It is rare for a person to leave such an enduring mark on the world as Josephine Baker did. She dazzled audiences in Paris with her electrifying performances and daring fashion, but her life was about much more than entertainment. She risked her life as a World War II spy, gathering intelligence across the world. …
The musical Hamilton instigated a revival of renewed interest in the founding fathers. It’s easy to reduce the founding fathers to dry facts, important dates, and a timeline of battles and laws that we trot out for school tests. However, these were unique individuals who worked hard to create a country from a conglomerate of settlements. They …
8 Strange Facts About the Founding Fathers That Never Made the History Books Read More »
Napoleon Bonaparte’s legacy looms large in history. He was a man whose ambition and military prowess reshaped the map of Europe and the world. Of all the stories and legends told about him, perhaps none is as bizarre and unexpected as Napoleon’s unfortunate run-in with some bunnies. Napoleon Bonaparte was a conqueror of nations and …
Napoleon versus the horde of “killer” Bunny Rabbits Read More »
Stealing the crown jewels sounds like it might be included in the plot of a James Bond movie or a mysterious spy story. In the late 1600s, Thomas Blood hatched a plan to steal and sell (or possibly even destroy)the crown jewels belonging to the English crown. This was a brave but foolhardy plot, even …
Thomas Blood: The Dashing Thief Who Stole the Crown Jewels Read More »
Sarah Rector’s name has long been associated with fame related to her status as one of the first Black woman millionaires in the US. What makes this unusual is that she reached this achievement in an era where millionaires in the United States were rare, no matter which sex they were. Even more noteworthy was …
The moniker, “father of modern medicine,” usually goes to the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. However, there is another man who predates him by nearly 2,000 years who may deserve that title even more. That man is Imhotep. He was a multi-talented ancient Egyptian who was behind some of the greatest innovations of Egypt’s Old Kingdom. …
In the heart of the vast, uncharted wilderness of the Amazon rainforest, there exists a mysterious place that has captured the imaginations of adventurers and scholars alike: the Lost City of Z. A place of fabled riches and mysterious ruins, the supposed city has been the subject of countless legends and rumors. Yet, no solid …
What would you do if you were the smartest man on the planet? It may sound ridiculous, but it’s exactly the sort of question that Kim Ung-Yong grappled with. Born with an innate and unparalleled aptitude for learning, his intellectual capabilities were evident from an early age. His genius was clear before he could even …
Kim Ung-Yong: The 8-year-old child prodigy who worked for NASA Read More »
American history is chock-full of dark figures and cold-blooded killers. Possibly none more unnerving and perplexing than the infamous “Black Widow,” Belle Gunness. The story of Belle Gunness is both fascinating and terrifying. From her modest beginnings in her early life to her gruesome crimes, then unexplained disappearance, Gunness holds a particularly unique place among …
Belle Gunness: The disturbing life of the lady Bluebeard Read More »
Upon the liberation of concentration camps following World War II, the Allied forces discovered the nightmarish aftermath of the Holocaust. The camps in Nazi-occupied territories were rife with scenes of mass murder, suffering, and depravity. One of the most disturbing discoveries was at Bergen-Belsen, which the British Army liberated on April 15th, 1945. Again, the …
Johanna Bormann: The life of “The Weasel of Auschwitz” Read More »
