Duke Kahanamoku is considered the father of modern surfing. He was not just a surfer. He was also an Olympic-level swimmer who broke records for his time and earned three gold medals and two silver. He also appeared in films and became a life-long ambassador of surfing and Hawaii.
Read MoreLou Gehrig's battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis was so public that his name was given to it; it was referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease for many years.
Read MoreFor many people -- celebrities included -- conspiracy theories and crank ideas come to cause untold damage to their professional and personal lives. One example is rapper B.o.B, aka Bobby Ray Simmons Jr., who shot to fame in 2009 after his hit single, "Nothin' On You," reached number 1.
Read MoreFor a long time, Evander Holyfield, four time heavyweight champ, had the funds to live a lavish lifestyle. That's what a tough chin and hard hands will get you. But there came a point when this former International Boxing Hall of Famer was losing more money than his fists could bring in.
Read MoreBefore Matt LeBlanc hit it big as Joey Tribbiani on the '90s TV chart-topper Friends, he was Daphne Zuniga's (TV's Melrose Place, the film Spaceballs) romantic partner in a Bob Seger video.
Read MoreApparently a motorcycle remains Keanu's "preferred mode of transportation" not only because of its ease in getting him to his many appointments, but also because he enjoys "the physical sensation of riding, the wind, the smell, the sights, the connection to the machine, the living-in-nature."
Read MoreCelebrating the Christmas holiday was actually banned in Massachusetts from 1659 through 1681, per Time magazine. Early American Life magazine notes that Puritans "abhorred the excesses of church celebrations" and saw Christmas as just another day on which to work hard in the name of Lord.
Read MoreIn 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress, and in 1972, she became the first Black person to campaign seriously for the presidency on a major party ticket. She maintained her independent spirit throughout her career, sometimes to her detriment. Here is her story.
Read MoreAs with most holidays, Christmas is rife with symbols that we take for granted, but of course there is lots of rich history behind them. Just like Christmas trees, candy canes, and mall Santas, the tradition of hanging wreaths had to start somewhere, and exactly where kind of depends on who you ask.
Read More"Jingle Bells" is a favorite everywhere, from Christmas radio stations to seasonal concerts, as a cheerful holiday melody that everyone can sing along to. But it was never originally intended to have any connection to Christmas at all.
Read MorePeople used to put candles on their Christmas trees, explained Popular Mechanics. The tradition was brought to England by Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, who grew up in Germany. A magazine published an illustration of the Queen's family gathered around a tree with candles adorning it.
Read MoreHanging decorated stockings by the fireplace, with the hope that Santa Claus will fill them with treats, is a popular tradition. In 1823, the practice was commemorated in song with the publication of the famous poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," better known today as "The Night Before Christmas."
Read MoreOne theory posits that employers distributed "Christmas boxes" full of gifts, money, and leftovers from their holiday feasts to their servants on December 26, as the servants would have worked on Christmas Day. The boxes were the 1800s' version of holiday bonuses.
Read MoreAMC's The Walking Dead has been the chief exporter of zombie-themed small screen drama, but several cast members have had to endure lots of setbacks.
Read MoreSanta Claus at the top of the world in a winter wonderland. His workshop bustles in the Arctic Circle while his helpers pump out toys for billions of kids. But the North Pole at the top of the world isn't the only place that Santa calls home. You can find the jolly saint in several different places.
Read MoreIn a common sense way, it's understandable why ancient people would have used snow to craft a human figure, or even just play with (if they weren't trying to avoid freezing to death, that is). After all, cave paintings, tribal figurines, and hand-hewn statues all depict the human form.
Read MoreThousands of old men would impersonate our altered vision of what St. Nick looked like and sit in shopping malls to let countless children sit in their laps to ask if they're real. That last one is a Christmas staple these days, but exactly how did it get its start?
Read MoreThe National Confectioners Association reports that candy canes are the most popular non-chocolate candy during December, with 90 percent of them sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This comes to 1.76 billion candy canes produced in the United States each year. But where did they originate?
Read MoreWhere did these staunch Christmas helpers come from? Why exactly does an immortal, bearded man with a magic, toy-spawning bag of holding need slave elves to manufacture said toys before the toys are teleported into said bag? This (and other yuletide mysteries of the ages) clearly needs unraveling.
Read MoreThe Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, holding more than 162 million assets in its collections. Here are some of its secrets.
Read MoreWhen we see the cartons of eggnog on grocery store shelves or the bottles of Very Olde Saint Nick at the liquor store, it might trick us into thinking the drink is a modern beverage, but, in truth, eggnog has several centuries worth of history. Check it out.
Read MoreToday, Hawaii celebrates most holidays like the rest of the U.S., but there are differences. Here's what it's really like to celebrate Christmas in Hawaii.
Read MoreIn 1863, Nast drew a popular advertisement for Harper's Weekly magazine that depicted Santa Claus delivering gifts (and copies of Harper's) to Union Army soldiers. Nast later produced annual Christmas drawings, one of which indicated that Santa could be reached via mail addressed to the North Pole.
Read MoreImagine being stuck under a parasitic plant with someone, and the only way out is to kiss them. It honestly sounds like a nightmare, and yet it's a Christmas tradition some people somehow enjoy -- mistletoe, the hemiparasitic plant in question, is an essential part of the holiday.
Read MoreGame shows since 2000 have been more and more about performing physical stunts. But with more dangerous stunts comes the opportunity for more things to go wrong, and now appearing on a game show can mean serious injury or even death. These are the most traumatic experiences in game show history.
Read MoreAt 6'10', the towering Texas native combined gigantic size with agile athleticism and a killer gimmick to truly dominate the sport for longer than most could ever dream of. He almost ended up stomping around the basketball court, rather than the ring, before deciding to wrestle professionally.
Read MoreDespite most of modern communication taking place via texts, messaging via apps, and, for some old-fashioned traditionalists, e-mail, mailing physical Christmas cards remains a popular and beloved custom that continues to stand the test of time. Where and when did this tradition originate?
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