Ranker Collection
Crime & Punishment
Middle Ages872.3k viewsA Day In The Life Of A Medieval Executioner In Their 16th-Century HeydayThe daily life of a medieval executioner was not easy. They did more than simply chop off heads and break prisoners on the wheel. ...
Unspeakable Times90k viewsThe Wild West Was As Wild As You Think - And 'Justice' Was Often Even WorseThe American West stirs up grand images from movies: daring escapades, shootouts at high noon, tough sheriffs and marshals keeping...
Unspeakable Times1.5m viewsThe Most Brutal Killing Methods By Mexican CartelsWhen discussing the extreme violence linked to drug trafficking, the topic of Mexican cartel murder methods inevitably arises. The...
Mythology8.9k votersThe Worst Greek Mythology Punishments, Ranked By HarshnessThe world of Greek mythology is rich with tales of heroics, gods, and mortals, but it's also filled with the worst ancient Greek m...
Unspeakable Times1.7m viewsBotched Execution Attempts That Went Horribly WrongCapital punishment: the age-old way for humans to dispose of one another for crimes perceived to be the most egregious in a partic...
Military643.2k viewsHow Firing Squads Have Worked Throughout HistoryAs soon as mankind learned to shoot, it figured out how to use that power to kill. The history of shooting squads is very long, th...
Unspeakable Times2.4m viewsCreepy Things You Didn’t Know About Dying In The Electric ChairThe electric chair is no longer used as the primary method of execution in the United States. But at the time it was invented, it ...
Graveyard Shift438.3k views10 Gruesome Execution Methods You Won't Believe Still Happen Around The WorldCapital punishment is a hot-button issue - especially in the United States. While well over half the states in the US still employ...
Capital Punishment551.2k viewsThe Most Controversial U.S. Death Penalty ExecutionsDeath row convicts can't rely on an eleventh-hour appeal, although some like Richard Glossip secured a fourth stay of execution in...
Capital Punishment272.8k viewsFamous Cases Of People Who Were Arrested Abroad (And What Happened To Them)Isn't it the nightmare of any traveler? You go to another country - maybe you don't even speak the language - only to get detained...
Graveyard Shift616.8k viewsThe Brutal History Behind Tarring And FeatheringThroughout history, many societies have used tarring and feathering as both punishment and humiliation. The practice reaches as fa...
Military357.6k views15 Brutal Military Punishments throughout History to the Modern AgeThe militaries of the world are founded on principles of discipline, so it's no surprise military punishments in history have been...
History79.6k viewsCrazy Punishments, Rituals, and Violent Practices in Native American CultureScholars have spent plenty of time debating the rituals of Native Americans. Some tribes were peaceful, some were war-faring, and ...
Death138.4k views11 Ridiculous Crimes That Carried The Death Penalty Before Queen VictoriaWhen England was on the cusp of the Victorian era in the 1820s, there were more than 200 offenses that were punishable by death. T...
Capital Punishment182.9k viewsWhat a Crucifixion Really Feels Like, from Broken Bones to Blood LossLet's face it, when it's time for you to expire, Mother Nature has plenty of awful ways to take you out of this world, most of whi...
Japan105.6k viewsThe Horrifying, Little-Known History of Japanese CrucifixionCrucifixion in Japan took various forms and was used to punish thieves, threats to public order, and religious enemies alike. It's...
Graveyard Shift254.5k viewsExecution Scenes From Movies And TV That Were Way Less Violent Than The Real ThingSometimes, television and movies depict historical events with surprising accuracy. Other times, they temper historical truth for ...
Weird History24.5k viewsDid The Iron Maiden Actually Exist?What was the iron maiden, and how did the iron maiden work? The medieval torture device, a human-sized sarcophagus filled with spi...
Weird History56.1k viewsWhat It Was Actually Like To Be In The StocksMany a curious renaissance fair or historical park visitor has probably wondered: “What was it like to be in the stocks?” A lot of...
Unspeakable Times318.1k viewsWhat It Was Like To Watch A Beheading By GuillotineReservedly advocated as a humane killing device by Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin during the 18th century, the guillotine executed pe...