Buzz
Language is one of the rare keys to immortality. Numerous individuals, known or unknown, have been preserved by the words we use. They continue to live on in our daily speech. A word derived from someone's name is known as an eponym. Some of these eponyms stem from rather unusual or controversial figures. Here are 10 of the more peculiar stories behind these namesakes.
10. Candido Jaccuzzi
The Common Term:
Jacuzzi. Imagine yourself soaking in the soothing jets of a jacuzzi, letting the warm water melt your stress away in luxurious comfort. The term Jacuzzi has come to represent any type of hot tub. It's a fitting tribute to a family whose name became synonymous with being in 'hot water.'
The Extraordinary Journey:
Candido Jacuzzi hardly had the luxury of rest. Italy at the onset of World War I was an unforgiving place, especially for a pacifist. His father, Giovanni, insisted the family escape to America. The war, though tragic, ultimately benefited the peaceful family. The eldest son, Rachele, began designing aircraft to support the war effort, including the Jacuzzi J-7. Tragically, during a disastrous test flight of his brothers' planes, Giocondo Jacuzzi and three others perished near Yosemite. That fateful day marked the end of their dream of an aeronautical empire.
The Jacuzzi family faced financial ruin. In 1925, Rachele turned his attention to creating a new type of water pump. Unfortunately, he never had the chance to reveal the pump's full potential. In 1937, Rachele passed away from a heart attack. His younger brother Candido eventually took charge of the family business.
In 1943, Candido’s young son, Ken, was struck by a severe case of strep throat. The illness evolved into juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, affecting his entire body. In an effort to alleviate the swelling, Candido introduced a treatment of 'hydrotherapy.' Immersing his son in warm water helped lessen his condition. It was through these tragic circumstances that the idea for the jacuzzi was born.
9. James Thomas Brudenell
The Common Term:
Cardigan. The cozy buttoned sweater famously worn by Fred Rogers has become one of the comfiest garments around. Wrapped in a cardigan, with a cup of hot cocoa in hand, one is more likely to daydream of sugar plums than of tragic battlefield losses.
The Extraordinary Story:
In his renowned poem, 'The Charge of the Light Brigade,' Sir Alfred Lord Tennyson immortalized one of the greatest blunders of the Crimean War. Tennyson described the soldiers' futile mission with his iconic lines: 'Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.' Nowhere in his verse does Tennyson mention how fashionable the doomed charge was.
The man largely blamed for this disastrous failure was James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan. Brudenell was instructed to lead his troops in an assault on a retreating artillery unit, but due to poor communication, he mistakenly ordered them to attack a heavily fortified battery instead. The result was a catastrophic frontal attack, resulting in the deaths of 118 soldiers out of 666. During the battle, Brudenell was seen wearing an early version of the buttoned sweater vest that would later carry his name.
8. Charles Richter
The Common Term:
The Richter Scale. While seismologists no longer rely on the Richter Scale as heavily as they once did, it remains a constant presence in news reports about earthquakes. The Richter Scale quantifies the magnitude of seismic events and the resulting damage. Charles Richter himself led a life filled with tremors of its own.
The Extraordinary Life:
Charles Richter was not just a man of science, but also a lover of science fiction. When he wasn't studying tectonic faults, he was likely glued to an episode of Star Trek. An enthusiastic Trekkie, Richter kept detailed records of every adventure aboard the Starship Enterprise. It's not entirely surprising that a geologist would be drawn to the mysteries of other planets.
Richter had another hobby that might raise eyebrows. Alongside his wife, Lillian, he was a passionate supporter of nudism. Together, they roamed around San Francisco dressed in little more than their boots. This liberal mindset extended into their personal lives, with their openness towards sexual exploration. Beyond his affairs with multiple women, evidence suggests Richter might have had an inappropriate relationship with his sister. Meanwhile, his wife was engaged in bisexual relationships of her own.
7. Alec Hoag
The Common Expression:
Smart Aleck. A Smart Aleck is someone who pretends to be clever but often isn't as sharp as they think. It's a term used to describe those who act as though they know everything. The real Alec probably wished he had a bit more smarts.
The Extraordinary Life:
Alec Hoag was a notorious criminal in 19th-century New York. His wife, Melinda, would disguise herself as a prostitute. While the men were distracted, Alec would rummage through their pockets. Since Melinda was easily recognizable, to keep their operation running smoothly, the police received a cut of the stolen goods.
Hoag further refined his scam with a trick known as 'the panel game.' During a liaison, Alec would again steal valuables from the unsuspecting man’s discarded clothing. He would then burst into the room, accusing the man of having an affair with his wife. The embarrassed adulterer would flee, forgetting to take his belongings.
Eventually, Hoag had accumulated enough wealth that he felt he no longer needed the assistance of law enforcement. They, however, disagreed. Alec and Melinda were soon apprehended. Mocking him, the police ironically dubbed him 'smart Alec.' The phrase made its way into the vernacular shortly afterward.
6. Joseph Pilates
The Common Term:
Pilates. Today, it's the ideal workout for yoga pants-clad housewives to burn off brunch mimosas. However, the Instagram-famous exercise routine wasn't originally designed for weight loss—it was meant to help stay alive in internment camps. The exercise system born from extreme conditions brings a darker meaning to the phrase 'no pain, no gain.'
The Extraordinary Life:
At the onset of World War I, the British government grew wary of young German residents. In an effort to control the immigrant population, many Germans were arrested and placed in camps on the Isle of Man. One of these camps, Knockaloe, held 23,000 prisoners. The conditions were deplorable, and many inmates suffered from what they called 'barbed-wire disease,' a form of mental exhaustion akin to depression.
Joseph Pilates believed he had a cure for his fellow inmates’ despair. Having been a boxer before the war, he was convinced that exercise could strengthen the resolve of his fellow Germans. Using bedframes, he created a makeshift exercise machine. This contraption helped build muscles and stretch the body, even for those confined to their beds. After the war, this equipment became known as the Pilates Cadillac. His creation worked—none of the prisoners who used Pilates’ machines died during the 1918 influenza outbreak. Following a successful tour in America, Pilates became a health guru for fitness enthusiasts worldwide.
5. Franz Mesmer
The Common Expression:
Mesmerize: The captivating allure derived from life's finest pleasures—whether it be the embrace of a lover, a vibrant sunset, or even the simple delight of a Taco Bell Crunchwrap. 'Mesmerize' has evolved to encompass any sensation of being entranced. Initially, it described a dubious medical practice introduced by one doctor.
An Extraordinary Tale:
In 1778, King Louis XVI was faced with a unique dilemma. His royal circle was engulfed by the peculiar belief in 'animal magnetism,' a theory asserting that all bodies possessed an internal force. If this force was disturbed, illness would follow. Special rods were believed to restore balance. The only practitioner capable of this realignment was Dr. Franz Mesmer.
Mesmer's method was a fraudulent attempt to exploit the wealthy. In an effort to expose the charade, King Louis enlisted Benjamin Franklin, a renowned polymath and true scientist. In one demonstration, Franklin guided a 12-year-old boy to four trees supposedly infused with Mesmer’s magnetic force. The boy touched each tree and noted his sensations. By the fourth, he claimed to feel the energy of the plant. Franklin then revealed that none of the trees had any magnetism. The concept of 'animal magnetism' was merely an illusion. Mesmer’s empire collapsed after Franklin published the findings.
4. Ernesto Miranda
The Common Phrase:
The Miranda Warning: Tune into any TV station, and it won’t be long before you hear a police officer reading a suspect their Miranda Rights during an arrest. The iconic opening line, 'You have the right to remain silent,' is the most recognizable. Other rights include 'the right to an attorney' and the assurance that 'an attorney will be provided for you.'
An Extraordinary Case:
On March 13, 1963, Ernesto Miranda committed a petty theft of $8. Given his circumstances, Miranda couldn't afford legal counsel. For hours, he endured questioning by the police. Under duress, he confessed to both the theft and a separate crime—kidnapping and raping an 18-year-old woman with mental disabilities. Based on his confession, Miranda was sentenced to 20 years in prison. However, the Supreme Court overturned the conviction, ruling that Miranda's lack of legal knowledge and the coercive nature of the interrogation rendered his confession inadmissible.
Ernesto Miranda was retried. The evidence alone confirmed his role in the rape. He served eleven years behind bars. In 1976, Miranda was fatally stabbed during a bar brawl. He passed away at 34. After that, Miranda's silence remained unbroken. In a twist of irony, the man suspected of killing him invoked his Miranda rights while being held in custody. The suspect was never charged with the murder and eventually escaped to Mexico.
3. Henry Heimlich
The Common Term:
The Heimlich Maneuver: Henry Heimlich became widely known for his life-saving techniques for blocked airways. His famous maneuver, which involves delivering a quick upward thrust to the abdomen to clear obstructions from the airway, is a core component of contemporary first aid training. Yet, Heimlich’s path to becoming a hero was not initially about saving lives.
An Extraordinary Journey:
Leveraging the fame he gained from his groundbreaking technique, Heimlich began to exploit members of the Hollywood elite. Stars such as Jack Nicholson, Ron Howard, Bob Hope, Ted Danson, and Amy Irving all contributed to his foundation. Their donations funded Heimlich’s controversial practice of injecting AIDS patients with malaria. His baseless claim was that the fever induced by malaria could reverse the effects of HIV. Outside of proper medical supervision, Heimlich carried out trials in Mexico, China, and Ethiopia. The outcomes of these trials have never been made public.
Recently, the effectiveness of the Heimlich maneuver itself has been questioned. For years, Heimlich lobbied the American Red Cross to promote his technique as the preferred method for drowning victims, despite CPR being the more proven approach. The delay in CPR’s acceptance over Heimlich’s maneuver likely led to countless preventable deaths. Henry Heimlich’s estranged son, Peter, has publicly labeled his father a fraud, accusing him of exaggerating the success rate of the maneuver. The American Red Cross no longer endorses Heimlich’s method as a primary response, instead recommending five firm back slaps for choking victims.
2. Hans Asperger
The Common Term:
Asperger’s Syndrome: This term refers to individuals with high-functioning autism, who often face challenges with social interactions. While the syndrome is named after Hans Asperger, the man behind the term, his legacy is marred by the damage he caused to children with mental disabilities.
The Extraordinary Life:
As a pediatrician practicing in Vienna during the 1930s and 40s, Asperger's life was profoundly affected by the rise of Nazism. Although he never officially joined the Nazi party, his views aligned with its antisemitic ideology. He supported eugenics and advocated for the sterilization of certain races. Furthermore, he criticized his Jewish patients, believing them to be racially impure.
Asperger's involvement with the Nazi regime was not solely ideological. On at least two occasions, he collaborated with the regime to send disabled children to euthanasia centers. In 1941, he recommended 3-year-old Herta Schreiber and 5-year-old Elisabeth Schreiber for 'permanent placement' at the infamous Am Spiegelgrund facility. Over 800 children were killed there, including Herta and Elisabeth. On another occasion, Asperger sat on a committee that approved the deportation of 35 more children to Spiegelgrund under the label of being 'uneducable'—a euphemism that concealed their inevitable fate.
1. Melvil Dewey
The Common Expression:
The Dewey Decimal System: A method for categorizing books based on their subject matter, the Dewey Decimal system aids libraries in organizing their collections for easier access. It uses numbers and math to arrange books. While the phrase itself is not particularly exciting, the man behind it was notable, albeit for far more troubling reasons.
The Extraordinary Life:
Melvil Dewey was known for his troubling history as a serial sexual abuser. Unlike many other librarians, Dewey employed women in his libraries, but he created a hostile and toxic work environment by openly groping and harassing his female assistants in front of their colleagues. In 1905, four women came forward with allegations of harassment. While the full details remain unclear, the accusations led to his suspension from the American Library Association, an organization he had helped establish.
Over the years, more women came forward with additional accounts of abuse. A collection of testimonies gathered by Tessa Kelso, a well-known librarian from Los Angeles, showed that Dewey's own daughter-in-law was also a victim, having to move away to escape his advances. In an effort to distance themselves from a man who caused so much harm, libraries have started removing his name from awards and dismantling the legacy of his system. It’s time to close the book on Dewey.
