History Archives - Page 4 of 9 - World's Worst Website

Posted on September 9, 2026September 9, 2026 by jeff@jeffnapier.com — Leave a comment

Worst Disregard for a Free Gift

It is tempting for American kids to drop out of school. Who would want to finish school if their plans are only to build race cars or marry somebody rich? But sometimes plans don’t work out the way you expected. More importantly, in the United States, school is free, supported by taxpayers. It’s free! You might as well take as much as you can get.

More About High School

1. “School spirit” became strongly associated with organized high-school athletics

In the early 20th century, schools increasingly used football games, pep rallies, school colors, songs and mascots to create a sense of community. High school consequently became not just a place for classes, but a miniature social institution.

2. The first U.S. high school was established in Boston in 1821

Boston English High School was created primarily to provide practical education for boys who were not necessarily headed for college. It is still operating today.

3. High school sports helped create some of America’s earliest school mascots

Schools began adopting animals, warriors, and other symbols partly to give students a shared identity at athletic competitions. The mascot could become almost as important to a school’s identity as its name.

4. “Prom” is short for “promenade”

Early American proms were essentially formal dances where students dressed up and socialized. The modern elaborate prom, with expensive dresses, limousines and elaborate “promposals,” evolved considerably later.

5. Some high schools once had rifle teams as ordinary school activities

Marksmanship was offered at many American schools, particularly during the early and mid-20th century. School rifle teams could receive substantial institutional support, especially during periods when military preparedness was emphasized.

6. The SAT has roots in military intelligence testing

The SAT’s ancestry can be traced to standardized tests developed for the U.S. military during World War I. Carl Brigham, who later helped develop the SAT, worked with Army intelligence testing.

7. High-school yearbooks weren’t originally just memory books

Early yearbooks often functioned more like elaborate school records, containing photographs, literary pieces, school history, activities and student organizations. The tradition gradually evolved into the senior-focused yearbook familiar today.

8. “Senioritis” is real as a behavior, but it isn’t a medical disease

The unofficial term describes the tendency of some graduating students to lose motivation once they believe their remaining schoolwork has little effect on their future. The phenomenon has been studied by psychologists under more respectable names such as declining academic motivation.

Posted on September 8, 2026September 8, 2026 by jeff@jeffnapier.com — Leave a comment

Worst Keyboard Configuration

The standard keyboard that we have all grown up with is called QWERTY, named after the first keys from the left in the row above the home row. It turns out to be the worst keyboard configuration. The QWERTY layout seems illogical until you understand that it was invented for early typewriters. Those typewriters would jam if the typist moved too quickly, so the keyboard was actually designed to slow them down. Unfortunately as more and more typewriters were built using QWERTY, it became the standard, even though newer typewriters could handle faster typing speeds.

Learn the pros and cons of the Dvorak Keyboard Layout, how much faster you can enter text, how easy it is to set up in Windows and OS X, some celebrities who use it, and how to start with training and practice.

Posted on September 8, 2026September 8, 2026 by jeff@jeffnapier.com — Leave a comment

Worst Thing About Pit Bulls

Pit Bulls, the breed of dogs which are mostly lovey, even-tempered pets, are sometimes bred to be vicious. Because of these rare badly-trained dogs, all pit bulls may be outlawed in England, meaning all of them in that country could be sentenced to death. There are 5,256,000 pitbulls in the United States, and approximately 9 million in England.

More about Pit Bulls

“Pit Bull” Isn’t Actually a Single Breed
The term “pit bull” is an umbrella label used to describe several distinct, distinctively built breeds descending from bulldogs and terriers. This category primarily includes the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Bully.
They Once Earned the Title of “Nanny Dogs”
In the early 20th century, pit bulls were widely celebrated in popular culture for their gentle, protective nature around children. Their patience and affection earned them a reputation as family guardians, leading to the affectionate nickname “Nanny Dog.”
They Were America’s Military & Cultural Mascots
During World War I and World War II, pit bulls represented American bravery, loyalty, and determination on recruitment posters and wartime campaigns. Their likeness was regularly used to embody national strength and patriotic duty.
Sergeant Stubby Was a Highly Decorated WWI War Hero
Sergeant Stubby, a pit bull mix, served on the Western Front during World War I. He survived being wounded, alerted troops to incoming mustard gas attacks, located injured soldiers in no-man’s-land, and caught a enemy spy, earning official promotion to Sergeant and national fame.
The “Locking Jaw” Myth Is Completely False
A persistent urban legend claims pit bulls possess a special physical locking mechanism in their jaws. Studies by veterinary anatomists have proven that their jaw structure is identical to that of any other dog breed; they simply possess strong jaw muscles, as do many large working dogs.
They Excel in Temperament Testing
In evaluations conducted by the American Temperament Test Society (ATTS), pit bull breeds consistently score higher than many popular family breeds, including Golden Retrievers and Chihuahuas. American Pit Bull Terriers frequently achieve pass rates near 87%.
A Pit Bull Was One of Early Hollywood’s Biggest Stars
Petey the Pup from the famous 1920s and 30s short comedy series Our Gang (later known as The Little Rascals) was an American Pit Bull Terrier named Pal the Wonder Dog, famous for the natural ring marking around his eye.
They Were the First Dog to Cross America by Automobile
In 1903, a pit bull named Bud accompanied Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson and Sewall K. Crocker on the first successful transcontinental trip across the United States in a motor car. Bud wore custom goggles to protect his eyes from dust along the unpaved roads.
They Don’t Have a Naturally Aggressive Disposition Toward Humans
Historically bred to work closely alongside human handlers, pit bulls were selectively bred to be exceptionally friendly and submissive toward people, making human aggression an unnatural trait in properly socialized dogs of the breed line.
They Excel as Search and Rescue & Therapy Dogs
Due to their high athletic drive, intelligence, resilience, and affection for humans, many pit bulls excel as working dogs in law enforcement detection, search-and-rescue teams, and certified hospital therapy programs.

Posted on September 8, 2026 by jeff@jeffnapier.com — Leave a comment

Worst Thing to do with Clocks

Daylight Savings Time, an American phenomenon has been debated for years. Springing ahead can be dangerous. The number of people who suffer strokes during the two days following moving the clock ahead is eight percent higher.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is practiced in dozens of countries around the world, yet it remains one of the most debated and misunderstood seasonal traditions. Here are 10 fascinating facts about its history, impact, and origins.

Here’s more about DST

Benjamin Franklin Did Not Invent It
While Benjamin Franklin wrote a satirical 1784 essay suggesting Parisians wake up earlier to save on candle wax—even proposing firing cannons at dawn—he never suggested changing the clock. The modern idea was actually conceived in 1895 by George Hudson, a New Zealand entomologist who wanted extra evening sunlight after work to collect bugs.
It Was First Adopted to Save Coal During WWI
The German Empire was the first nation to officially adopt Daylight Saving Time on April 30, 1916, as a wartime measure to conserve coal. The United Kingdom and other European nations followed weeks later, and the United States introduced its own version in 1918.
Farmers Are Not Fans
A widespread myth claims DST was created to help farmers, but agricultural workers were actually its fiercest opponents. Disrupted animal schedules—like cows refusing to produce milk an hour earlier—and misaligned supply chains led farmers to lobby heavily against it. In the US, farmers led the push to repeal DST after WWI.
It Costs More Energy Than It Saves in Some Places
While created for energy conservation, modern studies show DST has a negligible effect on energy usage and can even increase it. A famous 2006 study in Indiana found that while DST reduced lighting demand, it increased home air conditioning and heating use, raising total electricity bills across the state by $9 million annually.
It Triggers Measurable Health Risks
The spring shift forward causes a collective loss of one hour of sleep, which leads to notable spikes in public health issues. Epidemiological studies show a ~24% increase in heart attack risk on the Monday immediately following the spring shift, alongside spikes in workplace injuries, fatal traffic accidents, and miscarriages among IVF patients.
Not All of the United States Observes It
In the US, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe DST (Arizona opted out in 1968 due to its extreme summer heat, as residents preferred earlier nightfall). US territories—including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands—also do not observe DST.
The US Tried Year-Round DST in 1974 (and Hated It)
During the 1973 OPEC oil embargo, President Richard Nixon signed a bill instituting year-round DST starting in January 1974. Public support plummeted when winter arrived, as children were forced to commute to school in total darkness, leading to high-profile traffic accidents. Congress repealed the law just eight months later.
A Two-Minute Window Helped a Draft-Dodger
During the Vietnam War, an American born on November 2, 1963, at 1:10 AM local time used DST to dodge the draft. His home state was undergoing the standard fall clock shift on that date. When his birth time occurred, the clock turned back to 1:00 AM, making his official standard time 12:10 AM—which shifted his birthdate back to November 1 and altered his draft lottery number.
It Drives Retail and Commerce Politics
The golf, outdoor recreation, and candy industries have historically been major lobbyists for extended DST. Extra daylight in the evening encourages consumers to shop, play golf, and spend money outside. In 1986, the US extended DST by a month largely through lobbying efforts by golf and barbecue equipment manufacturers.
A Chaos-Causing Period Known as “Chaos Time”
Before the US Uniform Time Act of 1966, states, towns, and cities could choose whether or not to observe DST and when to start it. This created total logistical chaos; a 35-mile bus ride between Steubenville, Ohio, and Moundsville, West Virginia, passed through seven different time changes in less than an hour.

Posted on September 8, 2026September 8, 2026 by jeff@jeffnapier.com — Leave a comment

Worst Imposter

Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr., a high-school dropout, posed as a monk, a professor of psychology, a cancer researcher, a penal officer, a teacher, and a surgeon, all without the proper education or certification. As a surgeon he successfully performed amputations and even thoracic surgery.

Ferdinand was portrayed by Tony Curtis in the 1961 movie, “The Great Imposter.”

More about Ferdinand Demara, Jr.

Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr., famously known as “The Great Impostor,” was one of history’s most prolific and successful con men. Armed with an extraordinary memory and supreme confidence, he took on dozens of high-level professions without credentials.

He Performed Successful Surgeries at Sea with Zero Medical Training
During the Korean War, Demara posed as Dr. Joseph Cyr, a trauma surgeon aboard the Royal Canadian Navy destroyer HMCS Cayuga. When wounded soldiers were brought aboard, Demara ducked into his cabin, speed-read a medical textbook on the required procedures, and performed multiple surgeries—including extracting a bullet lodged near a patient’s heart and amputating a foot. Every single one of his patients survived.
His Heroic Fame Was His Own Undoing
Demara’s flawless surgical work on the Cayuga was so impressive that it attracted news coverage. The real Dr. Joseph Cyr’s mother read a newspaper account of her son’s “heroic” actions aboard a navy vessel in Korea and knew something was wrong, as her actual son was practicing medicine in New Brunswick, exposing the fraud.
He Served as the Dean of Philosophy at a College
Posing as “Dr. Robert Linton French,” a religiously oriented psychologist, Demara landed a position at Gannon College in Erie, Pennsylvania. He wasn’t just a lecturer; he was made Dean of the School of Philosophy and taught courses in general, industrial, and abnormal psychology—even authoring a booklet titled How to Bring Up Your Child.
He Possessed a Photographic Memory
Demara lacked formal higher education, having run away from home as a teenager, but he possessed an extraordinarily high IQ and a photographic memory. This allowed him to absorb textbooks rapidly, memorize technical jargon, and pass himself off as an authority on nearly any subject overnight.
He Faked His Own Suicide to Escape the Military
After going AWOL from the U.S. Army during World War II, Demara joined the U.S. Navy under a stolen name. When he failed to get the naval assignment he wanted, he staged his own suicide by leaving his clothes and a suicide note on a beach before slipping away under another new identity.
He Ran a Maximum-Security Prison Section
Demara assumed the identity of Dr. Ben W. Jones and secured a position as an assistant warden at a maximum-security prison in Texas. He successfully instituted prison reform policies and gained the trust of inmates and guards alike before a prisoner recognized his face from a news article and turned him in.
He Co-Founded a Catholic College
Demara spent significant time trying to become a monk, joining various religious orders throughout his life. Under the alias Brother John Payne, he helped found LaMennais College (now Walsh University) in Alfred, Maine, where he served as a chancellor.
He Was Played by Tony Curtis in a Hollywood Film
His exploits inspired a best-selling 1959 biography, The Great Impostor by Robert Crichton, which was adapted into a 1961 feature film starring Tony Curtis. Demara was also cast in a small role as a hospital surgeon in the 1960 horror film The Hypnotic Eye, where ironically, observers noted he was terrible at scripted acting.
He Claimed His Primary Motive Was “Pure Rascality”
Unlike most con artists, Demara rarely stole money or sought great personal wealth. He was primarily motivated by prestige, the challenge of slipping into high-status roles, and the opportunity to do good. When asked about his motivation, he famously cited “Rascality, pure rascality”.
He Ended His Life as a Legitimate Hospital Chaplain
In his later years, after his fame made it impossible to adopt new fake personas, Demara went back to serving others legitimately under his real name. He became an ordained minister and worked as a hospital chaplain in Anaheim, California, until his death in 1982.

Perhaps more famous was Frank Abagnale Jr., the real person portrayed in the move “Catch Me If You Can,” Starring Leonardo DiCaprio

Posted on September 7, 2026September 7, 2026 by jeff@jeffnapier.com — Leave a comment

Worst Workload Heaped on a Wife

Leo Tolstoy wrote a large book called War and Peace before computers and copying machines. His wife had to copy his 3,000-page manuscript by hand seven times.

Before the advent of commercial typewriters or photocopiers, Sophia Tolstaya (Tolstoy’s wife) served as his primary scribe, editor, and transcriptionist.

Tolstoy had famously notorious, nearly illegible handwriting filled with shorthand, deletions, and additions written vertically in margins. Sophia was often the only person who could decipher it.

Tolstoy was an obsessive perfectionist who continuously edited and reworked drafts. Every time Sophia produced a clean copy by hand, Tolstoy would heavily revise, cross out, and rewrite entire sections on those new sheets—requiring her to start the process over again. She recorded in her diaries that she copied the complete draft of War and Peace by hand seven times over the course of seven years (roughly 21,000 pages of copying).

Was she rewarded for all that work?

Yes, but it’s complicated.

Leo Tolstoy was extraordinarily wealthy and financially successful, though his relationship with money was famously complicated.

His financial arc spans inherited wealth, financial disaster, massive commercial publishing success, and a total spiritual rejection of money.

Born Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, he inherited a 5,500-acre estate named Yasnaya Polyana along with hundreds of serfs. In his youth, however, he was a heavy gambler and blew through vast sums, even losing his family’s grand manor house to settle a debt.

His writing restored and vastly increased his wealth. Works like War and Peace and Anna Karenina were massive critical and financial blockbusters. He commanded huge sums from magazine publishers and used his earnings to buy back vast tracks of land, quadrupling the size of his holdings.

Later in life, Tolstoy experienced a deep spiritual crisis and adopted radical Christian anarchist and pacifist beliefs. He came to view private property and money as inherently immoral. He attempted to renounce his titles, give away his land to peasants, and place all his written works into the public domain.

His attempt to reject his wealth created decades of fierce conflict with his wife, Sophia. To prevent the family from falling into poverty, she convinced him to sign over the legal ownership of his estate and the copyright of his early works (including War and Peace) to her and their children before he renounced his remaining copyrights.

When he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1906, he privately urged the committee not to award it to him because he dreaded the burden of having to refuse or manage the $100,000 prize money.

Posted on September 7, 2026September 7, 2026 by jeff@jeffnapier.com — Leave a comment

Most Extreme Duplication

More than two and a half billion Bibles have been made. If you put them on a long bookshelf and started driving along the shelf at 65 mph (104 kph), you would have to drive 40 hours per week for four months to get to the end. All these Bibles would fill the New York public library 467 and one-half times.

A typical Bible contains 3,566,480 letters, or 810,697 words.

One of the first-ever printed books was the Bible, pressed by Johannes Gutenburg in Germany around the year 1450. Only 49 complete or nearly complete copies remain.

Pictured above: A Gutenberg Bible, one of the first-ever printed books.

Posted on September 6, 2026September 6, 2026 by jeff@jeffnapier.com — Leave a comment

Worst Thing to do About the Game of Chess

Do not write another book about chess. More than 35,000 books have been written about the game so far.

More Unexpected Info About Chess

The Queen Was Once the Weakest Piece

When chess was first created, the queen could only move one square diagonally at a time. It wasn’t until around the late 15th century—partly influenced by the rise of powerful European monarchs like Queen Isabella I of Spain—that the queen gained her modern, multi-directional powers to become the most lethal piece on the board.

The “Turk” Hoax Fooled the World for Decades

In 1770, an inventor named Wolfgang von Kempelen unveiled “The Turk,” a mechanical automaton that could play chess against human opponents. It famously defeated figures like Napoleon Bonaparte and Benjamin Franklin. Decades later, it was revealed to be a complete hoax: a human chess master was hiding inside the cabinet using a complex system of levers and magnets to control the automaton’s arm.

There are More Possible Games Than Atoms in the Universe

The total number of possible unique chess games is estimated at around 10¹²⁰ (known as Shannon’s number). By comparison, the observable universe contains roughly 10⁸⁰ total atoms, meaning there are vastly more ways a chess game can play out than physical particles in existence.

Folding Boards Were Invented to Disguise the Game as Books

In 1125, a priest wanted to play chess despite a church ban on the game. To bypass the rule, he designed a folding chessboard that, when closed and placed on a shelf, looked like two books sitting side by side.

A Player Once Spent 2+ Hours Thinking About One Early Move

Before strict modern chess clocks were enforced, players could take as long as they wanted per turn. In a 1980 match, Brazilian International Master Francisco Trois spent 2 hours and 20 minutes deciding on his 7th move—only to later admit he couldn’t explain why he hesitated so long over just two basic options!

“Checkmate” Literally Means “The King is Helpless”

The word checkmate comes from the Persian phrase “Shāh Māt”. While many people translate it as “the king is dead,” it actually translates closer to “the king is left helpless” or “the king has been paralyzed,” as the king piece is technically never captured or killed on the board.

The Longest Official Game Took 269 Moves and Over 20 Hours

The record for the longest grandmaster game ever played in an official tournament belongs to Ivan Nikolić and Goran Arsović in Belgrade, 1989. The grueling match lasted 269 moves, took over 20 hours to complete, and ultimately ended in a draw.

Rookies Get Their Name From Chess

The slang word “rookie”—meaning a beginner, newcomer, or first-year athlete—is widely believed to trace its roots back to the Rook. Because rooks are usually the last major pieces to be moved out into action during a game’s opening phase, they were colloquially associated with latecomers or new entrants.

The Second Book Ever Printed in English Was About Chess

Shortly after Johannes Gutenberg introduced the printing press, William Caxton printed The Game and Playe of Chesse in the 1470s. It was only the second book ever published in the English language.

A Grandmaster Once Played 604 Games at the Same Time

In 2011, Iranian Grandmaster Ehsan Ghaem-Maghami set a record by playing 604 simultaneous games of chess over a 25-hour marathon. Walking continuously from board to board, he won 580 of the matches, drew 16, and lost only 8.

Posted on September 6, 2026 by jeff@jeffnapier.com — Leave a comment

Worst Motherly Advice

Sir Isaac Newton’s mother didn’t think education was necessary for farming, the business she wanted him to take up, so he had to quit school.

When Isaac Newton was around 15 or 16 years old, his mother, Hannah Ayscough, pulled him out of The King’s School in Grantham to manage the family’s farm and estate at Woolsthorpe Manor. She intended for him to take over the family business, as his late father had been a farmer.

However, Newton was a disaster as a farmer:

He preferred reading, tinkering with mechanical models, and solving math problems over managing livestock.

He often neglected his chores—letting sheep stray into crops and cows trample fields while he lost himself in books.

Realizing his complete lack of interest and aptitude for agriculture, his uncle and the headmaster of his school persuaded his mother to allow him to return to school. He completed his secondary education and went on to study at Trinity College, Cambridge.

How financially successful was Isaac Newton?

Sir Isaac Newton was extremely successful financially and died a remarkably wealthy man, though his path to riches had one infamous detour.

His wealth came from three main areas:
1. High-Paying Government and Academic Positions

While Newton earned a comfortable income as a professor at Cambridge and Lucasian Chair of Mathematics, his real wealth began in 1696 when he moved to London to become Warden (and later Master) of the Royal Mint.

As Master of the Mint, his job was to oversee the currency, redesign coins, and hunt down counterfeiters.

He received a substantial base salary plus a commission on every coin minted. His annual income regularly exceeded £2,000 to £3,000—an enormous sum at the time, equivalent to a modern high-executive salary of millions of dollars.

2. The South Sea Bubble Misadventure

Despite his brilliant mind, Newton fell victim to one of history’s most famous financial manias: the South Sea Bubble of 1720.

Early on, Newton invested in the South Sea Company and smartly sold his shares at a 100% profit, netting around £7,000.

However, as he watched his peers continue to get rich while stock prices kept climbing, he succumbed to the fear of missing out and bought back in at the market’s peak.

When the bubble burst, Newton lost an estimated £20,000 (roughly $3 million to $4 million in today’s terms).

The disaster allegedly prompted him to remark: “I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people.”

3. Net Worth at Death

Despite that massive investment loss, Newton was far from ruined. Because of his vast salary from the Mint and other prudent investments (such as long-term government bonds and shares in the East India Company), he easily rebuilt his fortune.

When Newton died in 1727 at age 84, his personal estate was valued at approximately £32,000 (equivalent to roughly $5 million to $8 million today). Since he never married and had no children, his estate was divided among his surviving nieces and nephews, leaving them all quite wealthy.

Posted on September 6, 2026September 6, 2026 by jeff@jeffnapier.com — Leave a comment

Worst Career Change that Resulted in Great Success

Sherlock Holmes was modeled after a real person, Dr. Joseph Bell, a famous surgeon and lecturer of author A Conan Doyle’s time. Dr. Bell taught his medical students Continue reading Worst Career Change that Resulted in Great Success

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The Worst of Everything

More About High School

1. “School spirit” became strongly associated with organized high-school athletics

2. The first U.S. high school was established in Boston in 1821

3. High school sports helped create some of America’s earliest school mascots

4. “Prom” is short for “promenade”

5. Some high schools once had rifle teams as ordinary school activities

6. The SAT has roots in military intelligence testing

7. High-school yearbooks weren’t originally just memory books

8. “Senioritis” is real as a behavior, but it isn’t a medical disease

More about Pit Bulls

Here’s more about DST

More about Ferdinand Demara, Jr.

More Unexpected Info About Chess

How financially successful was Isaac Newton?