✳flâneur — a map of the web's best reading

Absurdly Famous People You Don't Know Enough About - Wait But Why

waitbutwhy.com · 2,756 words · saved by 1 readers

“I think he’s a famous old actor,” I said, during a game I play with friends where you have to get your team to say a name you’re reading on a slip of paper that they can’t see. “Humphrey Bogart!” one person yelled out. “Charlie Chaplin. Marlon Brando!” another hollered. My heart sank as I looked at the words “Henry Kissinger” written on the paper I was holding. I was in a “I somehow don’t know who this incredibly famous person is and I’m about to be horribly exposed for it” situation. There’s no feeling quite like it. But wipe that fucking grin off your face, because here’s the thing about famous historical people—there are a lot of them. And you learn about these people in a variety of ways—school, parents, books, articles, movies, etc.—but the system isn’t airtight. Throughout your life, you fill in more and more of the gaps, but no matter who you are, you have some embarrassing gaps somewhere. I can sum it up like this: There are some names in everyone’s Danger Zone. Beware the Dan

The memory is from 14 years ago, but it stings like it was yesterday. “I think he’s a famous old actor,” I said, during a game I play with friends where you have to get your team to say a name you’re reading on a slip of paper that they can’t see. “Humphrey Bogart!” one person yelled out. “Charlie Chaplin. Marlon Brando!” another hollered. My heart sank as I looked at the words “Henry Kissinger” written on the paper I was holding. I was in a “I somehow don’t know who this incredibly famous person is and I’m abo

Explore this link on the map →

related reading