Long before people were tossing coins to ultra-buff witchers, they were placing them in the mouths of the dead. "Charon's Obol," as such coins have been dubbed, have been found in the graves of the once-living since the 5th century BCE, largely throughout Western European countries.
Read MoreWhile certain bands are infamously secretive about their creations, pop legend Prince has typically been frank about the meaning behind his songs. Purple Rain is an exception.
Read MoreKeyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger were all instrumental to The Doors. Here is how much Manzarek was worth when he died.
Read MoreIt would be hyperbole to declare that mathematician Alan Turing saved England and won the war against the Axis in Europe during World War II. But there's no question the war would have had a very different outcome if Turing hadn't been there during the time Churchill called "the darkest hours."
Read MoreBrothers are awesome, but spending your professional life with one can be a balancing act between sibling bickering and getting things done.
Read MoreIt was 35 years ago that Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams released his fourth studio album, Reckless.
Read MoreThe year was 1774, and German physician Franz Anton Mesmer had done the impossible: he had cured Francisca Österlin's hysteria. Supposedly
Read MoreIf you're being charitable, it'd be fair to characterize some people as having more enthusiasm than common sense. For instance, Rachel Levin wrote about the one the guy who decided it'd be cool to pick up the rattlesnake he found on the trail, and hold it in a pose. You know, for Instagram.
Read MoreToo often in life, people are divided into socially reinforced groups, diametrically opposed to one another on principle. Jets versus Sharks. Montagues versus Capulets. Contemporary versus classical theater nerds. And, for a time, Star Wars fans were often pitted against Star Trek fans.
Read MoreLots of people will say that the military gave them a sense of purpose, discipline, an ability to follow directions, even physical health. By the time he was drafted, Elvis Presley already had several of those qualities down...
Read MoreIn 1985, founding member Roger Waters came to the conclusion that he had a viable solo career ahead of him, if he just made the leap. And leap he did. A lawsuit was soon to follow.
Read MoreIn the face of both entrenched racism and death threats, Jackie Robinson smashed baseball's color barrier when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. This is the tragic real-life story of Jackie Robinson.
Read MoreJeff Bezos, whose time is very valuable indeed, reached the conclusion that PowerPoint is a waste of his time.
Read MoreAmerican rock band Aerosmith has been playing together for 50 years. But they're still prone to feuds.
Read MoreOne weird truth of ancient board games is that they offer a candid view into how people from a different age approached the game of life — like a quick 'n sneaky casual snapshot taken when the subjects weren't deliberately composing themselves to look good.
Read MoreIn terms of sheer numbers, Octomom wouldn't have been difficult to beat in the field of spawning. The animal kingdom has plenty of big birthers.
Read MoreThe banshee is a female spirit; a sort of bridge between this world and the next, fairy folk, "linked to the realm of the dead." But their origin is a real hoot.
Read MoreIt's been almost half a century since its release and we're still seeing John Lennon's "Imagine" seeping into the headlines. Here's what it really means.
Read MoreArchaeological digs can shed some light on long-held theories, even ancient ones. So when archaeologists discovered human bones in the Sahara desert, they thought they had finally found a Persian army lost to the sands centuries ago, ultimately solving an ancient mystery.
Read MoreOdds are your hand sanitizer stinks. No, not the situation (though that's true, if you equate "this stinks" with "this is inconvenient") -- the product. And yes, there's a reason.
Read MoreIt's said that one of the inspirations for The Beatles was Buddy Holly and the Crickets.
Read MoreStory after story is told of the Amazons (a word which isn't Greek; it's probably from a Persian word for "warrior"), in many different cultures and societies. The stories are good. The history is better.
Read MoreReconstruction after the Civil War was an attempt to reconstruct everything about Southern life and politics. But after an auspicious start, Reconstruction slowly collapsed under the weight of political reality and short-sighted decisions. Here's the messed-up truth about the Reconstruction era.
Read MoreIf you've flown in the last 20 years, you'll no doubt recollect, you will have been reminded in monotonous tones and relentless cadence that laptops must be removed from bags.
Read MoreAs Union forces captured Confederate territory, the slaves they encountered would be freed. Which raised the next question: If slavery is finally abolished everywhere, what happens to all of these thousands of people, formerly enslaved, but now free?
Read MoreHave you ever known for sure something happened but when you look it up, you find out that you were wrong? Say, for example, thinking the children's book was called Berenstein Bears and not Berenstain Bears? If you have, then you've fallen victim to the Mandela Effect.
Read MoreSadly, the Grateful Dead ultimately broke up in 1995, but it was not because they wanted to stop making music and touring together.
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