40 Hidden Truths and Closely Guarded Secrets That Were Almost Swept Under History's Rug

The world has a lot more to offer than you think
40 Hidden Truths and Closely Guarded Secrets That Were Almost Swept Under History's Rug

It’s a good thing we were here. No one else seemed to notice that history’s rug was looking a little lumpy, but we flopped over one corner and uncovered all kinds of gems. This saved some hidden truths from being lost in time, and it drastically cut down on twisted ankles from rug-lump stepping. 

All in a day’s work.

Ancient Egypt

A 3000-year-old SARCOPHAGUS was hidden in the walls of a British man's home. The man's relatives had no idea it was there. It was discovered by an auctioneer who was sorting through the house after the man died. Photo Willingsan Auctions CRACKED.COM htp://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-26961397

Nuclear Fusion

Abandoned constructions The secret German nuclear fusion lab In 1951, some German scientists built a super-secret nuclear laboratory on Huemul island, in Patagonia. This project was supposed to develop nuclear fusion, but it didn't work and the lab was just abandoned. CRACKED

Abandoned Constructions

Abandoned constructions Abandoned Chernobyl-era relic This unfinished nuclear plant was supposed to provide electricity to the whole Crimean peninsula, but it was closed in 1987 after the Chernobyl disaster and the USSR's economic crisis. Now it's a popular spot for people who like exploring abandoned buildings. CRACKED

California City

Abandoned constructions California City California City (in California) is technically the third largest city in the state, but it's a ghost town. There are hundreds of miles of roads and cul-de-sacs - and no homes. The dust storms caused by the construction meant it never really took off. CRACKED

Giotto

CRACKED Giotto's 13th century frescoes in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi had a hidden secret for centuries - nobody could get up high enough to spot a side-on portrait of Satan hidden in the clouds.

Vincent Van Gogh

A self-portrait by Van Gogh was discovered behind one of his other paintings. CRACKED.COM Art conservators dis- covered the concealed image behind Head of a Peasant Woman, hidden by layers of glue and cardboard for more than a century.

Antarctica

Abandoned constructions The abandoned lab on Antarctica East Base, one of the first American settlements on Antarctica, has been left untouched since 1941, creating a snapshot of the research from that time period. Researchers were supposed to come back, but that didn't work out. CRACKED

Trader Joe’s

what's the deal with TRADER JOE'S? Can you find the hidden LOBSTER? GRAGKED.COM Nearly all Trader Joe's locations have a lobster or other stuffed creature hiding on the shelves for kids (and their adults) to find. 320 3 Spot it, then grab a crew member to receive a treat for digging up the hidden treasure. LITTLE SW 20 240

New York

The New York Public Library is making banned books available for free. GRACKED.COM In response to the more than 1,500 books challenged to be removed from libraries in the last year, the New York Public Library launched an effort to make some banned books available for everyone.

Norman Rockwell

A Norman Rockwell painting was discovered in a secret compartment inside the walls of a cartoonist's house. CRACKED.COM Don Trachte had forged several paintings he owned to stop his ex-wife from getting them in a divorce settlement and had hidden the originals. It'd been hidden there for 35 years.

Hatshepsut

She probably accomplished more than we know CRACKED.COM Because archaeological excavations have yet to reveal further information on the full extent of Hatshepsut's accomplishments, there is likely much we don't know about the powerful ruler. Scholars are hopeful that there is more evidence to uncover to contribute to her incredible legacy.

Tunnels

CRACKED A MYSTERIOUS, STRANGELY BUILT TUNNEL NETWORK Scientists are still trying to uncover the mystery of the thousands of tunnels called erdstall tunnels in Europe. These tunnels, which date back to the 12th century, are small, oval-shaped and have narrow passageways between chambers.

Jackie Chan

CRACKED.COM Jackie Chan His Hong Kong home has secret rooms. When your movies have grossed around US$5 billion worldwide, you can afford some luxuries, like maze- like secret rooms within secret rooms. This was a childhood dream inspired by the Batcave.

Argentina

A 2017 Argentine police raid on an art collector's home found a secret room with Nazi relics. 1 F The room had toys, statues, medical devices and more, all probably owned by top Nazi party members. CRACKED.COM

Harry Potter

The clock tower Harry Potter flew over has a fancy apartment. Inside the St. Pancras clock tower, there's an apartment with ridiculously high ceilings and two bedrooms. Unfortunately, since it's literally on top of a train station, neither bedroom can give you a good night's sleep. CRACKED.COM

The Empire State Building

The highest floor of the Empire State Building is reserved for a chosen few. The 103rd floor, which is so secret it's usually not listed, is only open to the rich and/or famous. It's a small observatory with 360-degree views. Almost no sounds reach it, so there's near-total silence. CRACKED.COM

Hidden Code

The U.S. CYBER COMMAND STATES Cyber Command UNITED emblem contains a hidden code. 2 When cracked, the و 32 character string e ~ translates into the unit's (lengthy) mission statement: USCYBERCOM plans, coordinates, integrates, synchronizes and conducts activities to... ensure US/Allied freedom of action in cyberspace and deny the same to our adversaries. GRAGKED.COM

Cathedrals

Many cathedrals have a cruciform plan; that is, if CRACKED.COM you see them from above (as God would), they look like a cross. Washington National Chartres Cathedral, Cathedral, USA France Peterborough Amiens Cathedral, Cathedral, UK France

Madonna

CRACKED.COM The Bridge Of Sighs was built for prisoners. That pretty Venice bridge-known for gondolas, honeymoons, and yes, appearing in Madonna's Like A Virgin video-was built to transfer prisoners from interrogation rooms to prison. It's named after prisoners sighing at their final view of Venice before being taken to their cells.

The Great Wall

CRACKED.COM The Great Wall of China is actually a great cemetery. It is estimated around 400,000 construction workers had died building the Great Wall, and were just as easily buried in its foundation, which earned the deserved moniker longest cemetery on Earth.

Cambridge

CRACKED.COM Part of the University of Cambridge was built over a massive graveyard. Beneath the Old Divinity School at St. John's College lies one of the largest found burial grounds in all of Great Britain, with a staggering count of over 1,300 burials dating back to medieval times. A hospital stood opposite the graveyard, and used it to bury poor scholars and other wretched persons.

Mt. Rushmore

Mt. Rushmore was designed by a white supremacist. Gutzon Borglum, the man that sculpted Mount Rushmore, was a racist who had ties to the Ku Klux Klan and was deeply involved in their politics. Не said things like, I would not trust an Indian, and referred to African Americans as a mongrel horde. CRACKED.COM

The Smithsonian

CRACKED.COM James Smithson is entombed in the Smithsonian. decre's la the exemory Sellow Famil of Specification who Die'd at Senoe Society the اليوم N year In a crypt just inside the north entrance of the Smithsonian Castle lies the relocated remains of the institute's founding father, James Smithson. Не was a chemist who enjoyed studying things like human tears and snake venom.

Disney

CRACKED.COM In 1974, 18 year-old Debbie Stone became the first Disney Employee to die on the job. Following a performance of America Sings, a ride with a rotating stage, Debbie became trapped by a moving wall and was crushed to death.

New Orange

New York was briefly named New Orange. WINNER BEST adidas K M Helped inju MUSICAL opponent W RS BILLY! SPORTSMANSH KITCH Com BC WHERE MAXIMUM ЕЦЕЛЬ FL - PERFORMANCE LIVES adidas odait maxell MAMMO MILK CRACKED.COM a - M When the Dutch cap- tured New York from the English in 1673, they renamed it New Orange in honor of William III of Orange.

Failed Inventions

There is a museum just for failed inventions. CRACKED.COM The touring Museum of Failure features an interna- tional collection of more than 100 innovation fail- ures, such as Harley-David- son perfume, Colgate beef lasagna, and Google Glass.

Whole Foods

CRACKED WHOLE FOODS MARKET Whole Foods relies on prison labor. Whole Foods has gotten some things, like goat cheese and tilapia, from farms that rely on the labor of incarcerated people. ROOM OPEN ONLY

Eggs

Not all organic foods are, well, organic. In 2010, a UK businessman got locked up for three years after he admitted to fraudulently selling battery farm eggs as free range or organic. CRACKED

Bread

CRACKED Wheat bread is sometimes just white bread that's colored. It's usually better to go for wheat bread rather than white bread, but watch out-some loaves that seem like they're wheat are actually just white bread with added color.

Stalin

STALIN USED A SECRET LAB TO ANALYZE MAO'S POOP. When Mao Zedong visited Moscow in 1949, they installed toilets connected to boxes. Specialists would a
Source: BBC

Bolivia

SALAR DE UYUN IS THE WORLD'S BIGGEST MIRROR 40,000 years ago, the site hosted Lake Minchin, which evaporated to reveal a plane SO flat and reflective

Communist Spy Ring

Cliff Stoll spotted a 75$ discrepancy in the books at Lawrence Berkeley Labs. Markus Hess Cliff Stoll OWCE R TT O a I Q a When he found it, he uncover

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