If you think your mom losing you in the grocery store for five minutes is bad, imagine your country letting you float around in space for almost a year! That’s exactly what happened to this cosmonaut named Segei Krikalev. He went out on a mission and ended up stuck in space for 311 days. 

So how did he get stuck up there for so long? And how was he eventually saved and brought back to Earth? Keep reading to find out!

The Original Plan for the Cosmonaut

Segei Krikalev had prepared all during the spring of 1991 for a five month mission in space. That was the initial time frame he had trained for and planned to embark on. But that was not how it played out at all. By January of 1992, Segei was now stuck in space for eight months and had no clue when he would be able to return home. 

Why This Cosmonaut Ended Up Stuck in Space

The reason Segei couldn’t come home was because the country that was supposed to bring him back, the Soviet Union, no longer existed. 

So by the time the mission was completed, Segei was the last Soviet citizen and was nicknamed the “last citizen of the USSR.” This nickname stemmed from the Soviet Union dissipating in 1991, while Segei was on his five month mission in space after launching in May of 1991. 

Therefore, there were no government funds available to bring him home. Segei return mission fell on the back burner of the government’s priority. While it may have been a political issue to work out his return home, obviously Segei and his family and friends were more concerned for his physical health. The longer he was in space, the more his bone and muscle mass would deteriorate. 

This mission lasted a total of 311 days – twice as long as it was originally intended to last. Segei finally returned home on March 25, 1992. He had left a Soviet Union citizen and returned home as a Russian citizen. 

The Aftermath of the Cosmonaut’s Mission

When Segei returned home finally in March of 1992, his physical health had taken a toil. He needed assistance walking when he got off the shuttle. But, this mishap didn’t cause Segei to retire. No, no, no. 

Segei flew multiple missions throughout the 1990s. He moved up the ranks to commander in 2005 and was promoted two years later to Director of Human Spaceflight at Roscosmos. 

How Many Days Has the Cosmonaut Spent in Space? 

803 days. He sits behind two other cosmonauts who have spent 827 and 878 days respectively in space.

The post The Last Soviet Citizen: How the USSR Left This Cosmonaut Stranded in Space for 311 Days first appeared on History In Memes.

Notorious mobster, Al Capone, was arrested multiple times through the 1920s and was even brought to court to face trial in the 1930s. But, his trial and prison sentence wasn’t the result of his involvement in the 1929 “Valentine’s Day Massacre,” his bootlegging or even his murders. 

For someone who once said “they can’t collect legal taxes from illegal money,” Al Capone had an ironic ending when he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for ttax evasion. You would think with all that mob money and power you could afford a decent accountant. 

So when it came down to his trial, why were these attendees hiding from the camera? Let’s dive in and learn the story behind this photo and Al Capone’s trial.

Why Was Al Capone Arrested?

During the 1931 trial in Downtown Chicago, 23 cases of tax evasion were brought against Al Capone. The tax evasion charges stemmed from Capone not filing his taxes during the years of 1924 to 1929. Capone submitted a plea of “guilty” to the charges, but then changed his plea to “not guilty.” But on October 18, 1931, he was found “guilty” of the 1925 tax evasion charge. He was convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison, which was the longest sentence given on a tax evasion charge. 

Why Are These People Hiding in the Photo?

The featured picture depicts numerous mobsters that showed up to Capone’s trial. But when they were photographed, they used their hats to cover their faces so they were unidentifiable. 

This photo is more ironic than anything else. These mobsters are comfortable committing horrific crimes and acts of violence against people and businesses, but the second a camera is shoved in their face, which would reveal who they really are to the world, they shield from it. They only seem confident and embolden when they operate in the cover of shadows, but once the spotlight is on them, they shrivel up.

The post The Story Behind This Iconic Photo From the Al Capone Trial first appeared on History In Memes.

Nobody likes jumping off the high diving board at a pool. It’s daunting, scary high, you usually belly flop, and your stomach gets red – it’s just a scary mess.

But that wasn’t the case for Rick Winters. 

During the 1983 World Record High Dive Challenge, hosted at the San Diego SeaWorld, Rick set the world record as the first person to attempt to successfully dive from the height of 172 feet (52 m). The height of 172 feet was an increase from the year prior’s world record. The 1982 high dive challenge height was 170 feet, which five divers attempted.

Even crazier – Rick Winters wasn’t the only preson to break this high dive world record that day! That’s right, Rick Winters was one of SIX divers that day! 

So, let’s dive in and check out these 6 daredevil record breakers!

First up, Rick Winters:

Following Rick Wniters was Rick Charls.

Looks like it was a big day for people named Rick!

Following the Ricks, two more divers attempted the record breaking dive.

The divers, Bruce Boccia and Mike Foley, both successfully completed the dive that day. 

Dana Kunze, who was 22 years old at the time, followed with the most impressive dive of the day.

Dana was already world champion high dive. He used his skills to his advantage to complete this insane and incredibly difficult dive in terms of execution. 

After Dana’s dive, things took a turn when Pat Picard attempted the final dive of the event.

Unfortunately, it did not go well. It’s hard to watch, but you can see for yourself here around the 26 minute mark:

Want to watch more cool history videos? Check them out here on our website!

The post Would You Dive From 172 Feet? This Guy Did! first appeared on History In Memes.

We all know that medieval armor was designed to protect knights in battle. But did you know that it was also surprisingly flexible? Thanks to a combination of innovative design and skilled craftsmanship, gothic armor from the 15th century was both strong and flexible, allowing knights to move freely and fight effectively.

Put on Little Dark Age and let’s take a closer look at the design of this flexible gothic armor!

This gothic armor originates from German-speaking areas of Europe during the 15th century. The armor got coined as “gothic” because the armor style was similar to the gothic style of the architecture built. Gothic suits have distinct design features that set it apart from other armor. It has a more symmetrical, slender, and elegant look than other armor during that time period.

Unlike earlier types of armor, which were designed primarily for strength, gothic armor was designed with both strength and flexibility in mind. One of the key features of gothic armor was the use of lames, or narrow metal plates, which were riveted together to form a flexible shell. This allowed for a much greater range of motion than previous types of armor while still providing ample protection.

In addition to lames, gothic armor also featured articulated joints, which further increased its flexibility. Articulated joints are basically hinges that allow different parts of the armor to move independently from one another. This means that a knight wearing gothic armor could swing his arms and legs freely without having to worry about the rest of his armor getting in the way.

The next time you’re watching a medieval movie or TV show and you see a knight clanking around in his heavy armor, remember that it wasn’t always like that! Thanks to the innovative design of 15th century gothic armor, knights were able to move much more freely than ever before. So next time you’re feeling weighed down by your own personal armor (whether that be your job, your relationships, etc.), just remember that it could be worse — you could be wearing full plate mail!

Not only can you still buy this style of armor online, but it is also up for display at museums like THE MET.

Want to read about more unique and innovative battle tools? Click here to read about the inflatable tanks WW2 soldiers used to defeat the Nazis!

The post The Surprising Flexibility of 15th Century Gothic Armor first appeared on History In Memes.

Does the idea of a prehistoric shark with a mouth compared to “a circular saw blade filled with razor-sharp teeth” sound like something out of a horror movie? Well, surprise! This creepy creature, known as the frilled shark, actually exists and is lurking in the depths of ocean!

This uncommon and mysterious creature has been around since the days of dinosaurs, and there’s still a lot we don’t know about it. There’s even stuff we get wrong about it, even me!

So, is the frilled shark is really 80 million years old? Let’s dive into 6 facts about this prehistoric predator and find out!

1. The frilled shark has a long, snake-like body that can grow up to 6.5 feet in length.

2. The frilled shark has 300 extremely sharp teeth arranged in 25 rows and six pairs of gill slits.

The frilled shark’s gill slits are located on either side of its head, instead of the usual one pair found in most other sharks. It’s long body and sharp teeth are perfect for ambushing and snagging its unsuspecting prey.

3. Their favorite meal is squid. But it will also eat fish, crabs and other small sharks. 

4. Scientists believe that the frilled shark is so rare because it prefers to live in deep water, specifically as much as 5,000 feet below the surface.

5. There had only been two confirmed sightings of this prehistoric shark.

The first sighting was in Japanese waters back in the 1930s, and the second sighting was off the coast of Australia in 2007. 

6. The frilled shark doesn’t chew its food before swallowing it whole.

Instead, it wraps its body around its prey and then proceeds to swallow it like a snake. If you’re thinking that sounds pretty gruesome, you’re not alone. In fact, one scientist who had the opportunity to study a dead frilled shark compared its mouth to “a circular saw blade filled with razor-sharp teeth.” Yikes!

So, is the frilled shark in our video really 80 million years old? The short answer: No.

While frilled shark’s lineage goes back 80 million years, its actual lifespan is around 25 years.

So, watch their face as this eerie history lesson sinks in and warn them that the next time they’re out swimming in open water, try not to think about the fact that there might be a prehistoric predator lurking below… lest they’ll end up like one of its hapless victims!

The post Is the Prehistoric Frilled Shark Really 80 Million Years Old? first appeared on History In Memes.

When there’s electricity during a kiss, that’s usually a good sign. In this case, it was literally life-saving. 

Back in Jacksonville, FL, in 1967, co-workers J.D. Thompson and Randall Champion went out on a routine maintenance check on some power lines. But the turn of events was anything but routine. Randall had accidentally touched some low voltage lines. This accidental touch electrified him, causing his heart to stop and him to go unconscious. Thankfully, Randall’s harness caught him when he fell. J.D. got to Randall and gave him mouth-to-mouth. He then carried him down to the ground to perform CPR until the paramedics arrived.

Randall survived thanks to the quick response and life-saving efforts made by J.D. 

The photographer, Rocco Morabito, was able to capture this moment because he was driving to work when he saw Randall dangling lifeless from the pole. He showed an impressive display of multi-tasking – calling an ambulance and snapping an iconic photo.

This photo, which was later named, “The Kiss of Life ” won Rocco the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography.

Luckily, Randall Champion had an amazingly brave co-worker who didn’t hesitate to spring to his aid, saving his life and allowing him to live another 35 years. It’s also incredibly lucky timing that a talented photographer had passed this scene and was able to capture such a surreal moment of real-life heroism.

The post The Story Behind This Electrifying Photo first appeared on History In Memes.

In the annals of television history, there are few commercials that are as famous — or as polarizing — as the infamous “Screaming Kid” ad. First aired in 2004, the ad features a young boy in a grocery store who starts having a full-blown temper tantrum and screaming at the top of his lungs. The ad’s tagline: “Use Condoms.”

The commercial was an instant sensation, and to this day people still talk about how shocking and funny it was. But what made this commercial so effective? And why did it cause such a stir? Let’s take a closer look.

The Ad Itself

Imagine you’re watching a football game and it cuts to a commercial break. The tv ad that plays is a little kid and his dad at the grocery store shopping. The little boy keeps throwing candy into their cart and the dad puts it back. Little Timmy starts screaming, throwing a tantrum, and everyone in the store is giving the parent the side eye. Pretty typical situation that we’ve all seen play out IRL multiple times.

Could be anything from promoting candy to grocery stores, to a PSA about healthy eating or having patience as a parent. But it is none of the above. The ad is promoting condoms.

Yup, the ad is promoting wearing rubbers to prevent having kids! In particular, an ad to prevent having screaming kids.

The Ad’s Impact

When this ad first aired, it caused quite a bit of controversy. Some people found it to be humorous and clever, while others thought it was crass and offensive. It was even banned in Europe! However, there’s no denying that the ad was successful in getting people talking about Zazoo condoms.

It is pretty genius marketing if you think about it: Show the most stressful situation that you can be in – especially in a public setting with all the attention on you – and give the solution to prevent that situation from happening.

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that the “Screaming Kid” ad was successful in getting people talking about Zazoo condoms. If you’re looking for an attention-grabbing way to advertise your product or service, you could do worse than taking a page from this company’s playbook.

Watch the ad and make sure you wrap it up to not get caught up in all the crying and screaming

Click here to watch more history videos!

The post Why This Condom Ad Was Banned in Europe first appeared on History In Memes.

The Wisteria tree is a beautiful sight to behold. But is the Wisteria tree in Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi, Japan really live up to the title of the “most beautiful tree in the world?” Let’s take a look at the history of this tree and decide for ourselves!

Looking like something out of a storybook fairytale, this Wisteria tree “stretches across more than 600 meters of trellis installed to support the weight of its branches and blooms.” These trees have a beautiful range of colors, including purple, pink, white and hints of blues. The flowers dangle down like Christmas lights, with some of them almost touching the ground below.

The tree’s home in Ashikaga Flower Park is essentially DisneyLand, but if you’re really into flowers. The park is a major tourist attraction, with nearly 2 million people visiting the park every year.

What’s the Secret to Keeping This Tree So Beautiful? 

It’s not some magical fairies keeping these trees so beautiful, it’s hard working landscapers! These landscapers are dedicated to preserving the tree’s natural beauty and awe. Since the tree is 200 years old and has a large number of blooms, the tree needs a lot of attention in order for the branches to stay up. The park even installed beams to support the branches, which creates that cloud, umbrella-like cascade of flowers.

What’s the Best Time to See the Tree?

It’s said the best time to visit the tree is when it is in full bloom from mid-April to mid-May. This is when the park hosts their “A Tale of the Wisteria – the Great Wisteria Festival” event.

So, is the Wisteria tree in Ashikaga Flower Park really the most beautiful thing in the world? That’s up for you to decide! But one thing is for sure: This 200-year-old tree is definitely worth a visit if you ever find yourself in Tochigi, Japan.

The post Happy 200th Birthday to the “Most Beautiful Tree in the World” first appeared on History In Memes.