James R. Coffey - History Defined

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin: the Most Important Astronomer You Never Heard Of

By the latter half of the 1800s, the primary question among astronomers around the world was, “What are stars actually made of?” In the 1880’s, a team of Harvard researchers believed they’d answered this question. They had created a classification system whereby stars are rated according to their surface temperature. Using this rating system, the […]

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin: the Most Important Astronomer You Never Heard Of Read More »

Outlaw Who Was Turned into a Pair of Shoes: “Big Nose” George Parrott

The Carbon County Museum, in Rawlins, Wyoming may never be as famous as the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, or the Houston Museum of Natural Science in Houston, TX. But it does have one thing those other museums do not: An “Outlaws” exhibit featuring a

Outlaw Who Was Turned into a Pair of Shoes: “Big Nose” George Parrott Read More »

Did Joseph Smith Found His Church on Drug-Induced Visions?

The universal relationship between religion and the use of mind-altering drugs is, of course, well documented in oral history. There is also plenty of physical evidence. According to J. M. Allegro, author of The Scared Mushroom and the Cross, the Judeo-Christian belief system was heavily influenced by altered states of consciousness. This was produced through

Did Joseph Smith Found His Church on Drug-Induced Visions? Read More »

Liberace: The Virtuoso Behind the Glitz and Glamour

When most people hear the name “Liberace,” certain images come to mind. Perhaps the image of a flamboyantly dressed man in a sequined cape. He would be seated at a rhinestone-studded Grand piano playing an almost schizophrenic combination of Classical, Pop, and Show Tunes. A man whose garish appearance easily calls into question his standing

Liberace: The Virtuoso Behind the Glitz and Glamour Read More »

William Harley and Arthur Davidson: Men Behind the Iconic Motorcycle

According to Harley-Davidson lore, William Harley and Arthur Davidson met in the late 1890s. They became fast friends because of their shared interest in mechanics and design. By the turn of the century, one was working as a draftsman, the other a pattern-maker. But they still hadn’t hit upon an idea to combine their interests

William Harley and Arthur Davidson: Men Behind the Iconic Motorcycle Read More »

The Use of Subliminal Messages in Film and Advertising

In the 1940s, the American television and film-making industries began experimenting with a psychological approach. It aimed to sell products where single-frame product endorsements were embedded in film. These were undetectable to the eye, but hopefully, acknowledged by the viewer’s brain. One of the earliest examples of this technique was a 1943 cartoon short featuring

The Use of Subliminal Messages in Film and Advertising Read More »

Paul Reubens: the Man Behind “Pee-wee Herman”

Paul Reubens, aka “Pee-wee Herman,” was a man of profound contradictions. On one hand, he was the quirky-but-talented creator of the phenomenally successful cult classics, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Big Top Pee-wee. Also, the highly successful TV series, Pee-wee’s Playhouse. But on the other hand, he was the infamous celebrity caught masturbating in an adult

Paul Reubens: the Man Behind “Pee-wee Herman” Read More »

The World’s Most Famous Synesthete: Vincent Van Gogh

Today, Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh is considered second only to Rembrandt in raw talent and sheer genius. His striking use of color, forceful brushwork, and the contoured forms of his work effectively redefined Expressionism in modern art. In short, he is considered the master painter’s master. Ironically, Van Gogh sold only one painting in

The World’s Most Famous Synesthete: Vincent Van Gogh Read More »

“Lady Day,” the Turbulent Life of Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday was gifted with one of the most identifiable voices in the history of recorded music. It was a voice that throughout her 26-year career (and since her untimely death in 1959) has indisputably placed her among the all-time “greats.” Songs like, “Them There Eyes” (1939), “Loverboy” (1941), “Good Morning, Heartache” (1946), and “T’ain’t

“Lady Day,” the Turbulent Life of Billie Holiday Read More »

Benedict Arnold: The Most (In)Famous Traitor in American History

In modern parlance, the name Benedict Arnold is synonymous with treason and betrayal. He’s history’s most famous turncoat. Though relatively few know the story surrounding Arnold’s condemnation, most are aware that he was accused of leading British forces against the American Continental Army. These were the very forces he’d once commanded. But what would lead

Benedict Arnold: The Most (In)Famous Traitor in American History Read More »