The Chinaman Ching Ling Foo allegedly offered his rival Chung Ling Soo a reward of 1,000 pounds if he could pull off ten of Ching’s twenty tricks, according to newspaper accounts from the year 1905. They changed the time and location, but Ching did not show. As a result, it got to the point where newspapers began to blow up. The story was told in various ways by media professionals. On January 10, 1905, the Hull-based Daily Mail made the amusing claim that Chung “made his rival invisible”:
The Mandarin of the One Button, Chung, however, waited in vain for Ching. The smile on Chung’s face grew wider the longer Ching was gone. Ha! ha! He chuckled. He had achieved the unthinkable. He had rendered his opponent invisible. ”
The majority of the London newspapers appeared to support Chung Ling Soo. The Weekly Dispatch furthered the narrative by asking, “Did Foo fool Soo?”, or “Can Soo bring a claim against Foo?These questions would be rather entertaining to English readers who were already perplexed by Ching and Chung’s ambiguous names. Even though Ching Ling Foo and Chung Ling Soo are two names that are easily recognizable in Chinese, they have a tongue twister that caused a lot of controversy. The Sunderland Daily Echo described “this Mongolian” as “of colossal stature and elephantine grace” and “one of the greatest conjurers in the world” on March 30, 1903. Ching Ling Foo was his stage name.
Ironically, Chung Ling Soo’s birthplace of New York City is where Ching Ling Foo first became wealthy. His mystifying feats at Keith’s Union-square Theatre astounded American spectators. From the beginning to the end of his performances in 1899, the London-based The Era provided coverage. The newspaper gave Ching’s show high marks in a story from September:
The Chinese juggler and magician Ching Ling Foo continues to head the lineup at Keith’s Union-square Theatre. “His whole ‘bag of tricks’ are extremely mystifying, and the house has been packed to the doors during his engagement,” the theater reports.
Ching’s “bags of tricks” include breathing smoke and fire, slipping a razor-sharp knife blade through his nose, tossing a sizable shawl into the air before letting it land on the ground to reveal a large bowl of water with an apple on it (or occasionally a child), etc. These well-known feats have been performed in China for more than a thousand years, and during the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD), they were performed in various playhouse yards alongside other performances like acrobatics, shadow puppetry, sword play, and zaju (a dramatic form unique to the Song Dynasty).
Artists in this field, along with actors in traditional Chinese drama, must undergo rigorous training from an early age and maintain rather stringent discipline throughout their careers, with pride and honesty placed among the fundamental values. Ching Ling Foo was raised in a highly professional environment and despises forgeries and imposters. It partially explains why he hurried to challenge Chung Ling Soo to a battle of honor and truth.
The American, Chung, whose real name is William Robinson, claimed to be Chinese and tried to project that image by dressing up in Ch’ing Empire-era costumes in public. He even used an English interpreter at various social gatherings because he made a point of not being able to speak English. Chung Ling Soo achieved success as “the Original Chinese Conjurer” by using all of these methods to persuade Europe as a whole of his Chinese identity.
The competition turned into a public fight when Ching arrived at the Empire, which was a hundred yards from the Hippodrome where Chung had begun to perform. Both magicians had advertised themselves as “the Original Chinese Conjurer” on similar-sounding posters.
The Evening News on December 30, 1904, might have swayed public opinion in the opposite direction from newspapers that had criticized Ching Ling Foo’s absence on the day of combat in the years leading up to 1905 with its rather thought-provoking story:
Ching Ling Soo, a Chinese magician who performs at the Hippodrome, declines Ching Ling Foo’s challenge to a public competition on the grounds that his dignity is too sublime.
As a result, Chung declined the challenge before the fight, which inevitably resulted in his absence. Who is lying if Chung failed to appear for his “sublime dignity”? The narrative then continues.
Hopefully, recent evidence from the author will demonstrate that self-described “the Original Chinese Conjurer” Chung Ling Soo lied about his ethnicity. He did not even know how to write his Chinese name when he visited Shakespeare’s Birthplace on October 5, 1904; the family name was barely a Chinese character, and one of the first names was horribly misspelled. In contrast, Ching Ling Foo’s signature on the Visitors Book, which is dated July 31, 1914, roughly ten years later, gives him credit for having a more certain Chinese identity. The “Original Chinese Conjurer,” also referred to as Empress Dowager Cixi’s Conjurer, is said to have made it.
Ea-Nasir: world's oldest written customer complaint
This clay tablet, written in cuneiform, is the oldest known written customer complaint about the delivery of poor quality copper ingots. Originally from ancient Babylon, the tablet dates back to 1750 BCE, and it was written by a customer named Nanni to a merchant named Ea-Nasir. It is currently housed in the British Museum.
Ancient Jericho: The First Walled City In History
The ancient city of Jericho is the world's oldest walled city, with evidence of stone fortifications dating back nearly 9000 years.
The 1976 April Fools' Pranks, Planetary Alignment
On April fool's Day, 1976, the BBC convinced many listeners that a special alignment of the planets would temporarily decrease gravity on Earth. Phone lines were flooded with callers who claimed they felt the effects.
From Flapper to Fashion Week: How 1920s Style Still Shapes Modern Trends
The roaring 1920s revolutionized fashion, introducing bold styles, daring cuts, and a spirit of freedom that still inspires today’s wardrobes. From flapper dresses to statement accessories, here’s how the Jazz Age lives on in modern fashion.
The story of a man who spent 72 hours with 72 venomous snakes to prove they only bite when provoked
In the 1980s, an Indian man spent 72 hours in a glass cabin with 72 snakes, some of which were extremely venomous. His aim was to prove that snakes only attack when provoked. Remarkably, he was not bitten once in those 72 hours and even set a Guinness World Record in the process.
Susanna Salter: The Trailblazing Story of America’s First Female Mayor
In 1887, Susanna Salter became the first female mayor in the United States, elected in Argonia, Kansas. Her nomination was initially a prank by men opposing women in politics. However, she won by a landslide and served effectively, inspiring the women’s suffrage movement and breaking barriers for women in leadership.
William James Sidis: The smartest person yet forgotten by people
William James Sidis, who was only 11 years old when he enrolled in Hardvard, finished his primary and secondary schooling in less than a year. He knew eight foreign languages by the age of eight and even invented his own language, "vedergood."
Jack the Baboon operated a railroad, earned a living, and never made a mistake
A baboon worked as a signalman for the railroad in the late 1800s. He never made a mistake and worked for the railroad until the day he died.
The Tragic Story Of Mary Ann Bevan, The ‘Ugliest Woman In The World’
After the death of her husband, Mary Ann Bevan had no income to support herself and her children. She then decided to enter a contest where she won the title of “ugliest woman” and was later hired by a circus. She endured this ridicule from the world to provide for her family.
1972 Andes Plane Crash Survivor recall the terrifying Struggles to Stay Alive
On October 13, 1972, a plane carrying a rugby team from Uruguay crashed in the Andes between Chile and Argentina. The survivors were in brutal conditions - high altitude, bitter cold, and the lack of food—and faced the most terrible choice—eating the frozen flesh of their dead friends or starving to death themselves.
The day Iceland's women went on strike
Icelandic women went on strike for equal rights on October 24, 1975. 90% of women walked out of their jobs and homes, effectively shutting down the entire country. The men were struggling to keep up. The following year, Parliament passed a law requiring equal pay. Iceland elected the world's first female President five years later. Iceland now has the highest gender equality rate in the world.
The Mouth of Truth: Ancient Rome’s Legendary "Lie Detector" That Bit Off Hands
Discover the chilling legend of the Mouth of Truth (Bocca della Verità) in Ancient Rome—a massive carved stone face believed to bite off the hand of anyone who lied while inserting their hand into its gaping mouth. Uncover the truth behind its eerie reputation and how this ancient artifact became a symbol of honesty and fear.
The 440-pound bear named Wojtek and his World War II battle against the Nazis
Polish troops raised an orphaned bear cub during WWII. He enjoyed drinking beer, and was trained to salute. He became officially enlisted as a member of the forces, and helped carry artillery during battle.
Why the Brooklyn Bridge Was Once Crossed by 17 Camels and 21 Elephants
On May 30, 1883, a rumor that the Brooklyn Bridge was going to collapse caused a stampede, which killed at least at twleve people. To prove the bridge was safe, P.T. Barnum led a parade of 21 elephants over it.
The story of Bill Haast, who lived to be 100 despite his extensive snake venom injections
Bill Haast immunized himself by injecting snake venom into his blood for several years. He holds the Guinness World Record for surviving the most lethal snake bites, having been bitten over 172 times. Bill became known as "Snake Man" around the world and lived for over 100 years.
15 interesting facts about Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled Britain for 70 years, has away at the age of 96. She was the country's longest-reigning monarch. Here are some little-known facts about her.
Max Headroom Incident: America’s Creepiest TV Hack
In 1987 a man hijacked a television station during an episode of Dr. Who and wore a Max Headroom mask and uttered nonsense, and he still hasn’t been caught
Terry Fox, a 21-year-old one-legged cancer patient who ran 143 days before dying
Terry Fox was a 21-year-old one-legged cancer patient who ran 3,339 miles across Canada in 143 days before dying.
Juliane Koepcke: The Teenager Who Fell 10,000 Feet And Trekked The Jungle to survive
In 1971, a high school student was sucked out of an airplane after it was struck by lightning. She fell 10,000 feet to the ground while still strapped to her chair and survived. Only to endure a 9-day trek to the nearest civilization.
10 world’s most destructive and dangerous volcanic eruptions in history
Volcanic eruptions can devastate cities, change the world's atmosphere, and devastate economic systems. They can create molten lava rivers, mudslides, suffocating ash, and poisonous gases that cause chaos around the world for years. A volcanic explosion's effects can be massive, from its size to its death toll to its economic cost. Here is ten world’s most destructive and dangerous volcanic eruptions in history.
Top 10 Greatest and shocking Archaeological Discoveries of All Time
While we're all locked at home, there's no better way to escape to another time and place than to learn about amazing archeological sites and discoveries from around the world. Here are the 10 greatest and shocking archaeological discoveries —and don't be shocked if they inspire future trip plans whenever it's safe to do so again.
How Cleveland's Balloonfest in 1986 Turned Into a Public Tragedy
In Cleveland, Ohio, United Way broke the world record by deflating nearly 1.5 million balloons as part of a publicity stunt to raise money. The balloon obstructed a US Coast Guard search for two boaters who were subsequently discovered to have drowned, blocked airport runways, and blocked land and waterways.
Did Gil Pérez Really Teleport from Manila to Mexico Overnight? The 1593 Mystery
On October 24, 1593, while performing his guard duties at Manila's Governor's Palace in the Philippines, Gil Perez stopped to lean against a wall and sleep for a while. He opened his eyes to find himself in an unusual environment. Gil was in the Plaza Mayor in Mexico City. They imprisoned Perez, but the authorities in Mexico City decided to release him and return him home.
The Baltic Way: the longest unbroken human chain in history
On August 23, 1989, about 2 million people from Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania formed a human chain that united all 3 countries to show the world their desire to escape the Soviet Union and the communism that brought only suffering and poverty. This power stretched 600 km.
What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?
Between 1764 and 1767, a mysterious animal called the Beast of Gévaudan terrorized the French village called Gévaudan. It attacked and killed about 100 adults and children. While most believe it was a wolf, some say it may have been a wolf-dog hybrid, hyena or even a lion, but without any genetic evidence, the beast will remain a mystery forever.
