10 Most Heartbreaking Moments in History

Welcome to MsMojo, today were looking at some of the most gut-wrenching moments from history, focusing specifically on womens history. Be warned, some of these topics are beyond gruesome, making this video not for the faint of heart.

Emily Davisons Death (1913)

In the United Kingdom, women only gained the same voting rights as men in 1928. This achievement took decades of struggle, with the suffragettes spearheading the cause. One of the most famous freedom fighters was Emily Davison, who fought hard for her right to vote. This included smashing windows, burning postboxes, and even planting bombs. She was a wild card, who frequently put herself in harm's way against her superiors will. Her final act was walking onto the track of a horse race, where she was knocked down and killed by King George Vs horse. Her sacrifice made headlines, and shell be forever remembered for her remarkable bravery.

Lady Jane Greys Execution (1554)

Edward VI was the short-lived heir of Henry VIII, and following his untimely death, his cousin Lady Jane Grey ascended to the throne. This greatly upset Edwards devoutly Catholic sister Mary, whom he had removed from the line of succession. Per Edwards will, Jane was all but forced to take the crown when she was only 16 or 17, effectively becoming a Protestant puppet queen. Mary was able to marshall support, and deposed her after only nine days. Instead of sparing Jane and allowing her to become a Protestant rallying point, Mary had her executed. The most haunting part of her story is that when blindfolded on the brink of death, Jane struggled to find the execution block.

Sophie Scholls Execution (1943)

Nazi Germany is regarded as one of the most evil regimes in human history. As you might expect, not all its citizens were happy with the state of affairs. Many fought the good fight, no matter how overwhelming the odds. Sophie Scholl was one of these heroes. Sophie was a leader of the White Rose, a non-violent resistance group who called for an end to the Nazi regime. Unfortunately, a janitor turned them over to the Gestapo, and they were put on trial. It was far from fair, with Sophie and her brother being sentenced to death. They were executed by guillotine, when Sophie was only 21 years old.

The Tragedy of Anne Frank (1945)

Our next entry is yet another victim of the Nazi regime. Anne Frank was born German and Jewish, but fled to the Netherlands after Hitler took control. In 1942, she and her family were forced into hiding, where Anne famously spent her time writing in a diary. After two years, they were discovered by the Gestapo and arrested. Frank was sent to a concentration camp, where she died of Typhus only months short of liberation. Her father, Otto, the only surviving member of their group in hiding, would go on to publish her diary, allowing millions to understand the tragedy of the Holocaust through Annes personal experience.

Salem Witch Trials (1692-93)

Between 1692 and 1693 in colonial Massachusetts, more than 200 people were accused of witchcraft. 30 of them were found guilty, with 19 of them punished by hanging. Witch trials werent unique to the region; they were rampant in Europe, taking the lives of between 40,000 and 60,000 people. While some men were persecuted, most were older women. The trials reflected the periods extreme misogyny. When women were independent, outspoken, and just generally didnt fit with societal norms, they were viewed as threats. It was a hysteria-fueled nightmare, where anyone could have their life ruined in an instant. Afterward, participants admitted to fabricating evidence, but the damage had already been done, and innocent lives cant be brought back.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (1911)

The Industrial Revolution saw the rise of giant factories and mass production, but health and safety were rarely a priority. One tragic example was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. In 1911, a garment factory in Manhattan caught fire. Amazingly, it was common practice to lock the building exits, along with stairwell doors, to prevent work breaks. Unfortunately, when the fire broke out, many of the workers were unable to escape. 123 women and 23 men died, not just from the fire, but also from jumping to their deaths. It was New Yorks deadliest industrial disaster. The tragedy at least helped to make fire safety a priority, but that came at a terrible cost.

The Radium Girls (1910s-20s)

Our next entry comes from a similar time period, when safety standards were non-existent and workers were treated with little humanity. In the 1920s, female factory workers were paid to paint watches with radium. They were all told it was harmless, a despicable lie since radium is extremely radioactive. Their bosses told them to use their lips to point their brushes, causing them to ingest lethal levels of the substance. It was a disgusting act of worker exploitation, especially since the owners and scientists avoided radium exposure. Women had long been subject to this kind of treatment, as proven by the Matchgirls strike in 1888. Workers protested unethical treatment and conditions, including the exposure to white phosphorus, which caused many to suffer from a painful ailment called phossy jaw.

Magdalene Laundries in Ireland

In 19th-century Britain, a fallen woman was a woman thought to have fallen from grace. This originally meant sex workers, but extended to victims of sexual assault, orphans, or just anyone they didnt consider normal. In 18th century Ireland, Magdalene asylums for these women, operated largely by the Catholic Church, were opened. Historians estimate they held about 30,000 women before they finally shut down in the 20th century. Women were placed there against their will, and forced to work unpaid, grueling hours in laundries. Some were trapped there for decades, essentially treated as prisoners. Ireland only closed its last Magdalene Laundry in 1996, marking a long overdue end to this abhorrent form of slavery.

Forced Sterilization of Indigenous Women

The US and Canadas governments have had a long history of committing extreme injustices against indigenous inhabitants. Some experts currently consider the colonization of America to have been a continental genocide. Around 90-95% of all Native Americans died between the 15th and 17th centuries. Many assume flagrant mistreatment stopped in the distant past, but governments were forcibly sterilizing indigenous women well into the 1970s. Many of the procedures were done forcibly, without consent. Some studies found that between 1970 and 1976, 25-50% of Native American women were sterilized. This form of eugenics was also extended to both black and poor women. Its easy to assume all the horrors of colonialism happened centuries ago, but this is far from the truth.

Comfort Women of WWII

During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army enslaved hundreds of thousands of women to act as sex workers against their will. They came from both their conquered territories and Japan, with the majority from Korea. It was intended to reduce the spread of diseases and minimize sexual assault, but it had the opposite effect. Victims were called comfort women, although their lives were anything but comfortable. Following the war, the Japanese government tried to destroy all evidence, denied their existence, and refused to apologize. Eventually, they apologized in 1993, but many South Koreans found the apology lacking. Some government officials even deny they were inhumane, with Osakas mayor calling for the destruction of comfort women statues.

Lets lighten things up. What do you think is the most heartwarming moment from human history? Let us know in the comments below.