We all have varying definitions of what is “interesting.” Some of us are fascinated by facts that explain what makes the world go round, while others are mesmerized by stories that fuel their morbid and strange curiosities.
What you’re about to read from this list leans toward the latter. These were all lifted from the For Curious Souls subreddit, a growing online community that draws a reader's attention through the peculiarities of the world. And yes, some of them can be quite grim, making their narratives all the more compelling.
Scroll through and have an open browser ready, because you will likely want to do some Googling as you read.
#1
In 1996, a mother cat rescued all 5 of her kittens from a building burning in NYC. She walked through flames 5 times to rescue each one by one before collapsing unconscious. She later regained consciousness and was reunited with her kittens.
Image credits: malihafolter
#2
Farm herd Casper, who faced off 11 coyotes and k****d 8 of them. He was missing for two days right after which they believed he was tracking the remaining coyotes and finishing the job. His vet sad was lucky to be alive and his owner said he will have him retire from herding.
Image credits: malihafolter
#3
For six years, 12-year-old Xu Bingyang has carried his disabled best friend to school every day without fanfare, just quiet, unwavering love.
Image credits: detectiverobert
We’re all wired differently, and different factors drive our curiosity. For some of you, these stories drew you in because of the morbidity, while others may have related to them in some other way.
A 2023 study suggests that a person’s curiosity is typically driven by their confidence about something as well as their uncertainty about whether or not they are correct.
#4
McDonald's employee with down syndrome retires after 32 years of serving smiles.
Image credits: malihafolter
#5
In 2023, Imunex Williams, who was eight months pregnant, heroically evacuated 37 kids from a burning school bus, saving their lives just seconds before it erupted into flames.
Image credits: malihafolter
#6
Riste Trajkovski, a 44-year-old zookeeper at the Skopje Zoo, was known for his deep bond with the giraffes, especially one named Floppy. On November 26, 2023, Riste unexpectedly passed away. Just hours later, Floppy also died, despite close monitoring by zoo staff.
Image credits: detectiverobert
As cognitive scientist Dr. Art Markman further clarified, the feeling of curiosity reaches its peak when a person feels like they should know something, yet is also unsure if they are correct.
“When they are both certain they know something and certain they are correct, then they have no curiosity at all,” Dr. Markman wrote.
#7
In 1995, a man in France was convicted of m*******g a teenage girl, but he avoided prison by fleeing to Germany. In 2009, the victim’s father hired a team to kidnap him and drop him off in front of a French courthouse. It worked, and he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Image credits: malihafolter
#8
LaVena Johnson, 19 years old. She was found dead in her tent in Iraq in 2005. She had a broken nose, black eye, loose teeth, burns from a corrosive chemical on her genitals to cover evidence of r**e, and a gunshot wound. The United States government ruled her death a "s*****e."
Image credits: malihafolter
#9
A hero and survivor of the Parkland school shooting, Anthony Borges, gained the rights to the shooter's name, Nikolas Cruz, through a settlement in a civil lawsuit.
A survivor of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas H**h School in Parkland, Florida, now owns the rights to the gunman’s name, according to a new settlement agreement that also stipulates the shooter must donate his brain for scientific study.
As part of the settlement, the shooter agreed to transfer the rights to his name, Nikolas Cruz, for use in any production, movie, book, television, cable TV, or other media. The gunman, who is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole, is barred from giving any interviews without the express written consent of shooting survivor Anthony Borges, according to the settlement.
Image credits: eilloh_eilloh
Several studies have explained that a person’s morbid curiosity may be rooted in feeling the thrill of fear in a safe environment. That’s why many people are drawn to horror movies and plot lines.
However, we can’t disregard the unpleasant effects. Media psychologist Joanne Cantor, PhD conducted a survey among her students at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and found that nearly 60% of those who watched a horror film before the age of 14 had disrupted their sleep patterns.
#10
In 1960, Ruby Bridges became the first Black child to enroll in an all-white Southern elementary school, walking through hostile crowds with U.S. Marshals for protection. Inside, only one teacher, Barbara Henry, taught her one-on-one in an otherwise empty classroom all year.
Image credits: detectiverobert
#11
Joan Trumpauer Mulholland was arrested for protesting in 1961. She was tested for mental illness because law enforcement couldn’t think why a white woman would want civil rights.
Image credits: detectiverobert
#12
In 2012, Astria Berwick lied that taxi driver Mohammed Asif r*ped her at knifepoint and even cut her own face to make it look real. She was jailed when a recording on Asif’s phone proved he was innocent and showed that the entire story was made up.
Image credits: detectiverobert
Other studies have found that people with a morbid curiosity may fuel a belief in conspiracy theories. According to a 2023 research paper published in the British Psychological Society, this is more prevalent among American adults.
#13
In 1980, a woman named Jean Hilliard had a car accident. She walked 2 miles in freezing weather to her friend's house and collapsed 15 feet away from the door. The temperature dropped to −22 °F (−30 °C). She was found frozen the next morning after spending 6 hours as a popsicle. She survived.
Image credits: malihafolter
#14
An Uber passenger paid off a driver’s $693 college debt, helping her return to school, and she graduated three years later with a degree in criminal justice.
Image credits: detectiverobert
#15
A 2.5 year old girl, Michelle Funk fell into a creek and was submerged for 66 minutes. When rescuers arrived she didn't have pulse and was not breathing. 3+ hours after that, her blood was warmed. When it reached 77 degrees F. she came back to life and is still living to this day.
Image credits: malihafolter
The study further revealed that the more people are curious about how the minds of dangerous people work, the more they are inclined to conspiratorial ideation and interest.
“(They) are more likely to want to learn more about conspiratorial explanations than non-conspiratorial explanations of events, which may result in negative social consequences,” an excerpt from the study reads.
#16
She was 11 when WWI started, 36 when WWII began, 74 when Star Wars released, and 116 when COVID-19 started. Her name was Kane Tanaka, the world’s oldest living person until she passed away in 2022 at age 119. She was born on January 2, 1903.
Image credits: malihafolter
#17
In 1971, 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke was sucked out of a disintegrating plane and fell 10,000 feet into the Amazon rainforest. Despite a broken collarbone and m****t-infested wounds, she survived alone for 11 days, drinking rainwater and relying on instincts until locals found her barely alive.
Image credits: malihafolter
#18
A man was discovered to be unknowingly missing 90% of his brain yet he was living a normal life. The man's skull was full of liquid, with just a thin layer of brain tissue left. The condition is known as hydrocephalus. His IQ was only very slightly below the normal range.
Image credits: detectiverobert
#19
In 2016, A Domino’s Pizza Employee In Oregon Noticed That A Regular Customer, Who Ordered Almost Every Day For Years, Suddenly Stopped. Concerned, The Employee Asked For A Welfare Check. Police Found The Man In Distress, Having Suffered A Medical Emergency, And Saved His Life.
Image credits: malihafolter
#20
Humans are not the only animals that go to war. In the 1970s, two groups of chimpanzees fought a prolonged conflict, famously known as the Gombe Chimpanzee War, which lasted four years. They raided, pillaged, and k****d each other in well-thought-out and premeditated excursions. It really shows just how similar we are to other apes at an instinctual level.
Image credits: senorphone1
#21
In 2013, Edward Snowden leaked secret documents showing how the U.S. government was spying on people worldwide, including tracking phone calls, internet data, and even world leaders. After fleeing the U.S., he ended up in Russia, where he was granted asylum and still lives today.
Image credits: malihafolter
#22
Mohammed Bijeh was an Iranian serial k****r who r*aped and m******d at least 17 children in the early 2000s. Both his crimes and the way he was executed drew international attention. Bijeh was s****d by an outraged mob, lashed 100 times, stabbed by the brother of one of his victims, and then hanged.
Image credits: detectiverobert
#23
On January 24, 1972, two hunters in a remote area of Guam were attacked by an emaciated man. After being captured, he was identified as Shoichi Yokoi, a Japanese WW2 soldier who had hid in the jungle for almost 30 years. When he landed back in Japan, he wept "I am ashamed that I have returned alive"
Image credits: malihafolter
#24
In 2015, a father saved his son's life when doctors wrongly declared him brain-dead and were taking him off life support. He barricaded himself with a gun in the hospital and had a stand-off with SWAT until his son squeezed his hand. The son made a full recovery.
Image credits: malihafolter
#25
Photo taken in 2017 at the wedding of Heather and David Mosher. Heather was battling advanced breast cancer but found the strength to marry the love of her life just 18 hours before passing away. Her last words were the vows she recited to her husband.
Image credits: malihafolter
#26
FBI agent Robert Hanssen was tasked to find a mole within the FBI after the FBI's moles in the KGB were caught. Robert Hanssen was the mole and had been working with KGB since 1979. His espionage was described by the Department of Justice as "possibly the worst intelligence disaster in U.S. history."
Image credits: malihafolter
#27
On January 18, 2015, on Standford University's campus, 19-year-old student-athlete Brock Turner r*ped and sexually assaulted 22-year-old Chanel Miller while she lay unconscious. He served only three months and was released for good behavior.
Image credits: malihafolter
#28
In Turkey, psychiatrist Süleyman Salih Zoroğlu was arrested after he diagnosed dozens of children with dissociative identity disorder, secretly injected them with ketamine, and implanted false memories of abuse. He then tried to get the children to k**l their parents or file charges against them.
Image credits: detectiverobert
#29
On May 31, 2014, 12-y.o. Payton Leutner was lured into Waukesha Woods, WI by her friends, Morgan & Anissa. Morgan stabbed Leut 19 times with a kitchen knife as Anissa looked on. Their aim: to please Slender Man. Despite grave injuries, she crawled to a path, flagged down a cyclist & survived.
Image credits: malihafolter
#30
In 1783, a boy was born with two heads. The second head was upside down, with the neck pointed straight up. Shockingly, the second head was fully functional. The boy claimed he could hear the other brain telling him things.
Image credits: malihafolter
#31
In 2016, Crenshanda Williams, a 911 call operator in Texas was fired after she hung up on over 800 callers because she didn't feel like talking. “Ain’t nobody got time for this," she said. "For real.” She was sentenced to 10 days in prison.
Image credits: Particular_Chart1584
#32
Brandon had just finished school and was headed home when he drove off the road. He spoke calmly with his dad before suddenly panicking mid-call. Despite years of searching, no trace of him was ever discovered. His case remains one of the most mysterious disappearances in the U.S.
Image credits: Frosty_Jeweler911
#33
Kendell Cummings, A College Wrestler Who Wrestled A Grizzly Bear To Save His Friend Brady Lowry In The Shoshone National Forest In Cody, Wyoming In October 2022, Kendell Was Brutally Mauled And Bitten By The Bear But Eventually Left Kendell Alone, Both Survived And Went On A Full Recovery.
Image credits: detectiverobert
#34
Roar was a 1981 comedy dubbed "the most dangerous movie ever made." Most of the crew was injured by untrained animals. Cinematographer Jan de Bont was scalped by a lion, and star Melanie Griffith received 50 stitches and nearly lost an eye. It cost $17 million but made only $2 million.
Image credits: malihafolter
#35
40-year mystery of three children abandoned at a Barcelona train station and their missing parents.
In 1984, three siblings—Elvira (2), Ramón (4), and Ricard (5)—were abandoned at Barcelona’s Estació de França train station by a Frenchman named Denis, a friend of their father. He told them to wait while he bought sweets, but he never returned.
Dressed in designer clothes, the children spoke of Paris but could not name their parents or address.
They were placed in care, later adopted by a loving Barcelona family, and grew up with only fragments of memory: luxury cars, road trips to snowy Switzerland and Belgium, a grandmother who made them drink milk, their father coming home beaten, boxes of jewels, and even a pistol they once fired by accident.
Official abandonment papers described Elvira as a healthy two-year-old, with the odd habit of sleeping crosswise in bed. The documents said the children and their father had lived with Denis’s family before being left. They hadn’t seen their mother “for a while”.
Image credits: Missing_people
#36
16 yr-old Leslie Arnold shows Nebraska police where he buried his parents in 1958. Arnold was sentenced to life in prison but escaped after 10 years and vanished.
For over 50 years, he lived under a new identity in Australia, raised a family, and took his secrets to the grave… or so he thought.
Only after his death was the truth finally uncovered.
Image credits: dannydutch1
#37
Ancient Greek Temple Stele "A dog cured a boy from Aegina. He had a growth on the neck. When he had come to the god, one of the sacred dogs healed him while he was awake with its tongue and made him well."
Image credits: RomanVsGauls
#38
When she was 23, Rosemary Kennedy, the sister of JFK and RFK, had a forced lobotomy arranged by her father. The surgery left her incapacitated for the rest of her life.
Rosemary was the third child of Joseph and Rose Kennedy and initially appeared to be a healthy baby. However, as she grew older, it became evident that her development differed from that of her siblings.
She faced challenges with language and frequently displayed outbursts and aggressive behavior, which greatly worried her parents. In response, Joseph Kennedy decided to have her undergo a lobotomy, a surgical procedure that profoundly altered the course of her life.
Image credits: senorphone1
#39
In 1970, officials in Oregon used half a ton of dynamite to dispose of an 8-ton whale carcass that had washed up on the shore. The dead whale had washed up on the beach days earlier, and city officials thought the blast would blow its remains out to sea. Instead, huge chunks of whale blubber rained down on the beach.
Image credits: senorphone1
#40
Mary Smith, a “knocker-upper” who earned sixpence a week shooting dried peas at windows to wake people for work (East London, 1930s)
Image credits: malihafolter
#41
On Mar 23, 2024, 8 y.o. Aliyah Jaico went missing after her parents could not find her at Houston-area hotel, Texas. Security footage shows little girl had gone underwater & never resurfaced. She was sucked into 1ft-wide pipe in pool. Her hand was first thing that appeared WEDGED deep inside pipe.
Image credits: malihafolter
#42
In 1992, Annette Herfkens survived crash that k****d everyone else on board, including love of her life. Merely 50 mins into their flight, plane crashed into mountainous Vietnamese jungle. She was trapped with dead bodies for 192 hours & had thoughts of cannibalizing bodies around her to survive.
Image credits: malihafolter
#43
Jan Davis jumped off "El Capitan" in Yosemite on October 23rd 1999 as part of a protest against a proposal to ban the practice at Yosemite National Park. This photo was captured just moments before she realised her parachute wouldn’t open. She didn’t survive.
Image credits: detectiverobert
#44
UK nursery worker Roksana Lecka convicted of abusing 21 children on CCTV seen kicking babies, pinching toddlers, and vaping near infants. Parents paid £1,900/month to the Montessori nursery that’s now shut down.
Image credits: Iambhalo
#45
Otto Warmbier was an American college student who was imprisoned in North Korea in 2016 on a charge of subversion. In June 2017, he was released by North Korea in a vegetative state and died soon afterward. His family was awarded $240k in seized North Korean assets.
Image credits: detectiverobert
#46
At 16, Annelise Michel started blacking out at school, soon experiencing convulsions, vomiting & consuming spiders, coal, & her own urine. After undergoing 67 exorcisms, she died in 1976. At time of her death, she only weighed only 67 pounds. She suffered from Grand Mal Epilepsy and Psychosis.
Image credits: malihafolter
#47
On Dec 28, 2017, 28-year-old Andrew Finch was shot and k****d by Wichita police after a false 911 call reported a hostage situation at his home. The call was part of a "swatting" hoax, sparked by a $1.50 Call of Duty wager.
Image credits: Life_Assumptions
#48
During the filming of Gladiator, Oliver Reed (Proximo) died in a bar after challenging a group of sailors to a drinking contest. Reed consumed 8 pints of beer, 12 shots of rum, half a bottle of whisky, and shots of cognac. This photo of him was taken shortly before he died.
Image credits: malihafolter
#49
Liam Ashley was a 17-year-old boy from New Zealand who had criminal charges pressed against him by his parents for using their car without permission. His parents denied bail so he would be sent to prison. While being transported in a prison van, Liam was attacked by a dangerous offender and k****d.
Image credits: Life_Assumptions
#50
Sophia Koetsier, a 21-year-old Dutch medical student, vanished in Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park in October 2015. Her belongings were strangely arranged her underwear hung five meters h**h in a tree, and her purse and shoes left neatly in place yet authorities wrote off as wild animal attack.
Ten years later, Marije, her mother has uncovered DNA from an unknown man.
Image credits: Particular_Chart1584
