The renowned American frontiersman and fur trapper, Hugh Glass, is widely recognized as an emblematic figure of the American frontier era and a beloved folk hero. He gained widespread fame after enduring a brutal bear attack that left him abandoned by his fellow trappers and presumed dead. Despite the near-fatal injuries, Glass summoned the courage […]
From trapper to legend: The iconic life of Hugh Glass Read More »
Imagine an institution renaming itself in honor of the boy it once attempted to bar in the name of racial segregation. In the summer of 1959, the Lake City Public Library in South Carolina refused a young 9-year-old boy from checking out books. But the boy wasn’t raised to submit to such harmful societal constructions
The extraordinary life of astronaut Ronald McNair Read More »
William Poole, aka Bill the Butcher, was a fierce knife-wielding gang leader in 19th-century New York City. He led the nativist street gang Bowery Boys, went on to rule the criminal underworld, and later got into politics. Bill’s larger-than-life presence was immortalized by actor Daniel Day-Lewis’ fictionalized portrayal of him as William “Bill the Butcher”
Bill the Butcher: The notorious life of William Poole Read More »
History has a long reach. The story of Georgia Tann, who ran a criminal enterprise from the 1920s to the 1950s to place thousands of babies taken from often-poor mothers with wealthy parents, still echoes today even though most of the babies she took are very elderly or gone. Early Years and Formulating the Scheme
Georgia Tann stole thousands of babies from the poor and gave them to the rich Read More »
Most people only know the basics of car safety—wear your seat belt, never drink and drive, etc. But few are aware of the people whose inventions make them safer, like Nils Bohlin. The Swedish engineer is credited with inventing the modern three-point seat belt in 1959, a device that has saved millions of lives since
Nils Bohlin, the Volvo engineer who saved thousands of lives Read More »
Vikings are often depicted as brutal warriors, striking fear into the hearts of all who dare stand in their way. Many impressive figures illuminate the pages of their rich history. Amongst them, Ivar the Boneless, a legendary figure in Viking lore, was a warrior of especially unmatched ferocity and cunning. His name alone conjures images
Ivar the Boneless: The life of the fearsome Viking king Read More »
When news reached the United States that on November 18, 1978, more than 900 members of a cult called the Peoples Temple died in a mass suicide-murder under the control of cult leader Jim Jones at the Jonestown settlement in Guyana, South America, relatively few knew much about Jones or his followers. But in the
The Reverend Jim Jones: Profile of a Megalomaniac Read More »
Shrek is one of the most iconic animated characters of the last century. For years many have believed that a real-life man, Maurice Tillet, inspired the green ogre. Dreamworks has neither confirmed nor denied this, but the similarities are uncanny. The Early Life of Maurice Tillet Maurice Tillet, most commonly known by his professional wrestling
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Every so often, a genius emerges whose innovative ideas have the power to transform our world and shape our future. Nikola Tesla was such a visionary. A man who harnessed the power of electricity to usher in a new era of technological advancement, Tesla left an indelible mark and paved the way for a brighter,
What were Nikola Tesla’s most important inventions? Read More »
When we think of the distinguished British actor Cary Grant, one of the most poised and debonair film stars in cinematic history, we don’t automatically associate him with a drug like LSD. But maybe we should. Though it’s not uncommon for a movie star to have a troubled or even traumatic past that leads to
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