Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The Best Historical Family Secret They've Ever Discovered

We all have skeletons....

All families... all people hold secrets. It is a part of life to hold life details from the world. Secrets can make many of us so much more interesting. However, there is so much we don't know and couldn't believe that is true about our lineage. Which is why we have to be careful about curiosity. That damn cat warned us....

Redditor u/hot_dog245 wanted everyone who has some secret family pasts to spill some scalding hot tea... by asking.... What is a historical family secret you discovered?

The Uncles.... 

I've always known that my dad's side of the family was involved with the Yakuza. Growing up, I remember various "uncles" that would visit us from Japan. I guess it's not a huge secret, but I was surprised when I learned that my dad's family are actually ethnically Korean. Oahu_Bred

"Rifke" 

One of my great-grandmothers was named "Rifke." When she immigrated to the United States, her name was probably mistyped and changed to "Rifle." So I'm descended from a woman legally named Rifle, technically making me a son of a gun.

Someone I'm distantly related to was an accomplished car thief in New York who was arrested early in WW2. He was offered the choice of prison or serving in the Merchant Marine, and chose the latter. The small ship he was on disappeared and the legend is that he stole it. ThadisJones

Mind. Blown. 

My great-grandmother worked in a brothel, and my grandfather lived there for part of his childhood. My dad told me a while back, and it blew my mind.

Just to clarify, it blew my mind in a good way. She was always a strong woman and took care of her family, and this just makes her more awesome for me. Maybe it's not the right place for a child to be hanging around, but options were limited in that time, and I respect that she made it work. butchpudding

In Dachau....

My great-grandfather on my Mother's side was sent to Auschwitz and died in Dachau. Family legend says that he was sent there as a political prisoner for attempting to assassinate a Nazi official. I have never been able to verify this, as all of the records I can find just show him in Dachau, nothing about him in Auschwitz. ih8pkmn

Can i have one please?

Giphy

One of my aunts sent a letter to Nancy Reagan to get some of her favorite recipes, so now we have a cook book with some of Nancy Reagan's favorite recipes in it. eigth_note

Can i have one please??! I promise ill only make it for me and my family. I am a pastry chef and would kill for one of hers in my home recipes. easywerk

"discovered" 

Wouldn't say I "discovered" it but I did recently ask my grandmother about some details regarding the conditions in which my family immigrated from Germany (shortly after WWII) and she looked at me, dried her hands on her apron, and said in a tone I have never heard from her before, "the less you know about that the better. Trust me."

I'm too terrified to look into it any further at the moment. My mom always gets all weird when we start talking about family history too. I think she knows something. hymen_destroyer

To Canada......

Giphy

My ancestors from Ireland were horse thieves and when they got caught there were deported (this probably happened about early 1900s don't know exactly when but I do know it happened and it wasn't to long ago), they went to the UK and when they heard they could leave Europe they did, they came to Canada. ChickenBig42

Back in Korea....

My mom's youngest brother was born from an affair. Back in 60's Korea, a woman holding a baby showed up at my mom's home and asked for her mom. The woman confessed that she had an affair with her husband and the baby was the result. My mom was told to take the baby for fresh air while the adults talked things over.

My mom being an excited girl with no idea of the gravity of the situation (or any sex ed) walked around town showing off her cute baby brother- outing the humiliation before the family could even process what happened. Her mom was not pleased. They still don't talk. And I believe the brother never learned his true heritage. Mamlucky

Making accommodations...

One of my ancestors was a Confederate Captain. He apparently abandoned his troops and fled to his farm in central Virginia (Crozet). There he found his wife had allowed Union troops to occupy the home.

For her making accommodations, the Union army allowed him to return to his home and was not taken as a POW. notasleannotasmean

The Blade....

Giphy

My family has a Japanese sword from WW2 from my great grandfather. He wasn't the owner of the sword, idk where he got it but I've heard that he was like a part of the guerilla or had some sort of connections with them at that time when we were colonized by Japan. I've seen the sword a few times and it's rusty and heavy. Our father doesn't let us pull out the whole blade because it could still harm somebody. UrlOtis

REDDIT

Do you have something to confess to George? Text "Secrets" or ":zipper_mouth_face:" to +1 (310) 299-9390 to talk to him about it.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

TikToker @richi_luvv; Sabrina Carpenter
@richi_luvv/TikTok; Sabrina Carpenter/YouTube

Kidz Bop Just Released A Cover Of A Super Suggestive Sabrina Carpenter Song—And Fans Are Not OK

Kidz Bop, the long-running music outfit that refashions pop songs for the ears of children, usually focuses on upbeat, bubble gum pop tunes, right?

It's like the kind of songs you'd hear at, say, the grocery store, retooled for the elementary school set.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot from Fox News broadcast
Fox News

Sean Hannity Roasted After Claiming His Friends In NYC Are 'Scared' After Mamdani's Win

When Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor in June, Republicans and some old school Democrats were positively apoplectic.

An immigrant Muslim of Gujarati and Punjabi Indian parents who has lived in NYC since he was 7 years old, the 34-year-old New York State Assembly member was the stuff of nightmares for the MAGAsphere. Mamdani was a non-White, non-Christian, Uganda-born immigrant and progressive Democrat.

Keep ReadingShow less
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; Zohran Mamdani
Andres Kudacki/Getty Images; Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

AOC Has Democrats Applauding With Her Viral Reaction To Zohran Mamdani's Historic Win

New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had people nodding their heads after she opened up about why democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York City mayoral election on Tuesday is so important for the country at large as well as for the future of the Democratic Party.

Mamdani successfully took on the establishment to become the first South Asian, first Muslim, and first millennial mayor-elect, running a campaign that focused predominantly on the city's affordability crisis and that successfully batted away racist and Islamophobic backlash from right-wingers who claimed his policies would "destroy" the city.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Mike Johnson
Fox News

Mike Johnson Gets A Swift Reality Check After Trying To Downplay The Election Results

House Speaker Mike Johnson was called out after displaying his clear denial over Tuesday night's election wins for Democrats, claiming that "no one should read too much into" the results despite major upsets.

Democrats won races around the country, particularly in Virginia, where Abigail Spanberger became the first woman to the win the governorship in the state's history, and in New York City, where Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, successfully took on the establishment to become the first South Asian, first Muslim, and first millennial mayor-elect.

Keep ReadingShow less
A man in a suit walking down the sidewalk and pulling a bag
person in black suit jacket with r ed bag walking beside metal fence
Photo by Romain V on Unsplash

People Who Quit Their Jobs On Day One Reveal What Made Them Say 'Nope, Not Doing This'

Every now and then, simply because we need money, we might take a job that doesn't fulfill us in any way, but at least keeps our bank accounts happy.

Some jobs, however, are so soul-sucking that even with no other prospects immediately on the horizon, we can't, in good conscience, keep working them.

Keep ReadingShow less