Had things gone as planned, we wouldn't have heard of the Donner Party, a pioneer group who attempted to migrate to California in 1846-1847. Out of the 87 members of the original wagon train, only 48 survived by resorting to survival cannibalism. And one of them was almost Abraham Lincoln.
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If you were to believe some of the more unusual things aired by the History Channel, the only explanation for the architectural abilities of ancient, usually non-European civilizations is... aliens. The historical record disagrees.
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The Ottoman Empire was one of the most longstanding and powerful empires in history. What was life like for its women?
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One of the most famous jewels in the world is the Hope Diamond. While most people think the Hope Diamond is the same one in Titanic, it's not — it's actually famous in its own right, primarily because of a supposed curse that befalls those who dare own it.
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Vikings, hailing from what's now Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, had developed the one thing that made them not only a military power, but a commercial power. And that thing was sea power. Their go to vessel? The longship.
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It's tough to get an entire society's beliefs nailed down. Even now, saying "modern-day Americans believe that the Earth is round" isn't an accurate blanket statement. Somehow. So it gets even trickier, as you might imagine, putting your finger on the pulse of an ancient culture's worldview.
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Good old werewolves. They don't usually top the list of anyone's biggest fears -- but what if we told you they may, just possibly, have existed?
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Here's what you need to know before the second half of Vikings season 6.
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Centered in the heart of present-day Guatemala, the Mayan Empire flourished for close to two and a half millennia, only to abruptly disappear around 900 CE. What happened?
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Here's a working definition: a robot is pure machine. A cyborg is a human with machine parts (or, perhaps, a machine with human parts. It depends on where you're standing). An android is a machine built to look and function like a human being.
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High in the Ötztal Alps of Southern Austria, a muscular and heavily-tattooed man lay down in the snow, finally ready to die. Fifty-three centuries later, some believe Otzi, "the Iceman," curses those who get involved with him.
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The American Indian Movement, most known for the 1973 standoff at Wounded Knee, galvanized a generation of Native youth. This is the true story of the movement.
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Sure, there are plenty of easy answers here. After all, you know what you didn't you see in the first episode of The Walking Dead? Optimism ... or, for that matter, anything you hadn't already seen in 28 Days Later.
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So what did get fans upset about Vikings Season One? It all boils down to deadly snakes ...
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The anodyne thing to do would be to pretend this article exists in a vacuum, but out of respect for your intelligence as a reader, the moment at hand should be acknowledged.
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Merry Clayton has one of those voices you've heard -- repeatedly -- but probably didn't know the name that went with it. Her most famous work? The Rolling Stones' 'Gimme Shelter.'
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The Constitution of the United States is the most important document in our country, so it's surprising how many myths and outright falsehoods surround our foundational document. Here are false things you believe about the Constitution.
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Even though a band called "Queen" has continued after Freddie Mercury's death in 1991, Queen had effectively ended with his passing. Or, at least, that's how John Deacon, Queen's bassist, felt. But where is he now?
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Good news, everyone: we already have flying cars. Chances are, we had them well before you were even born. And in a passive aggressive twist of the historical knife, they're not around today because folks just refuse to support local business. Also, you know. They were death traps.
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In Vikings, Kattegat serves as the seat of Ragnar Lothbrok, the series' protagonist, and as a mirror for his rise in power, growing from a market town to the seat of the kingdom's power. It is a central point in the story, but is it real?
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Harvey Milk is an icon, the first non-incumbent openly gay man to be elected to public office in the United States. Here's the tragic story of Harvey Milk.
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1865 saw the first Wild West showdown, in which gambler Davis Tutt bet on himself to beat "Wild Bill" Hickok and lost his life. But for prospectors, the West was plenty wild long before Hickok busted a cap in Tutt's butt.
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We can all be grateful to Blue Öyster Cult for a couple of things. Umlauts and cowbell. But when it comes to their timeless classic "Don't Fear the Reaper", what does the song actually mean?
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Mick Jagger is a lot of things. As the singer of the Rolling Stones, he is the voice of legendary hits like "Sympathy for the Devil," "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," and "Gimme Shelter." He's also reportedly ... an enemy of the Queen?
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The Wild West was a bit more nuanced than tough, no-nonsense dudes talking some god-fearin' sense into a wild and unforgiving land. Here's what life was really life for explorers.
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Back in March, some envisioned a world in which we resorted to toilet paper as the base of our bartering. Now, however, NPR reports that a new fashionable shortage has arrived, meaning we will monetize... Well, money. Specifically coins.
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In the post-war economic boom of 1950s America, consumerism took center stage. While some items found in the average home are still the standard to this day, other fads were just plain bizarre. Let's dig in and find out about the things Americans in the 1950s couldn't live without.
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