What actor was as famous as Charlie Chaplin back in the day, but hardly anyone has heard of him?

Well before Charlie Chaplin was making waves, America had another acting superstar who wowed audiences all over the country with his soft, naturalistic interpretation of Hamlet. His name? Edwin.

Recordings of his voice still survive through wax cylinder (hard to preserve it otherwise, considering his heyday was the 1860s) and Edwin possessed a very deep, rich voice. In fact, Edwin came from a dynasty of actors, rivaling that of the Barrymores. He was one of three successful acting brothers, born to a successful acting father who later married an even more successful actress. Highly talented family.

One example of Edwin’s fame: he was once on a train with Robert “Todd” Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, and saved Todd’s life when the president’s son nearly fell to his death off of the train. Edwin had no idea who Todd was, but Todd instantly recognized Edwin. Even in an age before motion pictures and constant paparazzi, Edwin had a household name and recognizable appearance.

Now, I’ve deliberately neglected to include Edwin’s last name. You see, while Edwin’s fame far exceeded that of anyone in his family during his career… one brother since surpassed him, living on as the infamous murderer of Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth.

Edwin Booth took several months off from acting after Lincoln’s death, publicly disowned his brother, and later made a solid comeback, such was his fame. It’s one of history’s greatest ironies that one brother saved the life of a Lincoln, and the other murdered a Lincoln.

Regardless, some historians still consider Edwin Booth the greatest American actor ever. His name belongs with the likes of Buster Keaton, Jimmy Stewart, and Denzel Washington, and yet most Americans probably never heard of him. No, they just heard of his brother.

You can be talented as anything, beloved by the nation, even recognized everywhere you go… but all it takes is one murderous brother to drag your name through the gutter.

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The Last Judicial Hanging in The United States

Billy Bailey was born in 1946, the ninth of 23 children, in South Carolina, where they lived in poverty. When he grew up, he developed an alcohol addiction and had a filthy temper. Bailey also got in trouble with the law on numerous occasions, committing six felonies ranging from grand larceny to burglary. In 1979, in Delaware, after being placed in a work release facility, Billy Bailey learned he faced a potential 45-year sentence for his most recent string of crimes. After attempting to kill himself with a knife only to be stopped by his brother-in-law, Bailey asked him to stop at a liquor store. There, he robbed the clerk before knocking her down and attempting to shoot her, but thankfully, the gun jammed. He fled the scene, being dropped off by his brother-in-law at Lambertson’s Corner. There, Billy Bailey entered a farmhouse and stole a shotgun. The elderly couple inside where then slaughtered by Bailey, the man being shot twice in the chest and once in the head with the pist...

Jewish women being stripped naked by Ukrainians in 1941.

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In a small village in Iran, Suraiya's family lives: her husband, two daughters, and two sons.

Her husband suddenly falls in love with a fourteen-year-old girl, and the desire to marry her overwhelms him in exchange for marrying the girl, Suraiya's husband agrees to cover the medical expenses of her ailing father.But in the meantime, he finds it difficult to bring in a new wife while already having one, and he's also worried about the increased expenses. Then Suraiya's husband hatches a plan. He strikes a deal with the village headman and spreads a rumor about his wife. The rumor was that, "his wife is having an affair with someone else."To bolster this rumor, they even create false witnesses by threatening or luring certain individuals. As a result, Suraiya's guilt is quickly proven. According to the law, Suraiya is sentenced to death. The death penalty was horrific. A pit was dug in public on the road. Suraiya's hands and feet were tied. She was buried waist-deep in the pit. Earth was piled around her. Then, from a distance, stones were thrown at...

1941 Nazi murderer now identified

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Holocaust victim

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