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 MoreEverybody knows the story of William Bligh and Fletcher Christian … right? Well, as it turns out, this tale of high-seas rebellion is actually pretty insane.
Read MoreAs we may have pointed out before, medical science hasn't always been an exact science. For a good long time, a deeply backwards thought process led folks to believe that drinking blood could treat epilepsy.
Read MoreYou probably know from firsthand experience that yawning is incredibly contagious. In fact, you might be yawning now because, according to Psychology Today, simply "reading the word 'yawn' can make people yawn." What makes human bodies behave this way? Don't fall asleep -- we have answers.
Read MoreDon't watch these movies with your parents. None of you will have a good time.
Read MoreTennessee Williams lived a life every bit as dramatic as the subjects of his stories. It seems only natural that the practiced showman would go out in the color he loved best: high drama. But it was an anticlimactic ending. Here's the truth about Tennessee Williams' bizarre death.
Read MoreThe Romanovs were assassinated in 1918, but that’s just the final act of their heartbreaking story. From troubled romances to major health issues, here’s the tragic real-life story of the Romanovs, the last imperial rulers of Russia.
Read MoreWhat if Bruce Lee had a temper? Imagine how horrifying a guy with his skillset would be, should he have a propensity for temperamental outbursts. That's scary, and also worthy of further investigation.
Read MoreThere is plenty of discussion on the topic of the most playful cat, but there are some clear contenders for the title.
Read MoreBetween stories like Stephen King's Cujo and the primal understanding that they're all basically wolves that we taught to eat biscuits, we're all instilled with, at the very least, a healthy instinct to cross the street when a loose hound comes our way.
Read MoreAs Henry grew into his role as King of England he also grew into -- bigger-sized clothing, topping out with a reportedly 54-inch waist. The man became whopping. After all, he was king -- what would be denied him? Certainly not food. Here's what he typically ate.
Read MoreAfter the stock market plunge of early 2020, how is Bezos faring?
Read MoreWhen 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 MoreThe Tiananmen Square massacre was a horrific event wherein the government slaughtered thousands of protesting individuals in cold blood. In mainland China, information regarding this mass murder has been suppressed for decades. This is the messed up truth about the Tiananmen Square massacre.
Read MoreEvery time something newsworthy happens, someone digs into an old episode of The Simpsons and finds a joke that seems to predict the real-life incident. But people have recently discovered another coronavirus oracle, whose predictions are even more reliable than a yellow cartoon family: Bill Gates.
Read MoreThe head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has more than a little experience, as well as education. Dr. Anthony Fauci has been head of NIAID since 1984, appointed during the Reagan administration, which means he's worked successfully for six different presidents.
Read MoreIt's probably safe to say that car owners aren't complaining, but what exactly is going on? What could be the real reason why gas prices are plummeting? It's ... it's the COVID-19 virus, right?
Read MoreIf you're not familiar with the name Randy Rhoads, chances are you've still heard him play. Rhoads was the virtuoso guitar player who shredded on Ozzy Osbourne's first two solo records, and a major part why the Ozzman managed to pick himself up from the slump he'd been in ...
Read MoreThe COVID-19 pandemic continues to steal the international spotlight, infecting hundreds of thousands and tanking the stock market. Meanwhile, Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates appears to have dropped a considerable amount of cash in the past few months.
Read MoreMerle Haggard's youth really does sound like a country song: raised in a converted boxcar during the Great Depression, his father died when he was eight years old, after which he became a juvenile delinquent. In 1957, though, he pushed his luck a little too far.
Read MoreIf you live on Planet Wasp-76b, then your weather forecast may very well be "Cloudy, with a chance of liquid iron rain."
Read MoreIt's safe to say that April 28, 1789, was not Lieutenant William Bligh's best day ever. Here's the amazing story of the mutiny on 'The Bounty.'
Read MoreWhat with the coronavirus, rumbling of a coming depression tumbled out of the Twitter feeds of pessimists, while the more pragmatic but still not-fun-at-parties crowd foresaw a fast-approaching recession. And that begs the question: what's the difference?
Read MoreIn 1912, White Star Line vice-president Philip Franklin declared, "There is no danger that Titanic will sink. The boat is unsinkable and nothing but inconvenience will be suffered by the passengers." Given what actually happened, Franklin's words would go down as the height of stupid pride ...
Read MoreSomeone of Andre the Giant's size and professional stature is bound to have some stories attached to him, true or not -- though as an old theater professor once said, "All my stories are true. And some of them really happened." So what really happened to Andre?
Read MoreMight as well start with the basics: don't drink vape juice. Nothing that you're about to read will change the fact that drinking vape juice will cement your place as the weird (and unhealthy) dude who drinks vape juice. That sort of social branding doesn't go away.
Read MoreOn March 13, 2020, Bill Gates announced in a LinkedIn blog post that he's stepping down from Microsoft. Here's why.
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