The Secret Purpose Of Covered Bridges
There's something about covered bridges. They add a more pastoral look to a scene, and a certain mystique.
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The Truth About Ancient Egypt's 'Festival Of Drunkenness'
Every year on the 20th of Thoth (sometime in mid-August), the annual Festival of Drunkenness was held -- a religious experience normally reserved for nightclubs and key parties.
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Messed Up Stories From The Book Of Enoch
The Book of Enoch is part of the Bible in some Christian churches. But that doesn't mean it's not still full of weird stuff, like strange primordial beings, talking babies, stars with human downstairs parts, a corpse giving birth, and way more. Here are some messed up stories from the Book of Enoch.
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Stories From Greek Mythology They Couldn't Teach You In School
When we learn about Greek mythology in school, we hear a lot about the heroes. But it turns out that there's a lot of little details — and entire stories — that are super dark, and slip through the cracks of higher learning. Here are stories from Greek mythology they couldn't teach you in school.
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These Facts About The Leaning Tower Of Pisa Will Surprise You
Construction began in 1173, and by 1178 it was obvious that the tower was not going to remain upright. The subsequent stories were built to compensate for the lean -- slightly taller on the leaning side of the tower to balance it out and try and keep the floors level -- but to no avail.
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The Terrifying Truth About Legendary Poisoner Giulia Tofana
It didn't matter if their husbands hit them, belittled them, or cheated on them; women during that time had no recourse to leave a terrible marriages and be free. Tofana offered them a solution.
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The Crazy True Story Of Bedlam: The Bethlem Royal Hospital
It may have started in a truly Christian way, as a haven for the downtrodden with nowhere to go, as described by the BBC, but it evolved into a medieval "healthcare facility," and eventually became one of the first institutions to focus on cordoning off the "mad" and "lunatic."
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The Crazy Adventures Of Henry Morton Stanley
Henry Morton Stanley, most famous for rescuing Dr. David Livingstone in present-day Tanzania in 1871, was a sailor, journalist, and colonial administrator who explored central Africa. Henry Morton Stanley also searched for the source of the Nile river and aided the Belgian occupation of the Congo.
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The Ridiculously True Story Of The Nazi Rally At Madison Square Garden
Kuhn's speech was a hit with the 22,000 American Nazis in attendance at New York's Madison Square Garden, all of whom had no obvious qualms with the swastikas flanking the two-story-tall image of George Washington behind the stage.
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The Legend Of Joyeuse, Sword Of Charlemagne
Legend says that Charlemagne's sword, which he named Joyeuse (French for joyful), had magical powers.
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The Mystery Of Freddie Mercury's Ashes
Most icons who died too soon -- Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix, have famous graves people can physically visit to pay their respects. Weirdly, that's not the case with Mr. Mercury. But where do the rock icon's remains rest? Let's take a look at the mystery of Freddie Mercury's ashes.
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The Shocking Crime Paris Bennett Committed When He Was 13
By most accounts, Texas-born Paris Bennett had a happy childhood. That is, until he hit 13 years old. It was in 2007 when the young teen committed a crime that would tear apart his family for years to come.
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Strange Things You Probably Didn't Know About Isaac Newton
He was a hypochondriac, according to History Collection; rarely expressed emotion, beyond an occasional temper tantrum; had virtually no sense of humor. With everything we know of the man taken into consideration, there are those who would posit that he was autistic -- specifically, Asperger's.
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The Truth About Cleopatra's Descendants
It may appear to be obvious propaganda, but what do historians have to say regarding the truth about Cleopatra's descendants?
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The Secret History Of Dragons
We know that ancient peoples landed on the idea of dragons, and that stories of dragons have been around for centuries. They aren't merely a flight of fancy for fantasy writers.
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The Heartbreaking Tale Of Saartjie Baartman, The 'Hottentot Venus'
Saartjie Baartman, known in her time as the "Hottentot Venus," was a South African Khoekhoen woman who was taken from her home and exhibited in 19th-century European freakshows. Exploited for her buttocks and African features, Saartjie Baartman became a victim of racialized scientific study.
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Why Does The U.S. Only Have Two Major Political Parties?
As anyone who has sat through a Thanksgiving dinner with two vocal uncles from opposite ends of the political spectrum can readily attest, politics can be divisive, and party lines are not easily crossed. Still, at least it tends to be a tug-of-war between the Republicans and the Democrats.
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The Terrible Thing Edison Did To Slander Nikola Tesla
The War of the Currents (1880s) between inventors Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla has become one of nerddom's most widely-discussed rivalries.
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The Mystery Of Cleopatra's Burial
The ancient historian Plutarch, per Ancient History Encyclopedia, wrote that the two were buried together, probably at Cleopatra's request, though Plutarch never revealed the location of their tomb.
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Here's Why The Romans Erected A Gold Statue Of Cleopatra
When the ancient Romans saw Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII immortalized in gilded bronze in the Temple of Venus Genetrix, they were puzzled as to what Julius Caesar's side piece was doing next to the mother of Aeneas, the mythical founder of Rome, as Encyclopedia Britannica explains.
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How The Citizens Of The Coldest City On Earth Stay Warm
Three things are most important in Oymyakon: alcohol, meat, and fur.
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Why The Bridge To Tintagel Castle Has A Gap In The Middle
The new footbridge at Tintagel Castle is a minimalist, elegant, and quite impressive feat of engineering that has a unique feature cut across its center: a 40 mm gap between the two halves of the bridge.
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The Truth About Edgar Allan Poe's Wife
At the ripe old age of 27, Edgar Allan Poe married his first cousin, Virginia Clemm, who was herself a stately 13 years of age that year of 1836.
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The Truth About The Shortest War In World History
Wars can last forever. After all, there's such a thing called the Hundred Years' War between France and England and their allies. You know, the war where Joan of Arc died at the stake. But some wars barely last a blip.
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Why Coco Chanel Chose The Wrong Side In WWII
A number of books, articles, and documentary films have claimed in recent years that French fashion legend Coco Chanel chose the wrong side in WWII, taking up with the Nazis when they invaded France.
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The Strange Origin Of The Philippines' Chocolate Hills
The hills dot a vast terrain and they look perfectly symmetrical. Hundreds of people marvel at them every day. They're one of the most popular tourist destinations in the province of Bohol. So how did the Chocolate Hills come about?
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The Truth About Mark Antony And Cleopatra's Drinking Club
Besides being the shrewd, manipulative ruler of ancient Egypt, Cleopatra was also a prank-playing boozehound. It was love at first sight when she met Roman general Mark Antony in 41 BC — and what's a girl to do when she falls for a handsome descendant of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine? Live it up!
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