Frau Perchta's role in Christmas, though, has changed over the years. It turns out that she tends to be most active between Christmas and the Epiphany, so people believed she's more of a holiday thing. Frau Perchta preyed on lazy people year-'round before becoming a general threat against children.
Read MoreRafer Johnson, Olympic gold medalist and hero who helped subdue the man who shot presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy has died at the age of 86.
Read MoreHe excelled on the football field as his team's offensive tackle. While he was known as a "gentle giant" off the field, in his football pads and helmet he let a more aggressive personality come through, a "formidable, intimidating figure" whose large size made it hard for opponents to get past him.
Read MoreHis most recent claim breaks out of the human realm and into the supernatural. In an interview with The Mirror in 2016, Meat Loaf shocked the reporter with a frank proclamation that he could see the spirits of the dead.
Read MoreAllmusic immortalized the artist by claiming, "it is no exaggeration to say that the sound of mainstream pop/rock drumming in the 1980s was, to a large extent, the sound of Jeff Porcaro." Via Toto and countless others, Porcaro made his name as one of the top pop-rock drummers of the generation.
Read MoreWe've got Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, and others, including smaller theme parks like Florida's Epcot Center and Animal Kingdom. So when is enough enough for these guys? Well, back in 2000, they actually tried to nick an idea for an entire theme park.
Read MoreJimi Hendrix's ended up fulfilling his childhood dream of working with Little Richard. Here's a look into Jimi Hendrix and Little Richard's relationship.
Read MoreCountry music legend Waylon Jennings died in 2002, but his life was almost cut short much earlier. In 1959, Jennings was almost on the infamous February 3rd flight that crashed and tragically killed everyone on board. This is the story of the plane crash that could have killed Waylon Jennings.
Read MoreFrank Sinatra was the kind of talented singer who comes along once in a lifetime, but he wasn't always known as the Sultan of Swoon, and it turns out, before he hit it big, he looked to another famous entertainer as a source of inspiration. This person was Frank Sinatra's inspiration.
Read MoreEddie Slovik was only 24 when he was drafted. This is the story of the one American soldier that was executed for desertion in World War II.
Read MoreJulius Caesar is the most famous Roman who ever lived, but he tends to be more famous for some things than others. Caesar is remembered as a general and a politician, but not as a priest, a title that Caesar held multiple times. Let's look inside Julius Caesar's connection to priesthood.
Read MoreThankfully, not everyone is capable of killing, but there are some who've made murder a hobby. Among them is Joe Metheny, whose crimes will turn your stomach.
Read MoreA legendary actor who is now a household name, Arnold Schwarzenegger's life has been extraordinary but far from perfect. Here are a few powerful stories.
Read MoreIf you think life is easy as one of the turn of the century's biggest pop stars and who married the world's top soccer player, think again. Apparently quite a few people out there are against the whole Girl Power thing, because Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, has had several brushes with danger.
Read MoreFolk-rock group Simon & Garfunkel met early success with their song "Hey, Schoolgirl," breaking the Top 50 in 1957 when they were 15-year-olds living in the New York City borough of Queens. They would reunite several times but behind all the music making were strife and breakups.
Read MoreThe Cars were among the most successful bands to come out of the New Wave scene. Ric Ocasek is typically considered the frontman, but he and Benjamin Orr shared the role of lead singer. Did this make them close friends or breed contempt? It turns out it was a little bit of both.
Read MoreWe know they brought gifts, but most people aren't too familiar with the characters beyond that. When you hear the visitors mentioned in Christmas carols -- for instance, "We Three Kings," posted on YouTube -- they're often described as being, well, kings who follow a star from far off lands.
Read MoreThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police are an iconic image of Canada, but what do the RCMP actually do? This is the wild history of the Canadian Mounties.
Read MoreNOFX has been the most unlikely success story of punk rock music. While NOFX remains under the radar for music fans, they have wild, untold history.
Read MoreAt Christmas we're inclined to stretch our suspension of disbelief beyond its normal limits.
Read MoreThe tradition had very humble beginnings. Pre-20th century presidential administrations didn't officially observe Christmas. The president and his family traditionally decorated "modestly with greens and privately celebrated the Yuletide with family and friends."
Read MoreChristmas is still celebrated by soldiers during times of war. That doesn't stop the conflict that's going on, and the stress of combat doesn't dissipate for the holidays. The celebrations that are typical to the military are nothing like they are stateside, but there's still some holiday cheer.
Read MoreThe San Juan County Sheriff's Office shared a joke "Most Wanted" poster with nine alien faces and posted it to Facebook for a laugh, but it didn't seem like anyone had any idea who put the monolith there and no one reported any stolen property.
Read MoreThe Doobie Brothers have won Grammy Awards, sold nearly 50 million records, and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here's their story.
Read MoreThe mystique of the Orient Express has been tantalizing travelers since 1883. Read on for an enjoyable trip along the history of this magnificent train.
Read MoreIn his book, Lawrence recounts adventures and death-defying self-mythologizing during his time as a British intelligence officer working to take down the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Thanks to the 1962 film starring Peter O'Toole, it's even more difficult to separate fact from fiction.
Read MoreAmerica's sixth president, John Quincy Adams, was known for his intellectual mind and passion for science and exploration. During his presidency, explorers were charting the western frontier like never before, and revolutionary scientific findings were being examined and documented.
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