As the Netflix Stranger Things series gears up for another season, the web is buzzing with fan‑crafted explanations and wild speculation. With a legion of devoted viewers, it’s no surprise that countless theories circulate about the Upside Down, the motives of the characters, and the creative choices of the Duffer twins. The show, created by the identical Duffer Brothers—who also serve as executive producers and are self‑declared sci‑fi junkies—has attracted an eclectic cast, including Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, Sean Astin as Bob Newby, and David Harbour as Jim Hopper.^[1]

Below, we dive into ten of the most intriguing fan‑generated theories that have kept the conversation alive during the long wait for the next installment. Whether you’re a die‑hard theorist or just love a good mystery, these ideas will make you see Hawkins in a whole new light.

10 Theories About Stranger Things: Fan Speculation Overview

10 It’s All A Game

One of the most popular ideas proposes that the entire series is, at its core, a massive tabletop role‑playing session. Early on, we catch a glimpse of this when Mike (Finn Wolfhard) pleads with his mother to let him finish his latest Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign. Proponents argue that what follows on screen is essentially the boys living out that very campaign in real time.

Dungeons & Dragons, the iconic fantasy game where participants guide characters through perilous quests, supplies a lexicon that fans repeatedly hear throughout Seasons 1 and 2. Creatures such as the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer are straight out of the game’s monster manuals. The most compelling piece of evidence appears when Will (Noah Schnapp) encounters the Demogorgon during his D&D session—the same creature that drags him into the Upside Down.

In short, the bizarre events could simply be an elaborate product of the boys’ imagination, a shared fantasy world that blurs the line between game and reality.

9 Stranger Things And Stephen King

Another compelling theory suggests that Stranger Things exists somewhere within Stephen King’s literary universe. The eerie atmosphere of Hawkins mirrors the unsettling settings that King frequently crafts.

Notice the similarity in typography between the series’ title and many of King’s book covers. Eleven’s psychic abilities evoke characters like Carrie or Charlie from Firestarter. Moreover, several of King’s novels revolve around groups of four male friends—think The Body or Dreamcatcher—a clear parallel to Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will. The misty, other‑worldly realm in King’s The Mist also feels akin to the Upside Down, both stemming from clandestine experiments that tear open a parallel dimension.

8 A Vampire

This theory stretches the imagination a bit: fans speculate that Bob Newby is, in fact, a vampire. According to the hypothesis, Bob isn’t truly dead; instead, he’s a head‑vampire desperate for darkness to roam freely.

The notion bears a striking resemblance to the vibe of The Lost Boys. If you squint hard enough, Bob’s appearance even echoes Max’s look from that film. Supporters also point to Bob’s Halloween costume—dressed as a vampire—as a subtle hint toward his true nature.

It’s certainly a wild take, and whether you buy it or not, it adds an extra layer of intrigue to an already mysterious character.

7 It’s A Fungus

One theory posits that the terrifying monsters of the Upside Down are actually fungal organisms. This would explain the rapid, invasive spread of the otherworldly realm, as fungi are among the fastest‑propagating life forms on Earth, thriving on decay—much like the creatures we see.

Further support comes from the hive‑mind behavior exhibited by the monsters, suggesting they operate as a collective entity, much like a mycelial network. The creatures also recoil from intense heat, mirroring the temperature‑sensitivity of many fungi, as demonstrated when the characters try to “sweat” the evil out of Will.

6 Hopper’s Daughter Was Also Experimented On

This intriguing hypothesis explores the possibility that Officer Jim Hopper’s missing daughter was not truly dead, but rather became another test subject in the secret lab that created Eleven.

Given that the girl is called Eleven, it implies a series of numbered experiments—from One through Ten. We know Eight appears in Season 2, so it’s plausible that Hopper’s daughter could be one of the unseen Nine. If she were part of the same program, she might still be trapped within the Upside Down, adding another heartbreaking layer to Hopper’s backstory.

5 Eleven Is Hopper’s Daughter

Building on the previous idea, some fans argue that Eleven herself is actually Hopper’s biological daughter. The theory suggests that the lab’s memory‑altering techniques might have stolen his child, replacing her with the story of a cancer death.

While this raises questions—how could Hopper not recognize his own daughter?—the narrative does hint that the lab performed extensive memory manipulation. At the very least, Hopper does adopt Eleven by the end of Season 2, making her his daughter in a legal sense, if not biologically.

4 The Upside Down Is Eleven’s Dreams

Another theory suggests that the Upside Down might be nothing more than a manifestation of Eleven’s subconscious. Proponents argue that her traumatic past could have forced her mind to construct a nightmarish alternate reality as a coping mechanism.

In this view, the grotesque world reflects her inner turmoil, and her powerful psychic abilities give her the ability to shape that realm. An additional twist posits that if Hopper’s daughter is undergoing chemotherapy, the Upside Down could be a drug‑induced hallucination, a feverish dreamscape generated by potent medication.

3 Eleven Is The Monster

Some fans go as far as to claim that Eleven herself might actually be the monster haunting Hawkins. She even hints at this possibility in the season finale.

The Upside Down mirrors our world, and it’s conceivable that Eleven’s duplicate in that realm could be the very creature we fear. This would explain why she can recognize victims like Will and Barb—her monster counterpart has already seen them.

The Demogorgon’s two‑headed design, borrowed from D&D lore, suggests a constant internal conflict, which could symbolize Eleven’s struggle between her human side and a darker, monstrous nature.

2 Bob Is From Derry, Maine

This theory weaves together Stephen King references and Bob Newby’s backstory, proposing that Bob hails from Derry, Maine—the infamous setting of King’s novel IT.

Bob mentions a childhood fear of clowns, which mirrors the terror of Pennywise. He also suggests moving the group to Maine, reinforcing the connection. Chronologically, Bob would have been a child in the 1950s when the events of IT took place, making it plausible that he grew up in the same town before settling in Hawkins.

Adding a fun coincidence, the actor who portrays Mike also appears in the 2017 IT remake, delivering the identical line: “Holy sh—t, what happened to you?”

1 Alien

The final theory takes a sci‑fi turn, noting the eerie resemblance between a mysterious egg in the Upside Down and the iconic alien eggs from the Alien franchise.

When Joyce and Hopper traverse the shadowy world in search of Will, they stumble upon a large, yellow, veined, web‑covered egg. Its design is reminiscent of the xenomorph eggs seen in Ridley Scott’s movies.

Fans wonder whether the egg is a distant relative of the alien specimens, or perhaps a clue that the Upside Down harbors its own extraterrestrial lifeforms. The mystery remains unsolved until the next season reveals the truth.

When we talk about 10 people stranger than the fictional characters they inspired, the first thing to remember is that stories love tidy logic while real life revels in chaos. Writers often mine the quirkiest personalities for material, but for these ten individuals, the authors missed the mark entirely. Though the literary legends they helped birth are wildly imaginative, they pale in comparison to the outlandish, sometimes macabre, realities of the very people who sparked them.

Why These 10 People Stranger Than Their Fictional Counterparts Matter

10 Alfredo Balli Trevino

Thomas Harris chanced upon his next muse quite by accident. While dispatching his magazine crew to interview Monterey Prison inmate Dykes Askew Simmons, Harris learned that Simmons owed his survival to Dr. Alfredo Balli Trevino, a surgeon who had stepped in during a botched escape attempt. Harris, assuming Trevino was merely a prison staff member, was stunned to discover the doctor was actually a fellow inmate with a gruesome past.

It takes a devilishly dark individual to inspire the world’s most infamous cannibalistic killer. In 1959, Trevino gruesomely slit the throat of his lover, Jesus Castillo Rangel, with a scalpel. This chilling blend of articulate sophistication and blood‑stained hands gave Thomas Harris the perfect template for the suave yet savage Hannibal Lecter. By contrast, the fictional Lecter, however murderous, appears relatively genteel.

Setting aside the murder, Trevino also wielded his surgical skill for benevolent ends. After his release, he devoted himself to caring for the elderly and impoverished, refusing any payment. Patients repeatedly praised him as “a good guy.” He spent his twilight years quietly tending to those who needed his expertise most.

9 Daniel Ruettiger

Unlike the other entries, Daniel Ruettiger never acquired a fictional alter ego. The 1993 biographical football film “Rudy” turned his name into a universal shorthand for anyone who chases a dream against all odds. Ironically, the real Rudy created a few of those obstacles himself.

Capitalizing on his newfound emblem of perseverance, Ruettiger launched a sports‑drink line called “Rudy Nutrition.” The venture, however, turned out to be a sham; the company inflated its penny‑stock value through fraudulent statements and ultimately siphoned roughly $11 million from investors. The scheme unraveled in 2008, and the “Rudy Nutrition” brand collapsed shortly thereafter.

8 Dennis Ketcham

Dennis Ketcham never enjoyed the carefree childhood of his cartoon counterpart. Inspired by his son’s mischievous antics, Hank Ketcham created the iconic comic strip “Dennis the Menace,” which immortalized a little terror who forever tormented neighbor Mr. Wilson. Naming the strip after his own child sowed a deep rift within the family.

In 1959, Hank and his wife Alice divorced, and later that same year Alice suffered a fatal overdose at the age of 41. Hank attempted to cope by marrying Jo Anne Stevens and relocating the family to Geneva. While Dennis attended boarding schools abroad, his father remained in Europe, further straining their bond.

By 1966, Dennis enlisted in the Marine Corps and served in Vietnam, where he later developed post‑traumatic stress disorder. He spent the remainder of his life shuffling between low‑skill jobs, and the only time he ever contacted his father again was to request a share of the money earned from his name.

7 Ebenezer Lennox Scroggie

Charles Dickens’ most memorable miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, owes his creation to a simple misreading. While wandering through a foggy cemetery, Dickens spotted the tombstone of Ebenezer Lennox Scroggie, which bore the inscription “Meal Man,” referencing his work as a corn‑miller. Dickens, struggling with dyslexia, mistook it for “Mean Man,” and the notion of a cold, unloved curmudgeon took root, birthing the iconic Scrooge.

The real Scroggie was anything but stingy. He was a flamboyant bachelor who scandalized his peers, impregnating a servant in a graveyard and even grabbing a countess’s buttocks, prompting the Church of Scotland to intervene. His most lasting contribution, however, was gifting William Smellie the concept for a comprehensive encyclopedia, which became the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica.

6 John Maher

J. M. Barrie’s 1904 play “Peter Pan” introduced the relentless Captain Hook, forever haunted by the ticking crocodile, Tick‑Tock, a vivid reminder of mortality. The real‑life counterpart, Reverend John Maher, bore a literal hook where his left hand should have been, a result of a convincing carriage‑accident story that kept prying eyes at bay.

Maher spent his days delivering sermons in the quiet village of Brede, but his past was far from pious. A former partner’s blackmail drove him to the brink of madness, exposing a hidden chapter of his life.

Before his clerical career, Maher captained a pirate crew in the West Indies alongside a man named Smith. After a bitter fallout, Maher abandoned Smith on a deserted island. Smith survived, swore revenge, and later threatened to reveal Maher’s secret past, pushing the reverend into a spiral of guilt. Barrie softened this dark tale into the whimsical rivalry between Captain Hook and his sidekick Smee.

10 Bizarre People Behind Everyday Words

5 Sam Sheppard

The television series “The Fugitive” and its 1993 film adaptation portray Dr. Richard Kimble as an innocent man desperately trying to clear his name after being falsely accused of murdering his wife. The real‑life mystery surrounding Marilyn Reese Sheppard’s death in 1954 remains ambiguous, but this section focuses on the life of Dr. Sam Sheppard after his acquittal.

Seeking to project the image of a perfect husband, Sheppard married Adriane Tabbenjohanns, a German who was half‑sister to the wife of Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels. When two of Sheppard’s patients died under his care, Adriane promptly divorced him.

Plagued by depression, Sheppard turned to alcohol and a flamboyant career as a professional wrestler, adopting the moniker “The Killer.” Over 40 matches later, he met his final wife—a 19‑year‑old daughter of his wrestling coach. Their marriage was brief, and at 46, Dr. Sheppard succumbed to liver failure.

4 William Hickman

In the late 1920s, William Hickman’s crime spree shocked the nation. From torturing animals as a child to robbing gas stations and drugstores, his criminal résumé grew increasingly violent, culminating in the kidnapping and murder of 12‑year‑old Marion Parker.

Hickman demanded $1,500 from banker Perry Parker for the safe return of his daughter. Despite the ransom’s promise, Marion had already been strangled with a towel. Hickman staged the corpse at the drop site to appear alive, and by the time Perry discovered the grim reality, the murderer had vanished.

Ayn Rand famously labeled Hickman a “superman,” admiring his ruthless individualism. She drew upon his cold efficiency for characters such as Danny Renaham in “The Little Street,” and his philosophy echoed in later creations like Howard Roark in “The Fountainhead” and John Galt in “Atlas Shrugged.”

3 Robert Leroy Ripley

Robert Leroy Ripley’s name is practically synonymous with the bizarre. As the creator of the “Believe It or Not!” cartoon series, he traveled to more than 200 countries, amassing a staggering collection of oddities. Backed by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, his private island displayed shrunken heads, exotic beasts, and a dried‑out whale penis, among other curiosities, all intended to amuse his self‑dubbed “harem” of women.

Despite his unconventional looks—a balding head and jutting teeth that made certain letters hard to pronounce—Ripley’s charm endured. In the 1930s, Warner Brothers introduced the cartoon character Egghead, who mimicked Ripley’s speech impediment and catchphrase “I don’t believe it.” Egghead later evolved into the beloved Looney Tunes hunter Elmer Fudd.

2 Jean Ross

Jean Ross never achieved fame in her own right; instead, she became immortalized through fiction. A cabaret singer in Berlin’s Weimar era, she caught the eye of writer Christopher Isherwood, who based his 1937 novella “Sally Bowles” on her. Subsequent adaptations, most famously Liza Minnelli’s Oscar‑winning performance in Bob Fosse’s 1972 film “Cabaret,” cemented her image as a sexually adventurous but mediocre vocalist.

Defying the ditzy stereotype, Ross fled rising Nazism and became a left‑wing journalist for Britain’s “Daily Worker.” George Orwell accused her and her husband, Claud Cockburn, of covert propaganda for Stalin’s regime. Nevertheless, Ross’s war correspondence during the Spanish Civil War placed her at the heart of frontline bombings, providing vivid, harrowing accounts of human suffering.

1 John Chapman

Johnny Appleseed’s legend varies wildly, but one constant thread is his uncanny communion with nature—a trait that proved both his most accurate and most bizarre attribute.

Chapman’s motivations were far from botanical altruism. Fueled by a potent mix of drunken bravado and a sense of divine mission, he planted apple trees across the Midwest not merely to spread fruit but to claim land and produce booze for his own consumption.

In his twenties, after a horse kicked him in the head, Chapman performed a crude self‑lobotomy, removing a chunk of his brain. This altered state may explain his reported conversations with angels. He also propagated the teachings of the Church of Swedenborg, claiming “spiritual intercourse” with celestial beings while remaining celibate—except for his claimed angelic liaisons.

Disney later sanitized his story, omitting the more scandalous details, such as his alleged drunken trysts with ghosts. Yet the true Chapman was a wild, half‑mad figure whose legacy intertwines folklore with unsettling personal mythology.

About The Author: The greatest fictional character Nate Yungman ever wrote was his social‑media persona. To follow his musings, find him on Twitter @nateyungman or drop him an email at [email protected].

Top 10 things reveal how deserts hide some of the planet’s most baffling secrets, from ancient art etched in sand to covert military outposts that even Area 51 can’t out‑shine. Grab your sun‑hat and let’s wander through the driest corners of Earth, where the unexpected thrives.

Why These Top 10 Things Matter

10 A Huge Happy Cat

The Nazca Desert of Peru earned worldwide fame decades ago when researchers first uncovered its massive ground drawings. Among the spirals, monkeys, and hummingbirds, a new figure appeared in 2020 that delighted cat lovers everywhere.

Carved into a cliffside, the feline stretches 37 metres (about 120 feet) long, reclining on its back as if begging for a belly rub. Its relaxed pose sets it apart from the more formal, angular designs that dominate the Nazca palette.

One reason for its simplicity may be age: at roughly 2,000 years old, this kitty is the oldest geoglyph in the region. Early artisans likely struggled with precision, producing a more rudimentary outline that later creators refined into the intricate masterpieces we see today.

9 Ice Filled With Life

Ice belongs in polar realms, not arid ones—yet deserts at high altitude and extreme dryness can sprout fields of razor‑sharp ice called “penitentes.” These towering blades can reach human height and glitter under the sun.

In 2019, scientists sampled a penitente field in Chile’s Atacama Desert and discovered startling red patches within the ice. Across the globe, such coloration usually signals living microbes, a phenomenon never before documented in these desert ice formations.

Laboratory analysis identified the red specks as snow algae, relatives of the hardy organisms that thrive in alpine and polar ice. How they managed to infiltrate the isolated, sun‑baked blades of the Atacama remains a puzzling mystery.

8 An Endless Song (Sort Of)

In 1982, Toto released the iconic hit “Africa.” Fast‑forward almost four decades, and a devoted fan named Max Siedentopf decided the song deserved a permanent desert soundtrack. He estimated he’d listened to the track over 400 times.

Siedentopf erected a discreet installation in Namibia’s Namid Desert: several speakers perched on white pedestals, an MP3 player looping “Africa,” all powered by a solar‑charged battery. He kept the exact coordinates secret, turning the piece into both a work of art and an ear‑worm that haunts the dunes.

Despite his durable equipment, Siedentopf admits the harsh desert will eventually silence the melody. Still, for now, the ghostly notes drift across the sand, offering a surreal soundtrack to the stark landscape.

7 The Most Isolated Tree

By the 1970s, the Tree of Tenere—a solitary acacia—had stood as the Sahara’s lone sentinel for nearly three centuries. For 402 kilometres (250 miles), it served as the only landmark for caravans traversing Niger’s desert expanse.

The tree’s origins trace back to a greener Sahara, a time when vegetation dotted the dunes. Its life ended abruptly in 1973 when a drunken driver, following an old caravan route, crashed into the venerable trunk.

Today, the tree’s remains are displayed at the Niger National Museum, while a metal monument marks the spot where the acacia once rose, preserving the memory of the desert’s most isolated tree.

6 1.8 Billion Trees

Most people picture the Sahara as endless dunes and occasional lizards. Yet, artificial‑intelligence analysis of NASA satellite imagery in 2020 uncovered a startling secret: more than 1.8 billion shrubs and trees are tucked away in the desert’s western region.

This hidden foliage spans roughly 1.3 million square kilometres (about 502 million square miles), a surprisingly compact area that nevertheless harbours a massive, previously unseen green network.

5 A Space Invader Called Witherspoon

In 1990, Oregon’s Alvord Desert became the backdrop for an unexpected mystery when National Guard pilots spotted a massive earth carving from the sky. The design—a square surrounded by circles and petals—was later identified as the Hindu Sri Yantra.

Initial speculation blamed extraterrestrials, but the truth involved a different kind of “space invader.” Bill Witherspoon, an enthusiastic sculptor, had illicitly chiseled the symbol into protected wilderness, prompting legal action.

Undeterred, Witherspoon paid a $100 fine and continued his desert art on a private ranch where he had permission, though critics worried about environmental impact and the potential for invoking dark spirits.

4 A Place Called Slab City

Originally Camp Dunlap, a World War II Marine training base, the site was abandoned after the conflict ended. Squatters quickly moved in, converting the concrete slabs into makeshift homes and laying out a grid of streets—thus Slab City was born.

Located in California’s Colorado Desert, residents often claim they are America’s last free people, living beyond the reach of taxes because the “taxman” doesn’t bother with their off‑grid community.

The population blends survivalists, adventurers, and families who have lost everything else. Life is tough: there’s no running water, plumbing, or hospitals, and petty theft is met with a shrug—there is no Slab City Police Department.

In fact, Slab City isn’t even recognized as an official municipality, existing in a legal gray area that mirrors its residents’ unconventional lifestyle.

3 The Utah Monolith

During a routine 2020 wildlife survey, Utah officials flying a helicopter to count bighorn sheep spotted an unexpected gleam on the ground. Landing nearby, they discovered a shiny, three‑metre‑tall metal rectangle perched in a remote ravine.

It wasn’t an ancient artifact; its sudden appearance raised eyebrows because someone had deliberately positioned the monolith within solid bedrock, far from any civilization.

Authorities initially kept the site secret to protect it from tourists and potential damage. Yet, about a week later, the mysterious pillar vanished—adding another layer of intrigue to the desert’s oddities.

2 A Ship Filled With Gold

In 1533, the Portuguese vessel Bom Jesus set sail and disappeared, taking with it a cargo of gold coins valued today at roughly $12.5 million, along with its entire crew.

Five centuries later, in 2016, miners digging in a dry lagoon of Namibia’s desert stumbled upon the wreckage. Archaeologists confirmed the ship’s identity and, after six days of careful excavation, recovered the glittering treasure.

While the gold made headlines, researchers were equally fascinated by the human remains, clothing, and pottery found aboard—artifacts that shed light on the everyday lives of 16th‑century sailors, arguably more valuable to history than the precious metal.

1 Area 6

Area 51 may dominate pop culture, but Nevada’s desert hides another hush‑hush installation: Area 6. This smaller complex features hangars and a one‑mile‑long runway, tucked away just 19 kilometres (12 miles) from its famous neighbour.

The site’s airspace is strictly restricted, and the entire perimeter is fenced off. While the Department of Defense and Homeland Security keep tight control, officials admit only that the base is used to “test their own sensors.”

Investigations uncovered a contractor’s license application describing the runway as a testing ground for unmanned vehicles, suggesting the facility may host MQ‑9 Reaper drones and other advanced reconnaissance tech.

Because of its secrecy, concrete details remain scarce, but the very existence of Area 6 underscores how much of the desert’s mystery is still concealed behind guarded fences.

10 Hidden Secrets Of The Sahara Desert

Among the pop, dance, and rap tunes that have dominated the charts this year, MTV viewers may have caught a slightly off‑beat rhythm in the download numbers. “Running Up That Hill,” originally dropped in 1985 by the enigmatic Kate Bush, resurfaced after its placement in Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things. The song’s revival sent it soaring back up the charts and shone a fresh spotlight on a brilliant yet often overlooked artist: Kate Bush.

10 Stranger Things You Didn’t Know About Kate Bush

10 She Shared a Dance Teacher with David Bowie

David Bowie counted Kate Bush among his biggest influences, and while his music speaks for itself, his theatrical flair can be traced back to the same dance mentor they both studied under. That mentor was Lindsay Kemp, a renowned dancer, mime, and choreographer whose workshops shaped both artists’ stage personas.

Kemp grew up in England’s industrial north, splitting time between Liverpool and South Shields. After completing a stint in the military, he pursued formal training under the legendary mime Marcel Marceau. A young Bowie, then 19, spotted Kemp performing in Covent Garden and soon forged a creative partnership that birthed iconic personas like Ziggy Stardust.

When Bush enrolled in Kemp’s dance classes, he initially saw her as a shy mouse that sprang to life onstage. She later dedicated the track “Moving” from her debut album to him, and Kemp famously discovered a copy of the song slipped under his door after its release.

9 Her Collaborations Have Been as Eccentric as Her Music

In today’s music landscape, collaborations are almost a given, with countless features listed after the main artist’s name. Kate Bush, however, kept her partnerships rare and deliberately chosen, each one reflecting her unique artistic vision.

Her most celebrated duet came with Peter Gabriel, former Genesis frontman and “Sledgehammer” maestro. Together they performed live, and “The Man with the Child in His Eyes” stands out as their most beloved collaborative piece.

Bush also ventured into comedy, teaming up with Rowan Atkinson—better known as Mr. Bean—for a quirky track titled “Do Bears…”. The song includes a tongue‑in‑cheek line about a “creep” who drives her “around the bend” and a bizarre solution involving “sleeping with his friends”.

Perhaps the most poetic partnership was with actor Stephen Fry. On her tenth studio effort, 50 Words for Snow, the closing title track features Bush and Fry reciting the word “snow” in a cascade of languages, creating a haunting multilingual lullaby.

8 “Wuthering Heights” Was Written About the Film Adaptation, Not the Book

Kate Bush’s breakthrough single “Wuthering Heights” burst onto the scene when she was just eighteen, penned in March 1977 and released a year later. The track vaulted her into history as the first female artist in the UK to top the charts with a self‑written number one.

Contrary to popular belief, Bush didn’t draw inspiration from Emily Bronte’s novel itself. Instead, she was moved by the BBC’s 1978 television adaptation of the story. After watching the screen version, she composed the song, completing the novel only afterward.

7 Bush’s Impactful Use of the First Synthesizers

Sampling now feels as commonplace as a drum beat, but there was a time when artists had to invent new ways to incorporate recorded sounds. The pioneering instrument that made this possible was the Fairlight CMI, a digital synthesizer and sampler released in 1979.

Peter Gabriel was the first UK musician to acquire a Fairlight, and Bad Company followed, often renting the machine to film composer Hans Zimmer. By the time Bush arrived at her third album, Never For Ever, she was harnessing the Fairlight as a core compositional tool. The single “Babooshka” showcases this, featuring the crisp crack of breaking glass that Bush and Gabriel captured in a nearby car park.

6 Her Team Ushered in the Microphone Headset

Microphone headsets have become a staple for gamers and remote workers, but their origin story traces back to pop icons of the late‑80s. While Madonna and Britney Spears popularized the look, Kate Bush’s groundbreaking tour, The Tour of Life, demanded a more practical solution.

The Tour of Life remains Bush’s sole live concert series, a massive production that blended dance, poetry, music, and even magic. The sheer physical demand often left her exhausted, sometimes collapsing after performances.

Realizing that holding a traditional mic limited her movement, sound engineer Martin Fisher improvised a headset by attaching a microphone to a coat hanger and wrapping it around her head, giving birth to the modern headset design.

5 She Was Banned by UK TV for Killing Actors…in a Video

Kate Bush’s catalog is filled with eccentric themes, but none are as startling as the 1986 track “Experiment IV”. Created to promote her greatest‑hits compilation The Whole Story, the song narrates a covert military project that seeks a sound capable of killing.

The accompanying video featured a parade of British TV stars—Hugh Laurie, Dawn French, and Peter Vaughn—each meeting a grisly demise. The graphic content prompted the BBC’s Top of the Pops to ban the clip outright. Bush’s fascination with horror cinema, evident in her homage “Hammer Horror”, earned the video a Grammy nomination for best concept video in 1988.

4 She Broke Japan by Appearing on Their Version of X Factor

Long before reality‑show juggernauts like American Idol or X Factor shaped pop careers, Bush ventured into the Japanese market, a notoriously tough arena for foreign artists. She entered the 7th Tokyo Music Festival International Contest to promote her tour and astonishingly finished second.

Only limited footage survives, mainly UK news reels, but the clips reveal Bush sightseeing around Tokyo and performing promotional events ahead of the competition. The festival, which has hosted legends like Dionne Warwick, Al Green, and Lionel Richie, highlighted Bush’s willingness to take bold, cross‑cultural steps.

3 She Wrote Music for a Coca‑Cola Fruit Drink

In the mid‑1990s, Coca‑Cola launched Fruitopia, a fruit‑flavored beverage aimed at young adults, backed by a $30 million marketing blitz featuring whimsical names such as Pink Lemonade Euphoria and Citrus Consciousness.

Surprisingly, Kate Bush was commissioned to score all nine Fruitopia commercials. Though she had largely retreated from the public eye, her eclectic soundscapes—filled with world‑wide instruments and eclectic textures—perfectly matched the brand’s psychedelic vibe, turning a seemingly odd partnership into a memorable campaign.

2 She Turned Down a Bond Theme

The 1979 James Bond film Moonraker featured a theme that initially sought a big‑name vocalist. After Frank Sinatra declined, producers approached Kate Bush. She politely refused, citing an upcoming tour (and perhaps a lack of enthusiasm for the song).

The opportunity then passed to Johnny Mathis, who also declined, before the track finally landed with Shirley Bassey, marking her third Bond theme. Bush’s decision left the song in the hands of a seasoned Bond‑theme veteran.

1 The Sex Pistols Frontman Once Wrote a Song for Her About Parrots

Although punk legends the Sex Pistols and the ethereal Kate Bush occupied opposite ends of the musical spectrum, their paths crossed through mutual admiration. Frontman John Lydon, a self‑confessed Bush fan, once attempted a collaboration.

In a 2009 documentary about pop queens, Lydon revealed that Bush asked him to write a song for her. He obliged, crafting a track about the illegal parrot trade in Brazil. However, Bush declined the offering, reportedly replying, “Not what I had in mind, John!” and turned the song down.

With fake news making tabloids practically obsolete, it is easy to become jaded and start being skeptical at the slightest strange news story, even if it’s only somewhat unbelievable. However, while there are a lot of fake or exaggerated stories going around, there will always be some crazy stories that are actually true. As they say, the truth is stranger than fiction…

10. Russians Claim Plankton Was Found Growing On The Outside Of The ISS

Recently, Russian Cosmonauts reported that a sea plankton, and one that isn’t found on Earth, was found growing on the outside of the International Space Station. While NASA initially reported that they hadn’t heard any such thing, the Americans and Russians do not always immediately share information, and it was later learned, after a spokesman from NASA said we were mainly testing near exhaust vents and such — and not on the windows where it was said to be found — that it was found by cosmonauts, by chance, during a routine spacewalk. 

The plankton growing on the ISS may sound unbelievable, but it is not the first organism to survive in space, or where it theoretically shouldn’t. Scientists have found so-called extremophiles of various sorts living things in places beneath the ocean, deep beneath the arctic ice, and even in space before, although it was the first time this type of particular plankton was found. The truth is that the ISS actually has a lot of polluting gases around it due to all of its activity, and needs some cleanup on the outside in general. Likely, the constant pollution (and even heat and chemicals coming off of the station, and the other activity around it) help extremophiles thrive in a place where most organisms couldn’t survive at all. 

9. Some Jellyfish Can Age Backwards, Then Forwards Again, Multiple Times In Their Life 

One jellyfish, dubbed the immortal jellyfish, is usually the size of about a pen tip, and can turn from a medusa back into a polyp, and then back again, although it can only do this so many times in life; no creature is truly immortal. However, more recently, scientists have found an even stranger regeneration method in something called the Moon Jellyfish. This jellyfish, when studied, did something similar (but even more bizarre) and scientists are not sure if it is using the same, or at least a similar, method. 

Essentially, a Chinese scientist took what appeared to be a dead Moon Jelly, and put it in a tank to see what would happen. Three months later, a polyp and then more emerged from the body, and they started growing into medusae. The original body seemed to finally sink to the tank bottom, but only after polyps from it had appeared in a reverted state, and grown back into medusae, the fully adult form of a jellyfish. He also found that when overfed or hurt, the Moon Jelly was forming calluses that then turned into polyps, from which multiple clones of the original jellyfish burst forth. While there is still a lot more studying to be done, the genetics of jellyfish are fascinating, and could likely help us in all kinds of medical applications if we could truly understand their DNA and how they function. 

8. Some People Have Extra Functioning Kidneys And Can Drink More 

Many people are convinced that they simply, genetically, can drink a lot more than their friends. For many people, this is just silly bragging, and what they actually have is an alcohol problem. However, science has shown that something strange really could potentially give you an edge on how much you can drink compared to others. Some people are actually born with extra kidneys due to a defect where they split off from the main ones while developing in the womb. Only about one in a million who have 1-2 of these extra kidneys actually have fully functioning ones, and if they aren’t fully functioning, they can be dangerous as they can cause urine flow backup. 

However, some do have fully functioning extra kidneys, which theoretically gives them a lot more ability to process toxins in general, although more studies are needed to see just how effective this is at helping the body neutralize toxins and especially process alcohol without getting as drunk or as poisoned as fast. Two brothers from Latvia may not have had formal studies done on their alcohol consumption abilities, likely as it would be hard to make such a study ethical for health reasons, but they have been confirmed to have extra functioning kidneys, and both have (anecdotally) drank their friends under the table their entire lives. 

7. Arthur Conan Doyle Turned Into A Paranormal Believing Nutcase Later In Life 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was knighted for his contributions to literature, and is considered one of the greatest literary giants of all time. He brought us Sherlock Holmes, considered to be the greatest fictional detective, and people were so attached to the character that when he killed him off, fans wore black armbands on the streets and were so upset that he decided to write him back to life. Sherlock Holmes is considered the most rational detective, always explaining away the spiritual explanations, and never allowing a  fact to be twisted to suit a theory. 

Unfortunately, while Sherlock Holmes may have been an incredibly rational (if fictitious) person, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was not. Doyle had a close friendship with Harry Houdini, a man who was known for his incredible abilities to escape from anything, and considering their respective careers, it would seem a close match for friendship. But things soon soured. Doyle became obsessed with the spiritual and occult, and lost a lot of reputation believing a hoax about fairies, which many may know as the Cottingley Fairies. On top of that, he started conducting seances, told Harry Houdini he believed he was using magic, and refused to believe that he was not, even after Houdini showed him some of his secret methods. This made it rather hard for the friendship to continue, and they remained mostly at odds after that. 

6. Doctors Used To Believe A Tobacco Enema Could Help Someone After Almost Drowning

First used as a holistic treatment by First Nations in the American continents, the practice of tobacco smoke enemas made its way to England, where it soon became a trendy treatment to save people who were half drowned. They would pull people out of the Thames, and then apply a tobacco smoke enema in an attempt to save them (normal resuscitation methods would then be used if the tobacco smoke enema failed). This method started to become so trendy that it moved into other parts of the medical field. 

Soon it had become a treatment du jour for everything from colds to cholera outbreaks. Unfortunately, it could also be dangerous for the practitioner performing the enema. If a bellows was used to perform the enema, and the practitioner inhaled at the wrong time, they could end up aspirating the cholera virus themselves — and get extremely sick — while trying to use a thoroughly ineffective medical “treatment” to help someone else. Once it was discovered that nicotine is actually bad for your heart, the tobacco enema fell out of fashion, and stopped being a method to “save” people from drowning. 

5. “Alice In Wonderland” Was A Satire On Modern Mathematics 

“Alice and Wonderland“ is one of the most well known stories of all time, partly because of the Disney cartoon, but the story of Alice going to a strange world where things don’t really make any sense has been popular in book form since the 1800s. As we know, in Alice the world has all sorts of anthropomorphic animals, and all the rules of physics seem to have mostly gone out the window. People and things change size a lot, and Alice is constantly upset at how little the world around her makes sense. Most people assume that the story is about drugs, was written on drugs, or some combination of both. 

However, the truth is far stranger, but makes sense once you hear it. The author, Lewis Carroll, was using a pseudonym. His real name was Charles Dodgson, and he was a mathematics professor at Oxford University. He didn’t use drugs, and didn’t really believe in using them either. He actually wrote the novel as a satire on modern mathematics. They were starting to use things like irrational numbers or imaginary numbers and he found the whole thing ridiculous, and offensive to his more conservative mathematical sensibilities. Using a fake name to protect his reputation worked almost too well, though, as the real message behind his novel ended up mostly lost to history. 

4. In Some Parts Of Northern Sweden, You Say Yes By Sucking Your Teeth 

In most parts of Sweden, people say yes with a simple “Ja” (pronounced “Yah”), which is just the Swedish word for yes. However, not everyone in Sweden actually says “Ja” in order to say yes, and in a move that confuses much of the world as well as the rest of Sweden, the nation’s Northerners have their own way of saying yes… where they aren’t really saying anything at all. More accurately, it could be said they are making a sort of sound that indicates yes. They draw in a sharp intake of breath through pursed lips, that sort of sounds like sucking your teeth. 

This slight sucking or slurping like sound, indicates yes without any other indicators necessary, although many will also accompany it with a shrug of the shoulders, which to some people makes even less sense for an answer in the affirmative. For those who are interviewed about this strange way of saying yes, they seem able to not take it too seriously, and understand why others find it amusing, but at the same time they also seriously argue that it is a more efficient way of saying yes. They feel it takes less energy, as it doesn’t require the vocal chords to get into the action to make the teeth sucking sound for yes. While it is arguably an efficient method, it is unlikely that the rest of Sweden, and especially the rest of the world, will be taking it up as a habit anytime soon. 

3. The United States Supreme Court Ruled Against Science: Tomatoes Are Vegetables

Many people are not aware of how controversial the simple tomato can really be. Back in 1893, a case came before the Supreme Court called Nix Vs. Hedden. A seller of produce named John Nix was being hit with a 10% tariff on his tomatoes, and was sick of paying the tax. Vegetables at the time were being hit with the tariff, but fruits were not. Knowing that botanically scientists consider the tomato a fruit, he decided to take his case all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. 

Unfortunately, the Supreme Court did not see things his way, and in the majority opinion, written by Justice Horace Gray, the Supreme Court opined that while botanically tomatoes may indeed be fruit for the purpose of scientific classification, that they were not used the way people used fruits. He pointed out that in terms of what we eat them with, and the general methods of preparation, it was for all intents and purposes used as a vegetable. This led the Supreme Court to argue with science not on the merits of taxonomy, but rather rule that science could take a flying leap because the United States wanted its tax revenue, and the spirit of the tariff law was to tax vegetable like products with that sweet, sweet 10% tax. 

2. High Heels Were Invented For Men, And Pink Was Meant For Boys 

Today, we typically think of high heels as entirely a footwear for women. Not only that, but high heels are also seen as an impractical choice, meant only to make yourself look taller, or look better in general, and not actually good for your feet, or useful for any real applications. However, the truth is that high heels were originally invented for Persian soldier (who were very much men) use while riding horses in the 15th century. Visiting Europeans actually brought the trend back home, and wore them both as a fashion statement and as a way to look taller and intimidate their rivals. 

As for the color pink, while many people think it should be entirely for women, this was made up in incredibly recent years, and caught on mostly in American and some other Western popular culture and mindsets. Before the early 1900s in America, there wasn’t even any conception that colors such as pink, or light blue, should be for boys or for girls. However, an early JCPenney catalog, that was trying to help influence early parents’ buying choices, suggested that light blue was the feminine color and should be for girls, and pink was a more masculine color that should be for boys. This did not catch on, obviously, as history ended up the other way around, but it shows that about 100 years ago, no one really thought either color meant anything about how masculine or feminine you were. 

1. Nuclear Bombs Have Been Tested Thousands Of Times Since Hiroshima And Nagasaki

Many people think of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as one of the most significant events in history. And it was, as it was the first and only time that atomic bombs have been deployed against an actual human population. However, the truth is that while they may have been only used on civilians once, they have been tested many, many times since then, by multiple different countries, and many of the bombs tested were much bigger than the ones used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This has released an incredible amount of radiation over the years, and it’s hard to calculate what effect it has had in totality on our planet. 

Eight nations have tested over 2,000 nuclear bombs, in about a dozen different test locations, since the day the bombs were dropped on two heavily populated Japanese cities. As can be imagined, the United States and Russia detonated many of these, but the Chinese also tested a significant number, as did the French, and the UK used Australia and its surrounding waters to test a lot of nuclear weapons. North Korea, Pakistan, and India have also all tested nuclear bombs, but can count the amount of launches on one hand, so their nuclear footprint is insignificant compared to the rest of the nuclear nations.

From Shakespearean tales of royal shenanigans to Stephen King’s modern-day masterpieces, the fertile minds of great writers have provided endless works of delicious fiction. But even the Bard on his best day would struggle to compete with the bottomless pit of bizarre, real-life stories.

As part of an ongoing series, Top Tenz presents our latest list of mind-boggling events that can only be filed under, ‘stranger than fiction.’

8. Standing Tall

The 1951 St. Louis Browns were a lousy team — and that’s being kind. They would lose 102 games, finishing dead last in the American League, and a whopping 46 games behind eventual World Series champs, the New York Yankees. The hapless Browns, however, did have a bonafide winner with their colorful owner, Bill Veeck, who once used a 3-foot 7-inch, 65-pound little person to bat in a Major League Baseball game. 

Among his many outstanding innovations and wacky promotions, Veeck (rhymes with ‘wreck’) had been an early proponent of integrating the professional game. As the owner of the Cleveland Indians, he signed the first black player in the American League, Larry Doby. He also made Negro Leagues legend, Satchel Paige, the oldest rookie ever as the two future Hall-of-Famers helped the Tribe win the 1948 World Series. But a messy divorce would later force Veeck to sell the team only to purchase the lowly Browns a few years later. 

The baseball maverick tried his best to field a competitive team in St. Louis, but the cross-town Cardinals were vastly superior in both talent and selling tickets. That’s when Veeck reached deep into his bag of tricks. On August 19, 1951, at Sportsman’s Park, he ordered Browns manager, Zack Taylor, to send a circus performer named Eddie Gaedel up to the plate to pinch-hit against the Detroit Tigers.

Sporting a child’s uniform with the number 1/8, Gaedel stepped into the batter’s box in the bottom of the first inning. Detroit pitcher, Bob Cain, did his best to locate the tiny strike zone but proceeded to walk the pint-sized player on four consecutive pitches. Before being replaced by a pinch-runner, the triumphant Gaedel received a well-deserved standing ovation from the sparse crowd. 

The following day, a furious American League President, Will Harridge, voided # 1/8’s contract and charged Veeck with making a mockery of the sport. Subsequently, all future deals had to be pre-approved by the Commissioner of Baseball. For those keeping score, Gaedel would later appear in another big league game — this time dressed up as a space alien when Veeck owned the Chicago White Sox. But that, dear readers, is another story.

7. Family Feud

Although an obscure Bosnian Serb would forever take the rap for starting WWI, one of the most famous monarchs in history lies at the epicenter of the war to end all wars. Britain’s Queen Victoria, who ruled for 63 years, is rightfully hailed as the “Grandmother of Europe.” As a result, several of her direct descendants would eventually become belligerents in the largest (and bloodiest) family feud in history. 

Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent ascended to the throne at the tender age of 18, following the death of her childless uncle, King William IV, in 1837. Word count restrictions prevent further explanation of the wonderfully complicated process of British royal succession. But suffice to say, she got lucky, and lots of peeps died for her to become Queen. 

Shortly after donning the crown, she kept with family traditions and married her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The incestuous union produced no less than nine children, all of whom subsequently married into royal and noble families across Europe. 

Flash forward to July 28, 1914, when a 19-year-old Yugoslav nationalist named Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo. Although Queen Victoria had been dead for over 13 years, her grandchildren now ruled a substantial chunk of the planet. Sadly, they soon began to destroy it. Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II kicked things off by declaring war on his cousin, Tsar Nicolas II of Russia. A few days later, Britain’s George V joined the family fray that led to unprecedented carnage and the death of over one million soldiers.

6. Beached Boy

Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood, mixes fact with fiction in his twisted love letter to Tinsletown. Oddly, the nostalgic romp asks the audience to frequently suspend all disbelief, including a scene in which a washed-up stuntman beats up martial arts legend Bruce Lee. Seriously? Fortunately, Tarantino doesn’t miss the mark with regards to Charles Manson rubbing shoulders with celebrities during the turbulent late 1960s. 

It’s not surprising that Beach Boys’ drummer and Hell-raiser, Dennis Wilson, would pick up a pair of young female hitchhikers and take them to his Sunset Boulevard abode. But when the girls turned out to be Manson followers Ella Jo Bailey and Patricia Krenwinkel, the “Good Vibrations” ran out when their cult leader arrived at the party.

Manson, along with 17 others of his congregation, soon moved into the party pad — setting the scene for Caligula-esque debauchery, featuring non-stop orgies and drug-induced revelry. Wilson later provided his new pal with coveted music industry connections such as The Byrds producer, Terry Melcher. In an interview with the Record Mirror in 1968, Wilson candidly expressed: “I told them [the girls] about our involvement with the Maharishi, and they told me they too had a guru, a guy named Charlie who’d recently come from jail after 12 years. He drifted into crime, but when I met him I found he had great musical ideas. We’re writing together now.”

Wilson even enlisted the help of his older brothers, Brian and Carl, to finance and produce a recording session with the charismatic singer/songwriter. One of those songs, the eerily-named “Cease To Exist,” was later retitled “Never Learn Not To Love” and released on the Beach Boys 20/20 album in February 1969 — less than six months before the grisly Tate-LaBianca murders.

Ultimately, success as a musician eluded Manson. He experienced a heated fallout with Wilson, who claimed the ex-con owed him over $100,000 (and the expense of multiple doctor visits to treat his raging gonorrhea). For his troubles, the drummer took sole credit as the song’s composer, leaving the false prophet to seek fame elsewhere.

5. Howard’s Huge Obsession

More than 40 years after his death, fascination with Howard Hughes remains strong as ever. His exploits as a record-setting aviator, businessman, and Hollywood lothario provide endless intrigue regarding one of the most enigmatic (and wealthiest) men of the 20th century. However, among all his extraordinary achievements, Hughes’ attempt at designing women’s undergarments would prove to be an abject failure. 

His obsession with the female anatomy reached dizzying heights during the making of his  movie, The Outlaw. Ostensibly, the film should have been a re-telling of wild, wild west icons Billy the Kid and Doc Holliday. But Hughes had a different vision in mind. The producer/director/studio boss made it all about boobs — specifically, the ones belonging to actress Jane Russell. 

Hughes had discovered Russell in 1940 as an unknown, 19-year-old, buxom brunette and immediately signed to her an exclusive seven-year contract. The mogul then cast his latest ingenue in the role of “Rio,” a sexy señorita caught in a love triangle between the two gunslingers. The infatuated filmmaker instructed his cinematographer, Gregg Toland (Citizen Kane), to feature Russell’s cleavage throughout the movie — and even constructed a crude garment with wires to further showcase her voluptuous figure. 

Naturally, the well-endowed Russell refused to wear the contraption. In her autobiography, the actress described the ham-handed design as “ridiculous and uncomfortable” and never wore it. Instead, she fooled her bosom-obsessed boss by simply padding her bra with tissue paper. “He could design planes,” she said. “But a Mister Playtex he wasn’t.”

4. Operation Mincemeat

“All warfare is based on deception.” — Sun Tzu

Before achieving world-wide acclaim as the author of the James Bond spy novels, Ian Fleming put his creative skills to work for British Intelligence during WWII. He’s credited with hatching an elaborate ruse, involving a corpse dressed to resemble an officer en route to delivering secret documents. The phantom messenger would later be dropped near the coastline and eventually find its way into enemy hands.  

With a wink and nod to their dark sense of humor, British military officials codenamed the plan, Operation Mincemeat. The subterfuge, designed to mislead the Germans with regards to the Allies’ intended attack on Sicily, revolved around a recently deceased Welsh vagrant named Glyndwr Michael. He would soon take on a new identity as Captain (Acting Major) William “Bill” Martin of the Royal Marines. Despite the dead man’s unremarkable life and grim demise, he would soon embark on an extraordinary adventure. 

On the morning of April 30, 1943, off the southwest coast of Spain, a local sardine fisherman made the gruesome discovery of the lifeless body floating in the water. The mysterious soldier with a black briefcase chained to his waist was quickly brought ashore and handed over to German spies stationed in the area. 

Later, the bogus documents found in the attaché case revealed “top secret” plans involving a large scale Allied invasion of Greece and Sardinia. The information eventually landed on the desk of Adolf Hitler, who reacted decisively while being thoroughly hoodwinked. The morbid scheme became one of the most bizarre chapters of WWII, punctuated by a cheeky message to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill declaring, “Mincemeat swallowed. Rod, line and sinker.”

3. Feline Forces

Albert Schweitzer once said, “There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.” The astute observation by the renowned philosopher and Nobel Peace Prize winner might also include mention of how cats provided refuge from the misery of trench warfare during WWI.

Volumes have been written about the horrors and senseless carnage of the first world war. Weapons such as machine guns, mustard gas, and flamethrowers all contributed to the endless graveyard of “no man’s land.” But without question, the conflict would be defined by life in the trenches, which the Allies overcame with a secret weapon: cats.

From 1914 to 1918, an estimated 500,000 four-legged commandos were deployed in the trenches, where they hunted and killed disease-carrying rats and mice. Their duties also extended to ships at sea as well as serving as mascots. The practice dates back thousands of years to the ancient Egyptians, who worshipped the furry felines for their ability to keep naval vessels and royal palaces vermin-free.

So the next time your cat meows for attention or requires a fresh bowl of chow, be sure to not only accommodate their needs but thank them for their ancestors’ military service.  

2. No Rest For The Wicked

The murder of famed silent film director William Desmond Taylor had all the makings for a box office blockbuster. Glamour. Mystery. Greed. And even a few uninvited ghosts. 

On the morning of February 2, 1922, Taylor was found dead in his bungalow in Los Angeles. He had been shot in the back, most likely during the previous night, resulting in a massive police investigation of yet another roaring ’20s sensational crime that would dominate headlines for months. 

Several high-profile Hollywood players were questioned, including the director’s cocaine-addicted, erstwhile girlfriend, Mabel Normand. The popular leading actress, one of Taylor’s many lovers, had been the last person to see him alive on the evening of his death. After extensive interrogation, LAPD ruled her out as a suspect despite persistent accusations from muck-raking tabloids of the day.

Ultimately, authorities were unable to establish any credible leads or produce the murder weapon. Taylor’s family had his remains interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where the story takes its most shocking (and absurd) turn. A determined reporter named Florebel Muir orchestrated the kind of crazy publicity stunt that only could have occurred in La-La land.

Muir, the Hollywood correspondent of the New York Daily News, attempted to out scoop her rivals with a half-baked plan involving Taylor’s butler, Henry Peavey. Three days before Taylor’s murder, Peavey had been arrested for “social vagrancy” — and Muir hoped she could extract a murder confession out of him. She eventually hired a Chicago hoodlum named Al Weinshank to dress up as a ghost and hide near Taylor’s mausoleum at the cemetery. 

Late one night, after luring Peavey to the gravesite, the ghoulish gangster suddenly appeared in a white sheet and cried out, “I am the ghost of William Desmond Taylor! You murdered me! Confess, Peavy!” Not surprisingly, the butler only coughed up a hearty laugh before giving the conspirators a piece of his mind. As for the ghost, Weinshank later joined the real dead after being gunned down in the 1929 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.

1. Docked and Loaded 

The drug culture of the 1960s and 1970s affected all corners of society and eventually spilled over into the world of sports. In Major League baseball, pill-popping before games became as routine as the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner. Former Pittsburgh Pirates ace Dock Ellis claims he never played a game sober — and once even pitched a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD. 

Ellis made his MLB debut in 1968 as a hard-throwing right-hander. He quickly emerged as one of the most dominant pitchers in the game, leading the Pirates to five divisional titles and a World Series Championship in 1971. He became an outspoken advocate for racial equality at a time when athletes were discouraged from voicing their opinions. The all-star pitcher also became addicted to drugs and alcohol to help cope with the pressure of performing at the top level.

Along with coolers full of cold beer, amphetamines such as Benzedrine and Dexamyl (known as “Greenies” at the time) were an everyday staple in locker rooms throughout the league. On one memorable occasion, Ellis decided to drop acid on what he thought was an off-day while visiting friends in Southern California. However, while “higher than a Georgia Pine,” he learned that the Pirates had scheduled him to start the first game of a twi-night doubleheader against the San Diego later that evening. 

After rushing down to the stadium, he swallowed some more “greenies” to help balance his drug-fuelled trip. Ellis then walked out to the mound on June 12, 1970 and made baseball history. As the drugs took effect, he began hallucinating and struggled to focus. Pirate catcher, Jerry May, had to wear reflective tape on his fingers so Ellis could see his signals. In the end, it wasn’t pretty (he walked eight and hit a few batters) but Ellis shut down the Padres, 2-0. 

He would go on to play a total of 12 big league seasons in an injury-plagued career filled with many ups and downs. Ironically, he came to regret the rare milestone because it overshadowed his far more meaningful accomplishments outside the sport. After retiring in 1980, he entered a substance abuse rehab program and devoted his life to sobriety as well as helping other athletes fight addiction. He also became a spokesman for creating awareness about Sickle Cell disease (a condition he battled most of his life) and worked to raise money for medical research.