Al's seventh birthday was auspicious -- or more precisely, the day before, because that's the day that a door-to-door salesman stopped by their house in Lynwood, California, just south of Los Angeles. He was shilling for a music school that offered lessons in guitar and accordion.
Read MoreThe whole to-do wasn't started by the plagues or crusades generally associated with the historical ballpark of the millennium in question. In point of fact, this age of cultural and financial stagnation was brought about by the meekest of all the Earth's forces: the humble gigantic volcano.
Read MoreFeuding artists can behave like reasonable adults, but some pretty big names in art history have been involved in some incredibly petty disputes. Here are some art rivalries that took things too far.
Read MoreFrom the pained emotions running throughout every chord, to the relative ambiguity of the lyrics -- i.e., was R.E.M. singer-songwriter Michael Stipe talking about an actual religion, or a relationship? -- it's no wonder this song has become so timeless.
Read MoreWhile it is known that frequent turmoil between band members and rampant substance abuse plagued the musical group, Coverdale stated that he valued his "sanity" too much and was left "utterly exhausted in every possible way" after three years of playing with Deep Purple.
Read MoreAs I Lay Dying's Tim Lambesis is a popular and controversial musician in his own right. Some might even call him a "one hit wonder." Literally.
Read MoreThe Year Without Summer, as 1816 was later known as, was caused by a now obscure volcano in Indonesia called Mount Tambora, which erupted with a force that outdid the almost mythic proportions Krakatoa has developed in the imagination.
Read MoreThere are a lot of weird things you don't know about The Smurfs. Prepare to question your most basic assumptions about these mushroom-fixated arboreal ingenues.
Read MoreScience has had rivalries like any other field, but sometimes, dueling smart people take things too far. People get hurt, careers are ended, and occasionally, the onward march of science is actually hampered by competition instead of bolstered. The following science rivalries took things too far.
Read MoreVince Neil's absence between 1994 and 1997 resulted in one of the stranger periods in the band's history, when a guy called John Corabi handled the vocal duties ... and the band ended up throwing away an entire album. Let's take a look at why Mötley Crüe abandoned their Personality #9 album.
Read MoreEverybody loves Lucille Ball. And her pocketbook showed it. Here's how much she was worth.
Read More"He has 71 confirmed murders to his name, although this could be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of his kill count. The vast majority of these victims were criminals themselves." One more time for the cheap seats -- "the vast majority." Not all.
Read MoreAs Johnson explained to The Sunday Times in a 2018 interview, the doctors informed him that he should quit performing or else risk going completely deaf. Johnson admitted that his hearing was already impeding his performances: "The way I look at it, I had a great run."
Read MoreWho was Davy Jones? And why did he keep a locker if his work kept him out at sea so often? Wouldn't a storage unit be a more realistic option? Skim a few websites for historical societies and you'll notice that the answers are varied, evocative, and bizarre.
Read MoreEmpress Cixi, known as the Shadow Queen and the Dragon Lady, is a controversial figure in Chinese history. At once revered, feared, and hated, she worked to consolidate power even as rebellions broke out across her empire.
Read MoreThe Shroud of Turin is arguably the most famous Christian relic in the world. Devotees claim that it shows the authentic Holy Face of Jesus, while skeptics claim that it's nothing but an impressive and puzzling forgery. Read on for some mysteries and secrets of the Shroud of Turin.
Read MoreWithout further ado, ladies and gentlemen: Mike Tyson vs. Floyd Mayweather. Who would win?
Read MoreEight members of the Sutton family poured into the police station and reportedly uttered words that would, in decades since, inspire a deluge of delightfully corny B-grade science-fiction classics: "We need help. We've been fighting them for nearly four hours."
Read MoreAfter managing to escape the stigma of being a bastard by conquering a country, William the Conqueror's legacy will now always include a series of slapstick jokes tied to his final misfortune.
Read MoreViewers of Unsolved Mysteries who saw the episode on Rey Rivera might have wondered if there was an entirely different theory about how he died. Enter the helicopter theory, which wasn't included in the Netflix series but was mentioned in a recently released clip.
Read MoreIn the red corner, we have Jean-Claude Van Damme, the Muscles from Brussels. In the blue (well, green) corner, we have Jason David Frank, who is most famous for being the actor who played the original Green and White Power Rangers, but also a real-life karate master. Who would win?
Read MoreSumner Redstone became the CEO of National Amusements, Inc. in 1967, and their already prominent hold on the entertainment industry got some extra oomph thanks to his belief that, basically, content providers would come and go, but the content itself would always be in demand.
Read MoreWhile its interior is indeed spooky, the furor surrounding David Gilmour's abandoned mansion shows another instance of hype exploding research.
Read MoreMany histories of ancient Egypt only deal with the lives of pharaohs. But everyday Egyptians also had interesting lives. They weren't just farming or building stone memorials and there were certain things they couldn't live without.
Read MoreWhitney Houston's life was filled with tragedy, including struggles with addiction and grappling with the downsides of fame. She dealt with heartbreak and personal issues while also fighting roadblocks in her career. This is the tragic real-life story of Whitney Houston.
Read MoreThe young lady developed some medical complications as she grew older. Seizures weren't uncommon, but what really seemed to upset her parents were the developmental delays.
Read MoreDaltrey's father was absent, serving in the Second World War, for the first few years of Roger's life. Food shortages had their effect on many children, including Roger, who suffered from Rickets, a condition caused by Vitamin D deficiency.
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