When we explore 10 intriguing cases of single combat, we travel back to the very origins of warfare itself. Single combat, a duel between two warriors fought amid larger battles, often decided the fate of entire armies. Sometimes it was a pragmatic way to spare countless lives; other times it was pure personal glory or a desperate bid for survival. Below, we count down ten of the most dramatic one‑on‑one clashes ever recorded.

10 Intriguing Cases of Single Combat

10 John Smith

John Smith is best remembered for founding Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, yet his early career reads like an adventure novel. Before crossing the Atlantic, he roamed Europe as a hired sword, fighting in a string of campaigns that took him from the Low Countries to the Balkans.

During the Transylvanian siege of Alba Iulia, Smith found himself drawn into three separate duels. A Turkish officer had challenged any Christian commander to single combat; Smith answered the gauntlet, meeting the foe in the no‑man’s land. He dispatched the first challenger swiftly, then faced a pistol duel and finally a battle‑axe bout, emerging victorious each time and beheading each opponent.

His triple triumph earned him knighthood from the Transylvanian prince, who emblazoned the three Turkish heads on Smith’s coat of arms as a lasting reminder of his daring feats.

9 Ben Jonson And Gabriel Spenser

John Smith isn’t the only famed Brit who ever stepped into a duel. In September 1598, the celebrated playwright and actor Ben Jonson squared off against fellow thespian Gabriel Spenser in the fields of Shoreditch. The precise cause of the confrontation remains a mystery, but the clash was undeniably lethal.

The duel was fought with swords, and Jonson delivered a fatal stab to Spenser’s right side. Though dueling was common among Elizabethan gentlemen, Jonson’s victory landed him in serious legal trouble; he was arrested for manslaughter and faced the gallows. He escaped execution by invoking “benefit of clergy,” a medieval privilege that placed literate clerics beyond secular jurisdiction.

8 Robert The Bruce And Henry De Bohun

At the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn, Scottish king Robert the Bruce faced a formidable English force. On the first day, English knight Henry de Bohun, nephew of the Earl of Hereford, spotted the exposed Scottish monarch and charged with lance in hand.

Bruce, riding a smaller horse, expertly dodged the charge and swung his battle‑axe with such force that it cleaved Bohun’s helmet in two, splitting the knight’s skull. The blow was so powerful it snapped Bruce’s own axe, and the Scottish king is said to have exclaimed, “I have broken my good axe.” The spectacle stunned the English and helped turn the tide of the battle.

7 Marcus Marcellus And Viridomarus

Marcus Marcellus, a Roman consul famed for his aggressive tactics, earned everlasting fame during the Punic Wars. While Rome battled Carthage, Marcellus also led campaigns against the Gauls, capturing the fortified city of Syracuse along the way.

His most celebrated single combat occurred in 222 BC at the Battle of Clastidium, where he faced the Gallic king Viridomarus. Both riders, clad in ornate armor, recognized each other across the field and charged. Marcellus thrust his spear, unseating Viridomarus, then finished the king with a series of blows.

After the duel, the Roman legions routed the Gauls. Marcellus claimed Viridomarus’s armor as the coveted spolia opima, a trophy so rare that only two other Romans ever secured it.

6 Marcus Licinius Crassus And King Deldo

Marcus Licinius Crassus, grandson of the famed triumvir, carved his own niche as a shrewd military leader under Augustus. In 29 BC, the Roman empire faced an incursion by the Bastarnae tribesmen in Thrace.

Crassus masterminded an ambush that forced the Bastarnae king, Deldo, into single combat. He slew the tribal ruler, delivering a decisive blow that scattered the enemy forces. Though the feat should have earned him the prestigious spolia opima, Augustus denied the honor, fearing Crassus might leverage it against his own authority.

5 Kumagai Naozane And Taira No Atsumori

One of Japan’s most poignant duels involves the Minamoto warrior Kumagai Naozane and the youthful Taira noble Atsumori during the Gempei War (1180‑1185). The clash took place at the 1184 Battle of Ichi‑no‑Tani, where the Taira forces were in retreat.

As Atsumori attempted to swim toward a rescue boat, Kumagai shouted for him to return and fight. The two grappled on the beach; Kumagai eventually disarmed the boy, knocking his helmet off. Realizing Atsumori was only seventeen, Kumagai asked for his name, hoping to spare him. The proud Taira youth refused, insisting Kumagai take his head, and was slain.

Haunted by the killing, Kumagai later renounced the samurai path, becoming a Buddhist monk—a decision many attribute to the tragic duel.

4 Prince Mstislav And Prince Rededya

Mstislav, a Russian prince and son of Vladimir the Great, lived in the 11th century, expanding his realm and spreading Christianity across the region. His most famous duel pitted him against Rededya, a Circassian prince, during a protracted war between their peoples.

To avoid further bloodshed, Rededya suggested a single‑combat showdown. The two wrestled for hours, with Mstislav on the brink of defeat. In a moment of desperation, he prayed to the Virgin Mary, promising to erect a church if victorious. He then produced a hidden dagger, stabbing Rededya and ending the fight—an act that broke the traditional honor code but forced Rededya’s tribe to submit.

3 Miyamoto Musashi And Sasaki Kojiro

Miyamoto Musashi, arguably Japan’s greatest swordsman, amassed over sixty duels in his lifetime, often wielding a pair of blades simultaneously. His ultimate test arrived in 1612 when he faced Sasaki Kojiro, known as the “Demon of the Western Provinces,” who favored the massive two‑handed no‑dachi.

The duel unfolded on the remote Ganryū Island. Musashi arrived deliberately late, fashioning a wooden bokken from an oar to unsettle Kojiro. Infuriated, Kojiro lunged immediately, but Musashi’s swift strike to the ribs punctured Kojiro’s lung, sealing his fate. Musashi then fled the island by boat, evading the vengeful followers of his fallen opponent.

This victory cemented Musashi’s legend as the supreme duelist of Japan, later inspiring his celebrated treatise, the Book of Five Rings, and a successful career as a painter and writer.

2 Iron Herman And Guy Of Steenvoorde

On March 2 1127, Count Charles of Flanders was assassinated, sparking a frantic hunt for conspirators. One suspect, Guy of Steenvoorde, swore his innocence, prompting the skeptical knight known as Iron Herman to issue a challenge.

The two met on horseback; Herman was unseated, then felled Guy’s horse, forcing both combatants to fight on foot. According to chronicler Galbert of Bruges, they exchanged sword blows until the weight of their armor exhausted them, prompting them to discard shields and settle the dispute through sheer wrestling strength.

Guy managed to pin Herman, but Herman, with a final surge, threw Guy aside. The onlookers interpreted Guy’s defeat as proof of his guilt, and he was promptly hanged.

1 King Naresuan And Prince Mingyi Swa

In either 1592 or 1593, history records one of the most spectacular duels ever: Siamese King Naresuan faced Burmese Prince Mingyi Swa atop war elephants at the Battle of Nong Sarai. This “elephant duel” unfolded amid the larger Burmese‑Siamese wars, making it a rare royal showdown.

Na Rasuan challenged the prince, shaming him into accepting. Both monarchs rode their towering elephants, each accompanied by a crew to steer the beasts. After a fierce exchange of blows, Mingyi Swa missed a strike, while Naresuan’s sword found the prince’s shoulder, delivering a mortal wound.

The duel’s outcome—Mingyi Swa’s death—bolstered Siamese morale and is commemorated annually as Royal Thai Armed Forces Day. The episode remains a cornerstone of Thai national identity.

Brad is currently a student at Fordham University. He can be reached at [email protected].

When it comes to cinema, a handful of performers have managed to carve out achievements so singular that they stand alone in Hollywood history. These 10 remarkable achievements showcase actors who have done something no one else has—whether it’s appearing in every installment of a saga, racking up box‑office milestones across six decades, or earning awards that no peer can match. Grab some popcorn and dive into the exclusive club of singular star power.

10 Remarkable Achievements Overview

10 Anthony Daniels Is The Only Actor In All 9 Star Wars Movies

The original Star Wars saga kicked off in 1977, spawning two immediate sequels, a prequel trilogy beginning in 1999, and a sequel trilogy that wrapped up in 2019 with Rise of Skywalker. Over those 42 years, nine core episodes have been released, and only one actor has managed to appear in every single one: Anthony Daniels, the man behind the golden protocol droid C‑3PO.

Daniels never expected his brief cameo as a protocol droid to become a lifelong gig. Yet the producers kept bringing him back, and he not only reprised C‑3PO in the main saga but also turned up in the spin‑off Rogue One. Beyond the silver screen, he has voiced the droid in animated series, lent his presence to Disney World rides, and even made a cameo on The Muppets. In short, he’s the living, breathing (or beeping) embodiment of C‑3PO across every medium.

9 Sylvester Stallone Is The Only Actor To Have a Number One Movie Six Decades In A Row

Sylvester Stallone’s career reads like a masterclass in longevity. While early audiences pegged him as a hulking, not‑so‑bright action star, he surprised everyone by penning the screenplay for Rocky, a film that would become a cultural touchstone and earn him an Academy Award for writing.

What truly sets Stallone apart is his uncanny ability to headline a number‑one box‑office hit in each of six consecutive decades. The 1970s saw the debut of Rocky, a $225 million juggernaut (over $1 billion when adjusted for inflation). The 1980s brought multiple chart‑toppers, including the original Rocky sequels and the Rambo franchise.

The 1990s added the adrenaline‑filled Cliffhanger and the sci‑fi‑action blend of Demolition Man and the gritty drama Cop Land. Enter the new millennium and Stallone’s Driven topped the domestic box office, while the 2010s saw the birth of The Expendables franchise, another number‑one smash.

Finally, the 2020s cemented his record when he appeared as King Shark in Suicide Squad (2021) and later lent his talents to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), keeping the streak alive and proving that age is just a number when it comes to box‑office dominance.

8 Oscar Isaac Is The Only Actor To Have The Marvel Triple Crown

Landing a role in a comic‑book movie has become a rite of passage, but few actors have managed to cross every major Marvel licensing boundary. While Ryan Reynolds and Chris Evans have both hopped between Marvel and DC, Oscar Isaac is the sole performer to have conquered three distinct Marvel universes.

The Marvel multiverse is fragmented: Disney’s MCU, Sony’s Spider‑Man realm, and the former Fox‑owned X‑Men/Fantastic Four domain (now back under Disney). Isaac first entered the Marvel world as Apocalypse in the X‑Men series, a role that cemented his status as a formidable villain.

He later donned the mantle of Moon Knight for Disney+’s MCU series, showcasing a complex, morally ambiguous hero. In 2023, Isaac completed his Marvel trifecta by voicing Spider‑Man 2099 in Spider‑Man: Across the Spider‑Verse, following a post‑credits cameo in Into the Spider‑Verse. No other actor can claim this tri‑universe domination.

7 Will Smith Had 8 Consecutive Films Gross Over $100 Million

Box‑office success is the ultimate litmus test for a bankable star, and Will Smith has long been a poster child for that metric. Over his career, he’s amassed roughly $6.5 billion domestically, ranking him among the top‑ten most profitable leading men in Hollywood history.

What truly distinguishes Smith is his streak of eight back‑to‑back movies that each pulled in more than $100 million at the domestic box office. When you expand the view to worldwide grosses, the streak stretches to ten consecutive films surpassing $150 million. This consistency is rare; most actors dip in and out of hits, but Smith’s run showcases an unprecedented level of sustained commercial appeal.

From the early 2000s blockbusters like Men in Black and Independence Day to more recent hits such as Aladdin (2019) and Bad Boys for Life (2020), each title added another zero to his earnings tally, cementing his place in this exclusive club of box‑office royalty.

6 Jonathan Freeman Voiced Jafar In Aladdin The Movie And On Broadway

It’s not often that a performer gets to inhabit the same villainous character across both film and stage, but Jonathan Freeman pulled off exactly that feat. He first lent his voice to the scheming Jafar in Disney’s 1992 animated classic Aladdin, bringing a chilling charisma to the role.

When Disney decided to adapt the hit film for Broadway, Freeman was invited to reprise Jafar onstage, providing an authentic link between the animated and live‑theater worlds. His performance added a layer of continuity that delighted longtime fans and gave the stage production an extra dose of credibility.

Beyond the original film and the Broadway run, Freeman has kept the character alive in video games, theme‑park attractions, and several direct‑to‑video sequels, accumulating roughly three decades of Jafar‑related work—a truly unique legacy.

5 Bernard Hill Is The Only Actor To Star In More Than One Film That Won 11 Oscars

Winning eleven Academy Awards is a feat reserved for only three films in cinema history: Ben Hur, Titanic, and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Bernard Hill stands alone as the sole actor to have starred in more than one of these Oscar‑heavy productions.

Hill portrayed King Théoden in Peter Jackson’s epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, contributing to the film’s sweeping victory. He also took on the role of Captain Edward J. Smith in James Cameron’s maritime tragedy Titanic, another eleven‑Oscar winner.

While Hill’s performances aren’t the sole reason these movies amassed their trophies, his presence in two separate, record‑breaking productions underscores a rare intersection of talent and timing that few actors can claim.

4 Tom Hanks Is The Only Actor In The Army Rangers Hall Of Fame

In 2013, a national poll crowned Tom Hanks as America’s most trusted figure—a testament to his every‑man charm and consistently reliable on‑screen personas. His reputation for integrity extended beyond the silver screen when the U.S. Army Rangers inducted him into their Hall of Fame.

The honor stemmed largely from Hanks’s seminal performance in Saving Private Ryan, a film that honored the sacrifices of soldiers and highlighted the gritty realities of combat. The Rangers recognized his ability to portray the heroism and humanity of a soldier, making him the only actor ever to be enshrined in their Hall of Fame.

3 Kelsey Grammer Was Emmy Nominated For Playing The Same Character On Three Shows

Cross‑show character appearances are common in the comic‑book world, but television rarely sees a single actor earn Emmy nods for the same role across three distinct series. Kelsey Grammer achieved exactly that with his portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane.

Crane first appeared as a recurring guest on the bar‑centric sitcom Cheers, earning Grammer his inaugural Emmy nomination. The character’s popularity spurred a spin‑off, Frasier, where Grammer collected multiple additional nominations. Finally, he made a guest appearance as Crane on the sitcom Wings, which also garnered an Emmy nod, completing the unprecedented triple‑show Emmy record.

2 John Cazale Is The Only Actor Whose Entire Filmography Was Nominated For Best Picture

When measuring an actor’s impact through award recognition, John Cazale’s career stands as a shining benchmark. In just five films over a seven‑year span, every picture he appeared in earned a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards.

His résumé includes two wins—The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974)—and three additional nods: The Conversation (1974), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), and The Deer Hunter (1978), which won Best Picture as well. Beyond the Oscars, each of these titles was later selected for the National Film Registry, cementing their cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.

Tragically, Cazale was diagnosed with cancer during the filming of The Deer Hunter and passed away before its release, leaving behind a concise yet extraordinarily acclaimed body of work.

1 James Dean Is The Only Actor To Get More Than One Posthumous Oscar Nomination

Posthumous Oscar nominations are rare, yet James Dean holds the singular distinction of receiving more than one. After his untimely death, he was first honored for his performance in East of Eden, followed by a second nomination the very next year for Giant.

Dean’s cinematic legacy is built on just three films, but his impact endures. He remains the first actor to secure multiple Academy Award nominations after his passing, a testament to his lasting influence on film history.

In 1913, French agricultural engineer Max Ringelmann studied people playing tug of war. His studies resulted in the observation of the Ringelmann Effect. It posits that the more individuals or groups are involved in an action, the less effort exerted by any individual unit. After all, there’s less blame that will be put on any specific unit in the event of failure, and less credit in success. Not to mention more infighting, confusion, chokepoints, bottlenecks, and so on. As we’ll see, Ringelmann’s Effect can definitely be a valid principle. 

For the purposes of this list, the largest unit covered will be a “brigade.” In the army, a brigade is a collection of regiments (usually around four). A regiment is a group of battalions (often two) and a battalion is a group of companies, and companies are generally around 100 troops. As we’ll also see, sometimes a company is a much larger group of soldiers than what is needed to change the course of a battle, and with it, often history.   

10. The 303rd Squadron

Despite the fact the nation of Poland surrendered less than a month after Germany invaded on September 1, 1939, that was by no means the end of Polish military involvement in the Second World War. In August 1940, the 303rd Squadron was formed out of refugee pilots from the 1st Police Air Force Regiment that gathered in Blackpool, England. Trained on outmoded planes back in Poland, they took to their Hawker Hurricanes with such vigor that they shot to the top of the Royal Air Force ranking for the Battle of Britain and stayed there for essentially the duration of the war, shooting down three times the number of enemy planes for an average RAF squadron while suffering one third the casualties. On September 7, 1940 alone they shot down 14 Luftwaffe planes without suffering a single casualty. 

Plenty of experts both then and in recent years have given the 303rd Squadron credit for being the key to victory. Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding said that if it weren’t for their contribution in the Battle of Britain, “I hesitate to say the outcome would be the same.” Carl Cruff of the New England Air Museum said of the 303rd “…they were able to turn the tide of history.” Despite their amazing performance, for decades their contribution was downplayed, largely due to Poland’s presence behind the Iron Curtain increasing tensions with the British government for being unable to keep the promise of returning the Poles to their liberated homeland.     

9. Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry 

By Western standards at least, it’s not ideal for a group of soldiers to have the word “princess” in their regiment’s name, and this was particularly the case in the 1950s. The teasing very likely came to an end after the events of April 24-25, 1951. That was when the 2nd Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry was deployed to Hill 677 to defend the withdrawal of the South Korean army across the Kapyong River Valley, about 10 miles from the 38th Parallel, in response to a massive Chinese offensive. 

To show just what the 700 Canadians were up against, on April 23, the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment clashed with the Chinese and were forced to withdraw after suffering heavy losses. The next day 5,000 Chinese troops began waves of assaults on the Canadians, including under cover of night. Desperate measures were needed to hold the line, such as one wounded private needing to launch one-man counterattacks three times. At another point Lt. Michael Levy resorted to requesting Canadian artillery bombard his own position to halt an attack. Towards the end of the battle the Canadians were completely cut off, saved only by air-dropped supplies. Ultimately, their sacrifice and bravery would buy the United Nations forces time to regroup and stymie the larger Chinese offensive.      

8. 1st Tank Brigade

Let’s talk about, by far, the most recent events on this list. It’s time to turn our attention to Chernihiv, a city in Ukraine roughly 60 miles north of Kiev. When the Russian Invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, this brigade of roughly 150 tanks and 1,200 troops was the only force that stood between the city of 230,000 people and the Russian 41st Combined Arms Group, which included more than 10 battalions. As early as February 25, the 1st Brigade had brought the 41st to a standstill. 

By March 6, the greatly outnumbered brigade was being predicted to surrender as its supply lines were in danger of encirclement. Instead, it not only held out, but suffered much lower casualties than expected and managed the feat of shooting down Russian aircraft. By March 23, having suffered 10,000 casualties, the 41st had fallen back to change strategy, handing the Ukrainians a surprise victory. 

7. The Cavalry Reserve at Poitiers

Now that relatively current events are out of the way, this next entry is going to the other end of the timeline and taking us to the Middle Ages. As far as major battles of the Hundred Years War (1340-1457) go, the 1356 CE Battle of Poitiers is often overshadowed by the Battle of Crécy a decade earlier, and the Battle of Agincourt half a century later. After the end of the 10-year ceasefire in the wake of the milestone victory at Crécy, an English force of 12,000 under the command of Prince Edward “The Black” raided into central France. They were caught by an army of 40,000 French under the command of King John II, and despite an attempted retreat on Prince Edward’s part, on September 19 the battle began. 

While the longbowmen once again had a devastating effect on the French – just as they had at Crécy – this time it was by no means such a lopsided fight. Attacking in three main waves, they threatened to break the English army. Edward sent a force of 160 cavalrymen around the French army, which spread a panic among the French that they were being surrounded. This sneak attack resulted in a rout so bad that King John II was captured, his ransom not paid until 1360.  

6. Zvika Force    

In 1973, Syria invaded Israel near the Golan Heights. One man who was determined to stop them was 21-year-old Zvika Greengold. He had finished hitchhiking to Nafekh Base and was sent to collect wounded from two damaged Centurion tanks. Instead, Goldman and company repaired the tanks and intercepted a Syrian column in Russian T-55s. After knocking six enemy tanks out of commission, Zvika Force switched to the other tank to continue the fight, bluffing masses of Syrian tanks and their own Israeli superiors, and convincing them that there simply had to be more than one tank out there taking on dozens of enemies. 

Eventually Zvika Force joined a group of a dozen other tanks. While fighting more than 100 additional tanks, Zvika Force repeatedly had to defend Nafekh by itself. In the end, it was 30 hours before Zvika and company left their Centurion tank, having bought more than enough time to reinforce the base and stop the invasion. The story was later heavily criticized for being propaganda. To be sure, there was some exaggeration of his exploits. For example, some reports swelled the number of kills Zvika Force inflicted to 60 tanks, which Greengold himself said was nonsense. Still, the heroism of this skeleton tank crew was not to be denied. 

5. Beale’s Rifle Company 

The popular image of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans is basically redcoat soldiers marching to be shot en masse by Americans while inflicting negligible casualties in response, and two weeks after the war was over to boot. But that famously misguided charge was the end result of several engagements that began in December 1814, and earlier in the battle things had been going much more favorably for the British. In the first clash, the British captured five American gunships at Lake Borgne and took the initiative. 

Then on the night of December 23, 1814, the British infantry encountered Beale’s Rifle Company at the Villere Plantation. Although the battle ended in a stalemate and the casualties were about even, British morale was badly shaken and further attacks were delayed, giving plenty of time to reinforce the defenses for when the British launched their famous doomed attack on January 8 the next year. Unusually for a group that so greatly distinguished themselves in a rough fight, Beale’s Rifle Company was composed of merchants and lawyers. Twenty years after the battle, the members were provided land grants.  

4. Rosecrans at Rich Mountain

On July 11, 1861, early in the American Civil War, a Northern army under General George McClellan stood opposite a Southern army under General Robert Garnett at Rich Mountain, Virginia. The Southerners were defending two Appalachian mountain passes and the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, which would be instrumental if the Confederacy wanted to end the break away of northwestern Virginia counties. McClellan sent a brigade of troops under General William Rosencrans to flank the Confederates. Rosecrans did so, then launched an attack as ordered.

As reported by veteran John Beatty in his 1879 memoir The Citizen Soldier, McClellan and his troops could easily hear the battle going on in the enemy’s rear, and the troops were waiting for McClellan to order the attack be pressed home. But McClellan decided to forgo any such attack because he believed Rosencrans was beyond saving. In fact, Rosencrans’s brigade had defeated the southerners and captured half of their army. 

3. 8th Hussar Cavalry

On January 22, 1795, Holland was at war with France as the French Revolutionary Wars were raging. A fleet of fourteen Dutch ships froze in the waters near Hexel Island, roughly 50 miles north of Amsterdam. Well-armed, the vessels were ready for an attack by ships from unfrozen waters or by artillery bombardment.

So, General Jean-Charles Pichergu turned to a more unusual weapon for battling gunboats, and ordered a cavalry charge on the ships. The 8th Hussar Cavalry caught the ships so completely off guard that they surrendered faster than the French had dared hope in one of the more unusual events in military history. 

2. Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon

When the Wehrmacht launched its final Blitzkrieg on December 18, 1944 to begin the Battle of the Bulge, the I&R Platoon of the 394th Infantry Regiment near Lanzerath, Belgium were just 18 men, a group led by a 20-year-old Lieutenant Lyle Bouck. After spotting the approach of the 1st SS Panzer Division, the platoon’s communications with high command were cut by a two hour artillery bombardment, and a group of more than 250 organized paratroopers attacked. Unfortunately for the attackers, the platoon had already received their orders to hold at all costs. 

Over the course of the next day, the platoon inflicted 200 enemy casualties and stalled the advance for most of a day until 50 paratroopers successfully organized a flanking attack at dusk. Amazingly they only suffered one wounded casualty when Bouck was shot in the leg and one death. The Battle of Lanzerath would provide such an invaluable delay that it knocked practically the entire northern German attack off schedule by 18 hours, allowing massively better preparation for defenses and organizing counterattacks. It wouldn’t be until 1981 that the remarkable stand was recognized and the platoon became the most heavily decorated of the US military.     

1. The Lost Battalion

Speaking of battles between Americans and Germans that came down to a huge degree to the actions of one small group, on October 2, 1918, 700 soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 308th Infantry under Major Charles Whittlesley attacked the Germans along the Charlevaux Ravine in the Argonne Forest. While units on either of their flanks stalled, those nine companies reached their objective (by some accounts through a breakthrough, by others because the Germans lured them in through an ordered withdrawal) and then were cut off by the 2nd Landwehr Division. Over the next five days the battalion was subjected to almost relentless sniping, machine-gunning, and attacks.  

Not only did those isolated troops face countless attacks by a vastly superior force alone, the one point where they got support from the rest of the Allied army, it actually helped the German Army. On October 4, the 152nd Field Artillery Brigade began a bombardment of the area in an attempt to relieve the battalion, but due to faulty information their shells overwhelmingly landed on their fellow troops, killing 30 of them.

The Germans were well aware of this, and when the Americans sent pigeons back to command to call for an end to the bombardment, the German snipers gunned them down. The one pigeon that got through arrived with a wound from a German bullet. The end of the bombardment meant the resumption of German assaults, but even out of food and low on ammo they were able to repulse the attacks, and the attempt to destroy the battalion tied down the German troops sufficiently for the rest of the American offensive to break through. Only less than 200 came out of the battle still able-bodied, having done much to bring about the end of the First World War the month after.   

Dustin Koski wrote Return of the Living, a postapocalyptic supernatural comedy.

What is the most remarkable thing you have ever done in a single day? What is your proudest achievement? Many of us accomplish great things in our lives, but they are often the result of a process. For example, being the first person in your family to go to college, writing a novel, or traveling the world. All of these are great accomplishments, but condensing an achievement into a single day is much harder. Some people, however, are able to do this in ways that are entirely unbelievable.

10. Indian Singer SPB Recorded 21 Songs in One Day

Indian singer SPB was a man dedicated to his craft. Real name Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam, he holds a World Record for recording 40,000 songs in 16 languages which is a feat that is honestly hard to wrap your head around. But he didn’t stop there.

His 40,000 songs was obviously over a lifetime as a singer. But even in a single day he was doing amazing things. He also managed to record 21 songs in a single day, actually in just a 12 hour span, back in 1981. He also managed to record 19 Tamil songs in one day and 16 Hindi songs in one day. He was also the voice of countless actors in Bollywood scenes when they were required to do singing.

9. Charles Servizio Did Over 46,000 Pushups in a Day

How many pushups would you say you can do? Or what do you think the average number is? Some super fitness gurus can drop down and crank out 1,000 pushups at the drop of a hat. But according to one survey, more than half of Americans can’t pull off 10 push-ups in a row. Worse, more than a third would struggle to do 5 in a row. All of that makes Charles Servizio sound even more impressive.

In 1993, Servizio broke a Guinness World Record by performing 46,001 pushups in 24 hours. That’s 1,916 pushups per hour. That’s about 32 every minute. While the record for pushups in an hour has been broken many times and people have surpassed Servizio’s hour record, the 24-hour has stood for three decades.

8. Ben Feldman Sold $20 Million Worth of Insurance in One Day

Ben Feldman’s legacy is either as the most amazing salesman of all time or a somewhat tragic tale of a man who was way, way too into his work. Who knows, maybe it’s both. In any event. Feldman goes down in the history books as the nearly mythical insurance salesman who managed to sell $20 million worth of insurance in one day.

Feldman did things as an insurance salesman that boggle the mind. If $20 million in a day isn’t good enough for you, know that he sold $100 million in a year once. He sold $1.5 billion in his lifetime. He was making $1 million per year in commissions. He personally sold more than whole companies. In the 1970s, he personally sold more insurance than 1,500 of the insurance companies in America. The man was basically Insurance Superman.

How does a man get to be a sales dynamo? That part is harder to understand. Word is that Feldman was so shy he once gave a talk at a seminar behind a screen so he didn’t have to see the crowd. But it sounds like he also did little else. 

He researched life insurance from 10 to midnight before bed every night. He worked 12 hour days, 6 and even 7 days a week and, if nothing else, it definitely paid off as he proved himself to be a defining force in life insurance that arguably changed the entire landscape. Before Feldman, most insurance companies wouldn’t insure people for more than $50,000 on the grounds no one needed that much insurance.

7. Sweden Switched 360,000 Streets from Left to Right in a Day

One of the most noticeable differences between the UK and North America is how people drive. Brits drive on the left side of the road. This holdout from a bygone era still happens in former British colonies. They drive on the left in New Zealand, in South Africa, and in Matla. In fact, 76 countries drive on the left while 163 stick to the right. 

Sweden was once a left side country, but they made the switch to the right in 1967. And it happened in a single day. The entire country made a flip covering 360,000 streets and 60,000 miles of road. It happened at 4:50 in the morning when all traffic was stopped for 10 minutes to make the switch. And when it was done, everyone drove on the right. It sounds preposterously simple on paper, but it was not. 

The switch took four years worth of planning and as much as £80 million. Overnight, 350,000 street signs were changed. It took the work of soldiers, police and volunteers, over 200,000 of them in total, to make it happen in that one day. The switch was done, in part, to help prevent accidents. Most Swedish drivers had foreign cars with steering on the left, making driving on the left more confusing. 

6. Will Ferrell Played for 10 MLB Teams in One Day

The record for playing for most MLB teams in a single day isn’t even one that makes sense because why would anyone need to play for more than one team in a day? At best it seems like a strange trade could have resulted in a player being on two teams in a day like Joel Youngblood in 1982. Luckily, Will Ferrell is not really a player and a lot of what he does is weird, so it does make a strange kind of sense after the fact. Ferrell holds a record for playing for 10 MLB teams in one day. 

In 2015, actor Will Ferrell went out for spring training as part of an HBO special being filmed for Funny or Die alongside Major League Baseball. The show was to support cancer research, so the MLB let Ferrell suit up with 10 different teams over the course of the day and play literally every position on the field. He had to be transported by helicopter to five different stadiums to pull it off.

By the end of the day Ferrell has been an Angel, an Athletic, a Cub, a Diamondback, a Dodger, a Giant, a Mariner, a Padre, a Red Sock, and a White Sock.  

5. The First Minnesota Regiment Had the Biggest Single Day Loss of Life of Any US Regiment

While a positive single day achievement is always laudable, sometimes something can be noteworthy for how awful it was. That was the case of the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. 

The regiment had proven its valor in more than one battle before Gettysburg, but it was that historic battle that would prove their mettle and also write them into the history books. It’s been said that, if not for the 1st Minnesota, the Union would have lost Gettysburg.

It was July 2, and the Union was being pushed back by Confederate forces who outnumbered them considerably. Reinforcements were a ways off yet and Union General Sickles, an untested leader, had made a foolish move without orders, creating a gap in Union lines that the Confederate forces exploited. There were very few veteran soldiers on site to try to hold back the enemy except for the battle tested 1st Minnesota. They’d started the war 1,000 men strong but, after three prior battles, they were down to 262. 

Sickles’ move had all but doomed the Union. The fear was, if the Confederate Army would storm the rest of the Union and the war would effectively be lost. The 1st Minnesota was ordered to plug the gap against six-to-one odds. All they needed was five minutes for reinforcements to arrive.

The 262 men pushed onward knowing they were being sent to their deaths. They fought hard and their flag fell five times, each time being raised by someone new. By the end, 215 men had died, a total of 82% of the entire regiment. It remains, to this day, the biggest loss of life by any regiment in a single day of combat. They held for 15 minutes, turning the tide of the battle for the Union.

4. Mosquitoes Kill More People Per Day Than Sharks Did in 100 Years

The humble mosquito, one of the greatest pests known to man. They’re small, they’re a nuisance, and they exist in every country on Earth except in the Antarctic and, curiously, Iceland. That makes them incredibly hard to escape. They’re also prolific killers. Mosquitoes will kill more people in one single day than sharks have over the last 100 years.

In 2016, about 1,470 deaths could be attributed to mosquitos per day. This is thanks to the number of deadly diseases which mosquitoes can transfer to humans, including malaria. On the other hand, between 1916 and 2016, sharks managed to kill just 1,035 humans. 

Changing climate has been making conditions for mosquitoes more hospitable and it’s believed that, in the future, the gap between mosquitoes and sharks is only going to grow as mosquitoes become more and more deadly. In 2018, mosquitoes killed 830,000 people which averages to about 2,274 per day. 

3. 4.5 million Thin Mints are Baked for Girl Scouts Per Day

Every year the Girl Scouts roll out their annual cooking selling campaign and people go nuts for them. Thin Mints seem to be the most popular making up 25% of all cookies sold and to meet demand, a lot of cookies need to be produced. 

To keep up with the Thin Mint demand, 4.5 million Thin Mints are baked per day at the height of cookie demand. Considering the girls sell as many as 200 million boxes of cookies, the volume is clearly necessary.

2. Martian Moon Orbits Lead to More than Three Eclipses a Day

Science fiction TV shows and movies often hit a little speed bump when trying to discuss time in an intergalactic way, especially with alien species. When you refer to a day or a year, it’s based entirely on how we tell time on Earth. A year is how long it takes the planet to rotate around the sun. That would mean nothing to an alien. Every planet in our solar system has varying lengths of time for what would be one of their years. Mars, in particular, can get a lot of things done because of how lunar rotation works there.

On Earth, we have around four to seven eclipses per year. On Mars, you get an average of 3.2 every day thanks to how fast the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos orbit the planet. Though the moons are too small to fully block the sun, they still pass it. Phobos orbits every 7.65 hours and Deimos every 30.35 hours.

1. A Chinese Container Ship Produces as Much Pollution in One Day as 500,000 Trucks

A modern container ship can be as much as 1,320 feet long. It takes a lot of power to move a ship that size, laden down with hundreds of tons of shipping containers, and that means burning a lot of fuel. In China, just one of these massive shipping containers will put out as much pollution in a day as 500,000 trucks on the road.

The fuel used by these ships in China is also some of the lowest quality diesel with high levels of contaminants. Sulfur levels are 35 times higher than what would be permitted at ports in Los Angeles. It’s been estimated that the pollution caused by things like these container ships contributes to 1.2 million premature deaths.