The 19th-century photographer Mathew Brady, who went from taking portraits of the rich and famous to taking death portraits on Civil War battlefields, is known for depicting the cost of war. The truth of Civil War photographer Mathew Brady is he funded the photojournalism himself and went into debt.
Read MoreWith voguish gangsters and bootleggers like Al "Scarface" Capone and George "Machine Gun Kelly" Barnes capturing the public's attention, the government knew it needed an equally dramatic response to their sensational criminality, one that would strike fear in the hearts of potential lawbreakers.
Read MoreIn 1993, the editors of the Midnight Star interviewed "Weird Al"'s drummer, Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, asking about the significance of 27. Said Schwartz: ""There's no significance to those numbers. I asked Al, who evidently hadn't even noticed before. He hesitated, and said, '27 is a funny number.'"
Read MoreIt seems to be human nature to have a fascination with bathroom and bathroom-related activities that began with our ancient ancestors and will probably continue until approximately always. Just take a look back on one of Western Civilization's ancient forefathers, Ancient Rome. It's nothing new.
Read MoreIt is an idea that has captured the imaginations of cryptic-minded listeners and stoned truth-seekers for more than five decades: Paul McCartney, the principal singer-songwriter alongside John Lennon in the Beatles since their formation, is dead after a gruesome car accident around the end of 1966.
Read MoreReligious texts explain more about the Garden -- for instance, that the Garden of Eden consisted of two gardens. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, there were both a "higher" and a "lower" Garden.
Read MoreHypatia was born in Alexandria, Egypt. She was a scientist, educator, and intellectual, though many details of her life remain obscured. She was a brilliant woman who was deeply tied to Alexandra's reputation as a center of learning and progress.
Read MoreA charity event puts everyone to work toward a common goal and is usually for something that no one can argue about. Every once in a while a charity event occurs that is a disaster unto itself. Here are some of the biggest, grandest, charity disasters.
Read MoreAt that point in time, few had any true understanding the mental and physical complexities of anorexia nervosa. And sadly, it took seeing the young, fragile Karen Carpenter wither and waste away before the world's very eyes that made people stand up and take serious notice of the condition.
Read MoreFrom curses to enslavement to the downright weird, the Ancient Greco-Romans had it all. And, one of these revenge methods was certainly as strange as they come: using the enemies' names as toilet paper.
Read MoreQueen Victoria carried with her a royal curse, one that she passed on to other royals. Unlike that episode of Doctor Who, where Queen Victoria passed on lycanthropy to her heirs, her royal curse is more of a medical nature: She was a carrier for hemophilia.
Read MoreKehew has the dream job of occasionally being allowed into the Warner Bros. vault where the label keeps its decades of musical recordings. The warehouse, "this Indiana Jones-sized place," is full of recordings of musicians ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Madonna to Green Day and, of course, Van Halen.
Read MoreIn the 2017 report, researchers speculated on whether the brace kept Kennedy sitting upright after he'd been shot in the neck by Lee Harvey Oswald. Had the president not been wearing it, he may have crumpled forward, making it more difficult for Oswald to fire the fatal second shot.
Read MoreWhen trying to locate the physical, actual inspiration for the Garden of Eden, you might assume that we'd be looking for a pretty lush, verdant expanse stuffed full of bountiful fruits. But there have been a lot of climate changes in the Middle East going back to, oh, 10,000 BCE or so.
Read MoreMany people believe Alcatraz is one of the most haunted places in the United States -- it's featured in several haunted San Francisco tours. The Rock, as it's sometimes called, has seen death and violence in its long history, so it wouldn't be a surprise if restless spirits remained on the island.
Read MoreThe controversial, witty, brash, and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper was a fan favorite back when the WWE was the WWF in the 1980s and early '90s. The mouthy wrestling superstar and somewhat successful actor had a reputation for creating a scene.
Read MoreIn a humble petri dish at The Institute of Physico-Chemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science in Moscow, two prehistoric creatures began to move and eat. Both are believed to be female. One is thought to be around 32,000 years old, while the other is pushing 42,000 years old.
Read MoreAs the cohost of the wholesome family show "Wheel of Fortune," Vanessa White has a good sense of humor about her job. Her life has been quite interesting too.
Read MoreIt was the Middle Ages; things were bound to be terrible compared to now. The sad thing is, even if people lived through the hunger and the wars, a doctor might end up killing them instead. Medicine, especially military medicine during the Crusades, was crude and often very dangerous.
Read MoreKitt wasn't done pushing boundaries, and the following year her headstrong attitude and fearlessness in the face of power would land her in hot water with one the country's most powerful and secretive federal agencies.
Read MoreThere are covers that are absurdly strange, with fans and critics alike agreeing that they flat-out shouldn't exist. Metallica's tribute to Prince in Minneapolis during the WorldWired Tour belongs in the latter category, as their cover of "When Doves Cry" made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Read MoreAlcatraz had one luxury that most other prisons lacked: "reasonably hot" showers. Showers weren't private, and had to be quick, but they were at least not frigid. It's suspected that this gesture was merely an attempt to prevent prisoners from getting acclimated to the cold water of the Bay.
Read MoreIs a "mountain man" precisely the kind of long-bearded, ax-hefting hermit you imagine him to be? Who exactly were these atavistic conquerors of tree and hill, these intrepid trappers of critters and traders of tabacky? Something a bit more authentic than who we see on The History Channel, mayhaps?
Read MoreBefore Robert Koch discovered the tubercular bacillus in 1882, the lack of understanding of the bacteria and the disease it caused led to some wild theories and attempts to curb the spread of tuberculosis. Surprisingly, this intersected with vampire legends in an especially curious manner.
Read MoreThe legend of the Lost Dutchman's gold mine is one of murder, secrets, and a lot of gold. For over a century, treasure hunters have sought the Lost Dutchman's treasures supposedly lost in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona. This is the legend of the Lost Dutchman and his gold.
Read MoreSeattle has always been a city of industry and innovation, something that teenagers Jim Casey and Claude Ryan knew all too well. In 1907 they borrowed $100 from an acquaintance and founded the American Messenger Company, which would eventually become UPS.
Read MoreUncharted has occasionally veered into some pretty creepy territory, bringing our dashing hero into contact with genuine monsters and calamities beyond the scope of the natural order of things.
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