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A Teetotaling Preacher Basically Invented Modern Tourism
When's the last time you had a vacation, just for fun? Regardless of where you went, you probably want to tip your hat to Thomas Cook. As a traveling Baptist preacher, Thomas Cook walked thousands of…
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
Ira Aldridge: Actor, Activist and Record-breaker
As an African-American actor in the 1800s, Ira Aldridge had the odds stacked against him. Yet despite systemic racism, as well as negative attitudes about Americans in general, Aldridge went on to be…
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
Lithuanian Book Smugglers Vs. The Russian Empire
When people think of rebellion, they often think of guerilla warfare, rousing speeches and protests. But what about books? When the Russian Empire sought to "Russify" much of what is now Lithuania, t…
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
The Yule Lads Terrified Children Across Iceland
Many countries have their own, distinct Christmas traditions, but Iceland's Yule Lads are especially disturbing. Born of a monsterous giantess, these thirteen creatures each specialize in certain typ…
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
The Infamous Aurora UFO Incident of 1897
In April of 1897, something crashed from the sky, destroying a local windmill. As rumors and speculation grew, strange reports emerged -- could there have been a pilot? What was this craft, exactly, …
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
How The Evil May Day of 1517 Became the Perfect Propaganda Opportunity
London of the 1500s was a bustling center of commerce, finance and industry -- and it attracted a fair number of foreign-born professionals, who sought their fortune in the metropolis. However, as ep…
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
Day Drinkers (Sort of) Helped Stop Cholera in London
Dr. Jon Snow -- no relation to the guy from A Song of Ice and Fire -- was in a pickle. Cholera was ravaging London, particularly in the Soho area, and no one knew how to stop it from spreading like p…
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
The Much-Maligned Reign of Swedish Queen Maria Eleonora
We often assume wealth can solve everything, but unfortunately that's not the case -- and there are few better examples of this than the life of Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, German princess and Que…
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
Weird Ways People Used to Communicate, Part II: Smoke Signals and Bottled Messages
People these days are, for better or worse, increasingly accustomed to living in an area of constant communication. But how did people communicate over long distances before the rise of things like t…
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago
Weird Ways People Used to Communicate, Part I: Only a Pigeon Away
People these days are, for better or worse, increasingly accustomed to living in an area of constant communication. But how did people communicate over long distances before the rise of things like t…
Published on 3 years, 8 months ago