“It Lowered IQs Worldwide”: 22 Historical Events That Left Everlasting Scars On Society

Americans might have been a whole lot more intelligent had it not been for lead-based gasoline. Lead was first added to gasoline in 1923, apparently to keep our car engines 'healthy.' But the move came at the expense of our own well-being.

Leaded gas was banned in 1996. But a 2022 study revealed that exposure to car exhaust from leaded gas during childhood stole a collective 824 million IQ points from more than 170 million Americans alive today. To put it into perspective, that's about half the population of the United States. But we should also remember that the U.S. was not the only country to use lead in gas. And some countries still did so right up until 2021.

If this is the first time you're hearing about this, it might be because the lead-gasoline era was one of the most downplayed, damaging events in history. It left a lasting impact on society, the effects of which are still being felt today.

Someone recently asked, "Which historical event induced more damage to society than people realize?" and the answers came pouring in faster than a car's tank being filled with gasoline... From leaders who wiped out millions of people, to Chernobyl's contribution to climate change, netizens dug deep to draw attention to the incidents and eras that they believe need to be shamed.

Bored Panda has put together a list of the best answers for you to scroll through while you contemplate how different the world might have been today. We also unpack the findings of the leaded-gasoline research paper a bit more. You can read that info between the images.