The Wild History Of The Canadian Mounties
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are an iconic image of Canada, but what do the RCMP actually do? This is the wild history of the Canadian Mounties.
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The Surprising Origins Of Animals Talking On Christmas Eve
At Christmas we're inclined to stretch our suspension of disbelief beyond its normal limits.
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What It's Really Like To Celebrate Christmas At The White House
The tradition had very humble beginnings. Pre-20th century presidential administrations didn't officially observe Christmas. The president and his family traditionally decorated "modestly with greens and privately celebrated the Yuletide with family and friends."
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What It's Really Like To Celebrate Christmas When You're At War
Christmas is still celebrated by soldiers during times of war. That doesn't stop the conflict that's going on, and the stress of combat doesn't dissipate for the holidays. The celebrations that are typical to the military are nothing like they are stateside, but there's still some holiday cheer.
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The Secret Behind That Mysterious Monolith Might Have Been Revealed
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office shared a joke "Most Wanted" poster with nine alien faces and posted it to Facebook for a laugh, but it didn't seem like anyone had any idea who put the monolith there and no one reported any stolen property.
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The Lasting Legacy Of The Orient Express
The mystique of the Orient Express has been tantalizing travelers since 1883. Read on for an enjoyable trip along the history of this magnificent train.
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The American President Who Believed Mole People Lived In The Earth's Core
America's sixth president, John Quincy Adams, was known for his intellectual mind and passion for science and exploration. During his presidency, explorers were charting the western frontier like never before, and revolutionary scientific findings were being examined and documented.
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Operation CHAOS: The CIA Program That Spied On Americans
In the 1960s and 197s, the CIA conducted illegal intelligence operations, collecting information on over 300,000 Americas. Here is the story of Project CHAOS.
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The History Of Ice Skating
The earliest evidence of people skating on ice was 5,000 years ago. Archaeologists found evidence of ice skating around that time in areas surrounding Scandinavia and Russia. They believe the Finns made the earliest skates in order to move across frozen water and away from predators efficiently.
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This Is How Teens During The Renaissance Really Lived
Being a teenager is tough, from all the changes teens go through to the fact that adults have complained about them in every period of history. But at least the Renaissance era was an interesting time to annoy adults and become one yourself. This is how teens during the Renaissance really lived.
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The Crazy Real-Life Story Of The Man Who Created Santa Claus
It's no coincidence that Santa appeared to spread a little holiday cheer, thanks to artist Thomas Nast. Here's his fascinating and occasionally dark story.
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Nativity Scenes Are Older Than You Think
If you've ever seen a nativity scene outside of a church during Christmas service, then you no doubt know what it looks like, but nativity scenes are actually much older than you may think. The first-ever nativity scene was put together by St. Francis of Assisi in 1233.
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The Surprising Connection Between Oz And Santa
We all know that Santa Claus has supernatural abilities, and the origin of Santa Claus' powers are explained by the Wonderful Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum in his story The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. This is the surprising connection between Oz and Santa.
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What Really Happened With That Huge Earthquake In Armenia?
In the final month of 1988, Armenia was struck by an earthquake that absolutely devastated the northern region of the country and displaced thousands of people.
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Invasions That Went Horribly Wrong
Whether it be at the dawn of the Roman empire in the B.C. era or the heights of the Cold War a few generations back, powerful states have attempted and failed many times to conquer land. The reasons vary on why these invasions may have failed. Here is a list of invasions that went horribly wrong.
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The Tragic True Story Of How Philadelphia Bombed Its Residents In 1985
On the afternoon of May 13th, 1985, the city of Philadelphia did the unthinkable and dropped a bomb on one of its own residential neighborhoods.
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Strange Christmas Traditions That Were Considered Normal 100 Years Ago
While modern Christmas traditions are nearly universal thanks to pop culture, they used to be very different. If you look back at the 19th and early 20th centuries, you'll see unexpected holiday celebrations. Here are some strange Christmas traditions that were considered normal 100 years ago.
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The Crazy, Real-Life Story Of Simon Wiesenthal, Nazi Hunter
After Simon Wiesenthal was liberated, he brought escaped Nazis brought to justice. This is the crazy, real-life story of Simon Wiesenthal, Nazi hunter.
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The Real Reason Ancient People Didn't See The Color Blue
Blue is one of the most soothing colors. But, if you lived during ancient times, you might not have the chance even to choose that color.
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The Dark History Of How Nutmeg Became The Smell Of Christmas
The history of how nutmeg came to be a staple in our kitchens is not really in line with the whole "Peace on Earth, good will to men" business we like to tell ourselves. The notions of reunion, comfort, and human connection we now get from a hint of nutmeg actually came at a terrible human cost.
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This Is The Reason Former Presidents Can't Drive
All in all, being a president has to be rough, and some of the rules surrounding the job make it even more so. At least the silly rules end when a president's time in office is up, right? Actually, only some of them do.
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What Happened To Jefferson Davis, President Of The Confederacy?
The legacy of Jefferson Davis is tarnished by his tenure as president of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War and indictment for treason.
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The Legend Of The Yule Goat
The Yule Goat can fly, and it often carries Santa on his yearly journey to deliver his sack of goodies around the world.
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What Makes Greece's Second-Biggest City So Special
The city, founded in 315 BCE and named after Alexander the Great's half-sister Thessaloniki, was a major thoroughfare in the Macedonian Empire, and became a center of trade between east and west under the Byzantine Empire.
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The Truth About The Island Of The Dead Dolls
At this point, our popular consciousness dictates that dolls are nightmare fuel rather than quaint, collectible children's toys from a pre-digital era.
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The Gruesome Story Of The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
The St. Valentine's Day Massacre remains an unsolved gang hit. While most fingers pointed to Al Capone, that's not the entirety of the story.
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What Do Reindeer Have To Do With Christmas?
Santa could just as easily have used horses or some other speedy creature, but reindeer have become an important part of the jolly saint's modern-day image.
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