People
The Medici Family: Stories Of The Most Important Family...
February 17, 2020
Lorenzo the Magnificent (1585-1644) with the major artists of the time, in a 1635 fresco by Ottavio Vannini. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images) Before the Roc...
How Much Do You Know About Machiavelli?
February 15, 2020
Just as Machiavelli was put to the test by the Medici family, you, too, are about to face the music. Of course, in this instance, you're just taking a short quiz. Machiavelli was se...
Machiavelli: Biography And Facts About History's Most M...
February 15, 2020
His name is connected with political leaders prone to playing 3-D chess, but was Machiavelli actually the conniving manipulator that we know him as? His most well...
Mary Shelley Kept Her Husband's Heart After His Death A...
February 12, 2020
One of the earliest masters of horror, Mary Shelley wasn't just dabbling in the dark when she wrote one of the most important and influential novels of all time. ...
Saint Valentine: The Patron Saint Of Bees, Fainting, An...
February 11, 2020
Valentine ministered to persecuted Christians in the third century. Colored engraving, Italy, 1886. (Photo by Fototeca Gilardi/Getty Images). Today, most of w...
Delphine LaLaurie: New Orleans's Famously Sadistic Slav...
February 9, 2020
New Orleans is full of ghost stories, but the most haunting tale is that of Delphine LaLaurie, a mad slave owner who tortured the men and women in her employ. Sto...
Mary Queen of Scots: Stories, Trivia, And A Botched Beh...
February 8, 2020
When King James V of Scotland died at the ripe age of 30 (hey, it was ripe for medieval times), his kingdom was in a bit of a pickle. His only surviving legi...
Elizabeth II: Stories And Facts You Maybe Didn't Know Q...
February 6, 2020
Elizabeth II became queen on February 6, 1952, although she had to wait until June for her official coronation ceremony. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images) ...
Vlad The Impaler: Real-Life Dracula's Most Monstrous Ac...
February 3, 2020
You could say Vlad the Imapler was a bad guy. After all, you don't get to be immortalized as a bloodthirsty monster if you're Mr. Congeniality. Not only did Vlad ...
Clark Gable: Hitler, Bugs Bunny, And More Stories You'v...
February 1, 2020
Happy birthday to Clark Gable! The uber-masculine heartthrob of the Golden Age of Hollywood was born on this day in 1901. This birthday boy lit up the silver...
Guy Fawkes: The Man, The Myth, The Mask
January 31, 2020
A man with a Guy Fawkes mask during a protest. (Photo by Giorgos Georgiou/NurPhoto via Getty Images) In recent years, we've come to know Guy Fawkes more for his dashing, mustach...
The Many Men Of Elizabeth Taylor
January 29, 2020
What comes to mind when you see the name Elizabeth Taylor? Is it Cleopatra? Her humanitarian work? Or is it her stature as the queen of divorce? In 1951, before she was 20 years old, this ...
The Six Wives Of King Henry VIII
January 28, 2020
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived: A morbid rhyme indeed, but useful if you want to keep up with the lives and fates of the six wives of Henry VIII. While his reign wa...
J.D. Salinger Was Basically Holden Caulfield
January 27, 2020
J.D. Salinger wrote Catcher in the Rye in 1951 and then spent the rest of his life running away from its central character, Holden Caulfield. He didn't want to talk about the b...
The Legend Of The Green Man: Raymond Robinson Had No Fa...
January 26, 2020
Have you heard the one about Green Man? You know, the guy without a face who walks the highway at night? Supposedly, he fell into a vat of acid, but some people s...
Jack The Baboon Operated A Railway, Earned A Salary, An...
January 25, 2020
Anyone passing through Cape Town, South Africa on the Port Elizabeth Mainline Railroad in the late 1800s saw something curious along the railway: a baboon operati...
Rasputin's Daughter Literally Ran Away And Joined The C...
January 24, 2020
Imagine this scenario: Your father is a high-profile mystic, purported to be impossible to kill. Your friends are empresses. Not what most people consider a ...
The Making Of A Mad Monk: How Rasputin Went From A Peas...
January 21, 2020
Grigorj Rasputin, Russia's Mad Monk and mystic. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images) Known as "the Mad Monk," Grigori Rasputin was a central figure in the downf...
Edgar Allan Poe And His Adoptive Father Feuded For His ...
January 19, 2020
Closeups of a very old book by Edgar A. Poe. (Photo by Herbert Gehr/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images) One of the best-known American writers and p...
Winnie Was A Real Bear: A. A. Milne's Inspirations
January 18, 2020
Winnie the Pooh is one of the most beloved children’s literary characters in history. Along with his pals Piglet, Tigger, Owl, Eeyore, and Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh ha...
Emmett Till: The Memorial That Was Vandalized Until The...
January 14, 2020
The legacy of Emmett Till is one of anger and brutality. His death at the hands of two white men in the Mississippi Delta was one of the major sparks of the Civil...
Rebecca The Raccoon, President Calvin Coolidge's Pet Ra...
January 13, 2020
Raccoons are the grimy trash pandas of the west. They roam the streets at night searching for a meal, and as cute as they are, it's obvious that they've got somet...
Joan Of Arc: 13 Insane Things You Didn't Know
January 6, 2020
If you remember your European history, you probably remember Joan of Arc as the determined teenage girl who led the French to victory over the English in a key battle of ...
Mao Zedong Killed 45 Million People In Four Years, The ...
January 5, 2020
The morbidity of the question "Who is the worst mass murderer to ever live?" is hard to comprehend. How do you calculate the sheer numbers that some world leaders...
Les Miserables, Hitler, And The Nobel Peace Prize: 14 T...
January 3, 2020
When you hear the name Benito Mussolini, you probably think "fascist dictator" and "ruthless leader of World War II Italy." While those titles are accurate, ...
Kim Jong Il Myths: A Prodigy With Superhuman Powers
December 17, 2019
From 1994 until his death on December 17, 2011, Kim Jong Il was the supreme leader of North Korea. Throughout his time as the hermit country's leader, he exhibited stran...
Colonel Sanders: The Unexpected Life Of The Fast Food P...
December 16, 2019
On December 16, 1980, the world lost a business icon and fried chicken guru when Harland David Sanders, better known as Colonel Sanders, died of leukemia. Wh...
Ludwig van Beethoven: Things You Didn't Know About the ...
December 12, 2019
German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven is often called the greatest musical genius in history. Even those of us who don't know Strauss from Stravin...
Buster Keaton Stunts: GIFs, Videos, And Stories Of His ...
December 3, 2019
Though he's remembered for his death-defying stunts, Buster Keaton was so much more than an adrenaline junkie who got his kicks in front of the camera. After get...
John Pemberton, Creator of Coca Cola: Facts & Stories Y...
November 30, 2019
Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable brands in the world. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for NYCWFF) There are few products as American as Coca-Cola. T...
Sacagawea: Facts You Didn't Know
November 25, 2019
Sacagawea, the Native American woman who helped Lewis and Clark on their expedition through the Northwest, is a larger-than-life figure in American history. Unfortunately, much of the...
D.B. Cooper Hijacked A Plane, Jumped Into A Storm Witho...
November 24, 2019
There are few modern American mysteries that are as arresting as the identity of D.B. Cooper, the man who skyjacked a Boeing jet in 1971 before diving from the p...
Billy The Kid Stories You've Never Heard Before
November 23, 2019
Youthful Old West outlaw Billy the Kid would be celebrating his 160th birthday today, November 23, if he had not been killed at the tender age of 21 (and, you know, if ...
Blackbeard: Myths About The Infamous Pirate Who Was (Al...
November 22, 2019
Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was one of the most feared reavers in the Caribbean and east coast of North America during the golden age of piracy...
Queen Elizabeth And Prince Philip: Their Adorable, Quir...
November 20, 2019
In America, our most adored and adulated couples don't tend to stand the test of time. From Liz and Dick to "Brangelina," the watchful eye of the public has ...
What You Didn't Know About Susan B. Anthony
November 18, 2019
Photograph of Susan B. Anthony. Source: (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty images) The name Susan B. Anthony is nearly synonymous with women's suffrage, but ...
Edward Paisnel: A Masked Sex Offender Known As 'The Bea...
November 9, 2019
When you live in an isolated area, you have to find your own ways to entertain yourself. You could go with something harmlessly mild, like erecting the world...
Georgia Tann Abducted Children And Sold Them To Celebri...
November 8, 2019
Have you ever wondered why someone would get it into their head to steal babies and flip them like so many houses? Well, you're in luck, friend. Buckle up, a...
Steve Martin's Wedding Was A Surprise To His Guests
November 4, 2019
Weddings are joyous occasions. Two people tying the knot of the love they share, surrounded by friends and family---what's not to like? Nevertheless, there's always...
60 Photographs With Untold Stories From Hollywood's Pas...
November 3, 2019
When we see celebrities onscreen or hear their music it’s like we know them, but really, fans are just getting a piece of someone whenever they experience their ...
Groucho Marx: Behind The Mustache
November 2, 2019
Comedian Grouch Marx with his trademark mustache. (Photo by Ralph Crane/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images) Of the five Marx brothers, Groucho Marx may be the mo...
Wolverine Woman: Jo Cameron Has Healing Powers, Feels N...
October 24, 2019
Not the actual Wolverine woman. Source: (Photo by Ollie Millington/Getty Images) As kids, everyone dreams of gaining superpowers like teleportation or the abi...
Samuel Little: The Most Prolific Serial Killer In U.S. ...
October 23, 2019
Samuel Little, Maybe The Most Prolific Serial Killer In American History (Photo by Bob Chamberlin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Serial killers hold a st...
Isaac Newton Said The World Is Ending In 2060: Was He R...
October 14, 2019
English mathematician and physicist Sir Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727) contemplates the force of gravity, as the famous story goes, on seeing an apple fall in his o...
What Happened To Elvis's Hearse? Was It Haunted?
October 11, 2019
Police officers on motorcycles escort a white hearse containing the body of American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley as it heads towards the funeral, Memphis, Tennesse...
Charles Henry Dow: The Man Who Created Modern Economics
October 8, 2019
The day's numbers for the Dow Jones Industrial Average are displayed on a screen at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square. Source: (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Ima...
Rick Rescorla Rescued Over 2,000 Employees On 9/11
October 4, 2019
One of the World Trade Center's twin towers collapses after it was struck by a commercial airliner in a terrorist attack September 11, 2001 in New York City. Source: (P...
Olive Oatman: The Girl With The Blue Tattoo
October 2, 2019
The frontier story of Olive Oatman enthralled the country when it happened in the mid-1800s, and it's still a source of fascination today. It's not the kidnapping of the te...
Who Was The Real Betty Crocker?
September 26, 2019
Today, we know her as the premier purveyor of boxed cake mixes, but a generation or two ago, Betty Crocker was the go-to expert for all things baking. It may surprise you to know that ...
Audie Murphy: From The Most Decorated WWII Soldier To M...
September 25, 2019
Audie Murphy with Marshall Thompson in "To Hell and Back" 1955. Source: (Photo by RDB/ullstein bild via Getty Images) It is not often that someone comes along...
Abraham Lincoln's Jokes: The 16th President's Forgotten...
September 22, 2019
Abraham Lincoln stands as one of the most revered and respected Presidents in U.S history. Though the 16th president of the United States is most remembered ...
Yves Saint Laurent's Knit Bridal Gown: A Famously Bizar...
September 20, 2019
Model Audrey Marnay wears the wedding dress Cocoon. (Photo by Pool SIMON/STEVENS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images) French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent was ...
Things You Didn’t Know About Pirates (And Their Social ...
September 19, 2019
When you think of the pirate life, you're probably picturing a bunch of burly, jolly men drinking rum and burying treasure, but the Disney version of pirate li...
Griffith J. Griffith: The Man Behind LA's Griffith Obse...
September 18, 2019
Constructing the central dome at Griffith Observatory. Source: (truthdig.com/articles/rare-photos-reveal-griffith-observatory-under-construction) Nestled in t...
Sober Sue: The Woman No Comedian Could Amuse
September 15, 2019
As actress and comedian Phyllis Diller once said, "A smile is a curve that sets everything straight." What would life be like if you were unable to laugh or even smile? We...
Frank R. Beckwith: The First Black Presidential Candida...
September 11, 2019
Long before the historic presidency of Barack Obama, one man cut himself off a little slice of that history by becoming the first African-American candidate ...
All The Times The U.S. Government Worked With The Mafia...
September 10, 2019
Sicilian-born American gangster Charles Luciano relaxes in exile from the FBI after helping the U.S. government in Operation Husky. Source: (Photo by Slim Aaron...
Lafayette: The Man Who Helped Win Both The American And...
September 3, 2019
You’ve probably noticed a street or park or building named Lafayette in your town, but have you ever stopped to wonder just why this rare French name seems t...
Ching Shih: The Former Prostitute Turned Ruthless Pirat...
August 27, 2019
When we think of pirates, we think of the prolifically criminal men, both fictional and in the real world, that have captured our imaginations for ages. But ...
Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Myth, And The Arm
August 26, 2019
Portrait of Thomas Jonathan Jackson, circa 1860. (1824-1863). Source: (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) By all accounts, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson was...
An Art Critic’s Secret Critique Of Hitler’s Paintings S...
August 22, 2019
Like other world leaders—George W. Bush, Winston Churchill, Jimmy Carter, Francisco Franco, and Queen Victoria, to name a few—Adolf Hitler enjoyed painti...
Rube Goldberg: The Man And His Zany Machines
August 3, 2019
We know all about Rube Goldberg machines—those crazy, overly complicated contraptions designed to perform one simple task—but how much do we know about Rube Goldberg, the ...
Pineapples Aren’t Native To Hawaii: The Story Of James ...
August 1, 2019
Despite all evidence to the contrary, pineapples are not a native fruit of Hawaii. However, the rich Hawaiian soil and the balmy climate make it an ideal l...
The Sad Life Of Leona Gage, Miss USA 1957
July 31, 2019
When beautiful young Leona Gage was crowned Miss USA in 1957, it seemed as though she was living a charmed life. She told pageant officials that she was a 21-year-old model f...
Who Was Gavrilo Princip?
July 26, 2019
Gavrilo Princip was one of the most significant people of the 20th century. You might not know his name, but you definitely know what he did, or at least felt the impact of it. By assassinati...
Orville Redenbacher: What You Didn’t Know About The Pop...
July 10, 2019
You might remember the popcorn commercials on TV in the 1970s through 1990s that featured a bow-tie wearing old man with a funny name. That was Orville Red...
W.C. Fields: A Wit For The Ages
July 7, 2019
Actor W.C. Fields in a scene from the movie The Old Fashioned Way Directed by: William Beaudine USA 1934. Source: (Photo by ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images) One of Vaudevil...
Her Invention Saves Lives Every Day But You Don’t Know ...
July 6, 2019
Stephanie Kwolek. Remember that name. She is the award-winning inventor and chemist that developed Kevlar, a material used in hundreds of applications, mos...
James Smithson: Who Was the Guy Who Gave Us the Smithso...
July 3, 2019
A view of the Smithsonian Institution building in a field of daisies in Washington DC, circa 1860s. Source: (Photo by Kean Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Image...
Plot Twist: The Most Famous Fictional Pirate Was Real
July 1, 2019
When Robert Louis Stevenson published his swashbuckling novel, Treasure Island, in 1883, his descriptions of Long John Silver set the bar for all literary and fil...
Becoming Tinkerbell
June 30, 2019
A cosplay fan dresses like Tinkerbell from Peter Pan. Source: (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) One of Disney’s most beloved characters—and one that had stood the test of time—is the adorable, sp...
Lotta Crabtree, The Nation’s Darling
June 26, 2019
Portrait of Lotta Crabtree Smoking a Cigar. Source: (Photo by Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images) Long before the title of America’s Sweetheart was bestowed on Mary ...
Carrie Finnell: The Bad Girl Of Burlesque
June 23, 2019
From the 1870s through the 1940s, Burlesque shows were a popular form of entertainment. Staged in nightclubs, theatres, and cabarets across the country, these variety shows f...
W. C. Handy and the Birth of the Blues
June 21, 2019
Portrait of jazz and blues pioneer W.C. Handy (1873 - 1958), blowing on his trumpet, mid twentieth century. Source: (Photo by PhotoQuest/Getty Images) African American composer a...
Hunting Down an Assassin: The Manhunt for MLK’s Killer
June 16, 2019
American Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968) speaks at Quinn Chapel on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, 1960s. Source: (Photo by Robe...
Famous Hollywood Lavender Marriages
June 9, 2019
During the early days of Hollywood, a gay actor or actress had to keep their sexual preferences hidden for fear of ruining their careers. To give the appearance of being straight—a...
Why Right Is Right And Left Is Wrong: Historical Myths ...
June 8, 2019
A left-handed child writes on the French National Lefties Day on August 23, 2015. Source: (Photo credit DIARMID COURREGES/AFP/Getty Images) If you are one of ...
Conquering Everest: What You Didn’t Know About Sir Edmu...
June 6, 2019
In case you haven’t seen the news recently, let’s catch you up on the news for Nepal. This climbing season, more climbers than ever before are attempting t...
Abigail Fillmore, the Under-Rated First Lady
June 5, 2019
When it comes to First Ladies of the United States, some presidents’ wives stand out from the crowd for their style, grace, and advocacy work. And some former first ladies...
Who Was Your Favorite TV Maid or Butler?
June 3, 2019
A surprising number of TV sitcom families are able to afford live-in maids or butlers to help with housework and raising the kids. Of course, these characters are more than ju...
