Steven Jay Russell: The Great Escape Artist – 1957

Steven Jay Russell, otherwise known as “The Great Escape Artist,” or “King Con” was one of the most notorious con artists of all time. Born in 1957, Russell made a name for himself by masterminding a number of daring escapes from prison and committing a variety of frauds.

Götz of the Iron Hand: The German Robin Hood (1480 – 1562)

Romanticized in legend as the “German Robin Hood” and remembered as a hero, Gottfried “Götz” von Berlichingen, better known as “Götz of the Iron Hand”, was a German Imperial Knight (Reichsritter), a mercenary, and a poet.

The Bizarre Case of Tarrare: The Man That Could Eat a Corpse (c. 1772–1798)

Tarrare was a mysterious French man who was known for his extreme appetite, bizarre eating habits, and an unknown medical condition that caused him to consume inedible objects.

The Grisly Tale of ‘The Angel of Death’: One of the Most Prolific Serial Killers in Modern History 1975- 1998

One of the most infamous lonely hearts killers was Harold Frederick Shipman, nicknamed ‘Dr Death’ or ‘The Angel of Death’, a British doctor who is believed to have murdered between 215 and 250 of his patients, making him one of the world’s most prolific murderers. He posed as a caring and trustworthy physician but used his position to administer lethal doses of drugs to his victims.

Hanns Scharff: The Luftwaffe Nicest “Master Interrogator” 1942-45

Hanns Scharff was a Master Interrogator working for The Luftwaffe at Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

Beam Me Up, Scotty!

You probably have heard the famous catchphrase and misquotation of ‘Beam me up, Scotty’, popularized by Captain Kirk in the Original Star Trek Series by Gene Roddenberry in 1966.
What you might not know is that Montgomery Scott, the Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise, led a company of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles ashore at Juno beach on D-Day.

Jack the Ripper: The Victorian Serial Killer 1888–1891

The Victorian Serial Killer Jack the Ripper was originally known as the ‘Whitechapel Murderer’, given that his crimes were committed in the neighbourhood of East London by the same name.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah: The Founder of Pakistan in 1947

Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Muhammad Ali Jinnah did all three in 1947 as the Founder of Pakistan

The Blue Family of Kentucky

In an isolated area of Kentucky’s countryside known as Troublesome Creek, there lived a real family with blue skin. They were known by many names, The Blue Family of Kentucky, The Fugate Family, The Blue Combses, The Huntsville subgroup, and the Blue People of Troublesome Creek.

‘El Arropiero’: The Vagabond of Death – 1964-1971

‘El Arropiero’: The Vagabond of Death is said to have carried out 48 murders across Italy, France and Spain between 1964 and 1971. This psychopath holds the sad record of being the ‘greatest serial killer’ in Spanish history.