The past is full of events that gained their notoriety from the death and destruction they wrought, but few of those events took place over a single night. In the city of Kolkata, then called Calcutta, one night was all it took to make a grisly mark in history, all thanks to their dungeon–the Black […]
The Horror of the Black Hole of Calcutta Incident Read More »
The history of punk rock is rife with larger-than-life characters, some of them so iconic that they seem plucked out of a movie instead of reality. One of these figures is the infamous Sid Vicious, the bassist for the Sex Pistols. A pivotal figure in both punk rock and broader counterculture scenes, Sid Vicious made
The Short, Rebellious, Punk Rock Life of Sid Vicious Read More »
What makes someone beautiful? Some attributes, like bright eyes and a winning smile, will always be considered beautiful in a person, but there are dark marks in history where beauty was intimately linked to pain. One such practice, maybe the most painful of them all, was foot binding. Foot binding was a centuries-old Chinese tradition
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In 1920s Chicago, violence was everywhere. With prohibition in full swing, and bootleggers rising to meet the ever-increasing demand for alcohol, tensions across the city were high. Completing the recipe for violence was the organized crime syndicates that all but ran the city. Ranging from small-time bootlegging gangs to enormous crime empires like Al Capone’s
What Led to the Grisly St. Valentine’s Day Massacre? Read More »
The tragedy of Marilyn Monroe’s life was once hidden behind the glitz and glamor of her time in the spotlight. These days, we’ve learned to look a little deeper and see just how tragic and tumultuous her life was. Was this fate singular to Marilyn, or did it run in the family? Gladys Pearl Baker,
Gladys Pearl Baker: The Mother of Superstar, Marilyn Monroe Read More »
Before the murderous reign of Jack the Ripper, another Jack was terrorizing the citizens of London in the dark of night. Fortunately, this Jack wasn’t a killer, but there was still plenty about him to set everyone on edge. This monstrous stalker was known as Spring Heeled Jack. Leaping through the dark city streets and
Who Was the Stalker known as Spring-Heeled Jack? Read More »
There isn’t much that represents ancient Rome quite like the Colosseum. This iconic architectural marvel is instantly recognizable, even in its fractured present form. Images of gladiatorial battles come to mind when the Colosseum is mentioned. But it was also host to another strange sort of spectacle loved by the ancient Romans–naval battles. In a
Epic Naval Battles of the Colosseum in Ancient Rome Read More »
At the age of 18, Hildegard Trutz had everything going for her. She was young, smart and beautiful. More importantly, she was the right kind of beautiful for 1936 Germany. She was blond, with blue eyes and wide hips suited to giving birth. But before her 18th birthday, Hildegard had been making waves in her
Having Babies for Hitler: The Life of Hildegard Trutz Read More »
Urban legends can be born from anything–a story passed down from generation to generation, a misunderstood occurrence that gets distorted each time the tale is told. Or, more rarely, something real. The legend of the Green Man, or Charlie No Face, falls into the last category. He was a phantom that was supposed to haunt
Raymond Theodore Robinson: The Green Man of Pennsylvania Read More »
To salt the earth means to destroy it. Unlike other means of destruction like flood or fire, salting the earth is much more permanent. Fire can fertilize the land with ash, and floods can hydrate it. But with salt, there is no hope for regrowth. Ancient accounts explain that when the Romans conquered the city
The Downfall and the Salting of the Great City of Carthage Read More »
