1904: The Worst Olympics Ever
1900s | July 27, 2021
Not every Olympics is a hit, but the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, Missouri really won the gold when it came to the worst games ever. To be fair, the Olympics as we know them today we...
St. Francis Dam Disaster
1920s | July 25, 2021
A group of people and their car stand dwarfed by the shattered remains of the St. Francis Dam. (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) In 1926, the St. Francis Dam began providing water to the growing...
History Of Space Travel: From Science Fiction To Science Fact
Historical Facts | July 23, 2021
Humans have been dreaming of visiting the stars for over a millennium, with ancient Sanskrit writings dating back to 300 C.E. telling of mythological flyi...
This Day In History: Herostratus And The Destruction Of The Temple Of Artemis, One Of The Seven W...
Ancient History | July 21, 2021
The Temple of Artemis, Ephesus, Turkey, 1933-1934. From Wonders of the Past, volume II, 1933-1934. (The Print Collecto...
The Burning Of Washington: When The British Attacked The White House
1800s | July 19, 2021
Burning of Washington, Paul de Thoyras. (Library of Congress/Wikimedia Commons) The War of 1812 erupted after a series of trade disputes, thanks to ...
July 17, 1981: 114 People Were Killed When A Walkway Collapsed At A Kansas City Hotel
1980s | July 17, 2021
On July 17, 1981, a festive crowd had gathered at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri for a night of dancing, but the...
The Murder of Vincent Chin and How It Changed America
1980s | July 15, 2021
Lillie Chin (mother of Vincent Chin, who was clubbed to death by two white men in June 1982) breaks down as a relative (left) helps her walk while leaving Detroit’s ...
Charles Lindbergh’s Nazi Connection
1920s | July 13, 2021
Charles Lindbergh had a complicated public reputation. As the first pilot to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean, he was a national hero. As the father of a kidnapped and murde...
The Affair Of The Diamond Necklace, Or How A Queen Lost Her Head
Historical Facts | July 11, 2021
Marie Antoinette's execution on October 16, 1793. (Unknown author/Wikimedia Commons) The Affair of the Diamond Necklace reads more like a farce than a f...
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico: A Game Show Gimmick With Lasting Results
1950s | July 9, 2021
Truth Or Consequences was one of the most popular game shows of the genre's golden age, running intermittently on both radio and television ...
How The Hollywood Sign Became An Icon
historical landmarks | July 7, 2021
A sign advertises the opening of the Hollywoodland housing development in the hills on Mulholland Drive overlooking Los Angeles, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, circa 1924. (Und...
Saint Pierre and Miquelon, A Bit of France Just Ten Miles From North America
Historical Facts | July 5, 2021
Saint Pierre and Miquelon. (DeAgostini/Getty Images) The last remaining vestige of France's colonial empire is a couple of small islands jus...
Houston, We Have A Problem: The True Story Of Apollo 13
1970s | July 3, 2021
The Apollo 13 mission was supposed to be NASA's third lunar landing, but it was plagued with misfortune from the very beginning. In fact, the crew that wound up...
The Invention Of Aspirin
1800s | July 1, 2021
Aspirin tablets spilled from a bottle. (Chris Walton/South China Morning Post via Getty Images) Since 1899, aspirin has been touted as a wonder drug, but people have been using a natural form ...
Policarpa: The Teenage Spy
1800s | June 29, 2021
Policarpa Salavarrieta. (José María Espinosa Prieto/Wikipedia Commons) Policarpa Salavarrieta, seamstress, spy, and heroine of Colombian independence, was born January 26, 1795 in the small ...
The Story Of Margaretha Von Waldeck, The Real Snow White
Medieval History | June 27, 2021
Priscilla Presley portrayed the evil stepmother, complete with magic mirror and poisoned apple, in 'Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs' at The Savoy Hotel London in ...
Smallpox: The First Bioweapon
Medical History | June 25, 2021
Smallpox is an extremely infectious and deadly disease, wiping out up to 30% of those unlucky enough to catch the virus. By the 1700s, people began figuring out how the disease spread an...
Entire U.S. Figure Skating Team Killed in 1961 Plane Crash
1960s | June 23, 2021
Family picture of the US figure skating team before boarding the Sabena Flight 548 on February 15, 1961 in New York that crashed near Brussels, Belgium. (STF/AF...
George Orwell: His Life And Cultural Influence
Literature | June 21, 2021
A poster with the famous words 'Big Brother is Watching You' from a 1965 B.B.C. T.V. production of George Orwell's classic novel 1984. (Larry Ellis/Express/Getty Images) ...
Orville Redenbacher: Everything You Didn't Know About The Popcorn King
People | June 19, 2021
Orville Redenbacher in 1986. (George Rose/Getty Images) The unassuming bow-tied face you see all across the snack aisle of your local grocery stor...
Who Was The Red Baron? Facts About The World War I 'Ace Of Aces' Manfred Von Richthofen
World War I | June 17, 2021
If the name Manfred von Richthofen doesn't ring a bell, it's probably because you know this World War I flying ace better by his...
Bat Boy: The Millennial Superstar Created By Weekly World News
1990s | June 15, 2021
The term "fake news" may be thrown around a lot these days, but there was a time when hilariously unreal stories were celebrated in grocery store pulp ta...
Did Voter Fraud Kill Edgar Allan Poe? The 'Cooping' Theory
1800s | June 13, 2021
American short story writer, poet, and critic Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), circa 1840. (MPI/Getty Images) The stories of Edgar Allan Poe are filled with fanta...
Did The Hanging Gardens Even Exist? The Most Mysterious Wonder Of The Ancient World
Ancient History | June 11, 2021
Of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only one of them, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, has remained elusive to archae...
Inside The Church Of Bones Made Of 40,000 Departed Humans
historical landmarks | June 9, 2021
The Sedlec Ossuary, better known in popular culture as the Church of Bones, is a small chapel located in the town of Kunta Horra in the Czech Republic. As wi...
'The Scream:' Facts And Stories About Edvard Munch's Iconic Painting
Historical Art | June 7, 2021
Munch made several versions of his famous painting, including this one in pastels. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images) Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's most we...
Chang And Eng: The Conjoined Twins Who Profited As 'Freaks' And Owned Slaves
1800s | June 5, 2021
The Siamese twins, Chang and Eng. (Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) Conjoined twins are exceedingly rare, thought t...
Life Was Cheap In The U.S.S.R.: The 1982 Salang Tunnel Disaster
1980s | June 3, 2021
Local residents walk along with a donkey carrying water pots after heavy snowfall in Khanozai area some 75 kms in northeast of the provincial capital Quett...
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: How American Business Learned A Grim Lesson
1910s | June 1, 2021
Worker safety was not exactly a priority in the Industrial Age factories of the early 20th century, when many businesses sacrificed employ...
Has Chernobyl, Nuclear Disaster Site, Become A Haven For Wild Animals?
Animals in History | May 31, 2021
On April 26, 1986, a nuclear meltdown at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant led to the worst nuclear disaster in world history, expelling 400 time...
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