May 7, 1866

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Joel Byers

On May 7, 1866, Prince Otto von Bismarck, the future Chancellor of Prussia and real life bad-ass, was ambushed and shot several times by would-be assassin Ferdinand Cohen-Blind. As Bismarck was walking home, Cohen-Blind shot him twice from behind, at which point the future Chancellor of Prussia spun around and began beating his attacker, who was able to shoot him twice more, before being subdued and taken into custody. Cohen-Blind’s 6mm revolver was then put on display in the Bismarck-Museum, where it is claimed to have accidentally fired 20 years later, in 1886. At which point the museum curators decided to leave the final bullet in the gun. And wouldn’t you know it, 20 years after that, in 1906, it discharged again, lodging the sixth-and-final bullet in a visitor’s arm. Apparently the gun was cursed and had to fire off a round every 20 years. OR? And here’s a different theory, the staff at the museum didn’t understand that you stored the ammunition separately from the weapon to keep accidental discharges with an evil, cursed weapon from happening.

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About Joel Byers

Born in North Georgia and educated at some very fine public institutions. Real education started after graduating from college and then getting married and raising two boys. Has the ability to see the funny and absurd in most things and will always remark on it, even if it means getting the stink-eye from his victims.
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