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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
So what did get fans upset about Vikings Season One? It all boils down to deadly snakes ...
Read More
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.
Read More
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.'
Read More
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.
Read More
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?
Read More
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.
Read More
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?
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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?
Read More
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?
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
Whether you're driving behind a UPS truck and questioning why their drivers never make left turns -– or wondering why UPS trucks always leave the doors open –- there's a lot of secrets to unpack with these guys, with one of the biggest mysteries remaining: how much do UPS drivers actually make?
Read More
The story of Henry VIII of England is almost as big as his waistline (which was big indeed). But some facts have been conflated, or inflated into myth over time.
Read More
Native American tribes had their own ideas for what happens after death, and their beliefs can tell us as much about how they lived as how they died.
Read More
Cleopatra: the woman of the golden barge, drifting down the Nile. Beautiful, Egyptian... or maybe not? Let's separate fact from myth.
Read More
From lush forests, to bleak Scandinavian shores, to the cold stone of isolated (and amazingly easily conquered as it turns out) English monasteries, Vikings' settings aren't just gorgeous to behold -- they're a vital part of the show. So where is it actually filmed?
Read More
Everybody's got that one relative that nobody wants to talk about. Even Hitler.
Read More
Before Eric Garner and George Floyd, there was Rodney King, whose beating would lay bare the racism and injustice that ran through the LAPD.
Read More
Some say Catherine the Great died like Elvis -- not as a king, but on the toilet. Here's the truth.
Read More
Alexander the Great, who turned half the world into his empire, seems like an almost god-like figure. Rumors about him, first encouraged to further his legend, continue to persist.
Read More
Queen Victoria never truly got over the loss of her husband, Prince Albert, and she literally wore her feelings on her sleeve.
Read More