For seven centuries, samurai represented the fearsome military branch of the Japanese aristocracy. Trained and taught from a young age, they became formidable warriors in service of their lord or daimyo. They were some of the best swordsmen that the world had ever seen and were renowned for the code of honor that they adhered to… for the most…
Author: Radu Alexander
Headlines have been full of political sex scandals in recent years, but this is not a new trend. In fact, the worlds of politics and sex have often intertwined with controversial results, ever since ancient times. Today we take a look at eight political stories full of intrigue, action, scandal, murder, and even the occassional…
Today we take a look at a few bloody chapters from the history of crime. In one way or another, all of these cases shocked, repulsed, and thrilled the public in their day, but they all had one thing in common – none of these murders were ever officially solved. 8. The Hinterkaifeck Murders In…
For most of us, the idea of pretending to be someone else day in and day out sounds exhausting, if not impossible. Not for everyone, though. Some people slip into a new identity as easily as you slip into a new pair of shoes. In fact, history is full of impostors who donned new guises…
In the past, we’ve looked back at some mysteries from the United States that still puzzle historians, scholars, and crime buffs. Today, we are traveling north of the border to explore similar conundrums from the history of Canada. 10. The Death of Canada’s Strongest Man https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVJrtE7wpLs During the 1980s, Adolfo Bresciano entertained audiences as a…
Last year, we dug up some of the forgotten skeletons buried deep in America’s closet by examining 10 ghastly moments that won’t often make it in the history books. But the United States is hardly the only place with a few dark secrets so, today, we take that spotlight and shine it on Great Britain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9pQTF4qHXo This is an encore…
In the past, we examined some of the strangest ways in which people had met their ends. Truth is that we’ve barely scratched the surface on this topic. History is still full of extraordinary expirations and peculiar passings and today we are going to look at ten more of these unusual cases. 10. The Sweet…
Given how many humans have existed in the world and how many events and incidents, both big and small, happen every day, history is littered with examples of strange coincidences. But the ones we will be looking at today are so unusual that they strain credulity and, should they have come from the pages of…
We discover new things about the ancient world every day and yet, many of these antediluvian civilizations remain a mystery to us. Oftentimes, studying these cultures is like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle with half the pieces missing. We try to make the image as clear as possible by adding a new piece…
Leaving your life behind and vanishing is surprisingly difficult to do. It is even harder when you are a criminal and you have a lot of people actively looking for you. And yet, it is not unheard of. D.B. Cooper is probably the most famous example of a criminal who disappeared without a trace. Lord…
As we’ve established before, our past is full of grim, brutal, and revolting moments and it is up to archaeologists to bring that darker side of history to life. Today we will be taking a look at another ten such archaeological discoveries that shocked, disgusted and horrified. 10. The Severed Hands of Avaris A few…
For seven centuries, samurai represented the fearsome military branch of the Japanese aristocracy. Trained and taught from a young age, they became formidable warriors in service of their lord or daimyo. They were some of the best swordsmen that the world had ever seen and were renowned for the code of honor that they adhered…
Humans are rational creatures… for the most part. There have been plenty of times when common sense went out the window and large groups of people fell prey to panic, paranoia, and mass delusion. A famous example is the Salem witch trials when an entire town became convinced that witches had infiltrated their community. Consequently,…
Headlines have been full of political sex scandals in recent years, but this is not a new trend. In fact, the worlds of politics and sex have often intertwined with controversial results, ever since ancient times. Today we take a look at eight political stories full of intrigue, action, scandal, murder, and even the occassional…
For most of us, the idea of pretending to be someone else day in and day out sounds exhausting, if not impossible. Not for everyone, though. Some people slip into a new identity as easily as you slip into a new pair of shoes. In fact, history is full of impostors who donned new guises…
From what we know of history, most of it was not particularly pleasant or peaceful. Nevertheless, it is an archaeologist’s job to dig up our past – both figuratively and literally – regardless of how uncomfortable or even downright abominable it turns out to be. These next entries highlight just how gruesome some archaeological findings…
Many strange things have occurred in the United States. From mystifying murders to hair-raising hauntings and vexing vanishings, there is no shortage of the bizarre and the unexplained. A lot of these stories have begun fading away from memory. It’s understandable in some ways. They happened a long time ago and they seem to be…
Last year, we dug up some of the forgotten skeletons buried deep in America’s closet by examining 10 ghastly moments that won’t often make it in the history books. But the United States is hardly the only place with a few dark secrets so, today, we take that spotlight and shine it on Great Britain.…
Leaving your life behind and vanishing is surprisingly difficult to do. It is even harder when you are a criminal and you have a lot of people actively looking for you. And yet, it is not unheard of. D.B. Cooper is probably the most famous example of a criminal who disappeared without a trace. Lord…
Humans are rational creatures… for the most part. There have been plenty of times when common sense went out the window and large groups of people fell prey to panic, paranoia, and mass delusion. A famous example is the Salem witch trials when an entire town became convinced that witches had infiltrated their community. Consequently,…
The Darwin Awards look at unique and dumbfounding ways that people manage to “take themselves out of the gene pool.” However, bizarre deaths are by no means a new phenomenon. History is full of eccentric ends and dubious demises and today we are going to take a look at some of the strangest. 8. The…
Gladiators entertained the Roman crowds 2,000 years ago and they entertain us today in movies and TV shows. They are some of the most famous fighters of ancient times, but we know shockingly little about them. There are very few detailed descriptions of an actual fight and the ones we do have come to us…
Innovation breeds controversy. Whenever something new is discovered or invented, there is the matter concerning who gets credit for it or, more importantly, who gets to profit from it. After all, when it comes to many such novelties, having your name attached to it can secure your spot in the history books or provide you…
From what we know of history, most of it was not particularly pleasant or peaceful. Nevertheless, it is an archaeologist’s job to dig up our past – both figuratively and literally – regardless of how uncomfortable or even downright abominable it turns out to be. These next entries highlight just how gruesome some archaeological findings…