Polyandry, when a woman takes two or more husbands, has been found in many cultures throughout history. In the 18th and 19th century, for instance, women in China ruled the roost and sometimes took more than one husband. Who knew the 1800s could be so progressive?
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Not as well-known, but possibly even more cruelly petty than any of these emperors -- if you can believe it -- was Marcus Aurelius Severus (not Snape) Antoninus Augustus, also called "Caracalla," after a type of cloak that he apparently designed.
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There are a whole bevy of holiday-themed ghouls, including an eye-catching subset of Christmas witches. These female figures run the gamut, from friendly grandmas to ogresses to wild, pre-Christian goddesses, many with roots in pagan practices. Here are the tales of several Christmas witches.
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The farm provided clothing for the family as well -- with a little improvising. Bulk purchases of flour and feed were delivered to farms in large cloth sacks, and savvy mothers soon realized they could stretch the family budget by repurposing the fabric into garments for their families.
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The Clotilda was America's last slave ship, setting sail in 1860. The ship picked up 110 Africans and made its way to Alabama, where all were sold into slavery. After emancipation, the survivors went on to form Africatown, which is still populated today. Here are the stories of some survivors.
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If consuls were horses, they would naturally be far more adept at these tasks. At least, maybe this is what Caligula believed, because, as History states, he made his favorite horse, Incitatus, a consul, and "gave the steed a marble stall, an ivory manger, a jeweled collar and even a house."
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It's no surprise that most American presidents have shared the White House with a dog, cat, or other animal friend.The presidency's unique challenges have made pets nearly a requirement for the job. Read on to learn more about the history of the animals that have made the White House a home.
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Most stewardesses began working around age 18-20. Seems young? You're right. Airlines preferred unmarried, childless stewardesses. The average age of tenured stewardesses was 32-35. The no-marriage rule was relaxed in 1957, though some airlines still required employees to be single and not pregnant.
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Batista was once seen as the perfect example of Brazil's status as a booming, successful country "that had seemed to successfully combine private enterprise with social justice and was riding high on surging commodities prices." How did Batista lose his entire $35 billion fortune in one year?
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"Ouija" is actually a brand name for a type of game called a "talking board" that grew in popularity, along with a rise in interest in spiritualism, after the Civil War. In the years following a conflict full of death, strife, and acrimony, it's understandable that people wanted resolution.
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The Roaring Twenties roared in part because of the proliferation of organized crime, and Capone had his rivals back in the day, in more ways than one. We're talking about the crime boss George "Bugs" Moran, born Adelard Cunin, whose life intertwined with Capone's in dangerous ways.
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Herman Melville's classic novel Moby Dick is an essential part of American literature and popular culture. One of the most riveting things about the novel is that it's based on a lot of true events. Here are some true events that inspired Melville's Moby Dick.
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These days, as long as the bank thinks you can pay off your debts, you can get a credit card. But it was a hard-fought battle to get to this point. And it wasn't just unmarried women who couldn't get credit cards; married women had to bring along a man when applying for one.
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Silicon Valley may be peddled as the place where dreams come true and young people get rich, but the reality can be far different. Here's the messed up truth of what goes on in Silicon Valley.
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In the Wild West, barbers were an important hub for news, trusted advice, and cleanliness. Here's why barbers were some of the most important people.
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Known in the automotive industry as an innovator, John DeLorean's life was one of rebellion, struggle, and peerless invention. We now know John DeLorean's car from the Back to the Future franchise, but his tragic life included many divorces and an FBI sting for smuggling cocaine.
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Depending on who you believe, no one has ever found the Ark. Not only is the Ark a piece of religious history, it's believed to hold wondrous powers that could wipe out whole nations, part seas, and probably do some other miraculous biblical stuff.
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The Miami Marlins made baseball history on November 13, 2020, when they hired Kim Ng (pronounced Ang) as the team's new general manager. She is now believed to be the first woman to hold the position in Major League Baseball. Ng is now the highest-ranking woman in any MLB team's baseball operations
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North Korea's people sometimes turn to drugs, and users include workers in factories, who use it as a pick-me up during shifts, along with businessmen and local celebrities. They even exchange methamphetamine on all sorts of holidays, including Chuseok, a harvest festival, and New Year's.
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A Swanson salesman named Gerry Thomas came up with the idea of marketing meals as TV dinners. Thomas realized in 1953 that Swanson had a surplus of frozen turkey -- 260 tons of it, in fact, sitting inside refrigerated train cars. The company had no idea what to do with it.
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According to the Abide in Christ website, the Ark wasn't just a box holding the Ten Commandments; it was also the Mercy Seat, where God would meet and judge souls. That's two holy objects smashed into one. It's holy enough to grant men power if they ever get their hands on it. Terrifying power.
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But wait. The United States has adopted the metric system, you say? Back in 1866, via the Metric Act, as Smithsonian Magazine relates. It remains unenforceable, however, and now people are confused because they can drink half-liter bottles of water while running a 5k, and then travel 2.3 miles home.
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Joseph is just kind of hanging out there, being a pretty good dude. Nothing super special about him in the common mythos, except that he stuck around to raise Mary's child, knowing it wasn't his own. No, this was God's baby. The Holy Spirit had blessed Mary with a serious honor.
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Celebrities garner a lot of attention, and sometimes, that attraction proves fatal. Here's a list of stars who received the wrong kind of devotion from fans.
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These myths about Ancient Egypt are things you've probably believed for a long time. Let's put the false facts to rest.
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Author Deirdre Bair interviewed hundreds of people, including Capone's descendants, to show the complex persona behind the ruthless killer. "This is also the story of a loving son, husband, and father who described himself as a businessman whose job was to serve the people what they wanted."
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It's been common knowledge for quite some time that drunk driving is dangerous, but people do it anyway. These days, society looks down on the act while we try to reduce the number of casualties. But, as disturbing as it is, that's not how drunk driving was viewed 50 years ago. It was much worse.
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