From Leonardo da Vinci to the engineers of Bell Aerosystems, some of our finest minds have devoted themselves to finding a better form of travel. Still, anyone can have an off day …

Much historical footwear looks like torture – and extreme and unstable designs are still being made. Why can’t we all just be comfortable?

For centuries, they have been subversive speakers of truth to power – and a focus for our fears. Why do clowns provoke such strong emotions?

From Mesopotamian mouth worms to hippo ivory dentures, the history of tooth care is long, winding and often gruesome

Do you have to brush your own hair, own an umbrella or keep at least one hand on your steering wheel? Don’t blame these visionary thinkers

We’ve played with miniature humans for thousands of years – so why are they so often creepy? From ivory Roman dolls to wax antiques, here are some of the most unnerving

In the days when smoking was advertised everywhere, the sell was often genuinely bizarre: from dancing polar bears to Ronald Reagan to recommendations from friendly doctors

Richard the Lionheart, Robert the Bruce, Queen Marie of Romania … a whole who’s who of historical figures have had their hearts removed after their death. Meet the gang!

As the winter darkness receded, our ancestors would seize any opportunity to talk trash, scare evil spirits with a funny hat, kill pretend bears, throw food or set something on fire

They’re often weird, unrelatable and sometimes inappropriately sexual, but big brands can’t get enough of them

While the rest of us make do with a much-loved dog or cat, famous people often cast their net a little wider. Raccoon, anyone?

How on earth do you keep children out of trouble? Parents have been trying to answer this question since for ever – with, er, mixed results

From the Siberian princess to the American heiress, some remarkable women have had themselves inked for love, art or money

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the cosmetics industry took ‘no pain, no gain’ to new heights, with remedies including arsenic and radium

Why mess around with Trivial Pursuit when you could be murdering revolutionaries, managing an HR department or – worst of all – emulating Donald Trump?

The most wonderful time of year? Tell that to the illustrators of the 19th century, who seemed to love nothing more than drawing scenes of violent frogs and creepy onion people

The festive season wasn’t always about mince pies and wanton consumerism. In fact, ancient folklore was more O Holy Fright than O Holy Night

Fear of pregnancy is as old as time, as are half-baked attempts at preventing conception. Read on if you dare

Want to get fighting fit? Try a vibrating belt or a rocking saddle – almost as effective as riding a horse!

From animatronic cowboys to hungry alligators, there is nothing quite so creepy as a derelict funfair