On April 10, 1834, a fire started in the kitchen of the mansion of Madame Lalaurie. It quickly spread throughout the rest of the elegant two-story building, eating through walls and destroying paintings and exquisite pieces of art. As soon as they smelled the fire, Madame Lalaurie and her husband, Dr. Lalaurie, scrambled from room […]
Madame LaLaurie and Her New Orleans Mansion of Horrors Read More »
Credited with single-handedly advancing the genre of “confessional” poetry, Sylvia Plath is considered one of the most dynamic and admired poets of the 20th Century. She is best known for her two highly acclaimed collections, The Colossus and Other Poems (published in 1960) and Ariel (in 1965). As well as her beautifully introspective semi-autobiographical novel,
The Tragic Life of Tortured Poet, Sylvia Plath Read More »
Among all the beautiful things built by the ancient Romans, few stood as magnificent as the Circus Maximus. Although the term circus is used to define an entertainment event these days, the Circus Maximus, Latin for “largest circus,” was actually a venue. But more than that, it was an architectural marvel. Used for everything from
Circus Maximus: Chariot racing in Ancient Rome Read More »
For centuries, the Gallic tribes of what is now France aided Rome’s enemies and threatened Roman expansion. Gauls fought with the Carthaginians in the Punic Wars. They were part of Hannibal’s army at Cannae which annihilated a Roman army in 217 BC. The Romans attempted to work around the Mediterranean through Spain. They were trying
Romano-Gallic War: A Clash of Empires in Ancient Times Read More »
Along with UFOs, Bigfoot, and werewolves, the Mothman just seems like pure imagination. According to residents of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, he was a six to seven-foot tall humanoid with giant, angel-like wings that spanned ten feet in length. Perhaps most disturbing of all, he had two glowing red eyes that seemed to burn in
Mothman: The Supernatural Phenomenon of West Virginia Read More »
The Iron Curtain was an impenetrable ideological barrier. It divided Europe into capitalist and communist groups. It emerged at the end of World War II in 1945 and continued to exist until the Cold War, around 1989-1990. The term symbolizes the intention and efforts of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) to block itself
Understanding the Iron Curtain: A Historical Overview Read More »
Can a gentleman be a pirate? There was one man who went against these seemingly opposite stereotypes and became both: Stede Bonnet. Born a gentleman, he turned to piracy in his later years. Bonnet was born to moderately wealthy English landowners in Barbados in 1688. He was educated like most English scions and was even
The Fascinating Tale of Stede Bonnet: The Gentleman Pirate Read More »
A Trade War Turns Hot China is running a massive trade balance with a Western power based on consumer goods. What was the logical economic and political solution? Require China to accept more imports from that power to level the imbalance. Sounds a lot like 2023, but we’re talking about 1839. The Western power was
The Opium Wars: The Substance That Started a Trade War Read More »
The sweltering heat of the Parthian desert was a terrible place to die. Stricken with grief at the death of his son, and exhausted from battle, Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus met his end in that miserable place. Crassus’s death, as well as what happened to his body after death, is shrouded in mystery. Whether
Exploring the myths around Marcus Licinius Crassus’ death Read More »
Some might say, when it comes to French fries, that it’s all in the name. But…what if it isn’t? Golden, crispy French fries have been a staple of the culinary world for centuries. They pair perfectly with a hamburger, plate of chicken tenders, and even steak. But where we can trace the origins of a
The origin of the French fry is not as simple as you’d think Read More »
