Whether it's Godzilla's citizenship or the unexpected origins of geishas, these interesting facts about Japan shine a light on the "Land of the Rising Sun." Japan’s ancient samurai suicide ritual of seppuku involved an elaborate process of disemboweling oneself with a dagger. Seppuku was performed largely in order to voluntarily die with honor instead of involuntarily dying with shame.Getty Images Some Shingon monks successfully mummified themselves alive via a practice called sokushinbutsu.

Flytraps Source: Biology Pop When people think of carnivorous plants, Venus flytraps are usually what first come to mind. The Venus flytrap (scientific name dionae muscipula) is known for its hinged, leafy “jaw” that snaps together to trap and consume unsuspecting insects. When an insect, beetle or frog touches two or more of the plant’s “hairs”, the flytrap quickly hinges shut, trapping and then slowly digesting the organism. Source: FlyTrapCare

Kate Warne Alexander Gardner/Library of CongressJohn C. Babcock (holding pole), often purported to be Kate Warne Kate Warne is known for being the first female detective, a Civil War spy, and a bodyguard for Abraham Lincoln, all while working for famed detective and spy Allan Pinkerton. Google her name and you will find many articles, often with the above image. In these articles, the person standing with their hand on the pole is identified as Kate Warne.

The Deep-Sea Hatchetfish, The Weird Ocean Animal That Glows In The Dark There are roughly 40 known species of hatchetfish that exist in the ocean. Their size ranges between less than two inches to five inches long.Digital Fish Library Hatchetfish mainly prey on tiny crustaceans and animal plankton. whoi.ocean/Instagram A hatchetfish specimen chomps on its prey.Wikimedia Commons These fish are typically found nearly 200 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean.

Medici: Masters Of Florence Shattered Viewership Records — And Historical Timelines NetflixRichard Madden and Daniel Sharman in Medici: Masters of Florence. When the series Medici: Masters of Florence debuted in Italy, it pulled in a record-breaking 7 million viewers who were excited to dive into the story of the Medici family, one of the most influential families in Italian history. But as The Florentine acknowledges, there are numerous liberties taken with the television series that stray a bit far from the truth.

It was nearly impossible to bury all the corpses that fell onto the battlefield, leaving some to say that their spirits still linger over a century later.Timothy H. O’Sullivan/Wikimedia CommonsThe Battle of Gettysburg saw 50,000 casualties, making it the bloodiest conflict of the American Civil War. Some say those souls remain on the haunted Gettysburg field. The Battle of Gettysburg was the Civil War’s grisliest, and the carnage it wrought is said to linger on the battlefield even today.

The History Of The Brazen Bull, The Bronze Torture Device Allegedly Used In Ancient Greece Andrew Milne 3 months ago Made of brass, iron, or bronze, the Brazen Bull torture device of ancient Greece was supposedly used to roast victims to death, transforming their screams into the sound of a bull. ncG1vNJzZmiZnKHBqa3TrKCnrJWnsrTAyKeeZ5ufonyiwdOhpqtnkaOxs7HWZqSipJ6a

Setting out on June 20, 1970, Dave Kunst walked 14,450 miles around the Earth — but not without experiencing hardships along the way.Dave Kunst/FacebookDave Kunst with a donkey named Willie Makeit II in France. 1971. After watching astronauts land on the moon in 1969, Dave Kunst felt desperate for adventure. He kicked around a couple of ideas and landed on an ambitious one: circumnavigating the globe by foot. On June 20, 1970, less than a year after the Apollo mission, he put his plan into action.

Although Louis Zamperini was brutally tortured inside four Japanese POW camps during World War 2, he not only survived, he later forgave his captors.Bettmann/Getty ImagesIn the true story that inspired the 2014 film Unbroken, Louis Zamperini competed in the 1936 Olympics before serving as a pilot in the Pacific during World War II. When Louis Zamperini was 21 years old, he ran at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and broke records with Adolf Hitler in the audience.

Up until her death in 1904, British explorer Isabella Bird traveled the world — and defied traditional gender norms of her time.She circled the globe in the 19th century. She climbed the Rocky Mountains, scaled a Hawaiian volcano, and snapped pictures of China’s Forbidden City. And, in so doing, Isabella Bird became one of the most iconic female explorers of the Victorian era. At a time when most British women were expected to stay home, Bird refused.