The Remarkable True Story Of The Pony Express
The Pony Express has been romanticized, like a lot of the Old West.
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The National Christmas Tree Was Actually A Scheme To Sell This Product
The true history behind the National Christmas Tree, however, doesn't exactly square with the narrative the National Park Foundation would have you believe.
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Who Really Invented The Microwave?
Microwave ovens are pretty much everywhere, from family kitchens to dorm rooms to convenience stores to restaurants. Its invention is credited to Percy Spencer.
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The Truth About Humanity's Oldest Story
The oldest known story has been told again and again for thousands of years.
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The Sad Reason The Wright Brothers Only Flew Together Once
The Wright Brothers are legendary aviators, but did you know they only flew together once? We break down why these innovators only flew together one time.
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How Many Wives Did Genghis Khan Really Have?
There's not a lot of census data available for 12th century Mongolia. But in case you didn't know, in terms of wives and children, he had a Khan-do attitude.
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Forget The Stork: Mailmen Used To Deliver Babies As Packages
The USPS motto: "Neither rain, nor sleet, nor heat, nor gloom of night will keep carriers from their rounds." Apparently, babies couldn't stop them either.
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Westward Expansion: This Is How Much It Cost To Travel West
Pioneering wasn't only difficult, it was also pretty expensive. Here's how much it cost to travel west in the 1800s, and how much that would be today.
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These Three Dictators Were Nominated For The Nobel Peace Prize
The story of the Nobel Peace Prize reads even more strangely when you take into account some of the figures who have previously been nominated for the award.
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Here's How Sitting Bull Got His Unique Name
Sitting Bull is rightly one of the mythic figures of 19th century American history. Beyond his involvement in military engagements is the story of his name.
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Here's How Much Kim Jong Un Is Actually Worth
This week on Despot Cribs, we'll be looking at Kim Jong Un, leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
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Myths About Wyatt Earp You Can Stop Believing
Wyatt Earp spent far more years gambling and running saloons than he did in law enforcement, but that's how he's remembered today. Here are some other myths.
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Here's How You Went To The Bathroom In Medieval Castles
There's an old rhyme about how in days of old, when knights were bold, and toilets were not invented. But they must have used something, right?
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Who Was Judas Iscariot, The Disciple Who Betrayed Jesus Christ?
The name Judas has become synonymous with traitor, especially a traitor who was once a close, respected associate of the one who is betrayed.
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What Do The Terms Bat Mitzvah, Bar Mitzvah, And B'nai Mitzvah Actually Mean?
While it might seem like bar and bat mitzvahs are a long-standing Jewish tradition, the truth may surprise you. Let's take a look at the history.
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What Did The Titanic Look Like In Color?
The Titanic is probably the most famous ship to ever set sail. What does it look like in color?
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How Did TV Get The Nickname Boob Tube?
The television has been a mainstay in livingroom across the world for many years, and has many name including the "boob tube." Here's how it got the moniker.
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Wildly Dangerous Things That Happened On The Set Of The Wizard Of Oz
Workplace health and safety standards were pretty much nonexistent in the early 20th century — just look at the 1939 production of The Wizard of Oz.
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The Staggering Amount Of Money Elon Musk Is Using For His Twitter Acquisition
Add enough zeroes, and high finance kind of turns into fantasy money -- most of us can't really grasp what's actually at stake in Elon Musk's offer for Twitter.
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The Only Two Presidents Buried At Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for many military personnel. It's also the grave site of several significant government figures.
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The Staggering Amount Of Alcohol The Founding Fathers Drank
When the "Founding Fathers" weren't revolting against British rule, they were doing what under current societal norms would qualify as some very heavy drinking.
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A Look At The Smallest Children's Book Inside The Library Of Congress
One artifact is the former Guinness World Record holder for the smallest children's book in the world -- it's also the smallest printed book in the world.
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Why The Nostradamus Kennedy Assassination Prediction Falls Flat
The prophecies of Nostradamus have been intriguing readers, both believers and skeptics, for hundreds of years. Interpretations of his writing vary wildly.
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The Dark Origins Of The Grim Reaper
No two people share the same life experiences. But there's one thing that ties everyone and everything together, though, and that's death.
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The Messed Up History Of SARS
During the SARS outbreak that ended in 2003, more than 8,000 people had become sick, with 774 deaths.
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What Really Happened During The Kazakh Catastrophe?
Too often, misguided, punitive government policies combine with environmental factors to produce catastrophic results for a specific population.
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Comparing The Three Mile Island Meltdown To The Chernobyl Disaster
Every form of energy production has its drawbacks, but few raise quite the concerns aimed at nuclear power plants like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.
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