People - History Defined

Saint Augustine and His Treatise On Grace and Free Will

Saint Augustine is credited by many to be the greatest thinker of Christian antiquity. Today, he is credited with synthesizing the religious principles of the Bible and prevailing Greek philosophy. He then presented it in a manner comprehensible to both medieval Roman Catholics and Renaissance Protestants. Ironically, however, in his time, Saint Augustine was considered […]

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Henry Hill: Real Life Goodfella of the Lucchese Family

Henry Hill is a name synonymous with the world of organized crime. He rose to infamy as a key player in the notorious Lucchese crime family. His life and criminal exploits later inspired one of the greatest crime movies of all time. From his early days as an errand boy for the mob to his

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Gustavo Gaviria: Pablo Escobar’s Right-Hand Man

Everyone knows the name Pablo Escobar. Most have a passing idea of what exactly made the so-called King of Cocaine so infamous. The founder and head of the Medellín Cartel was in a position of great power. However, with such a position, trusted individuals were hard to find. Escobar needed someone on his side that

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Eva Braun: Hitler’s Photographer and Wife of One Day

Little was known about Eva Braun when she was alive except that she was a photographer who followed the infamous German dictator, Adolf Hitler, around. But behind closed doors, they were in a relationship. The Nazi leader did a great job of hiding his relationship with Braun. To the public, Hitler projected a celibate and

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The Tragic Life of Famous Punk-Girlfriend, Nancy Spungen

Sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll: this phrase originated from LIFE magazine in 1969. It was used to describe the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 1970s. It was a description which has become a badge of pride for punk movements ever since. Since the 1960s, and in some cases even earlier, the lives of

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Doug Hegdahl: How One Man Tricked the Enemy and Freed Over 500 POW’s

When we hear tales of POWs from the Vietnam War era, they are often marked by gruesome torture, back-breaking labor, and unimaginable hardship. However, for one POW named Doug Hegdahl, his time in a North Vietnamese prison camp was much easier. His ability to fake ignorance about military information, coupled with a remarkable memory, not

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Holocaust Survivor, Eric Schwam and His 2 Million Euro Gift

Karma holds that if you do something good for someone, something good will also happen to you. This seemed to hold true for the people in the town of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. In 2020, Austrian man Eric Schwam left over 2 million Euros to the town in his will. It was a thank you to the

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Mr. Cruel: The Australian Serial Kidnapper Still at Large

True crime is popular for two major reasons. People love the mystery of unsolved cases and the depths of human depravity. They also love the conclusion of knowing some criminals get caught for their crimes. Unfortunately, the latter is much less common than the former, even with the most heinous of crimes. One such case

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How John Gotti Took Control of the Gambino Crime Family

Teflon, the non-stick coating commonly found in cookware, is famous for its slippery properties and ability to withstand high heat. Put the word “Teflon” in front of a name, and it evokes the image of someone elusive, immune to arrest, and impervious to criminal charges. These characteristics perfectly describe John Gotti, the man famously known

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Sarah Breedlove Walker: The First Self-made Female Millionaire in America

In 1905, 37-year-old Sarah Breedlove, the first free-born child from a family of Civil War era slaves, moved to Denver, Colorado. She had just $1.05 in her pocket and was intent on starting a business selling hair-care products that she created, primarily for Black women. Breedlove sold her products door-to-door. She would teach other Black

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