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Brooms and Witchcraft, Part 1: A Killer in the Rye?
Most people are familiar with the stereotypical image of a witch: a haggard, often older individual with a peaked hat, black robes, a demonic familia…
5 years, 8 months ago
The Beast of Gévaudan, Part 2: The Birth of a Grisly Legend
As the investigation into the Beast became a national obsession, the French monarchy stepped in, offering rewards (and threats) in their attempt to c…
5 years, 8 months ago
The Beast of Gévaudan, Part 1: Murders In France
For three years, a monster terrified the backwater region of Gévaudan. From 1764 - 1767, people found the mutilated corpses, one by one, across the c…
5 years, 8 months ago
The BBC Convinced People Spaghetti Grows on Trees
On the first of April in 1957, cameraman Charles de Jaeger's childhood dream came true: Panorama, Britain's most popular news program, aired a segmen…
5 years, 8 months ago
The US Waged War on Pinball for Decades
Today, pinball is seen as a sort of retro novelty -- it's enjoyable, kitschy and wholesome. Yet for decades, political officials in cities across the…
5 years, 8 months ago
The Misadventures of Wade Boggs, Part 2
Wade Boggs is a legendary, larger-than-life figure in the world of sports -- but one of his strangest achievements has nothing to do with baseball. J…
5 years, 9 months ago
The Misadventures of Wade Boggs, Part 1
Wade Boggs has always been regarded as a legend, both on and off the ballfield. However, some of his strangest experiences have very little to do wit…
5 years, 9 months ago
The Tragic Tale of the 'Turnspit Dog'
Before the rise of household automation, British elites struggled to find the perfect method for cooking meat. They preferred it roasted, slowly, tur…
5 years, 9 months ago
Knocker-Uppers: The Human Alarm Clocks of the Industrial Age
When adapting to life as factory employees, members of the British and Irish public confronted a new, unexpected obstacle -- how do you make sure you…
5 years, 9 months ago
That Time New York City Rioted Over Shakespeare
Don't let reality television and wrestling fool you -- celebrity rivalries are a tale as old as entertainment itself. In 1849, the rivalry between tw…
5 years, 9 months ago