If you've ever seen a nativity scene outside of a church during Christmas service, then you no doubt know what it looks like, but nativity scenes are actually much older than you may think. The first-ever nativity scene was put together by St. Francis of Assisi in 1233.
Read MoreWe all know that Santa Claus has supernatural abilities, and the origin of Santa Claus' powers are explained by the Wonderful Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum in his story The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. This is the surprising connection between Oz and Santa.
Read MoreGenes are complex and responsible for such things as health and susceptibility to certain diseases, body type, height, eye color, intelligence, and more. Genes can also cause quirks among us. Here's a look at some of the genetic quirks that are perceived to be normal occurrences but aren't.
Read MoreIn the final month of 1988, Armenia was struck by an earthquake that absolutely devastated the northern region of the country and displaced thousands of people.
Read MoreWhether it be at the dawn of the Roman empire in the B.C. era or the heights of the Cold War a few generations back, powerful states have attempted and failed many times to conquer land. The reasons vary on why these invasions may have failed. Here is a list of invasions that went horribly wrong.
Read MoreWhile modern Christmas traditions are nearly universal thanks to pop culture, they used to be very different. If you look back at the 19th and early 20th centuries, you'll see unexpected holiday celebrations. Here are some strange Christmas traditions that were considered normal 100 years ago.
Read MoreDennis Frederiksen served as the lead singer for acts such as Trillion, Angel, LeRoux, and Toto, and provided backing vocals for Survivor. Occasionally credited as Fergie Frederiksen or just Fergie, the Michigan native was credited with three big hit singles in three consecutive years.
Read MoreHillel Slovak was a founding member of the groundbreaking funk-metal group the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, a talented guitarist who used heavy guitars in what would become a major influence in honing the group's signature sound.
Read MoreHuge crowds gathered through the late '90s and early 2000s to listen to Hedberg's signature comedy style, which could be described as a stoner Jerry Seinfield calmly blasting the audience with disconnected one-liners without ever removing his shades.
Read MoreClemente was one of the best players in baseball history, both on and off the field. Aside from the 3,000 hits he racked up before his death, his 12 All Star appearances, and 12 Gold Glove awards, he was well known as an honest man of his word who had a great desire to help people.
Read MoreFor all the Foo Fighters' success, they've had some troubles as well, particularly in the guitar department. The lineage is a little hard to follow, but coming in second was lead guitarist Franz Stahl, a man who seemed to disappear as just quickly as he appeared.
Read MoreYes, you're probably thinking, "Wait, Billy Corgan and kittens?" Sure, it sounds incongruous. Exactly how do fuzzy little felines fit into the infinite sadness?
Read MoreIt's hard to imagine that a sketch comedy television show like Saturday Night Live would ever want to pass up a talent like John Belushi, but not everyone from the production was eager to have him join their ranks.
Read MoreThe history of how nutmeg came to be a staple in our kitchens is not really in line with the whole "Peace on Earth, good will to men" business we like to tell ourselves. The notions of reunion, comfort, and human connection we now get from a hint of nutmeg actually came at a terrible human cost.
Read MoreBeing a rockstar, it would make sense to most of us if Eddie Vedder's brush with death was the result of a drug overdose or something, but Vedder has never had a known drug problem. No, Vedder's near-death incident was a terrifying close call that had nothing to do with the rock and roll lifestyle.
Read MoreLucille Ball's life was filled with tragedy. Her father died when she was young, she was abused by her mother, her marriage to Desi Arnaz was frequently difficult -- the list goes on. But, there was one incident in particular that tragically changed young Lucille's family forever.
Read MoreAll in all, being a president has to be rough, and some of the rules surrounding the job make it even more so. At least the silly rules end when a president's time in office is up, right? Actually, only some of them do.
Read MoreThe Blues Brothers would become such a hit that you can find a statue of "Joliet" Jake and Elwood at The House of Blues in Chicago, Illinois. A statue may not be the epitome of comedy fame, but that's okay; Belushi has been immortalized in other ways.
Read Moreit makes sense why a teenage, Jewish Mary who visited her cousin and husband-to-be Joseph for a few months, and then became pregnant, would have been in quite a lot of trouble. In fact, Jewish law was quite brutal and strict in this regard.
Read MoreThe Yule Goat can fly, and it often carries Santa on his yearly journey to deliver his sack of goodies around the world.
Read MoreThe city, founded in 315 BCE and named after Alexander the Great's half-sister Thessaloniki, was a major thoroughfare in the Macedonian Empire, and became a center of trade between east and west under the Byzantine Empire.
Read MoreEveryone needs a little help from their friends. Even a legend like Ella Fitzgerald. The singer gained popularity in the 1940s, performing jazz and classics in small clubs. But despite her talent, racial barriers and her looks held back her career. Until she became friends with Marilyn Monroe.
Read MoreRecording Medicine at Midnight wasn't without its own peculiar moments. Unlike the Foo Fighter's first nine albums, the challenges around the 10th album couldn't have been easy to predict, since they were supernatural and all. That's right: A haunting almost ruined the Foo Fighters' 10th album.
Read MoreOn the way to becoming Japan's true White Savior and its final, bestest samurai ever, Tom Cruise gets dressed by a Japanese widow who develops feelings for him, teaches some lessons about never giving up to other Japanese people, and leads a rebellion of samurai against some guys with cannons.
Read MoreOzzy has immortalized himself in more ways than one. That's not to say the legendary musician isn't approaching actual immortality. Lord knows he's lived through more near-death experiences than the rest of us, including numerous drug overdoses.
Read MoreDespite its long affiliation with the Christian holiday of Christmas, the Yule log actually has its roots in pagan Norse mythology. The tradition originated in Scandinavia, then spread to the Celtic Brits and Gaelic Europeans, who believed that burning a yule log would bring good luck.
Read MoreWomen have dipped their blades in the fires of battle all around the world for millennia. This is the forgotten history of women in combat.
Read More
