Thomas Midgley Jr., the Most Harmful Inventor in History
This post was originally published on this siteThomas Midgley Jr., born in 1889 in Dayton, Ohio, was an inventive American chemical engineer whose work profoundly […]
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Sharing a Cigarette During the Tour de France, ca. 1927
This post was originally published on this siteDuring the Tour de France in 1927, a captivating moment was captured as two cyclists shared a cigarette […]
In 1963, Heinz Meixner Orchestrated a Daring Escape From East Berlin to Smuggle His Fiancée and Her Mother
This post was originally published on this siteBerlin Wall was erected in 1961 to divide east and west Berlin and, more precisely, to prevent people […]
The “Death Diary” of Renowned Herpetologist Karl P. Schmidt in 1957
This post was originally published on this siteIn 1957, renowned herpetologist Karl P. Schmidt documented his own death in a meticulous scientific account that newspapers […]
The Incredible Story of 11-Year-Old Terry Jo Duperrault, the Sole Survivor of a Massacre at Sea in November 1961
This post was originally published on this siteIn November 1961, 11-year-old Terry Jo Duperrault became the sole survivor of a mass murder aboard the yacht […]
In 1955, Two Traders Cornered Nearly All Onion Supplies in Chicago and Pocketed Roughly $100 Million
This post was originally published on this siteIn 1955, two men, Vincent Kosuga (an onion farmer) and Sam Siegel (a businessman), executed a massive cornering […]
McArthur Wheeler, the Man Who Robbed a Bank Thinking Lemon Juice Made Him Invisible in 1995
This post was originally published on this siteIn 1995, 44-year-old McArthur Wheeler became the unintentional face of a major psychological breakthrough after attempting one of […]
Daguerreotype Portrait of “Mona Lisa of the Deep” Found in the Wreck of a Ship That Sank in 1857
This post was originally published on this siteIn 2014, an extraordinary discovery emerged from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean: a hauntingly well-preserved daguerreotype of […]
The Dangers of the Baby Feeding Bottles in the Victorian Era
This post was originally published on this sitePatented around 1879–1880, these glass or earthenware “banjo” shaped bottles allowed babies to self-feed. Many had sweet sounding […]
In the 1950s, Hospital Patients Can Buy Cigarettes Right From Their Beds
This post was originally published on this siteIn the 1950s, selling cigarettes in hospitals was a routine, accepted practice, with staff often wheeling carts directly […]
Shi Pei Pu, a Chinese Spy and Opera Singer Who Persuaded His French Lover He Was a Woman
This post was originally published on this siteShi Pei Pu (1938–2009) was a Chinese opera singer from Beijing who became the center of one of […]
In 1968, the Pilot of a Japan Airlines Flight Accidentally Landed the Plane in the Ocean Just Over 2 Miles Short of the Runway
This post was originally published on this siteOn November 22, 1968, Japan Air Lines (JAL) Flight 2, a Douglas DC-8-62 named Shiga, made an accidental […]
The Cardiff Giant, One of the Most Famous Archaeological Hoaxes in American History
This post was originally published on this siteThe Cardiff Giant was a 10-foot-tall (3.0 m) gypsum statue that became one of the most famous archaeological […]
The Lost Photographs From Andrée’s Arctic’s Audacious Balloon Expedition of 1897
This post was originally published on this siteIn 1897, Swedish engineer S. A. Andrée led a high-stakes, patriotic attempt to reach the North Pole using […]
James Hunt Punching a Track Marshall During the 1977 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park
This post was originally published on this siteDuring the 1977 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park, James Hunt punched track marshal Ernie Strong in a […]
A Brand New 1982 Renault 5 TL Has Been Found in a Barm With 12 km (7.45 miles)
This post was originally published on this siteArmed with all her savings, Mrs. M ordered a new Renault 5 in October 1982 from the Sodirac […]
In 1964, Bob Uecker and Bob Gibson Are Both Fined by the Cardinals for Holding Hands for the Team Picture
This post was originally published on this siteBob Gibson and Bob Uecker holding hands in the 1964 St. Louis Cardinals team photo. The prank initiated […]
The Severed and Preserved Head of Peter Kürten, Germany’s Notorious “Vampire of Düsseldorf”
This post was originally published on this siteThe severed and preserved head of Peter Kürten, Germany’s notorious “Vampire of Düsseldorf,” remains one of the most […]
Paul Karason, a Man Made Famous After His Skin Turned Permanently Blue in the 1990s
This post was originally published on this sitePaul Karason, famously known as the “Blue Man” or “Papa Smurf,” began his transformation in the early to […]
A City of 2026 Imagined in the Sci-Fi Classic “Metropolis” (1927), Directed by Fritz Lang
This post was originally published on this siteIn Fritz Lang’s 1927 masterpiece Metropolis, the year 2026 was not just a random date, but a symbolic […]
Angus Barbieri, the Man Who Fasted for 382 Days and Lost 276 Pounds (125 Kg) in the 1960s
This post was originally published on this siteAngus Barbieri was a Scottish man who fasted for 382 days, from June 14, 1965 to June 30, […]
Double Trouble: The Strange Mugshots of Harris Lyons, 1893
This post was originally published on this siteThe photos of Harris Lyons were taken by the police in Newark, New Jersey. They are carte de […]
Donn Fendler, 12-Year-Old Boy Scout Lost on Maine Mountain for 9 Days Survives in 1939
This post was originally published on this siteIn July 1939, 12-year-old Donn Fendler of Rye, New York, became the subject of a massive national search […]
The Infamous Exploding Whale Incident in Florence, Oregon in November 1970
This post was originally published on this siteOn November 9, 1970, a 45-foot, 8-ton sperm whale washed ashore near Florence, Oregon. Because Oregon’s beaches were […]
45 Incredible Photographs From the Big Freeze of 1963
This post was originally published on this siteThe winter of 1962–1963, known as the Big Freeze of 1963, was one of the coldest winters (defined […]