These 20 Historical People Have Done Terrible Things In The Past, Yet Are Loved The Most
De mortuis nihil nisi bonum, a Latin phrase that translates to “Of the dead, [say] nothing but good.” A less constrained translation, “Speak no ill of the dead,” is used as an aphorism. The phrase means that no one should speak poorly about the person who can no longer justify themselves. Yet, it’s perhaps not always feasible or desired when retelling history. The past contains both the good and the bad. And neither part should be erased.
Yet, we were not there. We hadn’t lived at the time when certain historical events happened. Thus, we must rely on primary sources, such as diaries, letters, photographs, and research done by historians. Thanks to curious individuals, this thread on Reddit revealed some appalling yet little-known points about beloved historical people that are unlikely to be found in textbooks. And these Redditors firmly believe some historical figures should be hated instead for the awful deeds they’d done in the past.
Before you scroll down, let us remind you that not everything you read on the internet is true. If unsure, always do your own research!
More info: Reddit
#1
Image source: RingoStarAllies
Alfred Hitchcock, the guy probably was one of the best filmmakers ever, yes. but it’s worth mentioning how much he abused his actors, including sexually harassing Tippi Hedren
#2
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Gandhi. After learning all the colorist and racist s**t he would say to those who had darker complexion or those of African descent in my 8th-grade year I haven’t seen him the same.
#3
Image source: Spacebarman010101
Charles Dickens had his wife, the mother of his children, committed to an insane asylum so he could run off with a teenage actress.
Edit- I have been informed that this wasn’t successful, he tried to have the mother of his ten children committed but it didn’t work. Which is still quite bad
#4
Image source: ComplexNombers
Churchill. He started the Bengal Famine which killed 3 million people. He also was incredibly racist and liked killing through gas.
#5
Image source: cnoelle94
Charlie Chaplin definitely. Dude groped/assaulted girls and married a woman 40 years younger than him
#6
Image source: Miss_Adventures123
Einstein wasn’t a great guy. Brilliant, sure, but kinda douchy in his personal life.
He refused to marry his long-time lover for years, even after she got pregnant. The child was assumed to be given up for adoption, but no record has ever been found.
He and his wife, Mileva Marić, worked together on their research. People saw them do it. They made jokes about it at parties. He proudly told people that she did all his calculations. They only put his name on their work and he went on to claim all the credit – ignoring any work she had done. Part of their agreement was that she would get the Nobel prize money but he tried to prevent that.
She raised two children – one schizophrenic – took care of the house and tutored to bring in extra money because he couldn’t get a job for a long time. He started getting more notoriety and then began an affair with his first cousin.
He moved to a different country to be with his new hillbilly mistress. He divorced his wife and quickly married the new, younger model. He had rules she had to abide by, such as leaving the room immediately when told and not expecting or asking for any sort of affection except when necessary for appearance’s sake.
Elsa, his second wife, was dying and he worked nonstop because he didn’t know what to do (I guess). She was basically abandoned her last few months.
He cheated on both his wives, numerous times. Ignored his children. Oh – and he was pretty into his second wife’s daughter and thought about marrying her instead.
#7
Image source: YellowB
Elvis Presley. He groomed a then 14-year-old and slept with her while he toured.
#8
Image source: mwm1980
King Edward the VIII was a nazi sympathizer who possibly colluded with the Germans to retake the throne in the event of an invasion and conquest of Britain.
He wasn’t just a love-sick romantic who gave up his kingdom for a woman.
#9
Image source: 20thCenturyCobweb
Mother Theresa. My father was a taxi driver in Australia and one of his customers was a man who’d been raised in Mother Theresa’s orphanage. He said she beat him terribly.
Another user also added: She was obsessed with preventing wartime sexual abuse victims from getting abortions.
Her order sold babies.
She buddied up to dictators and accepted stolen cash from them.
Collected millions in donations and never spent them on her “houses of the poor” which were vermin-infested crapholes where people went to die.
Refused pain medication for the dying and ill because she believed suffering = being close to god.
Had nothing but top-of-the-line medical care for herself.
#10
Image source: madrazych7
Kinda coming much more into light now but The Founding Fathers, all of them owned slaves and by modern-day standards, they would be horrible people. But something I think lots of people don’t remember is even if these things are utterly reprehensible, everyone was doing it and they were all children of their time.
#11
Image source: IdgyThreadgoode
Andy Warhol was a fraud and an abuser.
The book Edie is a great read, but sad.
#12
Image source: RogueVogueDino
PT BARNUM.
Most people know but due to the romanticization of The Greatest Showman, people should know that he was a maniac that did an ungodly experiments on living beings, locked people in cages, abused them, and mocked them. All whilst earning pocket from them.
#13
Image source: starcraft_al
Woodrow Wilson.
Guy was majorly racist, segregated the military, kicked black people out of the government, he screened a KKK movie in the White House, and was a strong defender of the KKK. Even for his time, he was considered racist
#14
Image source: b10h454r8_y
8000 comments so it might be here Apparently John Wayne needed to be restrained from assaulting a native American actress in the 70s at the academy awards or something. I think her name was Sacheen Little feather. And Clint Eastwood allegedly was mocking her too.
#15
Image source: brunette5179
Dr. Suess cheated on his partially disabled wife and she eventually committed suicide because of how distraught she was.
“I am too old and enmeshed in everything you do and are, that I cannot conceive of life without you,”
#16
Image source: Camby_doodles
Pablo Picasso, he was misogynistic and sexually assaulted women
#17
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Oliver Cromwell
Tried to make England a republic, ended up being a king in all but name. Butchered the Irish, banned Christmas and is partially responsible for the puritans (who fled to America after the monarchy was restarted)
#18
Image source: Account28784
Andrew Jackson.
He’s always presented as the “common man’s president” but he treated the Native American’s terribly . He also had a huge rowdy party and trashed the White House
#19
Image source: BigMattress269
John Lennon. Treated like s**t during his childhood, whinges about it his whole life, then does the exact same thing to his son Julian.
#20
Image source: Toiletchan
Thomas Edison. I’ll never forgive him for what he did to Tesla.
Got wisdom to pour?
What a coincidence you only put white people on this list. And most of these things are not factual or verified!
It absolutely amazes me that people post thier opinions as fact. This has no documentation to back up anything you have said and, what might be factual, is oversimplified. Especially in the case of the founding fathers and slavery. You seem to judge the past without properly understanding it. You probably get paid for this stuff and you shouldn’t be. Quite frankly there are too many typos and grammatical errors for it to merit a payout.
It absolutely amazes me that people post thier opinions as fact. This has no documentation to back up anything you have said and, what might be factual, is oversimplified. Especially in the case of the founding fathers and slavery. You seem to judge the past without properly understanding it. You probably get paid for this stuff and you shouldn’t be. Quite frankly there are too many typos and grammatical errors for it to merit a payout. I wish there were more depth, accuracy & meaningful content.