Buzz
It’s fascinating to consider the incredible feats humans can achieve when determined. We often enjoy lists that highlight our competitive nature, driving us toward progress and excellence. However, today’s focus takes a different turn.
The ten individuals featured here stand apart. Some have accomplished extraordinary yet seemingly trivial feats, while others hold unique titles no one else would even consider pursuing. Their stories are undeniably intriguing, as they’ve all stumbled into the annals of history in the most unexpected ways.
10. Dock Ellis “Accomplishment”: Threw a No-Hitter in Baseball While Under the Influence of LSD
On Thursday, June 11, 1970, Dock Ellis, the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, began his day in San Diego by taking LSD—a decision we strongly advise against. The Pirates were set to face the Padres the following day, and Dock believed he had plenty of time to spare. He was excited, though his memory of the previous day’s trip to California was foggy due to his earlier acid use.
Soon after, a friend’s girlfriend clarified that he had confused the days—it was actually Friday, and he was slated to pitch against the Padres in just a few hours. In a rush, Dock hailed a cab and, before he could fully process the situation, found himself on the mound, facing the San Diego lineup while still under the influence.
Remarkably, Ellis not only completed the game but also delivered what many consider the finest performance of his career. This is despite his recollection of the event:
“I only recall fragments of the game. I was hyper-focused on the catcher’s glove . . . I remember hitting a few batters, and the bases were loaded multiple times. The ball seemed to change size—sometimes small, sometimes large. Occasionally, I lost sight of the catcher. At one point, I tried to intimidate a hitter by staring him down while pitching. My gum disintegrated into powder from chewing. In the fourth inning, I became convinced that Richard Nixon was the umpire behind home plate. Another moment, I thought I was throwing a baseball to Jimi Hendrix, who appeared to be holding a guitar and swinging it over the plate. I’m told I had a few fielding opportunities. I recall leaping to avoid what I thought was a line drive, only to realize the ball hadn’t even reached me.”
Despite these surreal circumstances, Dock Ellis managed to pitch the only no-hitter of his career. He never used LSD during a season or a game again.
9. Michael Larson “Accomplishment”: Sole Successful Cheater on a TV Game Show
Press Your Luck, a popular 1980s American game show, required contestants to press a plunger to halt a seemingly random game board. The board featured spaces with cash, prizes, and “Whammies”—mischievous animated characters that would wipe out a player’s earnings if landed upon. In 1984, Michael Larson, an ice cream truck driver, used his VCR’s pause function to uncover that the board’s movements weren’t random but followed a complex, memorizable pattern.
Larson appeared on the only two-part episode of Press Your Luck, broadcast over two days in June 1984. The extended format was necessary because he couldn’t stop winning. After an initial nervous landing on a Whammy, Michael proceeded to spin forty-five times in a row without hitting another one.
He shattered records, amassing $110,000 in a single day—a feat still unmatched in game show history. Despite scrutiny, producers concluded that no rules were broken by memorizing the board, allowing Larson to keep his winnings. Unsurprisingly, he was never invited back, and the show’s board was reprogrammed to eliminate the exploit.
8. Elaine Davidson “Accomplishment”: Holds the Title for the Most Pierced Person in the World
Elaine Davidson first entered the Guinness Book in 2000 with 462 piercings, earning her the title of the most pierced person. While that number seemed astonishing at the time, it was just the beginning. Today, she has surpassed that figure with piercings in her genital area alone.
Yes, you read that right. Elaine now has over 1,500 “internal” piercings, and we’d rather not speculate about the rest. Her total count has soared past six thousand. Six thousand piercings, and she shows no signs of stopping—unless she literally runs out of space on her body.
Elaine explains, “I don’t enjoy the process of getting pierced, but to set a record, you have to push the limits. I wanted to break the record.” Elaine, your record is secure. We believe it’s safe to take a break now.
7. Leo Ryan “Achievement”: The Only US Congressman Killed In The Line Of Duty
The Jonestown Massacre was an unbelievable tragedy that played out in November 1978, at cult leader Jim Jones’ Peoples’ Temple settlement in Guyana. More than nine hundred people lost their lives—among them the only United States Congressman to die in the line of duty, Leo Ryan.
Jones had been drawing the attention of the government for years, as cult members trickled back to the mainland U.S., telling stories of abuse and human rights violations. Ryan was chosen to lead an investigative committee to the island, along with future Vice President Dan Quayle, who was unable to make the trip. After conducting interviews with several cult members who expressed their wishes to leave and finding that they felt they were being detained, Congressman Ryan was ambushed with a knife while intervening in a family dispute; having seen enough, the entire party fled to the airport.
While aboard the small six-seat plane that was to take them home, the party was fired upon by Larry Layton, who was also on board the aircraft. Peoples’ Temple members outside the plane also opened fire; three journalists, a defecting cult member and Congressman Ryan were killed. Ryan is still the only member of Congress to lose his life in the course of performing his duties.
6. Henry Earl “Achievement”: The Most Arrested Person Of All Time
Henry Earl, a resident of Lexington, Kentucky, has a well-documented passion for public drinking, which has led to an extraordinary number of arrests. His frequent run-ins with the law have earned him a unique distinction: a dedicated Wikipedia page chronicling his arrests for public intoxication. It’s safe to say that no one, past or present, comes close to matching his record.
Here’s a snapshot of Henry’s remarkable story: by 2008, he had reportedly been arrested 1,000 times since 1992. The judge overseeing his case, perhaps with a touch of irony, sentenced him to 1,000 days in jail. While this milestone was widely reported, it’s worth noting that his arrest history predates 1992, raising questions about his total count.
According to The Smoking Gun, Henry’s arrest record dates back to 1970. Their investigation revealed that his 1,000th arrest actually occurred in 2002, six years earlier than reported. By the time of the 2008 case, his arrest tally had already surpassed 1,300.
Henry has spent nearly twice as much of his life behind bars as he has in freedom. As of now, his most recent arrest occurred just a few months ago. It seems he has truly mastered the art of consistency in his chosen lifestyle.
5. Gerald Ford “Achievement”: Only US President Not Chosen By Electoral College
Gerald Ford often came across as a genuinely amiable individual. He famously became the Simpsons’ neighbor in the iconic Two Bad Neighbors episode, replacing George Bush Sr. His unassuming demeanor and perceived lack of sharpness contributed to his reputation as one of the more forgettable U.S. Presidents. Adding to this obscurity is the fact that he was never elected to the presidency or even the vice presidency. Instead, he was appointed Vice President by Richard Nixon.
Spiro Agnew, Nixon’s original Vice President during the 1972 election, resigned due to a bribery scandal and criminal charges—a first for any VP. Following Agnew’s departure, Ford, then House Minority Leader, was appointed as Vice President. When Nixon resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal in 1974, Ford automatically ascended to the presidency, making him the only U.S. President never elected by the Electoral College.
It took two extraordinary resignations following massive ethical breaches by two of the world’s most influential figures, but Gerald Ford served as President for two years before losing to Jimmy Carter in 1976. During his tenure, he even survived an assassination attempt. For such a decent man, it’s hard not to feel he was dealt a tough hand.
4. 2010 Seattle Seahawks “Achievement”: Only NFL Team To Win Division With Losing Record
The system for determining NFL Playoff seeds is far from flawless. With factors like inter-division games, common opponents, and division records, the process is complex. However, one rule remains straightforward: the team with the best record in each division is crowned its champion, guaranteeing them at least one home playoff game.
In 2010, the NFC West was arguably the weakest division in NFL history. The Seattle Seahawks clinched the division title with a 7-9 record. Despite their rocky start, they improved significantly by season’s end and earned the right to host a playoff game against the Saints, which they surprisingly won.
The 2010-11 NFL season was full of bizarre outcomes. The Raiders, despite going undefeated within their division, missed the playoffs entirely (Seattle’s division record was 4-2). Meanwhile, the Giants and Buccaneers, both with 10-6 records, were also left out. The 11-5 Saints, second in their division, had to travel to face the 7-9 Seahawks in the Wild Card round, a game hosted by Seattle. The season was a chaotic mess, with logic seemingly turned upside down—until the Bears decisively defeated the Seahawks in the divisional round, restoring some order.
3. Ross Rebagliati “Achievement”: Winner Of Only Olympic Gold Medal Stripped For Marijuana Use
At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, snowboarding made its debut as a medal event. Canadian athlete Ross Rebagliati dominated the competition, securing the gold medal. However, controversy arose when he tested positive for drugs—not performance-enhancing substances, but marijuana. This led to the brief revocation of his gold medal, marking the only instance in Olympic history where a medal was stripped due to cannabis use.
Rebagliati argued that his last marijuana use was in April 1997, attributing the positive test to secondhand exposure in environments where cannabis was prevalent. While this explanation seems reasonable, it would require an extraordinary amount of exposure to trigger such a result. Regardless, Ross successfully appealed the decision using a straightforward “Aw, come on!” defense, and his medal was ultimately reinstated.
To clarify, there was no claim that Ross Rebagliati used marijuana to boost his performance or that he was under the influence during his gold medal run. However, sports columnist Tony Kornheiser humorously suggested that if he had been high, not only should he have kept the medal, but a statue of him should have been erected at the base of the snowboarding course.
2. Suzette Charles “Achievement”: Only Miss America (b)
In 1983, Vanessa Williams made history as the first African-American to win the Miss America pageant. At the time, the competition held significant cultural importance, and her victory was a source of immense pride for the African-American community.
However, her triumph was overshadowed when Bob Guccione, the publisher of Penthouse magazine, revealed that Williams had posed for nude photos with photographer Tom Chiapel a few years earlier, shortly after turning eighteen.
Chiapel had allegedly assured Williams that the photos would be taken in silhouette, but they were not. After her victory, Chiapel sought to sell the images to the highest bidder. While Hugh Hefner of Playboy declined, not wanting to embarrass Williams, Guccione of Penthouse had no reservations and published them in the magazine’s 15th Anniversary issue in 1984. Williams resigned ten months into her reign, and Suzette Charles, the runner-up, took over for the remaining seven weeks, marking the shortest reign in Miss America history.
Today, Williams is officially recognized as Miss America 1984, with Charles denoted by a (b) in the records. An intriguing side note about that Penthouse issue: its centerfold featured Traci Lords, a former porn star who was later discovered to have been only fifteen when the photos were taken, making it one of the most infamous issues of the magazine for multiple reasons.
1. Sylvester Stallone “Achievement”: Most Golden Raspberry Award Wins Of All Time
The Golden Raspberry Awards, or “Razzies,” are a celebrated tradition that humorously critiques Hollywood’s worst achievements each year. It’s a commendable service, often delivering unexpected moments, such as when winners like Halle Berry personally accept their awards. Berry famously acknowledged her Razzie for Catwoman, sarcastically thanking the studio for casting her in what she called a “godawful, piece of shit movie,” adding that it was exactly what her career needed.
Sylvester Stallone holds the unenviable record for the most Golden Raspberry nominations (thirty) and wins (ten). His first Razzie came in 1984 for Rhinestone, and his most recent was in 2003 for Spy Kids: Game Over. Among his awards is a special “lifetime achievement” Razzie: “Worst Actor Of The Century, For 95% Of Everything He’s Ever Done.”
Madonna once trailed closely behind Stallone, with nine wins from fewer nominations. However, as Madonna has largely stepped away from acting, and Stallone continues to star in Expendables films, his record seems secure for the foreseeable future.
