The Messed Up Truth Of SARS In Nigeria
The End SARS movement is a social justice campaign in Nigeria that is demanding the disbandment of the country's Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS.
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Messed Up Reasons These Books Were Banned
Some of the greatest works of literature that we appreciate today have been banned for messed up reasons, like the author's lifestyle, and fear of communism.
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Why Brazil Sends People To The Deadly Snake Island
According to Smithsonian magazine, some 2,000-4,000 golden lancehead vipers live on the island officially known as Ilha da Queimada Grande (which translates literally to Big Burned Island, though its colloquial name obviously suits it better).
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How Horses Led To The Invention Of Pants
At what point in history did we as a people decide, yes, pants they are important? That was right around the time we decided walking was for losers and started riding horses. Yep, horses are the reason for all this pants nonsense.
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Why The Gulf Of Tonkin Incident Didn't Happen
Despite no clarifying information regarding the second attack, President Lyndon Johnson had decided that he would take firm action against the Vietnamese.
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Chilling Ways The Sinking Of The Titanic Was Foreshadowed
As the Titanic sank over 1,500 of its 2,240 passengers died. Who could have predicted such a random, terrible incident? As it turns out, lots of people.
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The True History Of The Pencil
The history of the pencil is inextricably linked with the entire history of human communication as it flowed from oral traditions to written communication, and the development of written languages, where tiny scrawled symbols denoted sounds made by the human mouth, tongue, and throat.
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The Reason Christopher Columbus Didn't Actually Discover America
Not only did Columbus not discover America -- there were already Native Americans who had been living there for thousands of years -- he literally never set foot in what became the continental United States.
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Who Really Wrote 'The Night Before Christmas'?
Traditionally, it's been attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, a theologian and professor of Middle East and Greek literature. For some years now, academics and descendants of the poet Henry Livingston, Jr., have claimed he should have bragging rights for creating it.
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The Truth About The Man Who Invented The Ballpoint Pen
If you're a writer, it's something you expect to have on you at all times. The ballpoint pen, your trusted companion throughout school and the days when checks were still being used, has only been around since the 1930s. And we have one man to thank: Lászó Biró.
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What Became Of Alamo Survivor Susanna Dickinson?
Remember the Alamo? The battle famously left very few survivors after Mexican troops advanced into the garrison. Among those few survivors were Susanna Dickinson and her daughter, Angelina. Dickinson and other survivors corroborated much of what we know about the siege and final assault.
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Comanche: The Most Powerful Native American Tribe In History
The Comanche nation was once the most powerful in America—and one of the most effective fighting forces in history, hands down.
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Did Ben Franklin Really Invent A Stove?
Also known as the "Pennsylvanian Fireplace," Franklin wrote in his autobiography that he invented the stove in 1742, but according to Founders Online, it was more likely during the winter of 1739-1740. The stove was a metal-lined fireplace that stood away from a building's chimney.
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How Ancient Is The Safety Pin?
The very first pins for clothing showed up around the 14th century BCE. It was called a fibula (plural: fibulae) and was mostly used by the Mycenaeans. The Fashion Institute of Technology explained fibulae functioned like a clasp to fasten garments.
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The Inventor Of The Bowie Knife Isn't Who You Think
Common characteristics include a coffin-shaped handle, a heavy cross guard -- the piece of metal found at a right angle to the blade above the handle -- and a "sweeping clip blade" with a "partially sharp top edge." The blade itself might measure anywhere from 9-12 inches in length.
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The Unfriendliest State In The United States Has Been Revealed
here's a state that's considered the least friendly, and it's not New York or New Jersey. Nowhere near the Tri-State area.
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The Origins Of The Humble Paperclip Will Surprise You
It's a small, ubiquitous little tool, so common and unassuming that it's easy to take it for granted. But for all its many uses, the paperclip is actually a relatively recent invention. The humble item now litters almost every office desk drawer in America.
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Inside Missouri's Indian Cobra Scare Of 1953
Indian cobras are "large highly venomous snakes," one of the "'big four' species that inflict the most snakebites on humans in India." Native to southeast Asia, they are "can be found throughout India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and southern Nepal," often near water. But Missouri? Not so much.
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Why People Are Freaking Out About Animals Evolving Into Crabs
The hot evolutionary question at the moment is, "why do so many creatures evolve into crabs?" It's a query that suggests many more questions: What do you mean, so many creatures? Do different animals evolve into the same thing? Could it happen again? What is so special about crabs?
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The Crazy Real-Life Story Of The Satanic Panic
The crazy real-life story of Satanic Panic includes quack doctors and criminal investigations.
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This Is How An Advertisement Actually Predicted Pearl Harbor
In 1941, about two weeks prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, an advertisement in The New Yorker seemed to predict the attack.
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Here's How Wallabies Ended Up In Ireland
We know what you're thinking. Ireland is just about as far from Australia as you can get, both in terms of distance and climate — how could wallabies possibly be living there? Well, as you can guess, they didn't get there naturally.
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The Crazy Real-Life Story Of The World's Largest Blue Diamond
Before it was cut, the Tereshchenko diamond was allegedly the largest blue diamond in the world. It was initially named after Mikhail Tershchenko.
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What It Was Like Taking Part In The Liberation Of WWII's Concentration Camps
Taking part in the liberation of World War II's concentration camps was an unimaginable horror that most Allied troops did not expect. It's estimated that up to 20 million people died in concentration camps. A small percentage survived to be liberated by Allied troops during World War II.
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How Milk Sickness Arose On The Oregon Trail
The hardships of the Oregon Trail claimed the lives of several people who set foot on it. The two primary causes of death were accidents and disease.
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Historical Figures You Didn't Know Were Related
Many historical figures we know throughout American and world history were actually related. Learn the stories behind historical figures like Winston Churchill that connect him to Barack Obama or how Tom Hanks is actually related to Abe Lincoln.
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The Great Fire Of London Finally Explained
In 1666, when the Great Fire of London swept through the city streets, it destroyed a massive part of the medieval structures. To finally explain the Great Fire of London, learn exactly how it was started, what was destroyed, and why a French watchmaker was blamed for starting the fire.
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