Nietzsche's mental collapse occurred when he was on a street in Turin, Italy. There, upon seeing a carriage driver flogging a horse, he began weeping and threw himself around its neck to protect it from its master's whip. Pretty strange for a guy who railed against pity and compassion... or is it? (Source.)

Maybe the stereotype of the "wild preacher's kid" exists for a reason. Nietzsche's father was a pastor, as were both his father's father and his mother's father... and Nietzsche certainly was one wild, wild child. (Source.)

Nietzsche wasn't just a philologist who happened to do philosophy: he was also a poet, a composer, a playwright, and heck, he even dabbled in architecture. Unfortunately, he died before he was able to do all of those things at once while standing on his head. (Source.)

Nietzsche grew up as the only male in his household: he lived with his mother, his sister, his grandmother, a maid, and two aunts who were apparently on the "neurotic" side. On a completely unrelated note, he had some serious issues with women that he never overcame. (Source.)

On more than one occasion, Freud said that Nietzsche "had a more penetrating knowledge of himself than any other man who has ever lived or was ever likely to live." We wonder if Freud giggled when he said "penetrating." We like to think that he did. (Source.)