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.
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114points
#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.
malihafolter, https://nypost.com/2022/12/04/georgia-sheepdog-fights-off-kills-8-coyotes-after-pack-attacks-his-sheep/
Report97points
#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.
detectiverobert, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6865471/Schoolboy-12-carried-disabled-best-friend-class-SIX-years.html
Report95points
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.
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78points
#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.
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77points
#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.
detectiverobert, https://brightside.me/articles/this-zoo-keeper-and-the-giraffe-he-was-taking-care-of-for-10-years-both-passed-on-the-same-day-817259/
Report74points
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
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.
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.
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72points
#8
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.
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70points
#9
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."
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65points
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.
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63points
#11
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.
detectiverobert, https://dailycrimepost.com/woman-jailed-false-accusation-taxi-driver-sexual-assault-smartphone-recording/
Report61points
#12
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.
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60points
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.
malihafolter, https://www.sciencealert.com/amazing-true-story-the-woman-who-survived-being-frozen-solid
Report59points
#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.
detectiverobert, https://dailycrimepost.com/stranger-pays-off-693-debt-for-struggling-single-mom-three-years-later-she-graduates/
Report59points
#15
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.
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59points
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.
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53points
#17
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.
detectiverobert, https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.3679117/scientists-research-man-missing-90-of-his-brain-who-leads-a-normal-life-1.3679125
Report51points
#18
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.
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50points
#19
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.
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49points
#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.
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47points