Today in History: Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man Grigori Rasputin was assassinated on this day in 1916. Rasputin was a man who insinuated himself inside the Russian royal family, the Romanovs, and in time was able to gain some power and influence. Many did not like that. While seen by some Russians as a mystic, visionary, and prophet, others viewed him as a charlatan.
In 1916, members of the nobility lured him to the Yusupov Palace with promises of a wild party. He was driven to the site of his execution in a 1913 Rolls Royce Landaulet. At first they tried to poison him. It is said that Rasputin was fed poisoned cakes and wines and that he gorged down enough cyanide to kill an elephant. But no amount of poison would hurt him. Instead, Rasputin kept asking for more.
When that didn't work they shot him in the heart. When his killers went to dispose of his body, Rasputin leapt to his feet, foaming at the mouth. They then took more shots. That didn't work, until someone shot him in the head. However, one of the conspirators saw Rasputin move, even after the shot to the skull. So they then wrapped his body in linen and threw him over the bridge into the water.
Some reports say that he was also found mutilated...or so the legend goes.
Rasputin joins Hitler, Blackbeard pirate Edward Teach, Ned Kelly, Ferdinand Magellan and Pablo Escobar as the hardest people to kill.
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