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Russia’s Real-life Ice Queen, Part 1: The Tsar is a Jerk
“Despite being born into royalty, Anna Ioannovna didn’t have the easiest life. Her uncle publicly ridiculed her marriage, and the cruelty she experie…
4 years, 4 months ago
That Time a Baboon Worked for the Railroad
When a horrific accident left railroad signalman James Wide without the use of his legs, he was desperate to maintain his livelihood -- an effort tha…
4 years, 4 months ago
Austin and the Texas Archives War
After its formation in 1836, the new Republic of Texas had some problems -- multiple people wanted the capital in different places. The Republic's ar…
4 years, 4 months ago
King for a Week: The Strange Story of Otto I
For most people, the old saying "it's good to be king" is just a cool phrase -- but for magician and noted spinner of tall tales Otto Witte, this sou…
4 years, 5 months ago
The Bloody Tale of the Sausage War
The Battle of Varolampi Pond has another, less formal name: the Sausage War. Don't let the funny moniker fool you -- the 1939 conflict between Finlan…
4 years, 5 months ago
Modern Thanksgiving, Part Two: Sarah Josepha Hale Finally Gets Her Wish
As the Civil War broke out, Sarah Josepha Hale found politicians were, understandably, more occupied with country-wide chaos than the creation of a n…
4 years, 5 months ago
Modern Thanksgiving, Part One: A Culture War
Today Thanksgiving is considered a largely innocuous holiday, centered on food and family. In the US, people across the country get together on the s…
4 years, 5 months ago
How Haunted Houses Became A Thing
Haunted houses are a big deal in the United States -- like Spirit stores, they seem to spring up every October -- but whence did they originate? When…
4 years, 5 months ago
New England versus Vampires, Part Two: Desperation and Desecration
In part two of this two-part series, Ben is joined once again with guest host Alex Williams to explore the harrowing tale of the New England Vampire …
4 years, 5 months ago
New England versus Vampires, Part One: The Brutal, Terrifying Life of Early Colonists
While historians continue to explore the details of the infamous Salem witch trials, another, earlier panic swept through New England -- something mo…
4 years, 5 months ago