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Wikimedia CommonsIgnaz Semmelweis pioneered antiseptic procedures in the mid-19th century and it ruined his career. Though few may know his name today, Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis changed the world in the 1840s with one simple idea that we all now take for granted: hand-washing.

At the St. Louis Worlds Fair in 1904, an aerialist named Maud Wagner struck a deal with a tattoo artist. She would go on a date with him if he taught her how to tattoo. Thus began the two most important love affairs of Wagners life: the tattoo artist and tattoos themselves.

Wikimedia Commons A husband takes his wife and child to the local market, intending to sell them both to the highest bidder. Yes, this is the introduction to the 1886 Thomas Hardy novel The Mayor of Casterbridge, but it was also a commonly practiced custom among the poor of old England.

Getty ImagesView of the Pyramid of the Magician in Yucatan, Mexico. Hundreds of Mayan artifacts have been found underwater in a Guatemalan lake, according to the Daily Mail. Among the trove of relics were weaponry, like a stone mace head and an obsidian blade, which has led researchers to believe that the location of the

Beneath Mexico City lies what the Aztecs believed to be the center of the universe: Templo Mayor. It was obliterated by Spanish invaders in 1521 and has remained dormant beneath the bustling streets of the city above.