The Renaissance was a period of major intellectual, artistic, and cultural innovations from about 1350 AD to 1630 AD. The word “renaissance” is French for “rebirth,” but it would probably be more appropriate to use the Italian “Renascimento” since it was on the Italian peninsula that these transformations really first took root. You’ve no doubt […]
Why Did the Renaissance Begin in Italy? Read More »
The summer of 1916 was a time when Americans were concerned with politics and war. The Great War was raging in Europe. Pancho Villa led the Mexican revolution in New Mexico, and U.S. Marines invaded the Dominican Republic. So, as July 1916 began, people were looking forward to a relaxing summer that would give them
The Matawan Man-eater: The real-life inspiration for Jaws Read More »
In 1945, World War II was still raging in the Pacific. Though Germany surrendered to the Allies on May 8 and the Italians on April 29, Japan still fought in the Pacific Theater. It was a brutal effort that tested the mettle of ordinary soldiers. The Americans wanted a quick end to the war, and
The Tragedy of the USS Indianapolis: The Worst Shark Attack in History Read More »
When travelers started disappearing near Osage Township, close to the southeastern corner of Kansas, no one took much notice at first. It was the 1870s, and the frontier could still be a wild, hostile place. Near the border with the Indian Territory (which became the state of Oklahoma in 1907), criminals roamed beyond the reach
The Shocking Story of the Bloody Benders Read More »
Inside the Third Reich’s concentration camps were scores of evil guards capable of committing horrible and sadistic acts. When the Allies tried the perpetrators of the Holocaust after the end of the war, the public was surprised by the beastly behavior of female guards like Irma Grese and Elisabeth Volkenrath, who often committed worse acts
Jenny Barkmann: The “Beautiful Spectre” of Stutthof Read More »
According to Ancient Greek mythology, Hermes was known for his cunning and mischievous nature. On the day he was born, it was said that Hermes invented the lyre, stole 50 head of cattle from his brother Apollo, and then hid the cattle in a cave so well that even Apollo couldn’t find them. When Apollo
What was Caduceus, the staff of Hermes? Read More »
As famous as Edgar Allan Poe is, the mysterious circumstances surrounding his passing have never been solved. As for Poe’s young wife, Virginia, there is no doubt about how she passed. What’s less well known is what her tragically short life was really like. Virginia married Edgar Allan Poe, her first cousin when she was
Who Was Virginia Clemm, the Wife of Edgar Allan Poe? Read More »
In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the bloody trauma of World War I was still lingering in Europe’s collective memory. It should be no surprise, then, that many countries wanted nothing to do with another conflict. Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Netherlands declared their neutrality to keep the war
Was Sweden Actually Neutral in WW2? Read More »
Hara-kiri translates to “belly cutting” or “stomach cutting.” As the name implies, it involves slicing your stomach with a knife. It’s a horrific, agonizing way to go. So why would anybody willingly do it to themselves? The answer concerns the strict samurai code of conduct, which placed honor above all else. For a samurai, death
The Brutal History of Seppuku and Hara-kiri Read More »
Over 55,000 prisoners of the Buchenwald Concentration Camp never made it out alive. Buchenwald was one of the Third Reich’s largest camps, with over 280,000 prisoners serving time there. Death lurked around every corner, and many killings were never recorded in the camp’s books. Walter Gerhard Mart Sommer, who earned the title “The Hangman of
Martin Sommer: The guard too cruel for even the Nazis Read More »
