Welcome to a whirlwind tour of the most astonishing, mind‑blowing moments in athletic history. These 10 jaw dropping sports facts will make you gasp, grin, and maybe even question everything you thought you knew about competition.

10 Jaw Dropping Sports Facts

10 Time Flies

Imagine having just 45 minutes to shatter not one, but four world records. That’s exactly what track legend Jesse Owens accomplished on May 25, 1935, despite nursing a bruised back from a stair‑case tumble just five days earlier. The Ohio State sprinter refused to sit out, even though his coach feared further injury, and charged into the Big Ten championships with determination blazing.

Within a single, relentless 45‑minute stretch, Owens raced the 100‑yard dash, leapt the long jump, sprinted the 200‑meter dash, and tackled the 200‑meter low hurdles. Each event yielded a fresh world‑record performance, a feat no other athlete has ever duplicated in such a compressed timeframe. His daring sprint‑marathon proved that even a battered back can’t stop greatness.

So the next time you think you’ve got a tight schedule, remember Owens’ heroics. What could you achieve in a three‑quarter‑hour if you gave it everything you’ve got?

9 Tastes Like Chicken

Wade Boggs, one of baseball’s most consistent hitters, amassed 3,010 career hits, a .328 batting average, and a .415 on‑base percentage over an 18‑year stretch from 1982 to 1999. He was a twelve‑time All‑Star, and his numbers place him among the elite. Yet his secret weapon wasn’t a swing tweak or a new bat—it was chicken.

Dubbed the “Chicken Man,” Boggs ate nothing but chicken before every single game for his entire career. Whether baked, grilled, or fried, the poultry made its way onto his plate at every pre‑game meal, a ritual he believed powered his 85% on‑base success rate. His superstition didn’t stop there; he rose at the exact same hour each game day, sprinted his warm‑up at precisely 7:17 p.m., and traced an identical path from the dugout to the field.

When stepping into the batter’s box, Boggs would even etch the Hebrew symbol for “life” into the dirt before each of his 10,000‑plus plate appearances. The numbers speak for themselves—18 years of chicken‑fuelled brilliance cemented his place in baseball lore.

8 Endless Tennis, Anyone?

The longest professional tennis match ever recorded spanned more than 11 hours and stretched across three separate days at Wimbledon in 2010. American John Isner and French veteran Nicolas Mahut battled on Court 18, eventually playing a marathon 665‑minute showdown that ended with a 70‑68 final set score.

The match began on the afternoon of June 22, with the two men completing four sets before darkness forced officials to suspend play. The following day, a faulty scoreboard—programmed only up to a 47‑47 tie—failed, leaving the umpire crew unable to display the continuing fifth‑set score. The problem forced another day‑long pause.

When play resumed on the third day, the fifth set alone consumed over eight hours. After 136 games, Isner finally broke Mahut’s serve in the 137th game and held his own in the 138th, sealing a historic victory. The encounter remains a testament to endurance, patience, and the quirks of technology.

7 Breaking BIG Barriers

Jackie Robinson famously broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947, becoming the first Black player in the Major Leagues and paving the way for countless others. Yet another milestone unfolded on September 1, 1971, when the Pittsburgh Pirates fielded an all‑Black and Latino starting lineup—the first time a major‑league team ever started nine players who were all people of color.

The historic game took place at Three Rivers Stadium in front of 11,278 fans. The Pirates’ bold move demonstrated that talent knows no color, and the gesture paid off: the club marched into the postseason that month and ultimately captured the World Series title in October.

This groundbreaking lineup not only celebrated diversity but also proved that embracing inclusivity could translate into championship success.

6 Black and Yellow for All

Pittsburgh stands alone in American sports: its three major professional teams—the Pirates (MLB), Steelers (NFL), and Penguins (NHL)—share the exact same color scheme of black and gold. No other city’s franchises match this uniformity, making the Steel City uniquely cohesive in its visual identity.

The story dates back to the city’s founding. General John Forbes, honoring British statesman William Pitt, borrowed the Pitt family’s black‑and‑gold coat of arms for the new settlement’s emblem. When Pittsburgh received its charter in 1816, officials cemented those colors as the city’s official palette.

Since then, each of the city’s sports franchises has carried forward that historic hue, creating a striking, city‑wide brand that fans instantly recognize.

5 Rooting for the Steagles

World War II left the NFL scrambling for players, as countless athletes enlisted or were drafted. By 1943, both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles were short‑handed enough that neither could field a full roster. The solution? A temporary merger that birthed the “Steagles.”

The combined squad competed in the 1943 season, sharing coaches, playbooks, and even travel logistics. Though the partnership was short‑lived, it gave fans a much‑needed distraction from wartime hardships and produced a winning record of 5‑4‑1.

Remarkably, that season marked the Eagles’ first winning record since the franchise’s inception in 1933, proving that cooperation in tough times can lead to unexpected triumphs.

4 Keep It Dark and Covered, Please

Major League Baseball umpires abide by a strict code of conduct that governs everything from positioning to signal timing. After years—often half a decade or more—of grinding through the minors, only the elite earn a spot on the big‑league crew.

Beyond the visible uniform—blue shirts, polished shoes, and low‑brimmed hats—there’s a hidden rule that hardly anyone knows: every MLB umpire must wear black underwear during games. This seemingly odd requirement exists to shield umpires from potential wardrobe malfunctions, ensuring they stay modest even if a pair of pants splits on the field.

While the rule rarely (if ever) sees the light of day, it’s a quirky detail that underscores the meticulous standards upheld by baseball’s officials.

3 Have a Seat, Ump!

Long before modern baseball’s polished stadiums, umpires used to sit in padded rocking chairs while officiating games. The chairs, placed behind the catcher or off‑to‑the‑side, offered a brief respite from the grueling hours spent on their feet.

By the late 1850s, the rocking chairs were retired, and umpires returned to the standing position we recognize today. Interestingly, the term “rocking chair” lives on: in contemporary MLB, the third‑base umpire’s job is often called the “rocking chair” because it involves comparatively little action, allowing that umpire a lighter workload.

Thus, the phrase has evolved from a literal piece of furniture to a modern slang term describing a low‑stress umpiring assignment.

2 Tugging for Gold

Tug‑of‑war was once an Olympic staple, featured in five Games from 1900 through 1920. The event attracted fierce competition, with nations sometimes entering multiple clubs in a single Olympics, allowing a single country to sweep all three medals.

That scenario played out twice. In 1904, three separate American clubs claimed gold, silver, and bronze. Four years later, at the 1908 London Games, three British clubs achieved the same podium sweep. After 1920, the sport was removed from the Olympic program, though many still champion its return.

The legacy of those early tug‑of‑war contests highlights a bygone era when strength contests were central to the global sporting stage.

1 Fore!

During the Apollo 14 mission in 1971, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first—and so far only—person to play a sport on the Moon. After stepping onto the lunar surface, Shepard produced a six‑iron and a golf ball, taking a swing that sent the ball soaring into the low‑gravity void.

NASA had no prior knowledge of Shepard’s plan; his impromptu lunar golf shot stunned both mission control and the viewing public. The moment cemented golf’s unique status as the sole sport ever played beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Even decades later, Shepard’s moon‑golf remains a singular achievement, likely to stand unrivaled for generations to come.

Welcome to the ultimate rundown of the most extravagant edibles on the planet – the 10 fruits jaw‑dropping price tags that turn ordinary snacking into a statement of wealth. From meticulously molded pears to melons that fetch tens of thousands of dollars, each of these botanical marvels blends rarity, painstaking cultivation, and pure opulence.

10 fruits jaw: A Glimpse at Luxury Produce

Imagine biting into a fruit so rare that its cost rivals a high‑end sports car. These are not the apples you find on a supermarket aisle; they are the crown jewels of horticulture, grown in limited batches, nurtured with obsessive care, and presented with flawless aesthetics. Their allure goes beyond flavor, serving as a badge of prestige for those who can afford the indulgence.

10 Taiyo no Tamago Mango

Hailing from Japan’s sun‑kissed Miyazaki prefecture, the Taiyo no Tamago Mango—literally “Egg of the Sun”—is a horticultural masterpiece. These mangoes boast a perfect, oval silhouette and a radiant amber hue that make them look as if they were sculpted rather than grown. Prized as premium gifts, a single pair can command up to $4,000, turning a simple fruit into a lavish present.

The flavor profile is nothing short of extraordinary: a velvety flesh that melts on the tongue, delivering an intense, lingering sweetness accompanied by a fragrant aroma reminiscent of tropical blossoms. Their impeccable appearance and taste have spawned an annual auction in Japan where the most flawless specimens are bid on for staggering sums, cementing their status as the pinnacle of mango luxury.

9 White Jewel Strawberry

The White Jewel strawberry dazzles as the crown jewel of the berry world, often hailed as one of the priciest strawberries on the commercial market. Individual berries fetch between $10 and $20, meaning a whole box can quickly become a significant investment. Their rarity stems from limited cultivation in carefully controlled environments, ensuring each berry receives meticulous attention throughout its growth cycle.

Beyond scarcity, these berries enchant the palate with a delicate sweetness underscored by subtle floral and citrus notes. Their melt‑in‑your‑mouth texture and nuanced flavor have made them favorites among upscale chefs crafting elegant desserts, as well as connoisseurs seeking a taste of refined luxury.

8 Ichi Apples

Seka‑Ichi apples, cultivated in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture—renowned for its ideal apple‑growing climate—command a premium price of roughly $25 each. Though Aomori produces over half of Japan’s apples, Seka‑Ichi represents only a tiny fraction of the harvest, making them a true rarity.

These apples are celebrated for their impressive size, often weighing more than a pound, and for their exceptional natural sweetness, a result of Aomori’s long, sunny days and cool nights. Farmers employ precise control over temperature, humidity, and soil conditions, ensuring each apple reaches the pinnacle of flavor and quality.

7 Buddha‑Shaped Pears

Buddha‑shaped pears are more than fruit; they are living sculptures. Chinese growers employ specially designed molds that are gently wrapped around young pear buds, guiding the fruit to develop the serene visage of the Buddha, complete with intricate facial features. This painstaking process results in a pear that looks like a miniature work of art.

Priced at around $9 each, they hold the title of the world’s most expensive pears. In Chinese culture, these pears are gifted as symbols of good fortune and respect, emphasizing that their value lies as much in presentation and cultural significance as in taste.

6 Square Watermelon

Square watermelons, a whimsical innovation from Japan, are grown inside rigid, cube‑shaped containers that force the fruit into a perfect square form. Originally designed to fit more conveniently into compact Japanese refrigerators, these novelty melons have become a status symbol for the affluent.

Depending on size and quality, they can cost anywhere from $100 domestically to $800 when shipped abroad. While early iterations were edible, modern square watermelons are primarily decorative, serving as striking centerpieces rather than snack items.

5 Pineapples From the Lost Gardens of Heligan

At the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, England, Victorian‑era techniques are revived to produce a uniquely sweet pineapple. Grown in historic greenhouses that harness heat from decomposing manure and supplemental heaters, each pineapple requires roughly two years to mature, limiting the annual yield.

The resulting fruit, though modest in size, boasts an exceptionally fragrant and sugary flavor. Their rarity and the labor‑intensive cultivation method have driven the price up to $1,000 per pineapple, turning them into coveted luxury delicacies.

4 Densuke Watermelon

The Densuke watermelon, hailing from Hokkaido’s volcanic soils, is instantly recognizable by its deep black rind. This striking appearance signals a level of quality that commands thousands of dollars at auction, making it one of the most coveted melons worldwide.

Its sweet, succulent flesh benefits from pristine water sources and a cool climate, while meticulous hand‑picking at peak ripeness ensures an unrivaled taste experience. The combination of rarity, visual drama, and superior flavor solidifies its legendary status.

3 Beautiful Princess Strawberry

Known as Bijin‑Hime—or “Beautiful Princess”—this petite strawberry was perfected by Japanese farmer Mikio Okuda after 15 years of trial and error. Despite its small size, each berry boasts a Brix rating of 13, surpassing the typical 10‑degree standard, and delivers a rose‑like aroma with a silky yet firm texture.

The secret lies in a slow winter ripening process within Okuda’s specialized greenhouses in Gifu Prefecture. With only about 500 market‑ready berries produced each year, a single large Bijin‑Hime can fetch roughly 50,000 yen (about $350) at auction, underscoring its elite status.

2 Ruby Roman Grapes

Ruby Roman grapes, cultivated exclusively in Japan’s Ishikawa prefecture, are celebrated for their deep crimson hue and impressive size—each grape weighs about 0.7 ounces (20 grams), dwarfing typical vineyard varieties. Only a select cadre of farmers are authorized to grow these prized vines.

Stringent regulations govern every stage of their development, with government inspectors verifying that each grape meets the exacting Ruby Roman standards. This meticulous oversight yields a limited harvest, and in 2016 a single bunch fetched a staggering 1.1 million yen (approximately $11,000), cementing their reputation as one of the world’s most expensive fruits.

1 Yubari King Melon

Originating from Hokkaido’s Yubari region, the Yubari King melon epitomizes fruit luxury. The region’s unique climate and fertile soil produce melons with an immaculate spherical shape, intoxicating aroma, and unrivaled sweetness. In 2019, a pair sold for a record‑breaking 5 million yen (about $45,000), solidifying its status as the world’s most expensive fruit.

Farmers employ painstaking cultivation methods that prioritize quality over quantity, carefully nurturing each melon to achieve perfect texture and flavor. Their flawless appearance and exquisite taste have earned them top honors at fruit competitions worldwide, making them the ultimate symbol of opulent indulgence.

Brace yourself for a tour through the most astonishing, jaw‑shaking episodes ever recorded in the annals of dentistry. These 10 jaw dropping tales range from presidential improvisations to prehistoric tooth‑drilling, and even to the grim business of harvesting human teeth. Whether you’re terrified of the drill or simply love a good medical oddity, this list will leave you both laughing and shuddering.

10 Jaw Dropping Dental Facts You Won’t Believe

10 Honest Abe’s Chloroform

President Abraham Lincoln suffered a harrowing bout of dental pain after a botched tooth extraction in 1841 that even snapped a fragment of his jawbone. Back then, anesthesia was virtually nonexistent, so the 16th president endured the agony in silence.

When a later, severe toothache resurfaced, Lincoln didn’t reach for a modern anesthetic. Instead, he fished a tiny bottle of chloroform from his pocket, inhaled the vapors, and slipped into unconsciousness, allowing a makeshift operation to proceed without his usual suffering.

Chloroform wasn’t widely recognized as an anesthetic at the time, which makes Lincoln’s knowledge of its soothing properties all the more mysterious. Today, presidents no longer need to improvise—Herbert Hoover even installed a dedicated dental suite beneath the White House for quick, professional care.

9 Burning Flesh And Arsenic

Long before modern drills, the Chinese were already tackling dental woes with a sophisticated network of 116 acupuncture points linked directly to the teeth, gums, and tongue. These points were stimulated to alleviate pain from extractions, decay, and infections as early as 2700 BC.

To boost the effect, practitioners employed moxibustion—burning a stick of dried mugwort on the skin. The heat was believed to not only numb the area but also to invigorate blood flow, balance life energy, and promote overall health.

By the second century AD, Chinese healers had begun applying arsenic compounds to decayed teeth. The toxic element killed the pulp, instantly relieving pain, albeit with a risky side‑effect profile that modern dentistry would deem unacceptable.

8 Painless Parker

Edgar Parker, later rechristened “Painless Parker,” turned tooth extraction into a traveling circus act. In the early 1900s, he crisscrossed America in a horse‑drawn wagon, accompanied by flamboyant showgirls, nurses, and a brass‑band bugler.

Each stop became a spectacle: crowds gathered to watch Parker’s theatrical antics while he yanked teeth, offered patrons whiskey, and administered a cocaine‑laden anesthetic called hydrocaine. His pièce de résistance was a massive necklace strung with 357 extracted teeth, which he claimed to have pulled in a single day.

The American Dental Association condemned his methods as a “menace to the dignity of the profession,” but Parker’s showmanship paid off. He legally changed his first name to “Painless” to dodge false‑advertising lawsuits and retired a wealthy man, pocketing roughly $3 million.

7 A Flourishing Practice

Alberto Nunez, a 32‑year‑old from Chicago, seemed to run a booming dental clinic—averaging about 30 patients each week and often requiring a full week’s wait for an appointment. On the surface, his practice looked like a thriving business.

The dark truth emerged when investigators discovered Nunez was not a licensed dentist and operated out of his own home. A covert operation, posing as a patient, revealed he performed root canals, surgeries, impressions, cleanings, and even braces without any formal training.

In 2012, Nunez faced a Class 4 felony for practicing dentistry without a license and a misdemeanor for possessing hypodermic syringes illegally. His fraudulent empire crumbled, serving as a stark reminder that not every smiling practitioner holds a valid credential.

6 Prehistoric Dentistry

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence that early humans were already experimenting with dental care more than 7,500 years ago. In what is now Pakistan, a jawbone shows deliberate drilling—a clear sign of primitive tooth work.

Even older, a Slovenian cave yielded a fossilized jaw with a beeswax “filling” used to seal a cracked enamel piece, easing the wearer’s pain. Similarly, ancient Egyptians, some 2,100 years ago, treated severe sinus infections caused by multiple dental abscesses by packing linen soaked in medicinal herbs into the cavities.

These early interventions suggest that the impulse to fix a painful tooth is as ancient as humanity itself, predating modern dentistry by millennia.

5 Glennon Engleman

Dr. Glennon Engleman was a respected dentist in St. Louis, but behind the white coat lay a ruthless murderer. Over two decades, he employed a grisly arsenal of methods—shootings, bludgeoning, car bombs, and even tossing a victim down a well packed with dynamite.

Police suspected Engleman early on, yet it took his third wife to finally bring him down. After a night of intimacy, Engleman bragged about his murderous exploits, hinting she might be next. Detectives convinced her to wear a wire, and her recorded confession sealed his fate.

In September 1980, Engleman was convicted for the bombing of Sophie Marie Barrera and sentenced to two life terms. Though suspected of 12 murders, he confessed to only five before dying in prison at age 71 in 1999.

4 Abrasive Medical Treatments

Contrary to the popular myth of wooden dentures, George Washington’s false teeth were crafted from hippopotamus ivory and now reside at the National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore. At his inauguration, the future president possessed only a single tooth, underscoring his lifelong dental woes.

Washington’s health was a revolving door of maladies—smallpox, malaria, dengue fever, rheumatic complaints, and dysentery. His physicians treated him with mercurous chloride, a highly abrasive substance that eroded enamel and caused relentless toothaches.

The corrosive treatments led to chronic gum inflammation, frequent abscesses, and yearly extractions. Some historians even argue that persistent dental pain contributed to his decision to skip a second inaugural address.

3 Scavengers

When sugar consumption surged in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, people began bleaching their teeth with acidic solutions, which wore down enamel and sparked a booming demand for false teeth.

Poor individuals capitalized on this market by extracting their own crowns to sell to affluent clients. As living donors dwindled, opportunists turned to the battlefields of Waterloo in 1815, harvesting teeth from fallen soldiers to meet the denture demand.

These harvested teeth were boiled, cleaned, and set into ivory bases. The UK’s Anatomy Act of 1832, which regulated the use of human remains, eventually curbed the practice of using battlefield teeth for dentures.

2 Stress Can Kill

Recent dental literature reveals that dentists face a heightened risk of both physical and mental health issues—alcoholism, drug addiction, marital problems, and a suicide rate three times higher than other white‑collar workers.

Even more alarming, stress‑related cardiovascular disease tops the list of killers among dentists, with a 25 percent increase in high blood pressure and coronary disease compared to the general population.

The root causes include isolation from solo practice, fierce competition, and financial pressures, which together fuel burnout. The constant anxiety of treating fearful patients triggers physiological stress responses, accelerating heart disease and other ailments.

1 Dr. Hugo Blaschke And Hitler’s Remains

On April 30 1945, Adolf Hitler ended his life, and his charred remains were recovered three days later by Soviet forces. In 1973, a team of dental experts examined his jaw fragments, finally confirming his death.

The identification hinged on dental records kept by Hugo Blaschke, Hitler’s American‑trained dentist. These records revealed severe gum disease, multiple abscesses, and extensive decay—culminating in the notorious “terrible bad breath” attributed to the dictator.

Blaschke’s meticulous documentation provided the forensic evidence needed to settle lingering doubts about Hitler’s fate, illustrating how dentistry can play a pivotal role in historical investigations.

If you’re hunting for the top 10 jaw experiences that most visitors miss, you’ve landed in the right place. London’s famous sights are amazing, but beneath the tourist‑packed streets lie secret rooms, forgotten chapels and private clubs that will make your jaw drop. Below we’ve compiled a fun, chatty guide to ten of the city’s most spectacular hidden spaces – each worth a detour from the usual itinerary.

10 The Foreign And Commonwealth Office

This stately building is a must‑see for anyone who appreciates grand interiors. Its sweeping Grand Staircase dazzles with marble columns, restrained gold‑leaf accents and neoclassical frescoes that whisper of a bygone elegance.

Back in 1856 an international design competition was launched for the office’s façade. Though his entry placed third, chief architect George Gilbert Scott was ultimately commissioned to lead the project, shaping the overall exterior. He was later joined by Matthew Digby Wyatt, who added his own flair.

Scott gave Wyatt the reins to design the India Office’s interior, where Wyatt crafted the spectacular Durbar Court – an open‑sky‑styled hall that later received a protective roof in 1868, preserving the illusion of an endless ceiling while shielding visitors from the elements.

You might consider swapping a quick photo stop at Buckingham Palace for an extra hour or two wandering this lesser‑known architectural marvel. While many London institutions exist to educate or entertain, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is a working hub bustling with real diplomats.

If the idea of a guided tour through a passport office sounds as thrilling as watching paint dry, you’re not alone. Yet we can’t help but imagine how fascinating a behind‑the‑scenes look‑around would be.

Nearest Tube Station: Embankment

Why This Is a Top 10 Jaw Must‑See

From its opulent stairwell to its diplomatic history, the FCO offers a rare glimpse into the grandeur that powers Britain’s foreign affairs.

9 The Clermont Club

Who doesn’t love a little flutter? Imagine stepping into a setting that feels ripped straight from a James Bond film – that’s the Clermont Club for you.

Don’t expect to stroll in and place a fiver on the table; it’s a members‑only casino. For over four decades, the elite of London gathered in this 18th‑century townhouse, originally crafted by William Kent, to try their luck at high‑stakes games.

Nestled in the swanky Mayfair district, the club epitomises opulence. Though it shuttered its doors in 2018 due to financial strains, plans were set for a 2020 reopening.

Even if you can’t get past the velvet rope, many guided tours of historic Berkeley Square include a glimpse of the club’s façade. Ghost‑hunters often swing by No. 50, reputedly the most haunted house in London, just a few doors down from the Clermont Club at No. 44.

So, before you hear the spine‑tingling tales of No. 50, steal a quick peek through the windows of No. 44 – a brief taste of heaven before descending into the underworld of hauntings.

Nearest Tube Station: Green Park

8 Middlesex Hospital Chapel

Middlesex Hospital shut its doors in 2005, and most of the complex was demolished in 2008. Yet the chapel survived, and with good reason – it’s a true marvel.

Designated a Grade II* listed building, the chapel cannot be altered or demolished without official consent, ensuring its preservation for future generations.

Now surrounded by sleek 21st‑century office blocks and apartments, the chapel stands as a solitary island of beauty amid a sea of modernity. A £2 million restoration returned it to its former glory, preserving its intricate mosaics reminiscent of Eastern‑Orthodox churches, vibrant stained‑glass windows and restored lighting that together create a tranquil sanctuary.

Nearest Tube Station: Goodge Street

7 Sir John Soane’s Museum

Sir John Soane (1753‑1837) was a true luminary of the Regency era, celebrated as an architect before becoming a professor at the Royal Academy.

His museum, housed in Nos 12, 13 and 14 of historic Lincoln’s Inn Fields, showcases buildings he purchased and personally rebuilt. The result is a shrine to architectural brilliance, filled with his own collections and ingenious design tricks.

Walking through the museum feels like stepping into a living lesson on architecture – the space itself is as much an exhibit as the objects within. After the pandemic, the museum is once again open for visitors to explore at their leisure.

Nearest Tube Station: Holborn

6 The Royal Courts Of Justice

This imposing court building can inspire awe in a tourist and send shivers down the spine of anyone facing a serious legal battle.

Its interior feels almost ecclesiastical, yet it exudes a palatial grandeur. The vaulted Great Hall radiates authority, reminding you of the weight of decisions made within its walls.

Designed by Gothic‑Revival architect G.E. Street (1824‑1881), construction spanned eight years, culminating in an 1882 opening by Queen Victoria. Within the complex lies the “Bear Garden” – a series of small rooms and antechambers where pre‑hearing negotiations occur, despite the name suggesting a literal garden.

The term “Bear Garden” likely references the historic, brutal sport of bear‑baiting, adding a quirky historical footnote to the elegant surroundings.

Nearest Tube Stations: Temple, Chancery Lane, Holborn

5 Masonic Temple At The Andaz Hotel

The Andaz Hotel on Liverpool Street conceals a genuine Masonic Temple that was once hidden behind a thin, false wall – even the former owners didn’t know it existed.

Inspired by ancient Greek architecture, the temple boasts twelve varieties of marble imported from Italy, creating a luxurious, timeless ambience. Its location adjacent to East London’s busy transport hub makes it easily reachable, yet its splendor is so arresting you’ll want to linger.

Rumor has it that Jack the Ripper may have been a Freemason, suggesting this could have been his secret lodge. Regardless, the space now hosts a range of events – from product launches to weddings, private dinners and even burlesque shows. HBO even used it for a Game of Thrones pop‑up restaurant in 2015.

Nearest Tube Station: Liverpool Street

4 Drapers’ Hall

This magnificent building houses the ancient Drapers’ Company – formally known as “The Master and Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of the Guild or Fraternity of the Blessed Mary the Virgin of the Mystery of Drapers of the City of London” – one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies.

Founded in the Middle Ages, the Drapers’ Company originally represented wool and cloth merchants. Today it operates as a charitable organisation, using this splendid venue for weddings, dinner parties and fundraising events.

The hall dazzles with awe‑inspiring chandeliers, marble statues and ornate plaster ceilings. Its cinematic appeal has attracted film crews for James Bond’s GoldenEye, Agent Cody Banks 2 and the award‑winning The King’s Speech.

Nearest Tube Station: Bank

3 Crossness Pumping Station

Crossness Pumping Station feels more like a cathedral than a utilitarian water‑works facility – a true testament to Victorian ambition.

Built to combat the cholera outbreaks and the infamous “Great Stink” of 1858, the station’s massive pumps cleaned the polluted Thames, safeguarding countless lives.

Its stunning ironwork, painstakingly repainted, resembles an arts‑and‑crafts wallpaper, proving that even functional infrastructure can be breathtakingly beautiful.

Nearest Tube Station: None – the nearest rail link is Abbey Wood train station.

2 The Princess Louise

What could be more quintessentially English than a classic pub? The Princess Louise offers a genuine Victorian‑era drinking experience.

Step inside and you’ll be greeted by a richly decorated interior, complete with marble urinals for the gentlemen – a quirky yet authentic touch that adds to the historic atmosphere.

It’s the perfect spot to enjoy a room‑temperature ale while chatting with a moustachioed artisan, perhaps a hipster T‑shirt printer, who’ll regale you with stories of the neighbourhood.

Nearest Tube Station: Holborn

1 Harrow School

Remember those cramped, chilly gymnasiums and teachers droning on about dull subjects? Harrow School offers a very different vibe.

Founded in 1572, Harrow has produced a remarkable roster of world leaders, Nobel laureates and royalty, cementing its place as one of the world’s most prestigious schools.

The campus could give Hogwarts a run for its money. Highlights include the awe‑inspiring Speech Room and the Fourth Form Room, where former pupils – including novelist Anthony Trollope, four prime ministers and photography pioneer William Henry Fox Talbot – left their names carved into the paneling.

Talbot’s experimental work was so destructive that the school’s insurers refused to cover any building he used, underscoring his fiery passion for invention.

Nearest Tube Station: Northwick Park

Paris is a city that dazzles the senses, but beyond the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre lies a world of secret corners that only the most curious travelers stumble upon. In this top 10 jaw guide we unveil ten astonishing hidden spaces that prove the City of Light still has plenty of surprises left in its back‑streets, lofts and vaulted halls.

Why This Top 10 Jaw List Matters

While most visitors stick to the postcard‑perfect icons, each of these locations offers a unique slice of Parisian history, art or atmosphere that you won’t find on the typical tourist trail. From medieval chapels to avant‑garde art squats, the following spots will give you a fresh perspective on the capital’s layered personality.

10 Sainte‑Chappelle

There are countless venues that get tossed around as mandatory “must‑see” stops, yet the dazzling stained‑glass canopy of Sainte‑Chappelle truly earns that badge. Its kaleidoscopic windows flood the chapel with celestial light, creating a visual feast that rivals any cathedral in Europe.

Even though this masterpiece of Gothic architecture ranks among the world’s finest, it often slips past the crowds that flock to the Eiffel Tower, Notre‑Dam­e and Versailles. Few travelers make a beeline for Sainte‑Chappelle, but they should – the space is as inspiring and breathtaking as any landmark the capital can boast.

Nearest Metro: Cité

9 59 Rivoli

Very few cities can claim a semi‑derelict building as a cultural hotspot, yet 59 Rue de Rivoli does exactly that. In 1999 the structure had been abandoned for fifteen years, until three artists—Kalex, Gaspard and Bruno, collectively known as “KGB”—took over the space as a makeshift studio.

City officials initially tried to evict the trio, but by 2005 the municipality relented, granting the squat permanent status as an artist‑run venue. The walls, splashed with vivid graffiti, and the haphazard layout make you feel as though you’ve entered an urban hovel rather than a conventional gallery.

The building’s raw, gritty vibe is constantly underscored by the vibrant artworks that sprout from every nook, cranny and even the occasional hidden alcove. Its spiral staircase, a marvel of design, winds alongside walls plastered with endless eyes, adding a surreal twist to the space.

Beyond the bohemian façade, the venue’s bones are solid. The edifice harks back to the era when Paris was the epicentre of artistic innovation at the turn of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Even if some pieces aren’t to everyone’s taste, the fact that creativity still thrives in such a daring environment is worth celebrating.

Nearest Metro: Châtelet

8 Beefbar

When you think of Parisian dining, you might picture tiny cafés or Michelin‑starred temples, but Beefbar shatters those expectations. Nestled within sight of the iconic Eiffel Tower, this restaurant blends haute cuisine, striking décor and a singular focus on meat that will leave you gloriously drenched in juices.

While the city teems with celebrated eateries—Le Fouquet’s, Café de Flore, Tour d’Argent—Beefbar remains a slightly under‑the‑radar gem. Housed in the former Lamgham Hotel in the 8th arrondissement, the space has been lovingly restored to showcase its original Art Nouveau splendor.

After lying dormant during World War II, the building was rediscovered, declared a historic monument, and later abandoned again in the 1980s. Restaurateurs Ricardo Giraudi, Emil Humbert and Christophe Poyet revived it, opting for a celebration‑style ambience that contrasts with their usual “refined simplicity” elsewhere.

The menu centers on a superb steak, served with crisp frites—a simple yet unforgettable experience that cements Beefbar as a culinary temple of beauty and flavor.

Nearest Metro: Alma‑Marceau

7 La Bibliothèque Interuniversitaire Sorbonne

While the Annenberg Dining Hall at Harvard and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford impress, the Sorbonne’s inter‑university library eclipses them with its opulent interior. French porcelain can sometimes feel gaudy, yet the library’s lavish décor proves that scale and elegance can coexist beautifully.

Even though borrowing privileges are reserved for students and faculty—over 2.5 million volumes line 40 km of shelving—the sheer visual impact is worth the visit. Ivory mouldings draw the eye toward romantic paintings that grace the walls and ceilings, while pastel blue‑green panels adorned with scrolling floral motifs provide a dreamy backdrop.

The marriage of delicate pastel hues with grand, baroque opulence creates a reading room unlike any other in Paris. It’s a space where scholarly seriousness meets artistic splendor, offering a sanctuary for the mind and the eye alike.

Nearest Metro: Cluny‑La Sorbonne

6 Promenade Plantée

Paris turned an abandoned railway viaduct into a soaring garden walk, giving visitors the chance to stroll above the city’s hustle while feeling like they’re starring in their own French‑style “Stand By Me” adventure—minus the danger, of course.

Author’s Note: I once asked my hotel concierge if he knew any gun‑loving alcoholics who could lend me a 1911 for the walk. He stared, then walked away. French service can be… blunt.

When the city unveiled this elevated pathway in 1993, locals scoffed, calling it a waste of money. Today, the three‑mile promenade is celebrated as a peaceful oasis, offering a bird’s‑eye view of rooftops, tiny pools, and lush plantings.

The route stretches from the Bastille to the sprawling Bois de Vincennes, delivering unexpected perspectives of Paris that you simply can’t catch at street level.

Nearest Metro: Ledru‑Rollin

5 Musée Bourdelle

While the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay dominate the museum scene, Musée Bourdelle offers an intimate glimpse into the world of sculptor Antoine Bourdelle. Housed in his former studio, the museum feels more like a personal atelier than a grand institution.

Beyond the impressive sculptures on display, visitors can examine the very tools Bourdelle used—plaster casts of Beethoven’s bust, works by Rodin, Ingres and early Impressionist Adolphe Monticelli—all nestled within the shadow of the towering Tour Montparnasse.

Nearest Metro: Falguière

4 Le Collège des Bernardins

Amidst the mélange of neo‑gothic arches, Art Nouveau touches, and sleek modern metalwork, the 13th‑century Collège des Bernardins stands as a quiet reminder that Paris’s story began long before the Enlightenment.

Constructed in 1248, the edifice served as a college and monastery for the Cistercian order until the French Revolution. After a 2008 renovation, it now houses the Académie catholique de France, fostering intellectual dialogue and research.

The stone nave, bathed in soft light and flanked by soaring medieval columns, feels both austere and sublime. Today, the space can be rented for events, letting modern revelers throw a party as if it were 1399.

Nearest Metro: Cardinal Lemoine

3 The Grand Mosque

Often eclipsed by more famous religious sites, the Grand Mosque dazzles with Moorish motifs that whisk visitors back to an era when Islamic and European worlds barely intersected.

The interior courtyard features intricate Zellij tilework, graceful crenellations on a rectangular minaret, and an Andalusian garden brimming with fountains and meticulously pruned shrubs.

During the Nazi occupation, the mosque’s founder, Si Kaddour Benghabrit, issued Muslim identification papers to several Sephardic Jews, enabling them to evade persecution—a poignant chapter in the building’s history.

Nearest Metro: Place Monge

2 Sainte‑Geneviève Library

The grand reading room of Sainte‑Geneviève Library is a marvel of vaulted ceilings, exposed cast‑iron arches and 46 arched windows that bathe the space in natural light. Its uniform shelves stretch for miles, creating a cathedral‑like atmosphere for book lovers.

Constructed in 1847, the library pioneered the use of iron in architecture, with cast‑iron arches and an innovative iron‑mesh support for the plastered ceiling. Critics have likened its magical ambience to Hogwarts, but the awe‑inspiring design is entirely real.

Nearest Metro: Cardinal Lemoine

1 Musée du Parfum — Fragonard

Paris isn’t just the capital of fashion and cuisine; it also reigns supreme in the world of perfumery. Housed in a graceful Napoleon III‑era townhouse, the Musée du Parfum showcases the evolution of scent from antiquity to the modern era.

Exhibits are arranged chronologically, guiding visitors through centuries of fragrant innovation. For those who prefer a hands‑on approach, the museum offers an “olfaction room” where you can experience perfume trends from the early 20th century.

A perfumer’s workshop invites guests to learn the delicate art of crafting aromas, ensuring that all five senses are delighted—except perhaps touch, which you’ll happily reserve for a baguette on the way home.

Nearest Metro: Opéra

Top 10 Museums That Will Scare You Silly

About The Author: CJ Phillips is a storyteller, actor and writer living in rural West Wales. He is a little obsessed with lists.

The Big Apple has got some pretty big spaces. From the many theatres of Broadway to the stunning lobbies of the grand hotels, world-famous galleries and museums, and the green expanse of Central Park, New York City ranks among the most iconic cities the world has ever seen. But, as with the other great cities in this little series, there are a wealth of hidden spaces waiting for you to uncover.

And do it quickly because New York is not doing so well right now—don’t all move to Austin, Texas, just yet! As this list will show, there are plenty of places to see.

Related: Top 10 Jaw-Dropping Hidden Spaces In Paris or Top 10 Jaw-Dropping Hidden Spaces In London

10 The Metropolitan Club

New York, alongside the world’s other great cities, has a strong game when it comes to old-timey, elegant, exclusive members’ clubs. But this one seems a touch more opulent than the others. When you look at the founding members—financier JP Morgan, railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, steel magnate James M Waterbury, former Assistant Secretary of State John L Cadwalader, and James A Roosevelt—it is little wonder how this place became so fancy.

Founded in 1891, the place retains its Gilded Age splendor. The West Lounge, found on the club’s first floor (of six), is the stand-out space. The stunning Renaissance murals look down upon the ornately decorated marble fireplaces, rendering the impressive views over the iconic Central Park rather dull—why would you look out when this is what is inside? So if you fancy gathering your pals for a knees-up, imagining yourselves all captains of industry and masters of the new world, the spaces throughout are available for hire. I’m sure they’ll take your house as collateral against the down payment…yeah, maybe just blag your way in for a quick peek. ^[1]

Nearest Subway Station: 5th Avenue Station—Broadway Local Line.

9 Greenacre Park

Parks are a fascinating human invention. More so than any ancient druid pointing to the boughs of an oak tree (where he just hung up a bunch of entrails) to demand reverence for nature, the modern park is the ultimate reverential symbol we’ve made for nature. We, those shaved apes that send people into space and create intricate systems that govern all aspects of our life, carve out portions of cities and towns and recreate the natural world. We need this. But not all parks are created equally, and some smaller parks are relatively ignored, remaining in the shadow of their bigger, flashier, more historic brethren.

One such “hidden” gem is Greenacre Park. With its 7.6-meter (25-foot) granite-constructed waterfall at its heart, this park is comprised of three levels, allowing for a multi-tiered experience. And what a pleasant experience it is! The waterfall births a babbling brook that leads to the entrance of the park. Next to the waterfall is a seating area, the perfect place to sit back, read a book, and forget that New York is dying.^[2]

Nearest Subway Station: Lexington Avenue/53rd Street—E Line or the M Line.

8 The Ford Foundation Building

Many public spaces in Lower Manhattan’s skyscrapers have been off-limits to the general public in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. However, the Ford Foundation Building’s atrium has not closed. Since 1963, the tiered garden space has offered an awe-inspiring haven for people to escape the hustle and bustle of Gotham’s busiest area. If Greenacre Park provides an outdoor getaway for New Yorkers, the Ford Foundation Building’s atrium is the indoor equivalent.

The garden was designed by landscape architect Dan Kiley and, since a 2018 redesign, has retained the peaceful aura the original vision created. The mid-century buildings and spaces in America’s main city really are a departure from earlier designs. Gone were the days of the celebration of progress and glory, of industrial mastery and financial victories; here came a time of escape, a move toward a more socially-conscious and sustainable future—progress at a more neck-preserving pace than the break-neck past. The Ford Foundation Building makes a great argument for this form of beauty far better than the contemporaneous monstrosities elsewhere in the city.^[3]

Nearest Subway Station: Grand Central Station—Lines 6, 7, and the 42nd Street Shuttle.

7 Old City Hall Subway Station

There is something creepy about abandoned subway stations. Not this one, however. This one is cool as hell—it answers the age-old question of “why did people in the past wear such fancy clothes when out and about?” Beautiful, mirror-shine green and white glass tiles line the gorgeous Gustavino vaulted ceilings, allowing the gentle light from the many chandeliers to dance around this subterranean space. Given that this was a busy commuter hub at the beginning of the twentieth century, one wonders how many people stopped to appreciate this stunning space when it was in regular use as a station. Not many, probably.

The City Hall station is an absolute gem. That is probably why the New York Transit Museum charges $50 for a tour of the place (and you have to be a member of the museum to attend, which is an additional $60). But if you’re a “meh, I don’t mind a fleeting glimpse” sort of person, why not just hop on the 6 train? It’ll pass through the station on its loop, allowing passengers to take a quick (and deeply envious) look at the sort of environment people used to stand in and wait to get moved around the city.^[4]

Nearest Subway Station, c’mon… Okay, NEXT nearest Station: Chambers Street Station—A Line.

6 Gould Memorial Library

Some have claimed the USA is the modern equivalent of the Roman Empire. So, there should be no surprise that this 19th-century University library in the Bronx was a reinterpretation of Rome’s Parthenon—and a hell of a good one, at that! Now a part of Bronx Community College, this space is well worth a look. A long look.

Built between 1894 and 1895 by the city’s foremost architect, Stanford White, as part of the University of New York City’s (now NYU) expansion onto the recently acquired Mali Estate, the whole complex is a monument to academia. The main reading room is breathtaking. From the sixteen imported Connemara marble columns, one’s eye is drawn upwards to the 21-meter-wide (70-foot) stucco-covered dome gilded with Dutch metal. It is meant to help inspire students to lofty academic heights, driven home with a wonderful quote from Milton’s Paradise Lost adorning the large entablature: “And chiefly thou o spirit that dost prefer before all temples that upright heart and pure. Instruct me for thou knowest what in me is dark. Illumine what is low raise and support.” Indeed.^[5]

Nearest Subway Station: 183rd Street Station—4 Line.

5 AT&T Long Distance Building

Beyond the melty clocks and vaguely smiling ladies, the out-of-place anatomical features, and the formaldehyde-bathed sharks, the visual arts have often been explicitly celebratory of mankind’s achievements, not merely impressionistic, expressionistic, devotional, or outright weird. We tend not to see this heroic style as often today, save on a very localized scale in school murals or public art commissioned by small community groups. If you get to visit the AT&T Long Distance Building in Manhattan’s Tribeca district, you’ll certainly get a sense of this once powerful artistic trend.

The art deco stylings within and without the building are amazing. However, there are plenty of far more famous buildings in New York that can show off their exterior deco cred. It is the incredible murals that run through the building that elevate this space to a must-see for art lovers.^[6]

Nearest Subway Station: Canal Street Station—A Line.

4 Grove Court

Some of you may balk at the idea of a gated community—it smacks of elitism as well as producing more than a whiff of “stay the hell away from me.” But once you manage to take a sneaky peek of Grove Court (alongside the many other tourists found doing the same thing), you’ll begin to dream of living there yourself. A square of brick-red townhouses, all in a charming Federal-era design, is a far cry from the austere brownstone, stooped buildings found elsewhere in the West Village.

This hidden architectural gem was built in 1854 by a grocer named Samuel Cocks (oh, stop sniggering and grow up!) to house laborers and local traders. So, not a fancy hideaway for the wealthy at all. Well, that’s what it is now, of course. The last time a 2-bed, 2-bath townhouse went up for sale, it fetched a cool $3.5 million.^[7]

Nearest Subway Station: Christopher Street Station—3 Line.

3 The Tunnels Under Columbia University

One of the worst-kept “secrets” in New York is the network of tunnels found under Columbia University. Despite the wide-ranging knowledge of these fascinating subterranean passageways, they don’t draw in masses of urban explorers that you might expect.

We often forget that the world around us, all the boons we take for granted, are manufactured, maintained, and require spaces such as these. The tunnels are Columbia University’s circulatory system. But before their role in keeping the uni humming, the tunnels served a far more sinister institution—The Bloomingdale Insane Asylum. The tunnels also played host to scientists working on the Manhattan Project. So if you want to see the place where scientists, madmen, and some mad scientists used to scurry around, take a trip under Columbia—it’ll be more interesting than attending a lecture.^[8]

Nearest Subway Station: 116th Street Station, Columbia University—1 Line.

2 Beneath the Brooklyn Bridge…

Urban exploration has undergone a real image transformation in recent years. Much like action sports like skateboarding and BMXing, there is now a veneer of respectability and cool to this once derided, nuisance pursuit. Urban explorers are the Indiana Joneses of the cities, uncovering artifacts and spaces that our forebears once used. Perhaps this could be considered the crowning achievement of this subculture in New York; the uncovering of a disused nuclear bunker inside the Brooklyn Bridge!

Awesome…or it would have been were it not for the fact that it was actually uncovered by some construction workers doing some routine inspections on the bridge. Ah well, at least they can lay claim to the next entry.^[9]

Nearest Subway Station: Fulton Street Station—3 Line.

1 The Explorers Club

The feeling one gets on entering a particularly beautiful or interesting space is driven by the styling. A highly baroque interior evokes a sense of opulence and a gentile lifestyle. An austere brutalist building suggests humanity’s progress to a utilitarian utopia/dystopia. Often, however, the styling is overridden by other elements. A baroque interior dotted with Lalique vases, Romantic landscape oil paintings, and bronze busts of various French monarchs will transport your mind’s eye to a Paris salon.

What we find in New York’s Explorers Club is not so much a transportation to a time and place but rather a whistle-stop journey around the globe’s wilder localities, evoking a sense of adventure, scientific discovery, and mankind’s emergent role as custodians of the natural world. Stuffed animals from all over the world are found everywhere—taxidermized cheetahs, lion pelts, rhino heads on walls, and great Elephant tusks flanking a fireplace in the reading room. Pith helmets may be required. Vegans need not apply…^[10]

Nearest Subway Station: 68th Street, Hunter College—6 Line.

With hundreds of shows being produced a year on Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon alone, older television can seem like it can’t possibly be worth checking out. Visually, it’s almost certain to look staid beyond being grainy and black and white. The reference points for the comedy will likely be so dated as to be incomprehensible, the plots of all the shows will have long been ripped off to death or spoiled by the time you can see them these days, and surely the censors removed with surgical precision everything halfway interesting.

But no. Entertainers had just as much desire to break out of creative molds decades ago as they do now. Censors could miss what would today be considered the most jaw-dropping content you could imagine. Also back then when screwups happened, they could put a whole season’s worth of blooper reels to shame. All that and more are available below, thanks to the dedicated efforts of antiquarians who scoured through hours of television for its hidden novelties.

10. William Shatner’s Twilight Zone Slur

Everyone who knows about Rod Serling’s 1959-64 sci-fi/fantasy classic remembers William Shatner’s struggle with his sanity and against a gremlin on the wing of the plane in Nightmare at 20,000 Feet in the final season. Turns out that two seasons earlier he starred as Don Carter in a much less-remembered but also extremely good episode called Nick of Time from the third season, probably because in that episode he did battle with a little novelty fortune teller with uncannily accurate answers in a diner, meaning it was less relateable than an embodiment of the commonplace fear of flying.

In both episodes Shatner is accompanied by a beleaguered wife who doubts his sanity. In the middle of the episode, after Don Carter has already had six straight fortunes confirmed by the toy in the diner, his obsession is clearly worrying her. While they’re crossing the street after leaving the dinner, Shatner delivers the shocking line “Oh, stop treating me like a retarded child.”

Despite what you might think, “retarded” was considered an insult at the time. According to Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic by Martin Grams Jr., Serling’s office received a letter from a mother of a child with Down’s Syndrome expressing her discomfort with its use in the show. Serling wrote a letter of apology and told his staff that they should never use the word in such a context again.  

9. William F. Buckley Calls Gore Vidal a Slur as He Threatens to Punch Him

In 1968, during the Democratic National Convention, ABC aired numerous debates between National Review founder William F. Buckley and incendiary author Gore Vidal. During a debate about whether allegations over waving Vietcong flags justified police using tear gas and beatings, Vidal took the chance to call Buckley a crypto-Nazi for favoring using those methods on protestors. Buckley replied “Now listen, you queer, stop calling me a crypto-Nazi or I’ll sock you in your goddamn face.”

It became enough of a scandal that a year later Buckley called back to it on Firing Line while debating Noam Chomsky. Buckley came to regret it, writing several letters to Vidal questioning how he could have lost control like that. Indeed, in 2017, two Academy Award winners made a documentary Best of Enemies that focused in large part on how that loss of poise changed the tone for televised American debates for the coming decades.

8. Jackie Gleason’s Half-Hour Apology

Now, here’s something a little lighter in tone. If you think that today the media spends too much time apologizing for the slightest trespasses, you should see what the creator/star of The Honeymooners got up to in the early sixties. Admittedly, he was much more entertaining about it than most.

On January 20, 1961, the day that Kennedy was inaugurated, Jackie Gleason played host to a program called You’re in The Picture where contestants stuck their heads through pictures, such as a picture where there was an image with a body of a woman in a yellow polka dot bikini in it. It’s a common photo gag at vacation spots, which might have been part of why the show got such a tepid reaction.The next week, with just two commercial breaks, he spent a half hour of airtime dissecting the terrible pilot, calling it the biggest bomb in entertainment history, and explaining the creative process behind it. This half hour made such an impact that Johnny Carson brought it up on The Tonight Show when he interviewed Gleason in 1985. Though since Carson had been one of the contestants on You’re in the Picture, he probably only felt comfortable bringing it up because he’d just gotten around to forgiving Gleason for it.

7. Lon Chaney as Frankenstein Doesn’t Even Try to Break Chairs

In 1952 Lon Chaney (best known for playing the titular role in The Phantom of the Opera (1925) was hired to play Frankenstein‘s Monster for a 1952 live broadcast of Tales of Tomorrow. Through some confusion that either stemmed from Chaney being confused after how long it took to apply his makeup or drunkenness, he thought much of the performance was a rehearsal instead of a live broadcast. This led to the hilarious sight of Chaney picking up chairs to smash them in a monstrous fury, only to gently set them down again.

Since at one point he was supposed to be leaving the set as he breaks a chair, he turns almost straight into the camera and in his regular, barely audible voice says “I’m saving the chair.” For the remainder of the program Chaney gave a perfectly competent and very physical performance, which put to rest the claims he’d been drunk. Still, it was hard for audiences to forget the Frankenstein Monster’s bewildering delicacy with furniture.

6. Dorothy Gray’s Cold Cream Campaign

You get some sense of how prevailing fear of nuclear destruction was in 1950s America that the concept of “duck and cover” as a means of attempting to survive an atomic strike was taught in elementary school. But then this commercial comes along and shows just how ambivalent feelings were at the time about radiation in general.

The Dorothy Gray cosmetics company had been founded in 1916, so it had been around 38 years and entered the cultural consciousness by the time it launched what would today be considered a truly shocking ad campaign, especially for a relatively benign skin treatment. To demonstrate the effectiveness of their cold cream, in commercials that aired in 1954 they would spread radioactive dirt on the faces of their models, use a geiger counter, then apply cold cream, and use the geiger counter again to demonstrate how effectively it removed the dangerous substance, all of which the narrator cheerfully explained. Considering that the company lasted until it was bought out in 2008, it seems a safe bet that models didn’t sue them for all they were worth for reckless endangerment.

5. Andy Griffith Explains Gunless Law Enforcement

Among right-wing pundits, this sitcom that ran from 1960 to 1968 is particularly treasured for presenting a wholesome portrait of small town values. Even 50 years after it ended, the town of Mount Airy is kept afloat by tourism because it was Andy Griffith’s real hometown and preserved numerous locations that inspired stories set in the fictional town of Mayberry. This makes a monologue that Sheriff Andy Taylor gives particularly surprising.

In the 1965 episode TV or Not TV, Andy Taylor is asked why he doesn’t carry a gun. He answers, “When a man carries a gun all the time, the respect he thinks he’s gettin’ might really be fear. So I don’t carry a gun because I don’t want the people of Mayberry to fear a gun. I’d rather they would respect me.” It is at least a critique of the notion that guns are necessary to keep the peace, and the militarization of the police. Also, this was deep in the Civil Rights movement, when it might have been a more inflammatory statement than it seems today. It is true that his deputy Barney Fife has a gun, but he was often shown as being a combination of buffoonish and horribly dangerous with it, which seems like only a slightly subtler critique of gun enthusiasts than Griffith’s words.

4. I, Claudius Brings Graphic Violence and Nudity to Public Television

This 1976 12-part adaptation of Robert Graves’s epic story of the man who went from palace clown to emperor is still one of the most acclaimed BBC productions of all-time. The obvious low budget and technical limitations (numerous cast members said early on that they didn’t expect the show to work) didn’t prevent audiences from appreciating the stellar performances and the riveting story. But it had a potentially much greater obstacle to mainstream appreciation, especially as far as America was concerned: A frank attitude towards graphic sex and violence, as could be expected of any show set dealing with palace intrigue during the height of the Roman Empire.

When the Public Broadcasting Station agreed to air it in 1977, the political climate provided much that should have given them pause. ABC had recently experienced a concerted boycott campaign for the the comedy series Soap which had only mentioned then controversial topics such as transvestism. It had cost the network considerable advertisers by the time the show had run its course. A publically-owned network was even more vulnerable to such pressures. And yet beheadings, toplessness, and other provocative material and all, the series also ran its course on the 270 local PBS affiliates.

3. Poor Devil: Sammy Davis Jr. is a Demon  

You might have heard that this member of the Rat Pack joined the Church of Satan for a few years beginning in 1968. Apparently he wasn’t just fine about people knowing but wanted to spread the word because in 1972 he managed to sell NBC on a pilot where he would play a demon who has to go around convincing people to sell their soul to Satan (played by a perfectly cast Christopher Lee).

His primary target is played by Jack Klugman – then in the middle of his run as Oscar on The Odd Couple, to show how much he was putting on the line by attaching his name to a sitcom that portrayed a demon sympathetically. As surprising as it is that such a show ever got a green light in the 1970s and made it to air, it’s probably not so surprising that it never made it to series. Probably didn’t help that instead of airing it more sensibly on Halloween it premiered on Valentine’s Day.

2. Queen for a Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YW-uv3Ibm8

The following program would sound like something out of some especially grim science fiction dystopia except that as Stephanie Buck wrote for Timeline, it was a real program that ruled the airwaves from 1956 to 1964. It was a game show on NBC Universal hosted by television bit player Jack Bailey, although not so much a game in the Jeopardy! sense as in the Hunger Games sense.

The nature of the show was that the contestants would tell audiences their financial troubles in hopes of garnering enough sympathy to win, through written ballots, some variety of prize from the show’s sponsors that would hopefully lift them out of poverty. Not conventionally fabulous prizes: Things like artificial legs, lessons for a beauty school, or a year’s supply of baby food. One woman of the several who had to fly out at their own expense per episode would be given the prize per episode. Even at the time it was well understood how emotionally exploitative this was, with the show and its knockoffs known as “misery shows” or “sob shows.”

1. Twilight Zone’s Pro-Child Marriage Episode

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5rotr2

In the third season episode The Fugitive, the story is about a kid named Jenny with leg braces and her aged friend Old Ben. Jenny lives with her aunt in a small apartment. One day, after Ben and Jenny play a ball game with some friends and it’s revealed that two agents show up. They use some kind of sci-fi/magic device to put Jenny in a coma. Ben then heals her, and heals her legs (which involves removing her leg braces and socks), and then it’s revealed when the agents show up that he’s actually a runaway king and the two agents are there to bring him back to his planet, which will mean he has to abandon Jenny.

After the agents give them a moment alone to say goodbye, they come back and see that Ben has turned himself into Jenny, meaning they have to bring both of them back to their planet. Serling then shows up to do the outro while sitting on Jenny’s bed and tells us that Jenny will become “an honest to goodness queen,” and shows us a photo of what Ben supposedly looks like, and Ben’s actually a handsome young man. It’s literally a happy ending where a girl is taken from her home and marries the much older man who’s known her since she was maybe eight-years-old.

You might think that since this was way back in 1962 that this might have just been the product of a more innocent time. But considering that the issue of age of consent had been a controversy even back in the late 19th century and was still a controversial topic in 1939 when the exploitation film Child Bride was released, the episode was clearly made at a time when such portrayals would have been at least decades out of fashion. It’s bewildering how censors, producers, and network executives all could have failed to see what a creatively blinkered episode this was.