17 Historical 'Mosts' That Made Our Jaws Drop
Vote up the mosts from history that impress you the “mostest.”
Understanding history often means categorizing or quantifying it. Sometimes we establish something as a historical “first” or historical “last.” At other times, we label people, places, or time periods as the “worst” because, honestly, they sound kind of awful.
When a number is involved, finding the “most” can also put historical happenings into perspective. We found some historical “mosts” that not only offered insight into the past, but also took us by surprise. Some of these “mosts” are genuine testaments to human strength, endurance, creativity, and spirit, while others are a little frightening or disheartening.
Vote up the “mosts” from history that impress you, well, the “mostest.”
- 1
Most Lightning Strikes Survived By A Single Person: 7
Roy Sullivan worked as a US national park ranger in Virginia and was struck by lightning (at least) seven times. Sullivan was first hit by lightning in 1942 as he ran away from a fire lookout tower that had just been struck, as well. Subsequent strikes in 1969, 1970, 1972, and 1973 took place while Sullivan was in his truck, his yard, at work, and in a car.
The remaining strikes occurred in 1976 (while he was out in a storm) and 1977 (while he was out fishing). An eighth incident might have occurred when Sullivan was a child, but it remains unclear.
Most impressive? Called “The Man of 1,000 Voices,” Mel Blanc actually has more than 1,000 credits to his name.
The exact number is 1,069, according to a data analysis of the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).
Most impressive?During the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union (1939-1940), Simo Hayha had 505 confirmed sniper kills - although the number could be as high as 542.
Hayha earned the nickname "The White Death," spent days in subzero temperatures targeting Russian combatants, and used an iron sight instead of a scope. According to Hayha, "shooting with a scope seemed to be slow" and the reflection could potentially make him visible to the enemy.
In March 1940, Hayha was shot in the face by a Soviet sniper and went into a coma, only to regain consciousness the day the conflict ended.
Most impressive?- 4
Most Children To One Couple: 69
Russian peasant Feodor Vassilyev and his first wife (name unknown, but perhaps Valentina) had 69 children from 27 different births.
Mrs. Vassilyev reportedly birthed 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four groups of quadruplets from 1725 to 1765.
Most impressive? Since author Roald Dahl's passing in 1990, his estate has earned $513 million (as of 2021 - ousting the previous record-holder Michael Jackson). Dahl wrote 49 books during his life, several of which were published posthumously.
Adaptations of his works onto small and large screens - which require purchasing the rights, and show no signs of ending - have contributed heavily to Dahl's continued accumulation of wealth.
Most impressive?From 1998 to 2015, Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka accumulated a record number of days in space with 879 (or 878, depending on the source). During his career, Padalka made five trips to space, including multiple visits to the International Space Station.
Padalka resigned from his position in 2017 because there were no indications he would be going back.
Most impressive?
