[Amazing] 25 Impressive Stories About Tattoos That Will Leave A Mark On You
Tattoos seem to be one of those things that you are either not into at all, or you are really into. No matter what side of the spectrum you fall on though, this list will provide you with some entertaining stories about tattoos and the people who get them. As an art, tattooing has been around since antiquity. The word “tattoo” was actually borrowed from the Polynesian word “tatau” which means “correct, or workmanlike”. It was then brought to Europe by James Cook. Before that point, it had been referred to as painting or scarring. Some of the oldest discovered mummies actually have tattoos which leads anthropologists to believe that tattooing has played a significant role in human cultural for thousands of years. These days tattooing is done for a variety of reasons and along with it come numerous stigmas and taboos. For example, in Japan you may not be admitted to some public baths if you have tattoos due to potential associations with gang members, or Yakuza. There are also questionable ethical issues associated with tattooing. For example, some companies are offering to pay people if they have their company logo tattooed on their forehead. It’s a crazy world. These are 25 impressive stories about tattoos that will leave a mark on you.
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In Soviet Russia, prisoners would get tattoos of Lenin and Stalin because guards weren't allowed to shoot at images of the leaders
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
Ötzi the Iceman, the oldest mummy every found in Europe, had several carbon tattoos
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
In World War II, German members of the Waffen-SS had their blood type tattooed on their bodies in case they lost consciousness. This ended up helping investigators identify and convict many former Nazis of war crimes.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
Sean Penn is a tattoo artist
Source: imdb, Image: wikipedia
Vin Diesel has been playing the game Dungeons and Dragons for nearly 20 years and he has a tattoo of his character, Melkor, on his stomach.
Source: imdb, Image: wikipedia
The Macy's logo is a red star because its founder, R.H. Macy got a tattoo of a red star while working on a whaling ship as a teenager
Source: tattooroadtrip.com, Image: wikipedia
8 of the 9 actors that made up the Fellowship of the Ring in the Lord of the Rings movies got tattoos of the Elvish number 9. John Rhys-Davies (the dwarf) arranged for his stunt double to get the tattoo instead of him
Source: imdb, Image: wikipedia
In Japan, some beaches and spas won't let you in if you have a tattoo. This is because of fears associated with the Yakuza (Japanese mafia)
Source: wikipedia, Image: youtube
Black tattoo ink is often made with burned animal bones
Source: boingboing.net, Image: pixabay
Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't have any tattoos because they would prevent him from being able to donate blood
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
Johnny Depp got matching tattoos with death row inmate Damien Echols. Damien spent 18 years on death row before being proven innocent and Johnny Depp helped secure his release.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
Travis Williams is a public defender in the United States who tattoos the name of every defendant whose case he lost on his back
Source: madison.com, Image: wikipedia
Stephen Baldwin got a tattoo of the initials "HM", meaning "Hannah Montana". Miley Cyrus had apparently told him he could cameo on the show if he got the tattoo. He never made a cameo though, and now regrets the tattoo.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
Clean Slate is a US charity that offers discounted tattoo removal to former gang members
Source: cleanslatela.org, Image: wikipedia
Stanislawa Zambrzyska, a midwife in Auschwitz, marked babies with a tattoo (that the SS guards wouldn't recognize) so that the babies could later be identified and matched to their mothers
Source: seattlecatholic.com, Image: wikipedia
The first tattoo gun was actually an electric pen invented by Thomas Edison. Originally meant for other purposes, it was discovered that it could be used to introduce ink into the skin with some modifications
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
After the invasion of Singapore by the Japanese in WWII, men with tattoos were executed on suspicions of being triad gang members
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
In 2008, California police stopped gang member Anthony Garcia for driving with a suspended license. They then noticed a tattoo that nearly perfectly depicted an unsolved robbery from 4 years prior. Anthony eventually confessed.
Source: abcnews.go.com
The Ainu, an indigenous Japanese people, would tattoo huge lips on onto their faces in order to ward off evil spirits
Source: sangbleu.com, Image: wikipedia
Sibu, an orangutan at Apenheul Primate Park in the Netherlands, showed no interest in mating with other orangutans. He only showed interest in his human caretakers. Actually, it was more specific than that. He only showed interest in blondes with tattoos.
Source: reuters.com, Image: wikipedia
Sailors in the US Navy originally got tattoos to show American citizenship and to avoid being forced into the Royal Navy.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
When Vigo Mortensen was filming the movie "Eastern Promises", about Russian gangsters, his tattoos were so realistic and accurate that diners at a Russian restaurant in London were visibly shaken until Vigo revealed that he was only an actor
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
Mike Tyson's tattoo artist sued Warner Bros. when Hangover 2 used Mike Tyson's trademarked face tattoo
Source: bbc, Image: wikipedia
In some states, like Massachusetts, tattoos were only legalized as late as 2000
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
Some companies have been known to pay people for them to tattoo their company logo on their foreheads.
Source: nytimes
