HISTORY

Russian Tsar Vows “We Shall Do Everything” for Serbia

A Deaf Football Team Invented the Huddle—Then Stopped Using It

In the 1890s, Paul D. Hubbard—the Deaf quarterback for Gallaudet University's football team—had his offense form a tight circle so that they could discuss plays without the other team seeing what they were signing

The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits

It was September 27, 1726, and Mary Toft was going into labor. The 24-year-old peasant, who worked in hop fields of rural England, called out for her neighbor, Mary Gill. Gill rushed inside Mary’s house and found her squirming in pain. Then something unus

The Balkan Chess Game

Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller had a turbulent marriage.

10 Tempestuous Writerly Romances

For famous writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, turbulent real-life relationships rivaled the dramas that played out on the page.

The Woman Buried in a New Jersey Parking Lot

When Mary Ellis died in 1828, her family buried her in a peaceful patch of woods near a bend in the Raritan River. She’s still there, but the trees are long gone—her body now rests in the middle of a movieplex parking lot.

What Are the Seven Seas?

The term is mainly used figuratively today, but in the past it depended on whom you asked as different cultures gave different answers.

10 of Shakespeare's Best Dirty Jokes

Many of Shakespeare’s iconic plays feature risqué humor, with crude jokes hidden throughout his works.

The Time Winston Churchill Went Skinny-Dipping With a Shark

Winston Churchill in the nude: not a pleasant image.

5 Writers Who Took Romantic Revenge in Print

Rather than forgive and forget, these wordsmiths used their poison pens to deliver a healthy dose of literary revenge.

11 Inscriptions on Buildings That Tell It Like It Is

Most inscriptions favor fancy Latin proverbs and religious scripture, but sometimes people get creative.

Russian Black Sea fleet, Wikimedia Commons

Russians Weigh War Against Turkey

Where Does the Term "Honeymoon" Come From?

From reality TV shows to The Beach Boys’ croons of Aruba and Jamaica, references to honeymoons are everywhere. But where did the term "honeymoon" first come from?

11 Desserts That Changed the World

11 Delightful 19th-Century Australian Slang Terms

You won't find crikey in this book, but there are plenty other weird and wonderful terms work incorporating into everyday conversation.

11 Outrageous Moments in Niagara Falls Barrel-Riding

For decades, thrill-seekers have fought the odds and common sense by going over the world’s most famous waterfalls in rickety containers—a trip that has claimed several lives.

The Early Lives and Times of 7 Oil Barons

Want to become fabulously wealthy overnight and open the door to starting your own eccentric dynasty? We suggest striking oil.

13 Ailments 19th-Century Doctors Said Electrostatic Could Cure

Static electricity was the name of the game in the 19th century, and it was a hot subject for almost 100 years.

The Bogus Bard: 5 Stories About Shakespeare We Wish Were True

Shakespeare’s life is as full of fiction as his plays are.

What to Expect When You're Expecting (100 Years Ago)

Whatever you do, don't feed your voracious appetite.

The Weird History of Pogs

While new playthings flooded the marketplace in the late '80s and early '90s, there was one decidedly lo-fi toy that every youngster wanted—without realizing that they weren’t the first cool kids to demand brightly-colored milk bottle caps for their amuse

3 Conflicts Sparked by Food

Food fights: They're not just for the middle school cafeteria!

Why Do We Blow Out Candles on Birthday Cakes?

Birthday cakes have been a tradition since the Ancient Romans were around, and celebrating someone’s birth with a delicious pastry seems pretty logical. But have you ever wondered who the first pyromaniac was to light a cake on fire?

After Pearl Harbor, the Rose Bowl Relocated to North Carolina

In 1942, the Rose Bowl game between Oregon State and Duke was transferred from California to North Carolina in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Here’s a brief look back at one of the greatest upsets in Rose Bowl history.

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