HISTORY

The True Story Behind Ben Franklin's Lightning Experiment

15 Women of Cinema History You Should Know

These women were pioneers who shaped cinema into what it is today.

10 Famous People Who Fought In Duels and Lived to Tell the Tale

While a fight to the death may sound romantic, it's not often what happened.

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The Time Bruce Lee Was Challenged to a Real Fight

Bruce Lee once boasted that he was the best fighter in San Francisco. Then he was asked to prove it.

The Story Behind That Nixon-RoboCop Photo

I know I’m not the only one mesmerized by this phenomenally random photo of the retired 37th President of the United States palling around with The Future Of Law Enforcement.

11 of the FBI’s Most Amusing Bank Robber Nicknames

The nicknames are supposed to be a tool for helping catch crooks, but it seems as if they’re really cooked up to keep special agents amused.

8 Calculator Watch Facts to Nerd Out Over

Once upon a time, a calculator watch cost more a year at Harvard.

Missing Stradivarius Recovered After 35 Years

Roman Totenberg told his daughters that the loss of the beloved instrument was like losing an arm.

Charles Cramer and his wife in 1911 via Mysterious Chicago

In 1912, Chicago Had a One-Legged Murderous Clown

He escaped from prison, and was never caught.

That Time Sigmund Freud Analyzed Charlie Chaplin

For the record, Freud didn't think it was much of a challenge.

Pilates: The Fitness Trend Started in an Internment Camp

You couldn’t be blamed for hearing the word “Pilates” and thinking about super-fit starlets and medieval-looking machines like the Reformer. But the popular fitness system didn’t begin in a boardroom or a gym. In fact, Pilates has its roots in a World War

The Marine Major Who Kept a Sweet Childhood Secret—He Was the Voice of Bambi

A decorated Marine

A Brief, Sticky History of Tarring and Feathering

In 2015, we often use the term “tarred and feathered” to describe crowd-sourced vendettas against strangers (like ganging up on someone through social media) or retaliation from one’s peers. What your typical angry mob might not know is that tarring and f

15 Explosive Facts About Farts

Do you smell something?

The Crew of the Enola Gay on Dropping the Atomic Bomb

In their own words.

Meet the Man Struck By Lightning 7 Times

To put it in perspective, the odds of getting struck by lightning seven times are 4.15 in 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

Why the Fugate Family Has Blue Skin

Their complexions became something of a scarlet letter—or an indigo letter, as it were.

How to hang a roll of toilet paper is a surprisingly controversial subject.

The Proper Way to Hang a Roll of Toilet Paper

A 132-year-old patent solves a persistent bathroom debate.

Natural History Museum Dioramas Are Disappearing

The meticulous art of recreating wildlife habitats in a museum setting is one the public isn't 19so keen on anymore.

The Crystal Palace: Victorian England’s Version of a Pandora’s Box

Jean-Louis André Théodore Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa

15 Things You Should Know About The Raft of the Medusa

A wrenching scene of shipwrecked men helpless in the grips of the ocean, Théodore Géricault's 'The Raft of the Medusa' is heralded as one of the most influential works of French Romanticism. But the story behind this 1819 painting is far richer and more t

8 Curious Civil War-Era Recipes We Still Eat Today

Think of it as some of the original farm-to-table cuisine.

Celebrating a 390-Year-Old Bonsai Tree That Survived the Hiroshima Bombing

39 years after its arrival at the facility, and on the 70th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, the tree is being honored.

How Uneducated Butchers and Barbers Became Today’s Skilled Surgeons

Before anesthesia, surgery wasn't considered the work of a licensed medical professional.

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