Keith Johnston

Joined: Oct 21, 2020

Keith Johnston is a historian specializing in the 18th century. His research has appeared in both academic and general interest publications, and was once the subject of chatter on Slate’s Political Gabfest.

11 Facts About 'Titanic' Survivor J. Bruce Ismay

Cooking kids was not a tradition (but sending strange cards was).

11 Unusual Victorian New Year's Traditions

People have spent a long time coming up with interesting ways to beat the heat.

9 Creative Ways People Kept Cool Before Air Conditioning

11 Québec Slang Terms You Should Know

There's an adorable term for all those teeth hockey players lose.

16 Hockey Slang Terms You Should Know

You might be spitting chiclets if you do too much chirping. That sentence will make a whole lot more sense after you learn about hockey slang.

Nolan Ryan was famous for his high cheese that often turned into some uncomfortable chin music for batters.

17 Baseball Slang Terms You Should Know

How’s your hose? If the question is confusing—or sounds like someone is trying to sell you gardening equipment—you might not be up on your baseball slang. “Ever

Frosty the Snowman knows the words for winter from many languages.

14 Words for Winter From Around the World

Take a moment to enjoy the advent of the colder months by curling up with these 14 words for winter from around the world.

Snap-dragon was just one unusual Victorian Christmas tradition.

11 Odd Victorian Christmas Traditions

Many Victorian Christmas traditions inspired our holiday rituals today. But some odd ones, like playing snap-dragon and other dangerous parlor games, are no longer common.

New York City's Short Tail Gang, photographed in 1887. The gang supposedly got its name from the short-tailed coats its members wore.

The Origins of 11 Historical Gang Names

If you’re a fan of the TV show 'Peaky Blinders,' you already know that historical gangs could get very creative with their names. Here’s how 11 other creatively-named gangs came up with their monikers.

In the 1960s, Fidel Castro's beard became the target of a CIA plot.

11 of the Strangest Plots Hatched by the CIA

Over the years, your tax dollars have gone toward Osama bin Laden action figures, reconnaissance pigeons, psychedelic drugs, and some homemade porn.

One of the diets involved a lot of molasses.

11 of the Worst Pieces of Diet Advice From History

History has seen an assortment of colorful kooks, quacks, and snake oil salesmen who tried to convince the public they could smoke, chew, or drug themselves to a thinner physique.

Ajwad Creative (SPEECH BUBBLE); Crisfotolux (statue) // iStock via Getty Images Plus

20 Latin Insults You Should Know

Despite its reputation as a learned language of science, religion, and philosophy, ancient Latin was in fact a rough-and-ready language full of strikingly frank insults designed to cut to the bone.

Impress your friends with these Victorian puns.

30 Delightful Puns From the Victorian Era

Here are 30 hilarious—or hilariously bad—Victorian era conundrum puns that might make you the best-guessed guest at your next bash.

Runners Kenzo Yashima, Yahei Miura, Shizo Kanakuri, and Zensaku Motegi.

Shizo Kanakuri, the Japanese Olympian Who "Vanished" Midrace and Crossed the Finish Line 54 Years Later

After Shizo Kanakuri pulled out of a race during the 1912 Olympics, he unintentionally became mythologized as the “Japanese who vanished.”

Let's hope these two lovebirds didn't follow any of the dubious sex advice making the rounds during the Victorian era.

11 Odd Bits of Victorian Sex Advice

Victorians had many manuals and advice books that discuss sex with surprising frankness. Here are 11 bits of Victorian sex wisdom—good, bad, and otherwise—published between 1837 and 1901.

"The best movies begin with an / encounter and end with someone setting someone free."

11 Poems Inspired By Movies

Poems have helped to create some of the most poignant scenes in movies—think of W.H. Auden’s "Funeral Blues" in 'Four Weddings and a Funeral,' or Elizabeth Bishop’s "One Art" in 'In Her Shoes.' Movies, in turn, have inspired some spectacular poems.