Whether you know the story of John Henry or not, you've almost certainly heard people sing about him. That is because his folkloric tale has captured the imaginations of artists, particularly musicians, for nearly 100 years, and the legend has come to be the subject matter of numerous songs.
Read MoreOccultism was a common interest among the British upper classes at the turn of the 20th century, but Aleister Crowley was one of the most notorious.
Read MoreFloyd was determined to get a piece of the tourist cave pie. He knew of one called Sand Cave that was located on the road ahead of most of the other show caves.
Read MoreThe tiny nation of Niue, off the coast of New Zealand, decided to print popular characters on its coins. It's the first country to feature Pokemon on its money.
Read MoreMore than a decade later, and there's never been a sequel to I Am Legend. Will Smith is still a huge star, and the fact that (spoiler alert) his character died at the end of the original isn't really a heavy lift for Hollywood -- there are any number of ways to could resurrect his character.
Read MoreAs it turns out, Union General Joseph Hooker's main concern was making sure his troops' spirits remained high while they were fighting the Confederates.
Read MorePhotographer and free diver Franco Banfi was diving in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of the island country of Dominica, when he came across a pod of the giant aquatic mammals some 20 meters (65 feet) below the surface. And get this: They sleep "standing up."
Read MoreThe wounded President McKinley was rushed to Pan-American Hospital and operated on by Dr. Matthew Mann. Mann was a gynocological surgeon who happened to be at the exposition and was the first physician to respond. When Mann opened up McKinley's stomach, he couldn't find the bullet.
Read MoreJohn Rutsey, a formative member of Canadian prog-rock band Rush, certainly stands out among classic rock drummers. The Toronto-based musician not only set the precedent for Rush's signature sound, but also wrote many of the lyrics for the band's debut album.
Read MoreFrom 1956 to 1971, the FBI spied on and sabotaged scores of activists and organizations. This is the true story of COINTELPRO.
Read MoreSportswriter Jack McCallum said, "Michael Jordan did not want to play with Isiah Thomas. He let that be known obliquely, implicitly, or just said it."
Read MoreWilson Alwyn "Willie" Bentley accidentally discovered that no two snowflakes were similar in his attempt to photograph their perfect beauty.
Read MoreThere's a Cookie Monster mural Peoria, Illinois, which features writing in Russian. Here's what we know about it.
Read MoreThe McMartin Preschool trial ended up becoming the longest and most expensive trial in the history of the US.
Read MoreWashington Square Park is one of the most iconic places in NYC. But most park visitors don't know that the area has a pretty macabre secret.
Read MoreWas there any other country that took to Bob Ross in the way that Germany took to David Hasselhoff, or that the US has taken to the Canadian Ryans -- Reynolds and Gosling? Indeed there is.
Read MoreKwanzaa got its start in 1966 when Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor and chairman of Black Studies at California University, wanted African Americans to build community after the Watts Rebellion, a six-day riot in August of 1965 that killed 34 people and caused $40 million in damage.
Read MoreFoo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins might be the time-keeper for one of the world's biggest rock bands, but there are things about him that are a bit shocking.
Read MoreWhile there is some variety across the different medieval castles still standing, there's a lot of similarities, too. Here's what life was like in a castle.
Read MoreFor many of us, the idea that people had to use an iron lung to stay alive seems like such a long time ago.
Read MoreSurgical instruments mechanic Erwin Perzy of Vienna, Austria, was performing experiments in order to improve the brightness of then newly invented electric light bulbs. Shoemakers at the time used the trick of putting candles in front of glass globes of water in order to create a diffused spotlight.
Read MoreNine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor has never had a problem criticizing MTV, regardless of the direct effect the network has had on the band's success.
Read MoreHomo erectus looked a bit different from Neanderthals and modern humans, but you probably wouldn't notice they're a different species if you ran into one on the street. They grew to nearly average modern human height and had similar proportions.
Read MoreThe holiday season of 2020 is missing many of its traditional gatherings and celebrations due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. This is not, however, the first time in history that the holidays have been interrupted by a widespread and very contagious disease.
Read MoreJohn Lennon is remembered as a musical genius. We've learned a lot more about his personal life in recent years — and most of it is unflattering. But, with the information we now have about his history, we can see just how his childhood influenced his later behavior.
Read MoreArtists drew St. Nicholas, a bishop, wearing red and white because that's what bishops traditionally wore. Santa Claus illustrations drew from St. Nicholas.
Read MoreCome into a tremendous fortune under no action of her own, and bearing not only the weight of the Winchester name, but the knowledge of how many deaths her money came from. Such was the dilemma faced by Sarah Winchester.
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