11Nicholas Flamel
In 1382, a French bookseller named Nicholas Flamel claimed to have transformed lead into gold after decoding an ancient book of alchemy. True or not, historical records show that Flamel did come into considerable wealth around this time, and donated his riches to charity.
12Pig trail
In 1386, a pig was accused of eating a child, a trial was held and the pig was given human clothes, the pig was determined guilty and sentenced to death by public hanging.
13Lincoln Cathedral
In 1311, the Lincoln Cathedral was the first building to steal the title of "tallest structure in the world" from the Great Pyramid, which held the title for almost 4,000 years.
14Louis X of France
In June of 1316, King Louis X of France drank a large quantity of cooled wine after an exhausting tennis match. He subsequently died and because of the contemporary accounts of his death, became the first tennis player known by name.
15Edward Balliol
In September 1332, Edward Balliol, pretender to the Scottish throne, was attacked in the night by Scots rebels and narrowly escaped by riding bareback, naked from the waist down, all the way from Annan to Carlisle (about 18 miles).
16Pope slapping
In 1303, a feud between Pope Boniface VIII and King Philip the Fair of France culminated in the arrest of the Pope by the King's troops, during which he was allegedly slapped.
17Peter I of Portugal
In 1361, King Peter I of Portugal captured assassins who had decapitated his wife (Inês de Castro) and publicly executed them by ripping out their hearts with his own hands, claiming they didn't have one after having pulverized his own heart.
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18Timur
In 1398, Timur the Lame faced an army that had war elephants armored with chain mail and poison on their tusks. Timur loaded his camels with wood and hay, and then when the elephants charged, he lit them on fire and forced them onwards. The elephants panicked and turned around.
