What makes someone beautiful? Some attributes, like bright eyes and a winning smile, will always be considered beautiful in a person, but there are dark marks in history where beauty was intimately linked to pain. One such practice, maybe the most painful of them all, was foot binding. Foot binding was a centuries-old Chinese tradition […]
The Painful Legacy of the Tradition of Foot Binding Read More »
Golems have become ubiquitous figures in modern folklore, featured everywhere from Discworld novels to the world of Minecraft. But where did they come from? The English word comes from the Hebrew golem meaning “shapeless mass”. The word ‘golem’ is used once in the bible, and English versions translate it in various ways; it’s most often
The Role of Golems in Jewish History and Folklore Read More »
Some tales of criminal activity are so gruesome that it is nearly impossible for anyone to conceive how they can be committed. Omaima Nelson’s murder of her husband exists alongside mythically evil killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Hannibal Lecter for her mutilation of his body after she killed him. After her arrest, her horrific acts
Self-Defense or Murder?: The Trial of Omaima Nelson Read More »
In 1920s Chicago, violence was everywhere. With prohibition in full swing, and bootleggers rising to meet the ever-increasing demand for alcohol, tensions across the city were high. Completing the recipe for violence was the organized crime syndicates that all but ran the city. Ranging from small-time bootlegging gangs to enormous crime empires like Al Capone’s
What Led to the Grisly St. Valentine’s Day Massacre? Read More »
The tragedy of Marilyn Monroe’s life was once hidden behind the glitz and glamor of her time in the spotlight. These days, we’ve learned to look a little deeper and see just how tragic and tumultuous her life was. Was this fate singular to Marilyn, or did it run in the family? Gladys Pearl Baker,
Gladys Pearl Baker: The Mother of Superstar, Marilyn Monroe Read More »
People around the globe know Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry. Many who revered Kobe Bryant were saddened when he passed away in 2020. However, interestingly enough, basketball doesn’t even make it to the list of the world’s most popular sports in terms of its number of fans. According to the World Atlas, the
Who Invented the Game of Basketball? Read More »
Few criminals have as long a list of crimes as Carl Panzram. His criminal streak lasted for nearly four decades, spanned multiple continents, and included thousands of examples of robbery, sexual assault, and arson. Even in his final hours, he expressed no remorse for his actions. He believed that he had been repaying the violence
Carl Panzram’s Unbelievable and Cruel Criminal Life Read More »
You would think this was something out of a Harry Potter movie. But it actually existed, as scientists have discovered. In 2009, coal miners and scientists discovered more than 180 fossils of a gargantuan snake in a Colombian region called Cerrejon. The conclusion from the finding was that 60 million years ago after dinosaurs had
The Titanboa: The Biggest Snake That Ever Lived Read More »
Before the murderous reign of Jack the Ripper, another Jack was terrorizing the citizens of London in the dark of night. Fortunately, this Jack wasn’t a killer, but there was still plenty about him to set everyone on edge. This monstrous stalker was known as Spring Heeled Jack. Leaping through the dark city streets and
Who Was the Stalker known as Spring-Heeled Jack? Read More »
For those who revel in the heart-pounding excitement of plummeting down steep drops, twisting through loops, and feeling the rush of adrenaline as G-forces push you into your seat, the world of roller coasters has long been a source of ultimate thrills. Yet, what if there was a roller coaster that transcends the bounds of
The Ethical Thought Experiment of the Euthanasia Coaster Read More »
