On February 1, 2012, 18-year-old Samantha Koenig was working a shift at a coffee stand in Anchorage, Alaska when a man walked in, pointed a gun to her head, and told her to come with him. As the security footage shows, Samantha immediately obeyed, putting her hands up and coming out from behind the counter. […]
How American Serial Killer, Israel Keyes Was Finally Caught Read More »
The fact that Joe Arridy was innocent couldn’t save him from being executed for the rape and murder of two local teenage girls whom he had never met. It was January 6, 1939, and the mentally challenged 23-year-old, who had an IQ of 46, apparently had a hard time grasping what it meant to die.
The Tragic Life and Execution of Joe Arridy Read More »
The Crimean War, only a portion of which involved combat on the Crimean Peninsula, pitted Imperial Russia against the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, and France. It eventually involved Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia as well. Led by Great Britain and France, they saw themselves as balancing the great Russian bear. The war ended in
Crimean War: Balancing Europe on the Point of a Gun Read More »
In the shadowy world of international espionage, few incidents have captured the public imagination quite like the Compromise of the Great Seal. What ensued was a high-stakes spying scandal featuring covert operations, international diplomacy, and technological innovation. The “Thing” has captivated those who have learned about it ever since. The Soviet Union’s brazen planting of
How the Soviet Union Managed to Spy on the U.S. Ambassador: The Great Seal Bug Read More »
Rollo was a Viking leader who settled Normandy. He set the stage for the merging of Viking and Frankish cultures. As the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror, Rollo’s legacy includes far more than raiding and pillaging. He established a royal bloodline that, centuries later, would create a bitter rivalry between Britain and France that would
Rollo: The Viking Leader Who Became the Duke of Normandy Read More »
The world of Ancient Greece was steeped in religious and cultural traditions of all kinds. Festivals and rituals played a central role in everyday life. The Great Dionysia was one such festival. In ancient Athens, the celebration was a time of revelry, theater, and religious devotion. For several days each spring, the city would come
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The Spanish fleet was a symbol of power, wealth, and prestige. It was the foremost symbol of the greatest superpower the world had ever seen – the Spanish Empire. For centuries, the Spanish treasure fleet, with its flotas and galeones, transported European goods to its colonies and returned with vast quantities of gold and silver.
The Flotas and Galeones: Bringing the Riches of the New World to Spain Read More »
Within one of history’s darkest eras, a figure emerged whose name would become synonymous with cruelty, efficiency, and death: Vasily Blokhin, the chief executioner of the Soviet Union. Blokhin is widely acknowledged and infamous for the title of the most prolific executioner in recorded world history. And for good reason. Amidst the shadowy corridors of
Who Was Vasily Blokhin? The Prolific Soviet Executioner Read More »
During a time when slavery had been abolished in most of the world, human zoos remained a popular attraction for millions of Europeans and Americans. They flocked to exhibits showing groups of dark-skinned people from Africa, Asia, and North America surrounded by trappings that were supposed to represent their “natural environment.” Most of these cruel
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Long before the European Union, there was the Kalmar Union. It was a grand experiment in middle-age Scandinavian diplomacy. For over a century, three kingdoms – Denmark, Norway, and Sweden – were united under the same king, bound together by promises of peace and prosperity. It was an era of both great potential and great
The Kalmar Union: A Brief History of a United Scandinavia Read More »
