The Irish were already dressing in costume for samhain, to confuse any ghosties who might be on the hunt that night. Gifts of food would be left out on doorsteps -- a way to appease any wandering spirits who, apparently, worked up an appetite as they scared the bejabbers out of the population.
Read MoreAs anyone who has sat through a Thanksgiving dinner with two vocal uncles from opposite ends of the political spectrum can readily attest, politics can be divisive, and party lines are not easily crossed. Still, at least it tends to be a tug-of-war between the Republicans and the Democrats.
Read MoreThe War of the Currents (1880s) between inventors Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla has become one of nerddom's most widely-discussed rivalries.
Read MoreEvery hero has his weak spot, and in Jean-Claude Van Damme's case, it was his tragic penchant for a certain substance. Here's the true story about the crippling addiction that almost killed Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Read MoreThere was one person above all others who was truly capable of absurd, godly feats of alcohol consumption: wrestler and actor Andre the Giant.
Read MoreWoodstock was the very first music festival of its kind and one of the most iconic events in music history.But not every performance at the festival was groundbreaking. One of those shows that ended up failing miserably was the Grateful Dead's set on Saturday, August 16.
Read MoreThe Royal Library of Alexandria was a wonder of the ancient world, built to house all knowledge. Nevertheless, tragedy struck the Great Library and all of its invaluable manuscripts were lost. But how could such a thing happen? Read on for the tragic fate of the Library of Alexandria.
Read MoreThe ancient historian Plutarch, per Ancient History Encyclopedia, wrote that the two were buried together, probably at Cleopatra's request, though Plutarch never revealed the location of their tomb.
Read MoreWhen the ancient Romans saw Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII immortalized in gilded bronze in the Temple of Venus Genetrix, they were puzzled as to what Julius Caesar's side piece was doing next to the mother of Aeneas, the mythical founder of Rome, as Encyclopedia Britannica explains.
Read MoreWas he murdered? The investigation was perfunctory at best, the evidence was tampered with, and nobody ever explained the bruises on his face and body. Officially, the case remains unsolved.
Read MoreThree things are most important in Oymyakon: alcohol, meat, and fur.
Read MoreThe direct, personal hatred of the Canadian band Nickelback is one of those aspects of popular culture that seem to simply exist.
Read MoreSean and fellow journalist Dana Stone were captured by elements of the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army while on assignment for Time magazine in Cambodia on April 6, 1970.
Read MoreThe Pawn Stars have had some very rare and expensive items come and go through their historic shop in Las Vegas, and some of their most valuable commodities have come in the form of band memorabilia. Here's some of the most expensive band memorabilia seen on Pawn Stars.
Read MoreComedy Central has decided to pull the plug on the long-running commentary show Tosh.0. The show has been on the air since 2009, so regardless of your opinion of its provocative host, the announcement certainly means that an era of entertainment is coming to an end in 2020.
Read MoreThe new footbridge at Tintagel Castle is a minimalist, elegant, and quite impressive feat of engineering that has a unique feature cut across its center: a 40 mm gap between the two halves of the bridge.
Read MoreAt the ripe old age of 27, Edgar Allan Poe married his first cousin, Virginia Clemm, who was herself a stately 13 years of age that year of 1836.
Read MoreWars can last forever. After all, there's such a thing called the Hundred Years' War between France and England and their allies. You know, the war where Joan of Arc died at the stake. But some wars barely last a blip.
Read MoreA number of books, articles, and documentary films have claimed in recent years that French fashion legend Coco Chanel chose the wrong side in WWII, taking up with the Nazis when they invaded France.
Read MoreThe hills dot a vast terrain and they look perfectly symmetrical. Hundreds of people marvel at them every day. They're one of the most popular tourist destinations in the province of Bohol. So how did the Chocolate Hills come about?
Read MoreBesides being the shrewd, manipulative ruler of ancient Egypt, Cleopatra was also a prank-playing boozehound. It was love at first sight when she met Roman general Mark Antony in 41 BC — and what's a girl to do when she falls for a handsome descendant of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine? Live it up!
Read MoreIn 1884 Freud published a research paper, "On Cocaine," "a song of praise to this magical substance," and would give the substance to friends and colleagues as a gift -- speaking for himself, he found it aided his digestion and improved his spirits.
Read MoreNot only was Cleopatra an astute politician and savvy diplomat, she was a nightly partier who would rove the streets of Alexandria after-hours with her boyfriend, the Roman general Mark Antony, and play pranks on commoners after getting trashed at their elite "feasts and wine-binges" club.
Read MoreBarbara showed an intense talent for the written word from a young age, as reported by The Guardian. She taught herself how to read, much like other children learn to walk, and by age 4 her tiny form was carting her father's typewriter back to her room so she could write.
Read MoreThis month, a study led by Maëlle Lefeuvre, a PhD student at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, studied both the different ways elephants could use their trunk to manipulate food and how each elephant displayed a preference for individual tactics.
Read MoreFor centuries, keeping track of time didn't come naturally. Ancient Rome's road to the Julian calendar was especially rocky, and due to the craziness, their effort to reform the calendar ended up resulting in the longest year in human history. This is why 46 B.C. was the longest year ever.
Read MoreSally Ride entered the history books on June 18, 1983 when, as part of the crew of Space Shuttle STS-7, she became the first American woman in space. Ride was celebrated as a heroine and a pioneer. But Ride was more than an impressive resume in a space suit. Here's the untold truth of Sally Ride.
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