10. Swimming in Propaganda
At the age of 73, Chairman Mao plunged into the Yangtze River and swam 15 kilometers in 65 minutes (9.3 miles)–according to the Chinese Central Government. This would mean that Chairman Mao swam a mile in under 8 minutes when, at the time, the record was one mile in 20 minutes.
9. Returning to the Earth
During the civil war led by Chairman Mao, he refused to use a toilet. Instead, he’d round up his bodyguards, head out into the fields, dig a hole, and empty his bowels.
8. Up in Smoke
When his doctor warned him about the damaging effects of smoking, Mao replied, “Smoking is also a deep-breathing exercise, don’t you think?” Yes, the Chairman was a well-known chain smoker who, aside from food and shelter, promised his military followers cigarettes.
7. A Deep Examination
According to a former Soviet agent, Stalin requested that Chairman Mao’s feces be sent for analysis to a secret laboratory. The leader of the Soviet Union wanted to see what chemicals and compounds were present in the Chairman’s feces to develop a better psychological profile on him. Why does this article have so much feces in it?
Flickr, Segunda Guerra Mundial
6. Classicide
Mao redistributed the land to the peasant class and landless workers by ordering the execution of the wealthier landlords. Estimated death tolls put the result of the Chairman’s order into the millions.
Wikimedia Commons
5. A Career Student
Before committing to becoming a revolutionary and statesman, Chairman Mao tried out a variety of career paths. He enrolled in police school, law school, and business school.
4. The War on Drugs
Under Mao’s government, China stopped producing and consuming opium. The Chairman’s government forced 10 million users into mandatory treatment, while dealers were executed and opium-producing fields replanted.
3. A Pest Problem
Chairman Mao ordered that rats, flies, mosquitoes, and sparrows be eliminated to improve China’s hygiene and health outcomes. Citizens were rewarded if they could prove (with the dead animal bodies, natch) that they took part in the elimination campaign. The sparrow population was hit the worst, and their declining population contributed to an overall ecological imbalance in the country.
2. A Capitalist at Heart
During the cultural revolution, Chairman Mao persecuted Chinese writers and ordered the burning of books and poetry. However, he himself published his writings for the Chinese population, allowing him to earn millions of yuan in book royalties while facing virtually zero market competition. His most popular publication, known as the Little Red Book, still collects royalties for the Mao estate today.
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1. An Empty Ruler
Chairman Mao suffered from severe constipation throughout his life, and his wife had the disgusting task of trying to relieve it by using her fingers to empty his bowels manually. Eventually, she learned how to perform enemas and began administering those, inarguably the lesser of two evils.
Getty Images
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
