5. Beard Tax

Image Credit

We have to venture back in history a bit for this one, but it’s well worth it. In the late 17th Century, Peter The Great (what do you have to do in life to get “The Great” added to your name?) decided that his fresh, clean-cut look should be emulated by the masses. A tax was imposed by making all hairy-faced gentlemen purchase a token. The real kicker is that the token was imprinted with words that declared that “the beard is a superfluous burden.” Talk about a slap in the (unshaven) face!