England's Elizabeth I, last of the Tudors, was the second-longest-reigning monarch of what William Shakespeare referred to as "this sceptered isle." She was said to be beautiful, until this happened...
Read More
If you tend to see the Vikings as cruel, sadistic, muscle-bound axe-lovers, the blood eagle execution is all the evidence you need to back it up.
Read More
King Philip II of Spain took the throne in 1556. His reign marked the start of absolutism, an era characterized by all-powerful, completely unaccountable monarchs. But the Spanish Crown's power has dwindled significantly since then. How much power does the King of Spain really have?
Read More
When most think of Vikings, the first thing that comes to mind is looting and pillaging. But that's just one aspect of Viking life and culture, and over the years, historians have been able to unravel many more details of daily Viking life. Here's what life was really like as a Viking in 800 AD.
Read More
Superstitions. Salt cannot be spilled. Ladders demand a careful sidestep. Cracks must not be trodden upon, lest the chiropractic health of one's sainted mother be thrown into disarray. And of course, a broken mirror leads, inevitably, to seven years of bad luck.
Read More
Stephen Hawking said that black holes probably evaporate away and eventually vanish over unimaginably long timescales. Cool. But what does this have to do with hair, and whether or not black holes have any?
Read More
In 2014, Flint, Michigan became the poster city for water contamination. But it's not the only offender.
Read More
The history of 9th century Vikings is passed down to us today via Old Norse oral tradition, written down long after the campfires died. Did tales get changed? Quite possibly. Over time, things get added, subtracted, multiplied, and even turned into shows on the History Channel, like Vikings.
Read More
Queen Elizabeth owns a great many things like jewelry, palaces, and works of art. And you'd think that would be enough, right? But no. Apparently, her majesty also needs to own all of the whales off the coast of Great Britain. Here's the weird reason Queen Elizabeth owns so many whales.
Read More
The sun never set on Queen Victoria's empire, but eventually, as suns tend to do, it set on her life. And after she passed away, the queen's funeral was incredibly bizarre.
Read More
Elizabeth of Bohemia is known as the "The Winter Queen," and she had a catastrophic reign. All 12 months of it. Yes, it turns out a stupid nickname can lead to people misremembering your whole tenure as royalty. Here's the truth about the reign of the Winter Queen.
Read More
Queen Victoria left astonishingly specific instructions as to how she was to be interred after she died. Kept secret from the royal family, they detailed a pharaoh-level list of items to be buried with Her Majesty, and some were weird. These were the creepy things inside Queen Victoria's coffin.
Read More
Today is a new day, nay, a new era, as McDonald's has announced the forthcoming release of a line of scented candles.
Read More
Some actors wanted to learn self-defense. McQueen wanted a deeper understanding of the martial art. So he turned to the best: Bruce Lee.
Read More
Everybody knows about King Tut, and everybody knows he was a super young pharaoh. But just how young was King Tut when he ascended to the Egyptian throne?
Read More
The royal life isn't for everybody, with its constant demands and unceasing visibility. Some people don't want that. That seems to have been the case with Princess Feodora, who dodged the royal throne by being born to the wrong dad. Here's the truth about Queen Victoria's sister Princess Feodora.
Read More
Queen Victoria had nine children. Every single one of her progeny managed to make it to adulthood. It's what happened after that wasn't always great news.
Read More
Why is a blood affliction associated with the British monarchy? If anything was going to be called "the royal disease," shouldn't it have been crippling shopoholism or narcissistic personality disorder? Turns out, we can blame Queen Victoria.
Read More
Victoria's reign was marked by a period of great economic progress in England, as well as advances in learning and technology. There was still grinding poverty, but it was a start. She made it into the 20th century, however briefly, before her death. Here's what killed her.
Read More
About 30 miles outside of Columbia, South Carolina, there exists a place where, at long last, man and pig may live in harmony. That's because the Cotton Branch Farm Sanctuary is seeking 'piggy cuddlers' to socialize its rescued swine.
Read More
Being Queen Victoria was a pretty sweet deal, but beneath the surface you'll find calamity and controversy. Here's the messed up truth of Queen Victoria.
Read More
As if Australia hasn't suffered enough, it now has sharks that – wait for it – walk. First Steve Irwin, and then bush fires turning koalas into tiki torches, and let's not even mention Paul Hogan.
Read More
anuary 2020, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and wife Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, announced that they were distancing themselves from thrones in general, and would work to become "financially independent." But how much are they costing the UK?
Read More
With her role in the Bible, the Queen of Sheba is one of the most famous and mysterious women of the ancient world. Here’s the true story of the Queen of Sheba.
Read More
In America, we've been taught to treat our milk like we treat our reading assignments: we opt for the skim instead of the whole. But according to a new study, that logic needs to be taken out to pasture, because it looks like drinking whole milk is less likely to make you fat.
Read More
The Vikings were one of the world's most successful groups of explorers and conquerors, creating an empire that stretched across much of the world. They had a rich mythology, represented in the symbols that would adorn their weapons, boats, jewelry and more. Here are their meanings.
Read More
If you've seen Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, you may have come away thinking that King John wasn't such an awful guy. Well, sometimes the truth hurts. And for all you King John apologists out there, the truth will cut your heart out like a spoon. Here's the messed up truth about this subpar king.
Read More