From the sprawling fields of Rohan to the white spires of Minas Tirith, Middle Earth is so familiar, and so fully formed, that sometimes it’s hard to comprehend that it isn’t real. J.R.R Tolkien set out to write just a simple children’s book about a little Hobbit going on an adventure, and in the process, […]
JRR Tolkien and the creation of Middle Earth Read More »
One child can be a handful, and each additional one adds more responsibility and even stress on even the most even-keeled of parents. Families can come in all sorts of sizes, but eventually, a lot of parents ask themselves “How many kids are too many?”. For the Vassilyev family, the answer was quite unique. For
Feodor Vassilyev: The man who fathered 69 children Read More »
Shipwrecks–there’s something infinitely fascinating about them. Whether it be a wreck as famous as the Titanic or the lesser-known shipwrecks of the Great Lakes, every single one of them is interesting. These shipwrecks have spawned books, movies, and even songs like Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”. Maritime history is full to the
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During sunny, warm beach days, kids could be found on the shores of Brittany, France, dipping their feet in the water, building sandcastles, looking for seashells… And finding bright orange Garfield heads, buried in the sand among a graveyard of phone cords, receivers, and numerical buttons. You see, the beaches in Brittany didn’t just provide
Garfield phones have been washing ashore in France for years Read More »
Today, school shootings are something we have become all too familiar with, even numb to. But back in the 70s, school shootings were unheard of. Brenda Ann Spencer was a 16 year old student who lived across the street from Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego. On the morning of January 29, 1979, she
Brenda Ann Spencer: A Bad Case of the Mondays Read More »
It was April 1945 and World War II was winding down. Germany officially surrendered on May 7, 1954, and the next day was declared V-E Day or Victory in Europe Day. While patrolling certain parts of Germany, American troops chanced upon top-secret Nazi documents. The documents were brought to the Marburg Castle in Hesse, Germany,
Marburg Files: How the Duke of Windsor was Exposed Read More »
Plenty of extraordinary individuals have deeply shaped, influenced, and transformed the world around us. Despite history’s tendency to focus on men, many remarkable women have also made their mark. Looking closer, we uncover thousands of stories of women whose contributions reverberate across time, from ancient civilizations to the modern day. These unsung heroines defied societal
50 Women Who Transformed History Read More »
Blanche Dumas was a woman of extraordinary physical attributes. She defied societal norms and transformed her unconventional existence into a captivating tale. She was born in the 19th century with dipygus. This meant that she boasted two fully functional vaginas, as well as four breasts and three legs. She certainly captivated the imaginations of onlookers.
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It was rare for Black people to rise to power during the time of segregation. But against all odds, Bumpy Johnson somehow managed to do so. Between the 1950s and the 1960s, he was the most powerful man in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Though he was arrested dozens of times, Bumpy always
Bumpy Johnson: The Godfather of Harlem Read More »
The history of American slavery is a dark, difficult period in the nation’s past. However, there exists a figure whose experience transcends mere words – a visceral and deeply evocative visual testimony to the cruelty endured by enslaved individuals. Whipped Peter is an anonymous figure whose suffering and resilience have been etched into history through
The Harrowing Story Behind the Photograph of ‘Whipped Peter’ Read More »
