While Wager and Tolkien share similarities, it could be because the same mythologies inspired them. Tolkien always downplayed any connection to Wagner, even to the point that any comparison annoyed him. "Both rings were round, and there the resemblance ceased," Tolkien supposedly said.
Read MoreIrish immigrants faced discrimination in the US during the Great Famine of 1845, according to History. And while Shamrock's stereotypical characteristics don't tread on the "dirty Irish" ones historically used, pigeonholing her as only that is unfair to Shamrock.
Read Moreaccording to The Atlantic, if you want to party with Pence, you'd better hope Karen is at his side. The vice president said back in 2002 that "if there's alcohol being served and people are being loose, I want to have the best-looking brunette in the room standing next to me."
Read MoreThe stars of Old Hollywood dealt with alcoholism, erratic behavior, and sometimes, a bad end. Here are tragic stories about Old Hollywood's legendary actresses.
Read MoreLong a mystery, numbers stations are radio stations that play coded messages and anyone with a shortwave radio can listen in. The bizarre mystery behind the numbers stations is that nobody knows who transmits them. Numbers stations broadcast numbers or codes for intelligence officers and spies.
Read MoreThe trend of "upscaling" historic film –- which includes the process of colorization, improving the resolution to 4k, and standardizing the frame rate at 60 frames-per-second -– has become a huge hit on YouTube. Why do historians dislike it?
Read MoreAs head of the FIDE, the International Chess Foundation, Arkady Dvorkovich stated in a New York Times article, "No matter what the game is, when there are benefits from winning, you have cheating."
Read MoreSir Isaac Newton, one of the greatest scientists of all time, once claimed: "I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people."
Read MoreThere's a lot of material to work with to piece together what happened in the days leading up to gunmen opening fire on Marley's home, but even so, the story is complex, and the final truth unclear.
Read MoreTuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is one of the deadliest infections a human can get. Here's the messed up history.
Read MoreDespite their seemingly seamless chemistry when rocking out, however, apparently Tyler and Perry can't stand each other off-stage. And the difficulties in their relationship actually date back decades. The two were so notoriously unable to get along that they were nicknamed the "Toxic Twins"
Read MoreBarker had every right to pull his support of the pageant and use his celebrity and right to free speech to make a statement about his cause, but one organization -- which claimed to have the same animal welfare goal in mind -- didn't react well to his criticism: The American Humane Association.
Read MoreBillionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson has several claims to fame. Besides global business success, he's devoted to daredevil stunts that often result in the 70-year-old Virgin Group founder adding a world record to his long list of accomplishments. His first record was in boating 1986.
Read MoreKareem Abdul-Jabbar's career was waning as Jordan's was just beginning to take flight, and their teams played very rarely. The legendary Laker has his own unique reasons for not wanting to be like Mike, and they have nothing to do with b-ball.
Read MoreEven among the booze-friendly Replacements, Bob Stinson could still out-drink everybody. Soon after the SNL incident, Stinson quit The Replacements, although other band members did make him seek help for his substance abuse issues. Stinson was never again a full-time musician.
Read MoreEmhoff was born in Brooklyn on October 13, 1964, and moved to California as a teen. He is Jewish, which would make him the first Jewish spouse of a United States vice president. He graduated from the University of Southern California's Gould School of Law and worked as an entertainment litigator.
Read MoreKamala Harris already knew the Biden family well before the 2020 presidential race. During her time as California Attorney General from 2011-2017, she worked closely with the Bidens' son Beau, who served as the Attorney General of Delaware from 2007 until his tragic death from brain cancer in 2015.
Read MoreKamala Harris's friendship with Biden's late son, Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015, and their mutual grief over the loss, helped mend the rocky relationship. The Guardian reports that to Harris, Beau was an "incredible friend and colleague." Both served as state attorneys general.
Read MoreDavid Lee Roth has left Van Halen (or Van Halen has left him) many times in an ever-evolving clash of rock-and-roll egos over the years. One of the more intriguing tales involves Roth's brief (and ultimately unsuccessful) attempt at an acting career.
Read MoreViral rap sensation Lil Nas X rocketed to fame in 2019 with his country-rap hit "Old Town Road," and its remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. While many think Lil Nas X's stage name is a nod to other famous rappers, how Lil Nas X got his name has roots in his internet usernames and his career goals.
Read MoreDiamond told the Association Press in 2007 (as reported by The Guardian) that the inspiration for the song came while he was staying at a Memphis hotel. There he saw a photograph of then-nine-year-old Caroline Kennedy, daughter of United States President John F. Kennedy, in a magazine.
Read MoreThe moniker "Saint of Bohemian Grove" might conjure imagery of a Grand Poobah-type of coronation where one of the grove's frat-bro elitists is hefted aloft in a chair like C3PO at the end of Return of the Jedi -- except wearing moose antlers. The "Saint" of Bohemian Grove is a real Catholic saint.
Read Moreone of the drama's characters was an invention -- Jerry, played by former child star Haley Joel Osment (pictured above). In the movie, Jerry is Elizabeth's supportive co-worker with whom she forms a friendship and, eventually, a romantic relationship that culminates in marriage.
Read MoreHarrison made a key update to the historical White House: Namely, he ordered electric power to be installed. Harrison himself, however, wanted nothing to do with electricity or electric lights. Or at least, he wanted nothing to do with the lights' switches.
Read MoreThe fictional Game of Thrones universe is based on the late medieval period of Western Europe. The time was exciting and romantic in some ways—if you were rich and powerful. For the vast majority of humanity, it was a miserable time to be alive. Here's what living in Westeros would actually be like.
Read MoreDon King was a man of singular initiative. In 2012, then 81-year-old King spoke with CNN about his plans for uniting North and South Korea via "a boxing and music event in North Korea," saying, "This came about by me thinking about Korea and feeling that Korea, that it should be one Korea."
Read MoreSome of the wealthiest countries have had trouble with the upkeep of their one-time Olympic venues. Beijing, where the 2008 Summer Olympics were held, faced this dilemma when deciding how to maintain and celebrate the jewel of the games, the Bird's Nest.
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