We all have secrets. But there is a difference between a small secret and a huge, startling secret that you plan to keep until the last day of your life. But many famous people did just that.
Here are the top 10 greatest secrets that their authors took with them to their graves.
10. Beethoven's immortal lover
The famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven died a lonely bachelor in 1827, leaving behind not only many famous musical works, but also a romantic secret.
Beethoven, as the researchers of his biography believe, fell in love several times during his life. But one unknown woman, whom he called his "Immortal Lover", seems to outshine everyone else. A passionate love letter to this mysterious woman was discovered among the composer's papers shortly after his death. It was never sent.
The relationship of the couple, apparently, was difficult, as Beethoven asks his beloved: "Can't you change the position in which you are not entirely mine and I am not entirely yours?"
There are many theories about who this letter is about, but no one has yet found an exact answer. According to the most popular theory, the most likely candidate is Antoni Brentano, a married woman whose family was close to Beethoven. She was a close friend of the composer. He dedicated one of his works to her - "Variations on a Theme of Diabelli".
9. The secret of Stradivari
Instruments created by Antonio Stradivari, including not only violins, but also guitars and violas, cellos and even one harp, are still considered unsurpassed in sound. Their sound is similar to a gentle and high-pitched female voice.
Some attributed this to a unique glue and varnish, the secret of making which Stradivari kept in the strictest confidence, as well as special wood, allegedly taken from the wreckage of Noah's ark.
Researchers are sure that Stradivari used the highest quality wood: spruce for the soundboard, maple for the bottom of the violin, and the chops were cut into sectors to make "orange slices". In addition, each deck had a unique pattern of holes and a special contour of the outer lines.
But the Cremona genius took the recipe of varnish and the subtleties of creating his melodious creations with him to the grave.
8. The float man
Angelo Faticoni, born in 1859, did not drown in water. He discovered his "superpower" in early childhood, and became a participant in numerous experiments.
Scientists tied heavy objects to Angelo's body, but he stubbornly refused to drown. He once crossed the Hudson River while tied to a chair while holding a heavy load.
Angelo Faticoni promised to reveal his secret one day, but died unexpectedly in 1931, taking the secret of amazing buoyancy to the next world.
7. All secrets of Harry Houdini
The legendary illusionist put an envelope with the secrets of his greatest tricks in a safe and ordered to open it 100 years after his death.
By his will, the safe was opened in the presence of the public and at the right time ... and was empty. Houdini never explained the secrets of his amazing performances.
6. The Mystery of the Coral Castle
This stone structure was built by Edward Lidskalnin, an eccentric sculptor and engineer who emigrated to the United States from Latvia in the early 20th century.
"And what is the secret here?" - the reader may ask. Thing is, Lidskalnin built the entire castle by himself! In some unthinkable way, he was able to move and lift limestone megaliths weighing up to 30 tons. In addition, he did not use mortar - only the correct positioning of each part keeps the whole structure together.
During his lifetime, Edward claimed to know the secret of how the Egyptian pyramids were built, but never shared the answer to this secret. Many years after his death, one of the elements of the castle was broken, and engineers had to use a construction crane to move it.
5. The person who cracked the "invulnerable" German code
In 1940, the Swedes connected to German lines of communication passing through the country on their way to Norway and were able to crack the code of one of the most advanced cryptological devices of the time. It was called T52, or "Geheimschreiber". This device was larger and more complex than the famous Enigma, and only transmitted important and secret messages.
At first, the Swedes were confused by the data coming from the T52 and called it “extremely unreadable”. It was then that Arne Berling, a professor of mathematics, came into play. In just two weeks, he was able to crack the T52 cipher. How he did this remains unclear. When asked about this, Berling replied: "The magician does not reveal his secrets." After 46 years, he passed away, leaving his mystery unsolved.
Thanks to the ingenuity and ingenuity of Arne Berling, the Swedes were able to learn in advance Hitler's plans to invade Russia.
4. Maurice Ward and his recipe for indestructible plastic
An English inventor named Maurice Ward created a heat-resistant plastic that could withstand temperatures in excess of 10,000 degrees Celsius and was resistant to an impact force greater than that of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
When Maurice was asked how he managed to create such a miracle, he replied that this plastic is made from "21 organic polymers, copolymers and a small amount of ceramics." However, these words were clearly not enough for scientists to repeat the plastic formula.
Calling his brainchild Starlite, Ward decided to sell it to those who might be interested in it. However, he then feared that the company that had bought Starlite could start to profit from his invention without paying Ward himself any remuneration.
In 2011, Maurice Ward passed away, taking the secret of Starlite with him.
3. Nikola Tesla and wireless electricity
Nikola Tesla was the man who discovered that alternating current was much more practical and safe than Edison's direct current. He is also credited with inventing the Tesla coil, radio transmitter, and fluorescent lamps, and by the early 1900s he was considered America's greatest electrical engineer.
But despite all its merits, Tesla was unable to complete what would be his main achievement - to provide free wireless electricity to the entire world. The implementation of such an ambitious project, which ran from 1901 to 1917, was hampered by a financial issue. Major investor J.P. Morgan decided to refuse further sponsorship of Tesla. And the patents of the inventor himself expired in 1905 and no longer brought him enough money to build the tower.
When Tesla died in 1943, the secret of wireless electricity disappeared with him - useful invention, which was not allowed.
2. Library of Ivan the Terrible
They are looking for firemen, the police are looking for ... Who just did not look for the famous library of Ivan the Terrible, which contained a huge number of Latin, Egyptian and Greek books and manuscripts. Once it belonged to the Byzantine emperors, and came to Russia as a dowry of Princess Sophia Palaeologus, who married Ivan III.
Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV) was the last tsar to own a library. He was very proud of the famous collection and took steps to keep its whereabouts a secret. After his death, information about the location of the library was lost.
Some researchers believe that it did not exist at all, or else it was lost during the Time of Troubles. And there are as many as 60 versions about the location of the library of Ivan the Terrible, if it has survived.
1. The main question of life, the Universe and in general
A mystery to which the answer has been given is topping our collection, but perhaps only to further provoke fans.
In his famous Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams gives an incredibly simple and funny answer to a question that could solve all the problems of the universe. According to the author, the answer is 42.
No one knows why Adams chose this number, but true fans of the trilogy have spent years trying to delve deeper into the solution. Was it just a joke? Did Adams use a random number? Or does it have some hidden meaning?
“The answer to this is very simple. It was a joke. It had to be a number — an ordinary, small number — and I chose that. Binary representation, thirteen number system, Tibetan monks - all this is sheer nonsense. I was sitting at my desk, staring out into the garden, and I thought, "42 will do." And he printed it. That's the whole story "Adams once said at his USENET conference. But how do you know now if he was cheating?