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The Hobo King: Leon Ray Livingston, Chapter Two
As the Great Depression devastates the nation, roughly 2 million people find themselves out of home and hope, migrating toward distant promises of jo…
5 years, 8 months ago
The Hobo King: Leon Ray Livingston, Chapter One
Born in San Francisco, an 11-year-old ran away from home, living and writing about his travels. Hailed as a self-coronated 'Hobo King,' Livingston ma…
5 years, 8 months ago
The Vikings Made a Fortune in the 'Unicorn' Trade
Nowadays, experts and equestrians alike largely agree: unicorns are creatures of myth. But, not too long ago, the wealthiest people in Europe would p…
5 years, 8 months ago
Did People Really Throw Tar And Feathers On Each Other?
It's true -- people used to throw tar on other people, then shake feathers on them as a specific form of legally-sanctioned punishment. Where did the…
5 years, 9 months ago
Kate Warne, the Pinkerton Detective Who Saved Abe Lincoln, Part 2: To Rescue A President
While Kate Warne had numerous adventures (and brilliantly solved multiple high-profile cases), her most well-known work with pinkerton involved none …
5 years, 9 months ago
Kate Warne, the Pinkerton Detective Who Saved Abe Lincoln, Part 1: The Origin Story
Kate Warne wasn't just the first female private investigator in the US -- she was also one of the best Pinkerton detectives in the history of the age…
5 years, 9 months ago
What is Fudge, Part 2: The Rebellion
The students of Vassar thrived despite a system of Victorian -- near Orwellian -- control. In a time when these college students were not allowed to …
5 years, 9 months ago
What is Fudge, Part 1: The Science, The Curious Name
Nowadays, most people in the global West associate fudge with the idea of a homemade, homely confection. Yet once upon a time, this dangerously delig…
5 years, 9 months ago
The North Pole, Part 2: The Chase To The North
The Mercator Projection continues to inform explorers, many of whom send their own appropriative versions of the Mythical North. Join Ben, Casey and …
5 years, 9 months ago
The North Pole, Part 1: Maps and Legends
In 1569, Gerardus Mercator creates the first world map. It's the predecessor of the cartoonishly inaccurate Mercator projection, and this math guides…
5 years, 9 months ago