Colin Scanlon

Joined: Jan 6, 2025

Colin is a Pittsburgh-based writer whose work explores culture, media, and the strange side of history. His writing has appeared in publications such as Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, and Cosmopolitan, among others. He can usually be found reading, researching, or wandering around Pittsburgh's parks with a coffee in tow.

A golden Oscars statue stands against a red curtain

From Will Smith and Chris Rock's clash to Sacheen Littlefeather's refusal, the Academy Awards biggest night has always been punctuated by scandal.

Once designed to teach, preach, or persuade, these familiar board games now mask the strange historical forces that informed their conception.

Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan during a practice session for the 1994 Winter Olympics

Where there’s competition, there’s sure to be controversy. Here are six scandals throughout Winter Olympics history.

These cold seasons pushed cities and civilizations alike to the brink.

Equal parts strange and terrifying: these are some of the many monsters that have haunted Greek mythology since antiquity.

While you might not know their names, you certainly know their influence. Read our list of female revolutionaries, including Charlotte Corday, Kathleen Neal Cleaver, and more.

If you’ve ever wondered how far someone can get on confidence alone, these impersonators offer some unsettling answers.

From coded confessions to bone-chilling firsthand accounts of battle, these diarists used private confession to illuminate history for generations to come.

From falsified memoirs to forged manuscripts, these literary hoaxes prove once again that reality can often be stranger than fiction.

What a director chooses to cut can often be just as impactful as what they choose to keep.

Edvard Munch's ‘The Scream’ on display for auction

Sometimes art inspires awe—other times it inspires brazen break-ins. Here are seven of the biggest art heists in history.

Kids these days would be horrified by past parenting standards.

From opium-laced syrups to “just ignore the baby,” history is packed with child-rearing advice and habits best left in the past.

Colin Scanlon

Joined: Jan 6, 2025

6 Short-lived TV Shows That Later Became Cult Classics

Every Time a U.S. Presidential Candidate Won the Popular Vote but Lost the Election

7 Forgotten Maritime Disasters Worse Than the Titanic

6 Movies That Were Booed at Cannes But Are Now Considered Masterpieces

6 of the Biggest Controversies in Oscars History

7 Board Games With Surprising Origins

6 Scandals That Rocked the Winter Olympics

5 of the Most Brutal Winters in History

6 of the Strangest Creatures in Greek Mythology

6 Female Revolutionaries You Probably Didn’t Hear About in History Class

7 Famous Imposters Throughout History

8 Famous Diaries That Changed How We See History

7 of the Biggest Literary Hoaxes in History

7 Deleted Scenes That Would’ve Totally Changed Classic Films

7 of the Biggest Art Heists in History

7 of the Worst Parenting Tips And Practices Throughout History