It's widely believed that medieval peasants, for instance, glugged their way through entire barrels of beer for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but this isn't actually true. They couldn't afford it. Homebrewing was a thing, yes, but uncommon.
Read MoreOne constant in the history of Russia is the phrase "unintended consequences." Russian history is filled with tragedy on a national scale. It has always been a hot mess. To understand why a country so big is so messy, here's a look at the various moments in Russian history that went horribly wrong.
Read MoreAfter Duane Allman's death, his partner in rock guitar innovation, Dickey Betts, had to continue on without him, and Betts would stay with the band through its wild ups and downs for three more decades.
Read MoreProfessional wrestler Andrew "Test" Martin was one of many bright stars who was lost all too soon. The circumstances surrounding his death were all too familiar to wrestling fans, though an unknown health issue may have played a role as well.
Read MoreIt's not surprising to learn that the life of ancient Egyptian royalty wasn't all that easy or simple. Here is what life as an Egyptian royal was really like.
Read MoreWhen it comes to regicide -- the killing of a king -- the historical record is blood-soaked indeed, but few are quite as famous as the execution of France's King Louis XVI, as well as his wife, Marie Antoinette.
Read MoreIt was clear from the jump that The Notorious B.I.G. was destined for great success. His debut album, 'Ready To Die,' positioned him at the top of the East Coast hip hop scene. But some of the lyrics from the rapper's first album proved eerily prophetic, foreshadowing his tragic death.
Read MoreEach episode of The Joy of Painting consisted of Ross painting a landscape featuring what he referred to as "happy little" clouds, trees, and other representatives from the natural world while he held a gentle one-sided conversation with his audience.
Read MoreFast-food burger brand Wendy's is killing it on social media, grilling the competition without a care in the world. But did you know the chain dropped an honest-to-goodness mixtape? Rest assured, the rhymes are fresh (never frozen).
Read MoreBack in 1845, a disease swept across Ireland. It didn't directly affect humans; instead, it hit their crops, and hard. According to History, an organism spread around the country, killing half the potato crop that year and about three-quarters of the produce of the next seven years.
Read MoreThe true history behind the National Christmas Tree, however, doesn't exactly square with the narrative the National Park Foundation would have you believe.
Read MoreIt wasn't that Erich Steidtmann was offended by allegations of his role in one of the worst pogroms in human history. No, what inflamed the ire of Steidtmann was that the woman who wrote the book claimed to have had an affair with him.
Read MoreThe Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has the dubious honor of being the most popular amendment that's never passed.
Read MoreBlack Sabbath transformed the music world with their dark and haunting aesthetic, but a prodigious pace in the early days left the band's creative well a bit dry. It turns out all they needed was something dark and haunting to turn things around.
Read MoreWhat if a real-life case came along that combined a conman impersonating a CIA officer, multiple bank heists, and documentation and terminology convincing enough to fake out the police? Throw in a fall guy in the form of an $11/hour Target employee who got suckered into this nonsense.
Read MoreSince its start, Nine Inch Nails has released 11 studio albums, won multiple awards, and produced several stellar music videos. One of those earliest music videos would lead to an FBI investigation, something Reznor never could've predicted. (We're guessing, anyway.)
Read MoreBy 2003, Hooters had been operating as a successful restaurant chain since the 1980s and was "flush with cash." Looking to expand the brand, Brooks bought the North Carolina-based charter airline Pace Airlines and refurbished the fleet of planes with Hooters logos.
Read MoreWhether 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.
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