metabolism, leading to increased energy levels throughout the day and improved cardiovascular health.

The bonding experience with your pet during the morning stroll can reduce stress and anxiety, as spending time with animals is known to release oxytocin, the “feel-good” hormone. Additionally, being outdoors in the fresh air and natural surroundings provides a mental refresh, setting a positive tone for the day ahead.

Regular morning walks can also aid in weight management, joint flexibility, and overall fitness. For your pet, it’s a chance to explore, socialize, and expend energy, promoting a healthier and happier life for them, too.

2 Skip the Coffee

Contrary to popular belief, consuming caffeine first thing in the morning can negatively affect your health and go-get-em attitude. There are two roads you can go: Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Square, forgoes coffee until his morning routines are completed, or you can grab water as your first drink of the day like Cameron Diaz.

Here are some reasons to wait to grab your morning Starbucks:

• Reduced energy levels: While caffeine can provide an initial energy boost, it can also lead to a crash later.
• Increased anxiety and nervousness: Consuming caffeine can increase anxiety and nervousness, leading to jitteriness and headaches.
• Reduced absorption of micronutrients: Caffeine can inhibit the absorption of micronutrients.
• Interference with collagen formation: Caffeine can interfere with collagen formation, leading to wrinkles and other skin problems.

Drinking water in the morning can have several benefits for your health, such as:

• Rehydration: Drinking water in the morning helps replenish the fluids lost during the night.
• Improved metabolism: Drinking water in the morning can boost your metabolism, helping you burn calories more efficiently. It can also aid in weight loss by increasing feelings of fullness and reducing calorie intake.
• Increased energy levels: Water is essential for maintaining energy levels. Drinking water in the morning can help increase alertness and combat fatigue.
• Better digestion: Drinking water on an empty stomach can stimulate the digestive system, promoting regular bowel movements and preventing constipation. Warm water, in particular, can help break down food and aid in digestion.
• Improved skin health: Staying hydrated helps maintain skin elasticity, reduces dryness, and promotes a radiant complexion.
• Boosted immune system: Proper hydration enhances the body’s ability to fight infections and illnesses.
• Joint and muscle health: Adequate water intake is essential for lubricating joints and cushioning muscles. Drinking water in the morning can help alleviate joint pain, back pain, and headaches caused by dehydration.

It’s important to note that individual hydration needs may vary, and it’s essential to listen to your body’s signals for thirst and adjust your water intake accordingly.

1 Fuel Your Body

Eating a nutritious breakfast can fuel your body and mind for the rest of the day. Not only does it provide you with energy, but it also improves your metabolism and helps you maintain a healthy weight. Eating good food in the morning can also improve your mood and concentration, making you more productive throughout the day.

Take a play from professional tennis player Naomi Osaka’s playbook and grab a smoothie to start your morning. Plenty of other delicious options include oatmeal with fresh fruits or whole-grain toast with avocado and eggs. These meals are tasty and packed with essential nutrients that your body needs to function at its best.

It’s important to note that a healthy breakfast should include a balance of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats) and be based on whole, unprocessed foods.

Wars aren’t always won by traditional units fighting in strict formations, even if they still do the bulk of the work. Military commanders throughout history have experimented with unusual, specialized units that don’t fit into any conventional military role, often to great success. 

10. Ghost Army

The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops – or the ‘Ghost Army’ – was activated on January 20, 1944 as a secretive, highly-specialized unit of the US Army during WW2. Not all of them were combat specialists, or perhaps even good at fighting, as it wasn’t originally conceived as a conventional force. Comprising over 1,000 soldiers and 82 officers hired from professions ranging from art to sound design, the Ghost Army was instead responsible for large-scale deception operations, like building entire fake regiments and sending false radio messages to the Germans, usually to support conventional Allied offensives. 

It might sound something like wartime set design, though these guys were usually working right on the front lines. On top of that, they were particularly targetted by the Germans, making it one of the more dangerous positions on the European front. Still, it was a largely successful unit, especially on D-Day. By one estimate, the Ghost Army might have saved the lives of anywhere between 15,000 – 30,000 American soldiers throughout the war. 

9. Ritchie Boys

‘Ritchie Boys’ is a recently-coined term, referring to a loose group of more than 11,000 operatives trained at Camp Ritchie near Cascade, Maryland during the Second World War. Many of them had escaped from Europe due to persecution or the outbreak of the war, and their mastery of European culture and language made them invaluable assets for the Allied war effort.

The Ritchie Boys were rigorously trained in many fields, especially espionage and interrogation, and sent back to Europe to work against the Nazis. While they operated independently and more like a decentralized spy ring than an actual unit, they were still quite effective throughout the war. Ritchie Boys provided the bulk of all intelligence gathered on the Western Front on the allied side, including crucial early information about the scale of the Holocaust. 

8. Unit 9900

Unit 9900 is a special operations unit of the Israeli Defense Forces, responsible for providing intelligence to other units and carrying out covert operations. Established in the mid-1970s, it’s an elite, secretive unit that has played a significant role in a number of high-profile missions, including the assassination of Palestinian militant leaders and rescue operations. It’s also involved in gathering intelligence on a variety of topics, including terrorist activities, weapons proliferation, and foreign policy.

One of its many subunits is the Roim Rachok, which specifically seeks out individuals on the autism spectrum to tap into their unique skills and abilities, making them well-suited for tasks like identifying tiny details in raw, satellite images. According to the IDF itself, the program is still active and successful, and the unit works alongside other parts of Unit 9900 to meet Israel’s unique defense challenges. 

7. Paradogs

Paratrooper dogs played an integral role in the success of the Allied forces during the landings at Normandy. While many people would probably go ‘aww’, there was nothing cute about what they were there to do. These British dogs were trained to target enemy positions, carry supplies, and sniff out explosives wherever they could, putting them right in the middle of the action during the high- risk operation. 

A big part of their training included getting accustomed to loud explosions and flying bullets, as they were dropped alongside human paratroopers on the day of the invasion – June 6, 1944 – and experienced the same dangerous conditions as the soldiers. Sadly, not all of them made it back out alive and had to be replaced by other dogs to complete the mission. These paradogs proved to be invaluable throughout the invasion, and many were even decorated for their bravery after the war. 

6. Mamluks

The Mamluks were a military class that rose to prominence during the Islamic era in the 13th century. Originally recruited as personal bodyguards for royal members of the Ayyubid Caliphate, they gained power due to the ongoing decline of the Islamic empire at the time, especially in Egypt. From 1250 to 1517, the Mamluk dynasty would rule over much of Egypt and Syria, with Mamluk soldiers making up the bulk of its military strength. 

Unlike other unit types, the Mamluks were almost-exclusively recruited from slaves of Turkic or Caucasian origin. They were a formidable force, known for their skills and achievements on battlefields across the Middle East and beyond. The Mamluks were instrumental in repelling Mongol attacks in Egypt and Syria, as their victory at  Ayn Jalut in modern-day Israel put a decisive end to the Mongol advance westwards – something that seemed impossible for most armies at the time.

5. Monuments Men

The Monuments Men were a loose unit of 345 men and women from 13 countries, working as a part of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives effort launched by Allied nations in 1943. Their primary role was the documentation, preservation, and restoration of the cultural heritage of Europe, particularly artwork and infrastructure targetted by the Nazis, as they considered almost all cool types of art to be inferior.

The group included concerned citizens as well as soldiers from around the world, including curators, architects, art historians, and other academic experts. They usually worked on or near the front lines, making it a rather dangerous job for, say, an art historian. Regardless, the Monuments Men played a crucial part in the preservation and retrieval of many notable works, including the April, 1945 raid at a salt mine full of gold, art, and other Nazi valuables in Thuringia, Germany. 

4. Immortals

The Immortals – first mentioned by Herodotus in the 5th century BC – were an elite military unit of the Persian army during the Achaemenid Empire, lasting from 559-330 BC. It was made up of exactly 10,000 hand-picked soldiers, extensively trained in all forms of combat to protect the king and his family. Whenever a member died, he was replaced by another soldier in the same role and position, making it seem like the unit was immortal.

It wasn’t just a PR stunt, either. The 10,000 Immortals were a fearsome force on the battlefield, with their body armor made of overlapping bronze and iron plates like the scales of a fish, leather-covered shields of wicker and wood, and their main weapon of choice, the six-foot-long spear.

The Immortals were a largely successful fighting unit, serving in the main forces of the Achaemenid Empire until Alexander’s decisive victory at the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC. Despite the defeat, Alexander regarded the Immortals as an elite, respectable unit, and even attempted to keep them intact as a fighting force after his conquest.  

3. Tunnel Rats

The Tunnel Rats were a unit of US and South Vietnamese soldiers during the Vietnam War. Most of them were volunteer specialists, tasked with clearing out the vast network of tunnels in Vietnam and Laos used by the Viet Cong. Their primary roles included looking for and disabling booby traps, close-quarters combat, and intelligence gathering. 

As you can guess, it was a dangerous and terrifying job, and they were usually only equipped with bare-bones equipment like flashlights, small pistols, and knives. The tunnels were often elaborate and made of several chambers and levels, and the full extent of the network was only known to Viet Cong fighters and some locals. Apart from enemy combatants, members of the unit also had to fight off venomous snakes and other animals like bats and spiders. 

2. Potsdam Giants

Named after the city of Potsdam in what is now Germany, the Potsdam Giants were an elite unit of exclusively-tall soldiers recruited by Prussian King Frederick William I in the early 18th century. Selected for their physical strength and tall stature, the Giants were primarily used to showcase Prussian military might at parades and other public functions, though they were also a potent fighting force when needed. 

The official name of the unit was The Grand Grenadiers of Potsdam, and many historians have also called it an early experiment in eugenics. To maintain the regiment, Frederick William experimented with selective breeding techniques – like only mating existing members with tall women. He also had a specialized rack to stretch the soldiers to make them even taller, which sometimes resulted in their deaths, as one would reasonably expect. By the time he died in 1740, there were over 2,5000 Potsdam Giants in the city, and the unit wouldn’t be fully dissolved until 1806.  

1. Sacred Band Of Thebes

The Sacred Band of Thebes was an elite military unit of the ancient Greek city-state of Thebes. Created by a Theban general called Gorgidas, it was made up of 150 gay couples, totalling to an exact 300 men. Gorgidas believed that the love between the members would make them more loyal and fearsome in battle, and rightly so, too. It was one of the more successful units of the time, first gaining fame under general Pelopidas at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC. 

While they might sound like the inspiration for the movie 300, the Sacred Band was actually opposed to Spartans in real life. In fact, the unit was instrumental in ending Spartan hegemony in ancient Greece, back when it was still a loose, geographical grouping of independent city states. Unfortunately, the Sacred Band would be dissolved after the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC, when the Macedonian army – led by Philip II and his son, Alexander – crushed the combined forces of Thebes and Athens.