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…
Author: Radu Alexander
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…
Whenever Hollywood is feeling a dearth of creativity, all it has to do is look at history for inspiration. There are so many crazy, weird, and mysterious tales waiting to be told. The following stories would do well on the silver screen. 8. The Life & Times of Timothy Dexter Everybody loves a good rags-to-riches…
Today we take a look at some notable and some slightly odd female firsts that went under the radar of history. Some were daring pioneers prepared to sacrifice everything in order to break down barriers and set new records. Others had more practical, even dubious reasons for their actions. And some were simply in the…
The second half of the 19th century was a prosperous period for American paleontology. States like Wyoming and Colorado turned out to be full of rich bone beds containing never-before-seen fossils. Those who would find them assured their places in the annals of history. With such high stakes, it is understandable that there would be…
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…
History is full of interesting animals that are barely remembered today. From wartime wildlife to fraudulent fauna and showbiz stars, these are their stories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDIlJGirkrw This is an encore of one of our previous lists, as presented by our YouTube host Simon Whistler. Read the full list!
The American Mafia: it might not be the first, it might not be the biggest, but it’s the thing that most people think of when they hear the word “mob.” It earned its renown thanks to decades of dominance of New York City’s criminal underworld, at times holding power over other major cities such as…
Initially known as the Bureau of Investigation (BOI), the FBI came into being in 1908. Since then, it has handled a wide variety of cases as it claims jurisdiction over 200 categories of federal crimes. With such a broad scope, it’s no wonder that the FBI had to deal with more than its fair share…
There are countless people who simply vanished from the pages of history. Some disappearances, like that of Amelia Earhart or D.B. Cooper, are still entrenched within the public mind, but others have slowly begun to fade away. 10. Everett Ruess https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq4vk216b9Q Everett Ruess was an early 20th century artist and diarist who primarily found success…
America has plenty of skeletons in its closet. Some of them like MKULTRA or the Salem witch trials are well-known. This is a look at the violent events that almost faded into obscurity. 10. The Dorr Rebellion, 1842 The Dorr Rebellion represents a strange part of Rhode Island’s history. It was an uprising that first…
Today we take a look at some notable and some slightly odd female firsts that went under the radar of history. Some were daring pioneers prepared to sacrifice everything in order to break down barriers and set new records. Others had more practical, even dubious reasons for their actions. And some were simply in the…
History is full of interesting animals that are barely remembered today. From wartime wildlife to fraudulent fauna and showbiz stars, these are their stories. 10. Mocha Dick, the Giant Whale Readers of classic American literature will undoubtedly be familiar with Moby Dick, the giant white whale from Herman Melville’s eponymous 1851 novel. They probably won’t…
Started by Allan Pinkerton in 1850, the Pinkerton Detective Agency grew so large that it became, at one point in history, the biggest private law enforcement organization in the world. It gained notoriety for being a muscle-for-hire service to industrialists who wanted to deal with pesky strikers and unionists. However, it also handled some thrilling…
They say that truth is stranger than fiction. While storybook detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and Sam Spade are well-known to the public, few of their real-life counterparts enjoy such fame. That’s a shame since there are plenty of singular sleuths with fascinating careers worthy of mention. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfIKijbkRQs This is an encore presentation of…
Conspiracy theories are very popular today, but they are not a new phenomenon. There have been plenty of significant moments in history that have spawned alternate versions of events that range from plausible, to wacky, to downright insane. 10. Jesse James Rides Again The history books will tell you that famed Wild West outlaw Jesse…
Eccentricity is one of the great British pastimes. History is full of figures who displayed peculiar quirks or held strange beliefs, but these people managed to take it to new heights. 10. Henry Paget Henry Paget did not look like your typical English Lord. Londoners of the late 19th century could have seen him parade…
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is one of the most famous addresses in the world, as it designates the location of the White House. Less well-known is 1651 Pennsylvania Avenue. It is the site of Blair House, the place where foreign dignitaries stay when visiting the President of the United States. Quite a few memorable scenes have…