Biography History List

Four of the Most Fascinating Criminals in History

From infamous gangsters like Al Capone, to notorious pirates like Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, there is something darkly fascinating about those criminally enterprising individuals who managed to make careers as outlaws and scoundrels. In this article, we’ll look at some of history’s most interesting criminals and their unique and dastardly legacies. 1. Black Bart Few character […]

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Biography History List Pirates

Four of the Most Interesting Pirates in History

There’s something about the seafaring life of the pirate which elevates them from simple criminal to roguish antihero in our collective memories. While real pirate’s could be anything from petty thieves with outsized criminal ambitions to former royal navy men with a chip on their shoulder, the common thread between them is a life of […]

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History List Mystery

Five of the Greatest Unsolved Mysteries in History

In this article, we’re taking a look at some of the most puzzling, head-scratching, page-turning historical mysteries that we’ve previously discussed. Be sure to check out the full articles for each case, where we explore all of the facts and theories in detail!

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Artifact History Mystery

Why is There a Stuffed Crocodile Hanging in This Italian Church Building?

Old Catholic churches often house treasure troves of religious art and relics. From frescoes to altarpieces to the alleged belongings of various saints, church collections can be both impressive and eccentric, especially in churches that date many centuries back. The Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime Immacolate, in English “The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Immaculate Tears,” […]

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Artifact Biography History Mystery

Elmer McCurdy: The Six Million Dollar Mummy

Elmer McCurdy was born in 1880 to an unwed teenaged mother. To spare her the scandal of the circumstances of her son’s birth, Elmer was raised for much of his childhood by his aunt and uncle whom he believed to be his parents. When his adoptive father, George, died in 1890, the truth was revealed […]

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Biography History

Who is Rachel Wall? New England’s Ruthless Female Pirate

Rachel Schmidt was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in around 1760. Very little is known about her upbringing except that her family was Presbyterian and that she seems to have been largely unsatisfied with the life that she grew up into. At the age of about sixteen, Rachel began sneaking away to the sea. She felt […]

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Artifact History

Frozen Charlotte: A Macabre Folktale and a Popular Doll

Pediophobia is defined as an irrational fear of dolls. Many people find porcelain dolls, in particular, to be eerie or creepy. Despite their treasured status amongst doll collectors, the stiff but uncannily human features of these dolls are often likened to corpses. For those among us with this fear towards porcelain dolls, the Frozen Charlotte […]

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Biography History Mystery

The Fox Sisters: How a Prank Created the Modern Ghost Story

The year was 1848. It was nighttime in Hydesville, New York when a flustered Margaret Fox dragged a neighbor from their home to witness the frightening phenomenon that had scared her so badly. Upon entering the farmhouse, Margaret led the neighbor to the bedroom of her two young daughters, fifteen-year-old Margaretta “Maggie” Fox and eleven-year-old […]

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Artifact History Mystery Travel

The Intriguing Mystery of the Disappearance of the Explorer Percy Fawcett and the Lost City of Z

A lost city of legend, a trio of adventurers, and a mystery that persists to this very day: this is the story of Percy Fawcett and his ill-fated final expedition to find the fabled “Lost City of Z.” Who Was Percy Fawcett? When picturing the quintessential adventurer, one might fall back on certain tropes. From […]

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Biography History

Who was Grutte Pier? The Tall Tale of the Noble Pirate Pier Gerlofs Donia

Pier Gerlofs Donia, often referred to as “Big Pier,” “Grutte Pier,” or “Greate Pier,” is an oft-forgotten pirate as well as a beloved folk hero of Frisian legend. Perhaps one of the strongest pirates in history, Grutte Pier is said to have been capable of lifting a horse on his shoulders and decapitating several opponents […]

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