#3. Pope Gregory IX
Pope Gregory IX served as the maximum authority of the Catholic Church from 1227 to 1241. What most people don't know was that he was just as crazy as he was powerful.
The former Pope was convinced that cats were linked to Satan and were thus an object of devil worship. Therefore, he decreed that all cats had to be exterminated. I get it if he was more of a dog person, but did he really need to take it that far?
#2. Charles Dickens
It goes without saying that Charles Dickens is one of the greatest literary geniuses in American history, but rumor has it that he was quite nuts. But why?
Well, it seems to be that Dickens would always speak in his own made-up language. Sometimes, he would run up to a stranger and scream invented words straight into their faces.
#1. Nero
If you paid any attention to your middle school history lessons, then you probably remember that Nero served as the Roman Emperor from 37 to 68 AD. Many historians believe that he was insane, and here's why.
Some people claim that Nero was the one who actually started the Great Fire that destroyed half of Rome. I know what you're wondering: why on earth would he do that? Firstly, to prove how much of a leader he was, and secondly, as an excuse to have a sumptuous palace built for himself.