Table of contents:
- 1. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and fire
- 2. Genghis Khan and dogs
- 3. Kim Jong Il and the planes
- 4. Henry VIII and disease
- 5. Octavian Augustus and thunderstorms
- 6. Heraclius and water
- 7. Peter the Great and the rats
- 8. Muammar Gaddafi and the height
- 9. Winston Churchill and stuttering
- 10. Adolf Hitler
Video: What history books don't tell: 10 phobias of the world's most famous leaders
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Fear is experienced by all people, regardless of age, social status and wallet size. And famous historical figures were no exception - many of them had very strange phobias that ran counter to their fearlessness and masculinity, which are told about in history books.
1. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and fire
Although Franklin Roosevelt argued that "the only thing people should be afraid of is fear itself," he panicked before fire. Most likely, this phobia of one of the most beloved and successful American presidents came from childhood. As a young child, he witnessed his aunt Laura screaming down the stairs in a flaming dress that caught fire from an alcohol lamp. In 1899, he took part in extinguishing a fire at the Groton School, where several horses were burned. Roosevelt was so afraid of being trapped in a burning building that he never closed the bedroom door at night.
2. Genghis Khan and dogs
Genghis Khan was afraid of only three things: mother, wife and dogs. When Genghis Khan was still an eight-year-old boy named Temuchin, his father Yesugei met a man named Dei-Tsetsen, who had a nine-year-old daughter named Borte. Yesugei and Dei-Tsenen decided to marry their children. Leaving his son in the bride's family until he comes of age, so that he and his future wife get to know each other better, Yesugei went home. At the same time, he warned that Temuchin is very afraid of dogs.
3. Kim Jong Il and the planes
Former North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il was terrified of air travel. He almost always traveled on a special armored train, even over very long distances (to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe). His father, Kim Il Sung, flew regularly to the USSR, but he (and his son) developed a strong distrust of air travel due to a number of accidents.
Former Swedish ambassador to North Korea Ingolf Kisof said that Kim Jong Il had a scar from his forehead to the crown of his head, which the North Korean leader allegedly got after a helicopter crash in 1976. In 1982, North Korea purchased five Il-62 passenger aircraft from the Soviet Union for use as Kim Il Sung's personal aircraft. During a test flight, Kim Il Sung's plane suddenly exploded. In this case, 17 people died, including the personal pilot of the North Korean leader.
4. Henry VIII and disease
One of the most famous representatives of the Tudor dynasty, Henry VIII was very afraid of disease, in particular, plague and the mysterious disease "English sweat", which raged in England during his reign. The Tudors had a tradition of traveling around the country - the king and his entourage traveled through the countryside, visiting noble estates and monasteries in order to win the love of their subjects. This tradition waned after Whitehall Palace was built, but Henry VIII still traveled to the countryside every summer.
During the plague epidemic, the king tried to isolate himself from the potentially sick. If in the area where he stayed, there was a focus of the disease, then the king left for another city or an estate. During an outbreak of "English sweat" in London in 1528, Henry VIII left the capital with the queen and his favorite Anne Boleyn, after which he did not sleep for more than one night until the disease subsided.
5. Octavian Augustus and thunderstorms
According to the records of the Roman historian Suetonius, the founder of the Roman Empire was afraid of thunder and lightning. The northern emperor built the temple of Jupiter the Thunderer to "appease" the god, but the fear of lightning haunted him throughout his life. Suetonius claims that Octavian Augustus always carried a piece of seal skin with him as an amulet to protect him from lightning strikes.
6. Heraclius and water
The Byzantine emperor Heraclius, who is known for his great victories over the Persians, was terrified of water. On his order, they even covered all the water tanks in Constantinople with earth (modern Turkish archaeologists have discovered these tanks filled with garbage). The emperor's fear was associated with the horoscope - the famous astrologer Stephanos of Alexandria predicted Heraclius that he would die from water.
7. Peter the Great and the rats
The last Tsar of All Russia (since 1682) and the first Emperor of All Russia (since 1721), Peter I, nicknamed Peter the Great, had a special dislike for cockroaches - he moved out of the house in which he noticed at least one cockroach. Leaving the countryside, Peter I never just entered any house, but always sent servants to inspect the house to make sure there were no cockroaches in it.
8. Muammar Gaddafi and the height
Former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi had a very difficult personality. This was aggravated by the fear of heights and long flights over water. The dictator could not fly over open water for more than eight hours, making Gaddafi's travel planning a real headache for his employees. They organized alternative routes and a series of transfers so that Gaddafi could calm down and rest. Also, the Libyan leader could not climb to a height of more than 35 steps and always stopped on the first floors of buildings.
9. Winston Churchill and stuttering
While former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is now known as one of the greatest orators of the 20th century, he has long struggled with stuttering that has frustrated several of his early attempts at public speaking. At 29, Churchill was going to give a speech in the House of Commons. When he got up, he froze in horror for three whole minutes, after which he returned to his seat and covered his face with his hands. He resolved never to experience such humiliation again and began practicing speaking and fighting stuttering.
10. Adolf Hitler
Hitler was so afraid to visit dentists that he preferred to suffer from pain. The Fuhrer often complained of toothache, he had terrible breath, yellowed teeth, abscesses and gum disease. Some scholars believe that a number of dental problems contributed to the severe deterioration of the Fuehrer's health at the end of the war. Another Nazi who feared dentists was the head of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering.
Continuing the topic 30 photos of the most famous political figures in their youth … We know them completely different - mature charismatic personalities, and it is difficult to imagine that once they were also young boys and girls, not much different from thousands of their peers.
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